Two high-profile prisoners charged in murder attempt

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

Two high-profile prisoners at the Clark County Detention Center have been charged with attempted murder after another prisoner was thrown off a second-story balcony in one of the jail's disciplinary modules Saturday night.

Donte Johnson, who was sentenced to death after his conviction in the August 1998 slayings of four Las Vegas men, and Reginald Johnson, who has pleaded guilty to five felony charges in connection with robberies at the Treasure Island hotel-casino, are alleged to have thrown 31-year-old Oscar Irias to the jail's floor about 10:30 p.m.

The three inmates were being held in a specialized security section that allows prisoners access to a larger community area for one hour a day. All three were in the community area when they got into an argument, Metro Police spokesman Chris Darcy said.

"We don't know what motivated the situation, but it could have been anything," Darcy said.

As many as 24 prisoners can be held in the jail's disciplinary modules, which feature cells and the community area. Because of feeding, maintenance and other situations, sometimes more than one inmate is released into the community area at the same time, Darcy said.

The modules have cells on both the first and second floors, with a stairway that leads to a balcony with additional cells on the second floor.

Donte Johnson, 23, and Reginald Johnson, 27, no relation, allegedly went up the stairs, encountered Irias on the balcony and threw him over a 5-foot railing to the floor about 12 feet below, Darcy said.

Irias was taken to University Medical Center and was treated for arm injuries before being taken back to the jail and placed in the infirmary. Irias is in the jail on charges of kidnapping and lewdness with a minor under the age of 14.

Donte Johnson has since been placed in an isolation area inside the jail, where he will be allowed out of his cell for one hour a day. Reginald Johnson continues to be jailed in the disciplinary module and also is allowed out of his cell for one hour a day.

Donte Johnson is being held at the county jail pending the outcome of an attempted murder trial involving a man who was shot in 1998. Derrick Simpson, 41, is now a quadriplegic after being shot several times in May 1998.

Simpson has testified that Johnson shot him several times after getting into an argument during a drug transaction.

Reginald Johnson has said he successfully robbed Treasure Island on July 12 and Oct. 30, but the addition of security bars at the casino's main cage foiled his third attempt on Dec. 12. He was arrested hours after the failed robbery and has since pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon, one count of attempted robbery and two counts of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon.