Police: UNLV’s Tre’Von Willis choked woman after argument

By Tiffany Gibson

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 | 5:36 p.m.

UNLV men's basketball player Tre'Von Willis was angry a female acquaintance wasn't spending time with him, then choked her when she laughed after he couldn't find her car keys, according to an arrest report released Wednesday.

Willis, 22, is charged in connection with felony counts of domestic battery by strangulation and grand larceny, and one misdemeanor count of coercion. He was booked into the Henderson Detention Center but has posted bail of $18,637 and denied any physical altercation, according to the report.

Henderson Police spokesman Todd Rasmussen said a woman, identified as 28-year-old Skye Sanders, reported the alleged attack about 3 a.m. at the Wild Horse Apartments, 2338 N. Green Valley Parkway.

Sanders told officers she had been involved in a dating relationship with Willis for a year and a half, the report said. She said they often argued about her not devoting enough attention to him, which allegedly spurred the dispute Tuesday morning, police said in the report.

Authorities said the two began arguing because Sanders was sending text messages to her friends instead of spending time with Willis. According to the report, Willis said he was going to leave and go out, and Sanders said she also was going to go out.

Willis then allegedly grabbed Sanders' purse and emptied its contents in an attempt to find her car keys, the report said. She began laughing at Willis because her keys weren't in the purse, and he allegedly grabbed her around the throat, police said.

Sanders told officers Willis placed both of his hands around her throat and began choking her on top of a bed. She said she couldn't breathe and was fearful of Willis because he had never acted this way, the report said.

Investigators said Sanders tried to maneuver away from Willis by kicking him in the legs and stomach with her feet. The Rebels' 6-foot-4 senior guard then allegedly placed his entire body onto her so she couldn't move, police said in the report.

Sanders said she begged Willis to stop and he released her neck, but placed his right forearm across her throat to choke her, the report said. She began to cry and Willis removed his forearm, police said.

Willis got off Sanders, grabbed his car keys and started to leave the apartment when she told him she was going to call police. Willis then took her cell phone and left, the report said.

Sanders used her roommate's phone to call police. The roommate told police Sanders rushed into her room and was coughing, choking, crying and was out of breath. She said she noticed Sanders' neck was swollen and red and her eyes were bloodshot, the report said.

Authorities said Sanders' voice sounded normal and not raspy. Officers did notice slight redness around the front of her neck above her collarbone. She was treated at the scene by paramedics.

Police made numerous attempts to contact Willis by phone and in person. Rasmussen said officers arrested Willis at his apartment in the 4200 block of Spencer Street about 10:30 a.m. that morning.

Willis made a voluntary statement to police that he had been at the apartment with Sanders and they had a verbal argument, not a physical altercation.

A court spokesman Wednesday morning said Willis will appear in Henderson Municipal Court on the misdemeanor charge July 21. He has an August court date in Henderson Justice Court on the felony charges.

Willis, a Fresno, Calif., native, was a first-team all-Mountain West performer last season after averaging 17.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Rebels.

He struggled to click with teammates early in his UNLV career after transferring from Memphis following the 2006-07 season, but Willis showed signs of maturation last year and was publicly praised several times for such growth by Kruger. He emerged as the team's unquestioned leader and is expected to fill the same role as a senior.