Police arrest 80-year-old Las Vegas man in slaying

An 80-year-old man was arrested Monday in the beating death of an elderly woman at her central valley apartment last year, Las Vegas police said.

Bobby Warren was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of murder of an older person and parole violation.

According to public records, Warren pleaded guilty to burglary in 2003 and was sentenced to between 36 months and 120 months in prison.

On Jan. 9, 2010, police responded to the 800 block of N. Eastern Avenue, near Washington Avenue, and found 74-year-old Constance Wiesner dead inside an apartment at the Arthur McCants Apartments, a senior citizens residence.

According to Warren's arrest report, Wiesner was found by detectives in her apartment's living room with numerous "defensive injuries." Blankets, bath towels and a curtain covered her body.

An autopsy concluded she had significant head trauma inconsistent with a fall, according to the report.

On the morning of Jan. 8., Warren and Wiesner were seen on video at a nearby convenience store, the report said. Warren was married to a woman considered a friend and caretaker of Wiesner's.

Warren's wife had tried several times to reach her husband and Wiesner since that morning, even knocking on Wiesner's apartment door, according to the report.

Warren's wife had not heard from her husband until the morning after detectives found Wiesner's body, the report said.

Warren called her from San Diego, where he was staying at a hotel.

Warren's wife told him to return to Las Vegas and speak with detectives. She told police that she had taken Wiesner to a bank earlier in the week where she withdrew several hundred dollars. Wiesner's daughter told police she was missing an "undetermined amount of cash" she always kept on hand, according to the report.

On Jan. 12, Warren spoke with Las Vegas police, the report said.

He told police he did not kill Wiesner. He also told them he dropped off Wiesner at her apartment about 10 a.m. after they left the convenience store.

He said he got into an argument with his wife about his gambling, and then took a bus downtown to gamble. He took $600 with him.

The next morning he caught a bus to San Diego under the name "Bertie Warren," which he told police was his father's name, and he used it to honor him.

Warren left the police interview without being arrested.

The report said a telephone and a coin container in Wiesner's apartment had been handled by someone wearing kitchen gloves. A torn piece of rubber was found at the apartment that was consistent with kitchen gloves, according to the report. Warren was known to have used gloves in prior crimes he committed, the report said. The piece of rubber found by police was determined to have had both Warren's and Wiesner's DNA on it.

Wiesner's DNA also was found on fingernail clippings from Warren's right hand.

Warren told police he never used gloves at Wiesner's apartment.

The report also said a witness saw Warren exiting the wing of the building where Wiesner's apartment was more than two hours after Warren told police he dropped off Wiesner.

Police did not release details of why Warren was arrested more than a year after her slaying. Warren's arrest report did not explain the delay.

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.