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Police say suspect left cellphone at scene of fatal park shooting

Updated August 6, 2021 - 9:49 am

Police arrested a man in a fatal shooting at a park in central Las Vegas after investigators say he left his cellphone at the shooting scene.

Clark County Detention Center records show that Hugo Gonzalez, 27, of Las Vegas has been booked at the jail on a single count of open murder with a deadly weapon.

Las Vegas police Lt. Ray Spencer confirmed on Friday morning that Gonzalez’s arrest stems from the Monday night shooting of James Edgar May, 30, at Charlie Frias Park, 5250 W. Tropicana Ave.

Police said May was shot in the neck and chest. He died a short time later at University Medical Center.

Police said in an arrest report for Gonzalez that May was killed as he fought with another man at the park. Witnesses told police they saw May “behaving erratically and challenging people to a fight” just before May started to struggle with a man. The two tumbled to the ground, then repeated gunshots rang out.

Police wrote in the report that they found Gonzalez’s cellphone at the shooting scene. They used the phone to locate Gonzalez, then arrested him. Police said Gonzalez matched the description of the man May fought with. Gonzalez also had multiple scratches and abrasions on his body and a receipt for a new cellphone in his car.

“It was apparent Hugo had recently been in a physical altercation,” detectives wrote.

Gonzalez declined to answer questions from police.

The Clark County coroner’s office listed no place of residence for May.

Gonzalez was scheduled for an initial appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court early Friday. While jail and court records identified him as Hugo Gonzalez, the arrest report identified him as Hugo Suchite-Gonzales.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.

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