LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — We are learning more details about what led to the shooting of a mother who was sitting in her truck eating ice cream with her daughter.
Francisco Chairez-Hernandez, 21, was arrested on charges of open murder, attempted murder, assault, and discharge of a gun at/into an occupied structure or vehicle.
He is accused of firing the shot that killed 51-year-old Karla Abarca, who police have referred to as an "innocent bystander" sitting in a truck stopped at the intersection of Bonanza Road and Lamb Boulevard.
WATCH the initial police briefing here:
According to an arrest report recently obtained by Channel 13, Chairez-Hernandez was intending to shoot at someone he believed had burglarized his vehicle two weeks prior.
Chairez-Hernandez told police that while he was driving around on Aug. 12, he saw someone he thought matched the description of a suspect seen on surveillance video burglarizing his vehicle.
He reportedly pulled up to the bus stop in the area where the person was standing and got into an argument with him. According to the arrest report, this person moved his backpack onto his chest and put his hand inside it, where he had a revolver.
Chairez-Hernandez then got out of his car with his phone in one hand and a rifle in the other. He told police after his arrest that he intended to get the person on video to show to authorities in connection to the burglary of his vehicle.
When the person at the bus stop saw Chairez-Hernandez coming toward him, he ran away while firing at Chairez-Hernandez with his gun. Chairez-Hernandez returned fire, during which a bullet hit Abarca. Chairez-Hernandez then got back in his car and fled the scene.
During the investigation, police obtained surveillance video from businesses in the area of the crime scene and used the FLOCK license plate reader system to identify the suspect vehicle as belonging to Chairez-Hernandez.
Police also noted during surveillance that Chairez-Hernandez appeared to be inhaling from a balloon before the shooting, and when he was arrested, he admitted to doing whippets.
Chairez-Hernandez is being held at the Clark County jail without bail will be back in court on Sept. 2.
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