Man accused in murder case was on probation for illegal gun

A man arrested Thursday in connection with a homicide was put on probation for illegally possessing a gun two months before police said fatally he shot a man.

Jose Venegas, 28, was booked on one count of murder Thursday and one count of violating probation, according to jail records.

Jail records tied Venegas to the killing of Reynaldo Alvarez, 23, of Las Vegas.

Alvarez died Monday at University Medical Center from a gunshot wound to the chest 47 minutes after he was found on the 1400 block of Newport Street, the coroner’s office ruled.

Police said Alvarez was at a vacant home to meet an unknown man and the two started arguing in the driveway. Alvarez was shot and the shooter ran off before police arrived.

Court records indicate Venegas had a nine-year history of violent crimes and gun possession, beginning with a citation for battery in 2013.

In 2014 he pleaded guilty to battery with use of a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon, according to District Court records. He was sentenced to serve at least three years in prison.

In 2019, court records showed he pleaded guilty to attempted ownership of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to one year in prison.

He again pleaded guilty to attempted ownership of a firearm by a felon in December, and on Jan. 4 he was sentenced to two years of probation.

“You shall not possess, have access to, or have under your control, any type of weapon,” the probation filing read.

Venegas is being held without bail and is expected to appear in court again on the murder case Friday afternoon.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.