Three arrested in LV roommate deaths appear in court

Friday, June 26, 2009 | 11:09 a.m.

Police: Deaths of 2 men found shot to death a mystery (6-12-2009)

Three men arrested in the deaths of two Las Vegas roommates earlier this month appeared in court today and will hear formal charges against them Monday.

The men are suspects in the deaths of Paul Stephens and Brian Hudson, who were found shot to death inside their apartment at Polo Club apartments, 4201 S. Decatur Blvd., on June 8 by a friend.

Metro Police investigated the case and Wednesday arrested Carlos Zapata, 23, Ralph Jeremias, 23, and Ivan Rios, 24, charging them with two counts of murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary with the use of a deadly weapon, an arrest report said.

Police investigators followed a trail of stolen credit cards, videotapes as one man tried to use the cards to get cash, bank records and detective work to find the three men.

In the course of the investigation, detectives learned that Rios drove Zapata and Jeremias to the apartment complex. Jeremias wanted to buy a pound of marijuana, the report said.

Under questioning, Rios and Zapata told police that Jeremias went into the apartment alone carrying a black handgun. Jeremias told the two men later that he took deep breaths in the apartment's bathroom before shooting each victim twice.

Jeremias ran to the red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and they fled the apartment complex. Jeremias and at least one other man returned in a rental car to gather bank cards, cash, a laptop computer and marijuana, the report said.

In the course of the police investigation, detectives learned that the two victims were selling marijuana from their apartment.

Jeremias had bought marijuana before from Stephens and Hudson and had noticed the items in the apartment.

Police used surveillance tapes at Las Vegas Strip resorts, a gas station and a bar to identify the three men. The video also tied the rental car to Jeremias, the police report said.

Homicide Lt. Lew Roberts said the two men had been killed "execution style" and no one deserves such a death.

All three men are being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center.

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