Hearing set for teen in bus stop assault case

By Tiffany Gibson

Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 | 11:50 a.m.

Tyquie Triplett

The preliminary hearing for a 16-year-old boy charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman in a vacant house was rescheduled today for 9 a.m. on Nov. 2.

Tyquie Triplett has been charged as an adult with four counts of sexual assault, one count of first-degree kidnapping, robbery and coercion. He is in custody at the Clark County Detention Center. Bail is set at $50,000.

Justice Court Judge Tony Abbatangelo set the date after prosecuting attorney James Sweetin and Triplett's defense disagreed on dates for the rescheduled preliminary hearing. Sweetin said he wanted a fast hearing within the next two weeks. Public defender Bucky Buchanan requested a 60-day continuance to obtain more information about police investigations.

Sweetin said police are investigating Triplett’s involvement with other crimes. He wouldn't comment Wednesday on what the crimes are.

Buchanan said Metro Police believe Triplett is in a gang and has assaulted other victims. He said Triplett denies those allegations.

“I can’t negotiate when there might be other cases,” Buchanan said. “Hopefully, we can get him a deal and have him serve time in a juvenile facility outside of Nevada.”

According to an arrest report, Triplett approached a 37-year-old woman at a bus stop near H Street and Lake Mead Drive on Aug. 5. He asked the woman when a bus would arrive, and she answered about 10 minutes, the report said.

The teenager then sat next to the woman and grabbed her arm, pulling her off the bench, the arrest report indicated. He told her not to scream and that he had a gun and would kill her if she made a scene.

Triplett then took the woman to vacant house in the 700 block of Kasper Avenue and sexually assaulted her, the report said. After the assault, Triplett allegedly slapped the woman across the face and told her to go into another room. The woman obliged and waited until she heard Triplett leave.

The woman then got dressed and ran home to call police, the report indicated. She described Triplett and told police he had taken her jewelry, bus pass and cell phone.

Police arrested Triplett near Owens and Eastern avenues after conducting a pedestrian stop and finding the cell phone in his pocket. Triplett told police the phone belonged this his girlfriend.