LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Authorities confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with a Monday night double homicide that happened in the south valley.
Ziaire Ham was arrested by the Ogden City Police Department and Utah Highway Patrol on Tuesday, March 3.
The 22-year-old is booked into the Weber County jail for his charges out of Utah, but is expected to face open murder charges once extradited back to Las Vegas.
The Clark County Coroner's Office identified the woman killed as 20-year-old Danaijha Robinson and the toddler as 1-year-old Nhalani Hiner, from Henderson.
WATCH |Jhovani Carrillo reports the latest on double homicide in south valley
A source close to the family tells us Robinson was the toddler's aunt.
Family members who created an online fundraiser in Robinson's memory describe her as having a kind heart, an infectious laugh, and an unforgettable sense of humor.
A source says that just before the shooting, Robinson, the toddler, the toddler's mother, and another woman were traveling in a small "caravan," driving behind another car.
According to the source, police pulled over the car they were following, which they said was the same vehicle Las Vegas police identified as having stopped during a "routine" traffic stop just before officers responded to the deadly shooting.
During that traffic stop, the car Robinson and the toddler were in was parked "around the corner," the source told Channel 13.
The driver of that car and the toddler's mother then got out and walked toward the vehicle police had pulled over— leaving Robinson and the child inside the car, Channel 13 was told. Moments later, Robinson and the 1-year-old were shot and killed.
Officers responding to the traffic stop rushed to the scene and found Robinson and the toddler inside the car, which had been shot at several times, police said.
Ham's Utah charges come after police say he was spotted driving a stolen vehicle wanted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
When police tried to pull the car over, they say Ham drove away, running multiple stop signs and crossing into opposing traffic.
The vehicle was eventually located in a driveway, and Ham was found a few blocks away, where police caught up with him and took him into custody.
His charges in Utah include theft by receiving stolen property, failure to respond to an officer's signal to stop, and reckless driving.
The gun believed to have been discarded by Ham has been found, according to a news release. A citizen in Roy contacted police after finding the gun.
The investigation remains ongoing.
