Trial ordered for fugitive who led police on chase

Thursday, March 10, 2005 | 8:55 a.m.

The 31-year-old Louisiana murder suspect who led Metro Police on a high-speed chase will stand trial in Las Vegas.

Kentro Taylor waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday and is scheduled for arraignment before District Judge Lee Gates on March 16.

Taylor faced eight counts of attempted murder of a police officer and one count each of conspiracy to commit murder and aiming a gun at an officer. Taylor appeared hostile in court on Wednesday as he waved his middle finger to the court audience several times while waiting for his case to be called.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Frank Cuomo would not comment on the specifics of Taylor's case, but did say there was "no negotiation being offered" and if convicted on all charges he faces prison time that would run "well into his senior years."

Taylor's alleged accomplice and girlfriend, 21-year-old April Jones, faces the same charges as Taylor. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace James Bixler on April 2.

Cuomo said Jones is currently undergoing psychological tests as requested by her public defender to determine her competency.

Police said that during surveillance on Taylor, they saw him and two women leave a residence in a car and called nearby officers to stop them.

When police tried to pull over Taylor, he sped away, police said. As they followed, Jones allegedly began shooting at police and their cars from the passenger window with an AR-15 assault rifle, police said.

No officers were injured.

The chase ended in traffic at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Bonanza Road, where police arrested Taylor and Jones. The third passenger was not charged with any crimes, police said.

Taylor is the last of five men placed in custody in connection with the Sept. 9 killing of 26-year-old Muhammad Price in Baton Rouge, La. Price was kidnapped, tied up and beaten until information about drugs or money was gained, according to Baton Rouge police.

Taylor and the three other men then allegedly took Price with them to two other locations where the suspects committed robberies, police said.