Man fatally shot after police say suspect lured him with car-buying ruse

Las Vegas police say a man who shot and killed another man last month did so during a ruse in which he posed as a Facebook user trying to sell the victim a car.

Police arrested Maliek Hunter, 20, on Jan. 3 on suspicion of open murder with a deadly weapon, in connection with the death of 59-year-old Shamon Amar. Amar was found dead at an apartment complex on Dec. 26 on the 7500 block of Placid Street, near West Warm Springs and Bermuda roads. He had been shot in the head and torso.

According to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report, not long before he was killed, Amad had been corresponding with a Facebook user known as “Angelo” about purchasing a Dodge Charger sedan from him.

The messages indicate that Amar and “Angelo” agreed to meet at a gas station at the intersection of Warm Springs and Bermuda the night of Dec. 26 to complete the purchase, and that “Angelo” asked for a picture of the cash for proof that Amar had it in his possession.

The report states that shortly after 10 p.m., “Angelo” then messaged Amar requesting to move the meeting to the following morning.

The report also indicates police received an anonymous tip from an area resident who reported hearing several gunshots at about 10:21 p.m., followed by a man screaming, then a final gunshot. The witness also noted seeing a person enter a vehicle matching the description of a Dodge Charger, and drive off.

The Facebook profile for “Angelo” and the Facebook Marketplace listing for the vehicle were subsequently deleted.

Police were able to trace the phone number of “Angelo” to Hunter, and also discovered a Dodge Charger vehicle is registered to him. Officers then arrested Hunter.

During a recorded interview with officers on Jan. 3, Hunter initially denied involvement in Amar’s murder, but eventually confessed to shooting the victim.

Officers say Hunter told them he and an acquaintance, known as “Blam,” lured Amar to go to the gas station on the night of the 26th, hid behind dirt mounds close to Amar’s home, then called him to rearrange the deal, knowing Hunter would then return to his home, where they could ambush him.

Hunter claimed he and “Blam” then confronted Amar to rob him, after which, he said, Amar reached for Hunter’s gun. Hunter said he fired at Amar, and when his gun ran out of ammunition, he instructed “Blam” to shoot at Amar, causing Amar to fall to the ground.

The report says that during the interview, Hunter said, “I initiated the robbery,” “I shot first,” and “I was trying to shoot him in the leg to wound him, to give us the money.”

Hunter has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday.

Contact Justin Razavi at jrazavi@reviewjournal.com. Follow @justin_razavi on Twitter.