Report: Rape suspect stopped, then released

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2002 | 10:57 a.m.

A Metro Police sergeant stopped a man matching the description of a serial rapist after seeing the man late Saturday talking to a young woman near the area of the other assaults, but let him go after questioning him.

Sgt. Keith Bowers saw a man "driving a teal-green Camaro, stopped in the area of Tropicana (Road)/Duneville (Street), approach a Hispanic female, and engage her in conversation," according to a police report released Tuesday to the Sun.

"The vehicle and MO (method of operation) are identical to the suspect in the (sexual assault)cases. Sgt. Bowers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, and (identified) the driver as Xmeiga Gary. He then released the driver and vehicle."

But less than 15 minutes later two other officers spotted the same green sports car in the area of Flamingo Road and Buffalo Drive and stopped the driver, 22-year-old Xmeiga Gary, on traffic violations. He was held while detectives were called out. He was then arrested.

Gary, who refused requests for an interview, has been charged with six sexual assaults and attempted sexual assaults including five in the Flamingo Road area on July 12 and Aug. 5, 7, 13 and 14. Some victims told police a red car was used and others said a green car was used.

Police say the man targeted women at bus stops along Flamingo Road, pulling up to the curb to talk and offer a ride. One victim, who was 15 years old, was forced into the car.

Gary was scheduled to be in Las Vegas Justice Court this morning for an initial appearance.

Gary apparently told Bowers a credible story as to why he was in the area and despite all the similarities before the traffic stop, there just wasn't enough probable cause to hold him anymore, said Capt. Tom Conlin of the Southwest Area Command.

"He was pretty convincing, but the hairs on the back of the cop's neck stood up," Conlin said. "He knew something wasn't right."

Conlin said after Gary was let go, officers went by the address Gary gave and saw a red car matching the description of the second car used in some of the attacks.

"What are the odds of one person having two exact cars the rapist had?" Conlin said. "Now we've got something more."

Two other officers stopped Gary just 15 minutes later and arrested him. Gary spoke with sexual assault detectives at the jail and police said he told them all of the encounters he was questioned about were consensual sex.

Sgt. Christopher Darcy of Metro's sexual assault unit said Gary was arrested early Sunday in the same area of the other attacks, but there was no reported attack in the 15 minutes between the time Gary was stopped the first time and the time he was arrested.

Gary has no prior arrests for sexual assault or other serious crimes and apparently has a girlfriend, who owned a car matching the description of one of the vehicles used in the recent attacks.

Darcy said had police not caught Gary early Sunday, they might not have had a chance for awhile, as relatives told police Gary was about ready to leave for California to attend a junior college.