LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man accused of shooting and killing a woman at the MGM Grand in January has been identified as a previously convicted felon.
On Jan. 29, Las Vegas police said they were asked to do a welfare check at the hotel. When officers entered the room, they saw a woman, identified as Brittani Bailey, lying unresponsive on a bed with a large amount of blood pooled around her head. Security officers could not feel a pulse and when medical personnel arrived, they pronounced Bailey dead at the scene. The coroner later found a gunshot wound to the back of her head as well as a bullet.
When looking at MGM surveillance video, police stated they saw a man, later identified as Dandre Owens, check into the hotel.
At 9:29 p.m., Owens was seen leaving a hotel room and meeting up with Bailey at the bottom of an elevator bay. They rode up the elevator and walked into a hotel room at 9:34 p.m.
At 9:48 p.m., surveillance video showed Owens leave the room, leave the MGM Grand, and walk to the Tropicana Hotel. Police said room lock records showed no one else entered or exited the room until security officers arrived to do a welfare check.
Surveillance showed Owens get on an RTC bus outside the Tropicana Hotel and getting off near N. Eastern Avenue and E. Cedar Avenue. That's the last time he was spotted on the night of Bailey's murder.
An arrest report states police also looked at records from Lyft and Verizon data and discovered that Owens had rented a vehicle the day before the murder. Detectives used LVMPD Fusion Watch cameras and license plate readers to find the 2021 Toyota Corolla, which police said Owens abandoned in the northeast part of the valley.
Through their investigation, the report states police started conducting surveillance at a home on Blake Avenue, near E. Cheyenne Avenue and N. Pecos Road, on Feb. 4, which is where they spotted Owens getting on an RTC bus. Detectives followed the bus and when Owens got off, officers arrested him.
While they were patting Owens down, police found a firearm suppressor, which are illegal to own without a tax stamp and paperwork approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They also found a handgun magazine and a black semi-automatic handgun with a threaded barrel.
According to the report, Owens gave officers a New Jersey drivers license to identify himself. However, he was "unwilling or unable" to provide his date of birth. Upon closer inspection, police discovered the license was fake and that Owens had no concealed carry permits.
Officers state they found three additional fake drivers licenses and Owens gave them another fake name.
Detectives were granted a search warrant "for the forensic processing and search of the unknown male". After 30 minutes of questioning, Owens told officers his real name and birth date.
When officers asked about Bailey's death, Owens denied any involvement. However, officers state they found Bailey's social security card in Owen's wallet. When they asked Owens about the card, he told officers he found the card in a bag as well as the firearm and suppressor in the desert near Blue Diamond Road.
The arrest report states Owens has previously been convicted on six felony counts out of South Carolina on Sept. 15, 2017.
According to jail records, Owens is currently in custody at the Clark County Detention Center. He is facing 10 charges, including open murder, using fake IDs, forgery, and theft. Court records show his next hearing is on April 29.
