Metro officers kept busy probing two nearby killings overnight

Jen Lawson

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2004 | 9:27 a.m.

The shooting of an apartment security guard and the stabbing of an elderly man, allegedly at the hands of his son, kept Metro Police homicide investigators busy Tuesday night.

Both homicides occurred about two miles apart just northwest of the Spaghetti Bowl and within 45 minutes of each other.

Metro's 911 dispatch center received a call about 10:45 p.m. No one spoke when the call-taker tried to get information from the caller, Metro Police said.

Patrol officers were sent to the address, 205 Delalar St. near Bonanza Road and Rancho Drive, to check on the well-being of the occupants.

The patrol officers were familiar with the family who lived there, Lt. Tom Monahan said, because they had been called there in the past for various family problems.

When they arrived they received no response to their knocks at the door. Fearing someone may be injured inside, they climbed through an unlocked window.

Once inside they found the body of an 84-year-old man who had apparently been stabbed to death, Monahan said. The man's 48-year-old son, Charles Greco, was also in the house. Police arrested him and charged him with murder.

The Clark County coroner's office did not release the name of the victim this morning.

The second homicide happened about 11:30 p.m. in an apartment complex courtyard at 1710 H St. near Owens Avenue.

Two security guards encountered a group of young men, some of whom had been asked to leave the property in the past and told not to return, Monahan said.

The group began to fight with the security officers, and the officers decided to leave the area until help could arrive.

One of the men fired shots at the guards and one guard was hit, Monahan said. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he died. The second security officer was not hurt.

The victim's name had not been released this morning.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or Metro Police homicide at 229-3521.