Woman found dead has record of prostitution arrests

Keith Paul

Thursday, Jan. 13, 2000 | 11:27 a.m.

The woman found dead, wrapped in a plastic sheet inside a Las Vegas town house, had several arrests for prostitution in the last 18 months in the downtown area, Metro Police said this morning.

The 37-year-old woman was found inside a town house in the 4000 block of Castle Cove Drive Tuesday. Ronald W. Collins, 30, was charged with murder after a four-hour standoff inside his town house. The woman died from multiple stab wounds to the neck.

The woman's name was not released by the Clark County corner's office this morning because her family has not been notified.

"She had several arrests for prostitution-related activity in the past year and half," said Metro homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen.

Petersen said it would only be speculation for him to say how Collins and the woman wound up together. But there was blood found in Collins' truck, police said.

Collins' wife told police he came home Monday about 8 p.m. apparently intoxicated. She left the house with her son from a prior relationship and went to her mother's house.

She returned Tuesday about 5 a.m. finding the dead woman in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor and her husband near the body. She fled the house and called police.

Collins' wife said she left the house Monday night out of fear for her safety because the couple has had previous domestic disputes, police said.

Officers had gone to Collins' home a couple of times on domestic disturbance calls with the last one on Dec. 22 at 6:25 p.m. On that occasion, the officer gave a verbal warning while at the house, according Metro records officials.

Collins, a registered felon on an attempted grand larceny auto conviction, was held without bond in the Clark County jail. Collins had an initial appearance in Justice Court this morning.