Judge denies bail in shooting near Las Vegas Strip that left 2 dead
A judge on Monday denied bail for Omar Jamal Talley, accused of killing two women near the Strip, as prosecutors said they were considering whether to pursue capital punishment.
Talley’s lawyer, William Skupa, had asked for $50,000 bail, but Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Sciscento ordered that Talley, 30, remain at the Clark County Detention Center without bail. The judge said he may reconsider bail at a preliminary hearing set for May.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Peter Thunnel said prosecutors were looking into seeking the death penalty for Talley, who faces two charges of murder with a deadly weapon, one count of attempted murder with a deadly weapon and six counts of shooting a gun into an occupied car in connection with the deaths of Californians Melissa Mendoza and Jennifer Chicas, both 27.
Mendoza and Chicas were in a car with Jerraud Jackson Feb. 19 at the Miracle Mile Shops parking garage at Planet Hollywood Resort, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South, when Jackson and Talley got into an argument, according to police.
Parking garage security footage showed Talley getting out of a gray Toyota Camry with California plates, walking to the driver’s side of a silver Hyundai sedan with Oregon plates and pointing a gun at the driver, detectives wrote in an arrest report.
About six minutes after security called police to report a fight at the garage, police received another call about gunfire at the intersection of Harmon and Polaris avenues.
Police found Chicas lying on the roadway. She was taken to University Medical Center where she died of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Less than five minutes after the shooting, Mendoza drove the silver Hyundai into The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ valet area. She and Jackson had both been shot and were taken to UMC.
Mendoza died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Jackson was hospitalized in critical condition.
Talley has denied shooting anyone and later said the weapon he had was “just a BB gun” but refused to tell police where it was.
Contact reporter David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker
