Published Tuesday, March 2, 2010 | 11:28 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, March 2, 2010 | 12:19 p.m.
Jose Lopez
Fatal shooting
Metro Police have arrested a man in connection with a Sunday shooting after a man's body was found north of downtown Las Vegas.
Jose Lopez, 57, is facing one count of murder with a deadly weapon in connection with the slaying near Adams and Fourth streets. The Clark County Coroner’s Office on Tuesday identified the victim as Juan Valdez, 55, of Las Vegas. He died of a gunshot wound to the head and his death has been ruled a homicide, the coroner’s office said.
According to an arrest report, several witnesses told police they heard gunshots and saw a man leave the scene in a silver, two-door car with California license plates. The car was identified as possibly being a Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Later in the day, an officer in the area of Fremont Street saw a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle reportedly involved in the homicide and conducted a traffic stop. The officer asked the driver, later identified as Lopez, to exit the vehicle.
The officer noted blood on the exterior of the driver’s side door and called for help.
As the officer interviewed Lopez, he noticed a pill container on the ground near Lopez’s feet. Lopez told the officer it was blood pressure medication, but when the officer opened the container, he found rock cocaine inside, the report stated. Lopez was arrested for possession of cocaine and taken to the homicide bureau for questioning.
After being advised of his rights, Lopez told investigators he had picked up Valdez at the Greyhound bus station Sunday afternoon and the two men were going to meet a man for a drug deal. He said Valdez left the vehicle and walked to meet the man, who was parked in a vehicle south of Adams, on Fourth. That man, Lopez told police, fired several shots at Valdez, who ran back to Lopez’s vehicle.
Lopez told police that as Valdez was lying on the ground near the driver’s door, the man walked up to Valdez and fired an additional shot at Valdez. Lopez said he then drove away, running over Valdez’s body.
Lopez’s account differed from what several witnesses told police in that they reported seeing only the victim and one other person at the time of the shooting. The witnesses told police they saw the suspect kick the victim out of the car.
Lopez is being held without bail in the Clark County Detention Center.
Sun reporter Tiffany Gibson contributed to this report.
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