Suspect in 3 Summerlin carjackings in a day was just out of jail

A man released from jail after he was accused of “auto burglary” at gunpoint was arrested in a string of armed carjackings in Summerlin two days after his release.

Bryan Munoz, 18, initially was arrested March 9 after he pointed a gun at a driver during a vehicle burglary in the Fremont Street Experience parking garage the day before, according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report. Munoz and a woman were caught breaking into a car and when the owner tried calling police, Munoz pointed a gun and “begged her to not call the police,” the report said.

Munoz appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court and was released March 10 after the state requested more time to file a criminal complaint. The court did not hear arguments about Munoz’s custody status at the hearing, according to court records.

On March 12, the driver of a Toyota Camry was parked near Maggiano’s Little Italy at Downtown Summerlin. The driver was approached by Munoz, who pulled out a handgun and took the driver’s keys, according to the report. He couldn’t drive the car and fled on foot, police said.

About two hours later, police said, Munoz approached the driver of a Honda Civic on the 10000 block of West Charleston Boulevard, near South Hualapai Way. He showed a handgun and demanded the driver’s keys. Munoz drove the car about 30 feet before getting out and leaving on foot.

Five minutes later, police said, Munoz approached a woman in a Honda Civic that she had just got into after shopping at a nearby Albertsons on Charleston. Munoz knocked on the window and then opened the door. He was holding a handgun and tried to pull the woman out of the car but could not, the report said.

Detectives identified Munoz as the suspect in three carjackings from March 12 using surveillance footage and based on his description matching the suspect in the March 9 arrest. He was arrested March 25 in the March 12 carjackings, according to the report.

“Munoz admitted to committing all four events, and to using a handgun to scare the victims into giving him their cars,” the report said. “Munoz advised he just needed a ride and was not planning on hurting anyone.”

Munoz is charged with three counts of robbery with a deadly weapon and one count of attempted robbery with a deadly weapon. He is due back in court on April 12, court records show. As of Friday, Munoz remained in custody on $110,000 bail, according to jail records.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter.