North Las Vegan arrested in shooting of wife, sister-in-law

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.

Police have arrested a 50-year-old man who allegedly shot and critically injured his wife and her sister in North Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Gustavo Meija-Ayala was taken into custody without any problems about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at a house on Hubbard Street in Las Vegas, near East Lake Mead and North Lamb boulevards, Officer Justin Roberts, North Las Vegas Police spokesman, said.

Meija-Ayala's 40-year-old wife and her 24-year-old sister remained in critical condition this morning at University Medical Center's Trauma Unit, Roberts said. Meija-Ayala shot them in their faces, necks and torsos, police allege.

The identities of the women had not been released this morning.

The shooting occurred shortly before 3 p.m. at the family's home in the 2700 block of Bello Drive near Canoga Street and North Pecos Road.

Witnesses told police they heard several gunshots Tuesday afternoon and saw a man leave in a light yellow or cream colored sedan with two or three other men, Roberts said.

One of three teenage children of the couple may have been home at the time of the shooting, Roberts said.

Two other brothers arrived home from school and were questioned by police. Friends took each of them away from the neighborhood as darkness fell.

Mejia-Ayala was convicted on one count of domestic battery in December 1996, Roberts said, but no problems had been reported at the Bello address in the past year. The domestic battery conviction was a misdemeanor.

The home where the shooting occurred is located on a quiet, tree-lined street.

Neighbors said Tuesday afternoon that they were shocked to hear about the disturbance. Ophelia Cortez said the family had seemed normal.

But 12-year-resident Bello Drive resident Angela Brawer said she had heard an argument recently.

"I'm in total shock," Brawer said. "It's been pretty quiet, but I heard a domestic dispute, I did hear some arguing."