Teen granted $500K bail, will be tried as adult in deadly shooting
A 17-year-old arrested in the fatal shooting of a 39-year-old man last week was granted bail Tuesday.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Pro Tem William Jansen granted $500,000 bail to Jacob Gaona, who was arrested shortly after the fatal shooting on Thursday at a northwest valley apartment complex.
Gaona faces charges of murder with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and will be tried as an adult, Jansen said.
Prosecutors said Gaona admitted to shooting 39-year-old Thomas Anderson at the apartment complex on the 2300 block of North Tucumcari Drive, near Smoke Ranch Road and Jones Boulevard.
“He continued shooting him while he was on the ground,” prosecutor Skyler Sullivan said. “He shot him in the back after he had fallen on the ground, and shot the gun until the gun was empty.”
Anderson’s death was ruled a homicide from a gunshot wound of the torso, the Clark County coroner’s office has said.
Detectives believe the shooting happened because of an argument, the Metropolitan Police Department has said. Gaona was found in a nearby apartment after the shooting, police have said.
More information about his arrest was not available.
Public defender Sarah Hawkins argued that holding Gaona without bail was unlawful because only evidence, not a probable cause arrest warrant, can be considered when denying bail.
Gaona is scheduled to appear in court again on July 13.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-2040. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.
