Homicide at hotel first in new year

Jace Radke and Keith Paul

Monday, Jan. 3, 2000 | 11:14 a.m.

Orleans hotel-casino workers found the body of a 32-year-old Las Vegas man Sunday after the man's friend called the hotel asking them to check on him because the two had fought inside the room.

Police found the man beaten to death, the first homicide of the new year, Metro Police Lt. Wayne Petersen said. The name of the victim was not released this morning pending the notification of his family.

A worker at the hotel discovered the body about 8 a.m. Sunday. The man checked into the hotel about 7 p.m. on Saturday with Curtis Prevost, 26. Hotel surveillance videotape shows Prevost going into the victim's room at 8:20 p.m. and leaving at 8:41 p.m., Petersen said. Police are now seeking Prevost.

Prevost "called the hotel (Sunday morning) asking (hotel workers) to check on him because they got into a fight," Petersen said. "We obviously have enough probable cause for an arrest."

Police know the two men were friends or acquaintances but don't know what caused the fight, Petersen said.

Prevost is white, 6 feet 3 inches tall, 220 pounds with brown hair. He was last seen wearing a light-colored jacket over a plaid shirt and light-colored pants.

Anyone with information about Prevost is asked to call homicide detectives at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.