Residents evacuated after police standoff

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 | 11:03 a.m.

Metro Police evacuated residents in a neighborhood near Charleston Boulevard and U.S. 95 on Tuesday night after police found an explosive device following a standoff with a man.

It all started about 7 p.m., when two people driving in the Richard Court neighborhood were confronted by a resident who complained that they were driving recklessly, he said.

The resident, who was not identified, allegedly told the suspects to slow down, and one of the suspects then replied, "I'll be back with a gun," Metro spokesman Bill Cassell said.

Cassell said the suspects made good on that threat and shot at a home or a vehicle of the resident. No one was wounded in the shooting, he said.

Police arrived on the scene and took one of the suspects into custody, he said.

Another suspect ran into his house and the standoff began, Metro said.

Cassell refused to release the address of the home.

Metro evacuated the residents from the area and the SWAT team arrived.

The suspect surrendered at 9:30 p.m., but authorities found a homemade explosive device inside the house, Cassell said.

Metro closed off the surrounding streets until about 10:30 p.m., when the bomb squad deemed the area safe, he said.

The two suspects were booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

One of the arrestees is Salvador Gonzales, in his early 20s. He is being charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder with a deadly weapon and possession of a stolen vehicle, said Eric Roberson, another spokesman for Metro.

The second suspect had not been identified by police as of this morning, Roberson said.