Police: Turmoil boils over, bringing Willis’ arrest

Willis, 22, had been involved in a relationship "full of turmoil and hardships" with 28-year-old Skye Sanders for more than a year, the report said.

About 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at Sanders’ Henderson apartment, the couple’s struggles escalated into a physical beating at the hands of the 6-foot-4 inch guard, according to the report.

The report said Willis was angry at Sanders because she wasn’t paying attention to him and, instead, was text messaging friends.

Sanders told police Willis said he was going out, and she replied she also was going out. Willis then overturned Sanders’ purse, dumping its contents while looking for her keys. Sanders laughed at Willis because her keys were not in her purse. That’s when Willis got physical with Sanders for the first time during their relationship.

"Willis had his thumbs in the center of her throat with his fingers wrapping around the sides of her neck," the report stated. "Sanders stated that while Willis was choking her, Willis kept saying to her, ‘Say you’re sorry.’ "

Sanders told police she was barely able to say she couldn’t breathe while Willis had his hands around her throat.

When police interviewed Sanders at her home, she was crying and nervously shaking. The reporting officer said he observed slight redness on the front of her neck, according to the report.

Police interviewed Willis at his Las Vegas apartment about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The report said Willis told police he was at Sanders’ apartment and did have a verbal altercation with her, but it didn’t turn physical.

Willis was arrested on charges of felony domestic battery by strangulation, felony grand larceny for stealing Sanders’ cell phone and misdemeanor coercion.

Willis was booked at the Henderson Detention Center on $18,637. He since has posted bail.

Willis did not return phone calls Wednesday.

Willis was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, but the appearances in Henderson Municipal Court and Henderson Justice Court were rescheduled for July 21 and Aug. 3, respectively.

UNLV coach Lon Kruger, who returned from Reno on Wednesday, said he had not reviewed the police report or met with Willis in person. Kruger said he is continuing to gather information and that he heard Willis’ side of the story.

"I talked to him on the phone, and it’s kind of on hold now," said Kruger, who indicated no potential disciplinary decisions will be made until after court proceedings.

According to the police report, the fight occurred when Willis pushed Sanders on her back when she was sitting on a bed. She was choked for about three minutes, the report said.

The report said when Willis stopped choking Sanders with both hands, he placed his right forearm across her throat so she couldn’t breathe.

At one point, Sanders began crying and Willis said: "Oh, you gonna cry now," the report said.

Before Willis left her apartment, Sanders told Willis she was going to call police.

He then took her cell phone and left the apartment.

The report said Sanders then ran into a roommate’s room and yelled for help. The roommate stated that Sanders was coughing, choking, crying and out of breath. She also observed Sanders had bloodshot eyes and her neck was red and swollen.

Sanders told her roommate, "Trey choked me, and he took my phone. Please call police."

The report said the roommate’s statement was consistent with Sanders’ statement.

Willis, from Fresno, Calif., was the Rebels’ top scorer as a junior last season, when he averaged 17.2 points per game. He was voted first-team All-Mountain West Conference and named to the league’s all-defensive team.

UNLV is scheduled to play exhibition games against Grand Canyon on Nov. 2 and Washburn (Kan.) on Nov. 9 before hosting UC Riverside in the Nov. 12 regular-season opener at the Thomas & Mack Center.

It could be several weeks before Kruger rules on Willis’ status for his senior season.

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Matt Youmans contributed to this report.