DNA links man to 2017 fatal shooting in east Las Vegas

A 20-year-old man was arrested on a murder charge Monday after police used DNA evidence to link him to a 2017 homicide in east Las Vegas, according to an arrest warrant.

Martin Napoles is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center, according to jail records.

On Dec. 1, 2017, police were called to the Oasis Landing apartments, 4000 E. Bonanza Road, after a report that a person had been shot. Officers arrived and found a man, later identified as 37-year-old Angel Gutierrez, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was later pronounced dead at University Medical Center.

A witness told police he heard two gunshots and then saw a young man walking away from the scene, holding something in his right hand before throwing it into a bush. The man later came back for it but didn’t find it, the witness said.

Officers found the gun in the bush, according to the warrant. Police found DNA on the gun and tested it, but did not find a match.

Detectives continued to investigate, but in early 2020 “all leads had been exhausted,” according to the warrant.

But on Jan. 8, 2021, police received information from the laboratory about a hit on the DNA from the gun — it matched with Napoles.

At the time of the shooting, Napoles, then 16, lived about half-mile from the scene, police said. In November 2020, Napoles was stopped for a “pedestrian violation,” according to the warrant. He was then found to be in possession of a concealed handgun and was arrested on weapons and drug charges, after which police took a DNA swab.

After the DNA match, the arrest warrant was issued in September. Police found Napoles at his residence Monday, and he was taken into custody “without incident,” according to an arrest report.

Napoles has a court appearance set for April 27, according to jail records.

Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.