Suspect left juvenile home days before stabbing

Erica Johnson and Eric Leake

Thursday, Feb. 27, 2003 | 11:17 a.m.

The 15-year-old charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of a 56-year-old man in his western Las Vegas home withdrew from the county's juvenile offenders school four days before the slaying, county records show.

Susan Klein-Rothschild, director of the county's Child and Family Services Division, said she could not say whether Mark Ford was released from juvenile custody or describe other circumstances surrounding the withdrawal.

However, she said, generally children withdraw from the school when they are either returned to their neighborhood school or complete their juvenile offender program.

Ford made his first court appearance this morning in Las Vegas Justice Court on charges of killing Vincent Gomes at his Peccole Ranch home on Monday during a burglary in the Wellington Park gated community.

Ford was arraigned before Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron via video from the Clark County jail, where he is being held without bail.

His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Curtis Brown, was also present.

In addition to a charge of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, Ford faces a charge of burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon.

Bennett-Haron set a preliminary hearing for March 10 to determine whether Ford will face trial on the charges.

Ford, who police allege fled the scene on a motor scooter, was arrested at his home several miles away in the 5500 block of Cactus Thorn Avenue.

Police say Ford broke into Gomes' home to burglarize it and stabbed Gomes when he discovered that he was home.

Gomes, 56, had called 911 saying someone had broken into his home and was stabbing him, police said. Police wouldn't comment on Ford's motive.

Some in the community said Ford had a history of bad behavior.

Tony, a former neighbor who would not provide his last name, said his son attended Sig Rogich Middle School with Ford. He said students alleged Ford stole from classmates and he hung out with a bad crowd.

Other than that, he was a normal kid, he said.

"When I moved in here, he was one of the first to talk to me," he said. "He knew everybody, a lot of details about everyone."

As Ford grew older, though, neighbors said his transgressions worsened.

Tony said Ford moved out of the Wellington Park gated community about a year ago. "Everybody was glad to see him move out -- unfortunately he didn't stay away," Tony said.

Tony said Ford continued to come by the neighborhood about three times a month on his moped. In September Tony's house was robbed. They immediately suspected Ford.

"I think he cases the neighborhood," Tony said.

Other neighbors said they had also caught Ford snooping suspiciously around their homes.

Tony said the only other longtime neighborhood family somewhat familiar with Ford moved away after their house, too, was robbed.

"He should have been arrested for trespassing, but nobody did anything, even with these burglaries," Tony said.

Tony's family's home is now for sale. The murder was the second in three weeks for the middle-class neighborhoods around Peccole Ranch. Carole Miller disappeared Feb. 3 when she left for her nightly walk. She was found strangled to death two days later.

Police said the slayings do not appear to be related.