Fatal North Las Vegas shooting motive details remain murky

Stanley Thomas’ brother told police he was looking for a place for Kaycha Pratt to spend the night when Thomas allegedly shot her in the head “for no reason,” according to an arrest report.

North Las Vegas police believe that Pratt was shot around 3 a.m. Oct. 16, but wasn’t found until about 5:30 a.m. lying “in a pool of blood” outside a unit at the Newport Village Apartments, 1827 W. Gowan Road, police spokesman Eric Leavitt said in October. Stanley Dewayne Thomas, 31, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Dec. 28 after he was arrested in Los Angeles in connection with her murder.

But Thomas’ arrest report gave little insight into why the Las Vegas man allegedly shot Pratt when she showed up at his door with her ex-boyfriend, who was Thomas’ brother.

When detectives on Oct. 16 asked Thomas’ brother what happened the night before, the man “broke down crying and said, ‘I don’t know man, my brother just shot that girl for no reason,’” according to the report.

The man described Pratt and him as having a “friends with benefits” relationship, and the report also indicates they had previously dated. He told police he drove to Thomas’ home that night “with the hopes to use a room” for he and Pratt to stay in.

Thomas then “got into it” with the couple because he did not want them at the apartment, the report said.

“Stanley went back inside and locked the door,” the report said. “He soon returned, opened the door, and instantly shot (Pratt) in the head.”

Two people who lived in a home about 50 yards south of the complex called 911 about 3 a.m. to report the gunshot and a man they saw in the complex holding a gun. But when police arrived in the neighborhood about 3:20 a.m., they “did not see anything and cleared the call,” the report said.

When Pratt was found hours later, she was lying face-up near the front of Thomas’ apartment, the report said.

A woman who was at the apartment that night claimed she didn’t hear a gunshot, but she did hear someone ‘rattling’ the door. She told police she jumped out of a window with her daughters, at least one of whom was also Thomas’ daughter, the report said.

“Although (the woman) was not completely truthful, her statement also indicated Stanely was at the apartment,” which corroborated Thomas’ brother’s story, the report said.

In an interview with the Review-Journal on Thursday, Justin Canelo described Pratt as a “good person” who loved her daughter.

Canelo and Pratt had a 9-year-old daughter together, and Canelo said he is now looking after the girl after her mother’s death. Canelo said he’s not sure what led to Thomas allegedly shooting Pratt.

“She always kept everybody laughing, she loved to listen to music,” Canelo said. “She’s never really been the person to go and start something.”

Attempts to reach others in Pratt’s immediate family this week were not successful.

The Los Angeles FBI office said it arrested Thomas on Dec. 16 in Southern California on a warrant issued in Clark County. He was charged with murder with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm, court records show.

In April 2007, Thomas plead guilty in District Court to felony charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and robbery, and was sentenced to probation. He later plead guilty again in March 2015 in District Court to a felony charge of attempted burglary, and was sentenced to probation, court records show.

A preliminary hearing in the murder case is scheduled for Jan 23.

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