Killing of burglar labeled ‘clear case of self-defense’

Keith Paul

Wednesday, July 19, 2000 | 11:26 a.m.

An armed intruder killed Tuesday when he confronted a homeowner had a string of arrests last year including burglary and robbery charges, Metro Police said this morning.

Chay B. Stevens, 20, of North Las Vegas was killed after he and another man broke into a house in the 3200 block of South Tenaya Way near Desert Inn Road about 5 a.m., police said.

Stevens fired all three bullets in his small-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the resident, who returned fire with his own gun, Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro's homicide unit said.

Stevens and the 60-year-old resident were about 6 to 8 feet apart when the shooting started. Stevens was hit and died at the scene. The homeowner was not wounded.

Stevens had been arrested by Metro last year on charges of robbery, burglary, battery and larceny. Police also suspect that he may have been involved in a string of recent burglaries in southwest Las Vegas.

"Certainly the (resident) was very lucky," Petersen said. "Thankfully he was armed and competent in the use of the handgun. He may have saved his life and his wife's. Thank goodness, (Stevens) wasn't a good shot."

When the shooting started, a second man fled the house, driving off in a sport utility vehicle.

Officers spotted a suspected vehicle and pursued it to the area of Charleston and Decatur boulevards. They arrested the driver, Laron D. White, 19, who was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on felony murder, burglary, robbery and home invasion charges. White was held without bond this morning pending his first court appearance.

White apparently doesn't have an arrest record in Metro's files.

"He is looking at numerous charges that could put him away for a long, long time," Petersen said.

Tuesday's deadly encounter started when the homeowner's dog started barking, waking him. The resident grabbed his handgun and went downstairs to investigate. He noticed the door to the den was closed and shouldn't have been, police said.

When he opened the door, he found Stevens rummaging through the room. Stevens came at the resident and the gun fight started, police said.

Stevens fired three shots at the resident, and the homeowner fired all eight shots in his semiautomatic handgun, police said.

Detectives are still investigating the incident, but Petersen said the shooting is a "clear case of self-defense."

"The resident was woken up at 5 a.m. and forced into a gun fight with an armed intruder," Petersen said. "He showed amazing composure under incredible pressure."

According to Nevada law, people can defend themselves from deadly force in their homes, said Chris Owens, a chief deputy district attorney.