Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Attorney: Gazlay expected to be hit with more charges

A defense attorney for one of the alleged gang members who faces felony charges that are part of a summer crime spree says more charges could be filed against his client.

Steven Gazlay, 18, already faces 16 felony counts in three separate cases pending in District Court.

Those charges stem from the maiming of a teenage boy with a rock on July 18 and the burning of another boy with a hot butter knife three days later. Gazlay is also charged with hitting two teens with a crowbar on May 17.

During a hearing on Thursday, Gazlay's attorney, James "Bucky" Buchanan, said he was told that his client could still face additional charges.

"I've been advised that there might be one more case coming," he told District Judge Valorie Vega. "They just keep coming."

Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Laurent said his office would file additional charges against Gazlay "if something more surfaces."

The new charges against Gazlay would first have to be submitted to the district attorney's office by Metro Police, Laurent said. Police said they are investigating Gazlay's possible connection to two additional attacks.

Thursday, Gazlay pleaded not guilty to one count of battery with use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm in connection with the butter knife case.

He also posted $50,000 bail in that case. Gazlay and nine other teens had already posted $40,000 bail each in connection with the rock incident, and Gazlay is expected to post an additional $50,000 bail Monday for the crowbar charge.

All nine defendants face 13 felony counts each in the attack on Stephen Tanner Hansen and were expected in court this morning.

And prosecutors plan to ask to increase bail to $500,000 for Gazlay and four other teens, Jeff Hart, Brandon Gallion, Christopher Farley and Scott Morse. Those teens are believed to be either "rock throwers" or instigators of the melee that left a 17-year-old with titanium plates in his reconstructed face.

Police are investigating whether the teens, who allegedly call themselves the 311 Boyz, are responsible for any other crimes, including a case in which a teen alleged that Gazlay and seven or eight others attacked him in April, Sgt. Dave Stansbury, of Metro's Gang Unit, said.

"He's claiming it was Gazlay, but we can't prove it yet," he said.

Stansbury said Gazlay and several other alleged 311 Boyz charged in the attack on Hansen could also face charges in that case.

"We don't know if this is an attack similar to 311 Boyz or if this is a case of these kids starting their early rampage," he said.

In another case police are investigating, a teen was pulled out of his home and beaten by several alleged 311 Boyz.

Moments into the attack, which was caught on videotape, one of the boys shouted that they've attacked the wrong person, and the perpetrators ran off.

The tape shows Gazlay standing near the victim's home with a fire extinguisher in his hands. It is not clear what role, if any, Gazlay played in the assault.

Stansbury said the victim in that case would have to come forward and press charges against the suspects before the police could charge the teens.

"We're still having trouble finding the victim," Stansbury said. "He's apparently scared to death to come forward."

Stansbury, who has worked in the unit since 1996, said getting victims of gang violence to come forward is often difficult. Most alleged victims of the 311 Boyz were cooperative, he said.

With most gangs, victims choose to "handle" the problem themselves or are too afraid of retaliation to tell police, he said.

"Gang investigations are by far the most difficult because so many victims don't want to do anything about it," he said. "In the gang world, people don't talk to police because they are considered a snitch."

Gazlay has emerged as the most visible teen associated with the 311 Boyz after the rock attack on Hansen became public. Gazlay and nine other teens face charges in that attack.

Prosecutors say Hansen's face was crushed when one of the teens threw a rock through the windshield of the car in which Hansen was riding.

Several eyewitnesses to that attack pointed to Gazlay as one of the instigators of the melee and the filing of the two additional cases fueled further suspicion that Gazlay was perhaps one of the ringleaders of the gang.

Gazlay and his lawyer have repeatedly denied that Gazlay was one of Hansen's attackers.

Stansbury said police believe Gazlay organized the attack on Hansen at a party in a gated community in Summerlin.

"We believe he was arranging people to come over and handle this (situation with Hansen)," he said. "We have witnesses who said he was calling everyone up while the party was going on."

In interviews with the Sun and other local media, Gazlay denied participating in any violence associated with the 311 Boyz gang. He has not held interviews with the news media since he was indicted on the new charges.

In one case, Gazlay faces one count of battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm and one count of assault with use of a deadly weapon for allegedly attacking two men with a crowbar in a desert area in northwest Las Vegas.

In the case before Vega, prosecutors say Gazlay and 16-year-old Anthony Gallion, who is also charged in the attack on Hansen, were partying at a house on May 17 when they placed a hot butter knife against Jason Cammilerri's right ear.

Cammilerri has a permanent scar from the burn, Laurent said. So far, Gallion does not face charges in that attack.

Buchanan said Gazlay denies any connection with the butter knife attack. He said he knows who committed the crime and that person still has not been arrested.

"We have an absolute alibi," Buchanan said. "We think we'll be exonerated."

Buchanan said he has filed affidavits that state who committed the crime involving the butter knife. Those affidavits were not available through the court late Thursday.

Laurent said he was unaware of additional witnesses in relation to the case.

"If there are other witnesses we'd be more than happy to investigate," he said.

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