Las Vegas police found suspect’s wallet at scene of Saturday homicide
A wallet left at the scene of a home invasion and homicide Saturday near McCarran International Airport immediately led police to their suspect, records obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal show.
The wallet belonged to James Farr II, 28, and was left on the kitchen floor of the 5389 Surrey St. home where a roommate found Chad Shelton, 27, dead about 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The home had been ransacked, police said.
None of Shelton’s roommates knew Farr, and police believe the home invasion and subsequent fatal shooting were random.
Police filed a warrant for Farr’s arrest Tuesday, court records show, but Farr had knowledge he was a suspect and ultimately turned himself in Wednesday without incident, Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Michael Rodriguez said.
Farr was booked at the Clark County Detention Center late Wednesday on charges of murder with a deadly weapon, burglary while in possession of a gun, and grand larceny of an automobile.
When Shelton’s roommate came home Saturday, she noticed the house was unusually messy and the refrigerator’s doors were wide open, records show. When she called for Shelton, he did not answer, so she went to his room, where she “found him on the floor in a large puddle of blood.”
“She checked for a pulse and found none,” then left the house and waited for police, according to an arrest report. Shelton died from a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.
According to records, police believe the house was initially burglarized while Shelton was asleep in his room. The weapon used, a 20-gauge shotgun, belonged to one of the people living at the home.
Police believe that after the home was burglarized, the burglar walked into Shelton’s room, armed with the shotgun he found. During a brief confrontation, the burglar fatally shot Shelton, then fled in Shelton’s 2016 Hyundai Veloster.
The vehicle was recovered by police a few hours later several blocks away.
Farr has a criminal history, including arrests on charges of burglary, possession of burglary tools, grand theft auto, possession of a stolen vehicle, breaking and tampering with a vehicle, and possession of drugs.
He is being held without bail, and his felony arraignment is scheduled for early Friday.
Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @rachelacrosby on Twitter.
