Woman killed in downtown hotel

Keith Paul

Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001 | 9:38 a.m.

A woman was gunned down Wednesday afternoon as she sat at a bar in a downtown hotel.

The gunman walked into the bar at the Nevada Hotel on Main Street near Bridger Avenue about 12:30 p.m., pulled out a gun and fired at least one shot at the woman, killing her. The gunman fled as about half-dozen patrons and workers looked on, said Lt. Tom Monahan, who heads Metro Police's homicide unit.

"All the evidence so far suggests the suspect fired only at the woman," he said.

No one else was injured in the shooting, Monahan said.

Detectives are still trying to determine a motive and identify a suspect. The woman had not been identified this morning, according to the coroner's office.

The gunman apparently walked into the bar and, without saying a word, shot the woman, Arnold Tellez, a manager at the hotel, said.

"People have told me that he just walked in and shot her in the back of the head," Tellez said. "He didn't say anything, he just went in and did it. It takes a lot to go into a place and do that in the middle of the day."

The hotel, across the street from the Greyhound bus depot, is seven stories high and includes a small bar on the first floor. The bar area is dark and includes about 15 slot machines, a pool table and a small kitchen.

Tellez, who has worked at the hotel for the past six years, said that homicides and other crimes aren't new to the area.

"I wish the governor or someone would come down here and clean this up," Tellez said. "We have people being robbed right outside all the time."

About 4 p.m. the bar area was reopened, and by 6 p.m. about five people were inside, drinking and talking about the shooting.

"This is the kind of neighborhood where things like this happen," said Pat Archer, who lives at the hotel. "In this neighborhood you just try to keep from getting wrapped up in anything that could get you in trouble."

The woman's slaying is the 126th homicide so far this year in Metro's jurisdiction. There were 88 homicides by the same time last year.

The gunman was described as a white man in his 40s, about 5 feet, 10 inches and about 140 to 150 pounds. He was wearing a dark baseball cap and has gray hair.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Metro's homicide unit at 229-3521, or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Sun reporter Jace Radke contributed to this story.