Man gunned down in Las Vegas home was targeted for heroin dealing, police say
A man who was fatally shot Nov. 5 in his his southwest valley home was targeted because he was selling heroin, a Las Vegas police report indicates.
Thomas Frank Jones V, 35, was shot in the head during an armed robbery at his home at 6361 Sandpiper Way. He died at the scene.
During the course of the investigation, detectives identified two suspects.
Cody Sullivan, 18, was arrested Nov. 12 in connection with Jones’ death.
Jorge Latorre, 25, was arrested by Las Vegas police’s criminal apprehension team Thursday in the area of West Tropicana Avenue and South Jones Boulevard.
Police said Sullivan and Latorre forced their way into the home to steal a “stash box” of drugs and money, according to Sullivan’s arrest report.
Jones’ roommate told police he heard a commotion near the front door and went to help Jones when a man in a checkered shirt — identified Friday as Latorre — forced his way inside.
The roommate ran and locked himself into his room. The gunman tried to force his way in, but the roommate pushed him back before escaping through the window. The roommate went around to the front of the home and encountered another man holding a large knife, later identified by police as Sullivan.
Las Vegas police corroborated the roommate’s story using home surveillance footage from a neighbor, the arrest report said.
Jones’ girlfriend, Stephanie Grattadauria, told police she locked herself in a bathroom, where the stash box was kept. She opened the door when Jones told her to hand over the box of cash and drugs, according to the arrest report.
She told police that the man with the checkered shirt, who was holding a gun to Jones’ head, punched her and knocked her to the bathroom floor, then struggled with Jones over the box before fatally shooting him.
Police received a tip from someone who saw a news report about the homicide that led detectives to Sullivan. He was identified in a photo lineup by Jones’ roommate, the arrest report said.
Another tip on Monday led them Latorre, a police affadavit on his arrest said. He also was identified in a photo lineup.
Sullivan and Latorre were arrested together on drug charges in December 2015, the affadvit said.
Lattore accepted a plea deal on charges of possession of drugs and burglary tools and vehicle theft in June and was sentenced to probation.
Records for Sullivan were not available because he was a juvenile at the time.
Sullivan now faces an open murder charge in addition to charges of burglary with a firearm and two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon.
Latorre faces charges of murder with a deadly weapon, burglary with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon and possession of burglary tools.
Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Follow @WesJuhl on Twitter.