Suspect arrested in central Las Vegas homicide

Police have arrested a 36-year-old suspected of fatally shooting a man in late August in central Las Vegas, Metropolitan Police Department records show.

James Smith Jr. was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Friday, jail records show. He faces a murder charge in connection with the death of 37-year-old Anthony Groce, who was found dead Aug. 24 near H Street and McWilliams Avenue, north of Bonanza Road, according to jail booking logs and court records.

The Clark County coroner’s office has ruled Groce’s death a homicide due to gunshot wounds to his trunk and extremities. The coroner’s office also identified him as Anthony Gross, though Groce’s family said the spelling was incorrect.

Metro has previously said that the department’s gunshot detection system, ShotSpotter, notified police of gunfire near the intersection at 3:11 a.m. Aug. 24.

It was unclear Saturday if police had identified a motive in Groce’s killing.

Smith faces a weapons charge and a count of murder with a deadly weapon, court records show. He was scheduled to appear in court on Saturday morning.

Further information about his arrest was not immediately available. He remained in jail without bail on Saturday.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.