Arraignment delayed for man accused in slaying of Las Vegas teen

By Dave Toplikar

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011 | 10:23 a.m.

The arraignment in Clark County District Court for a Las Vegas man accused of killing a teenage girl and critically injuring a man while shooting both during a December home invasion in the southwest valley has been delayed a week.

Robert Langford, attorney for Norman Belcher Jr., asked for a continuance this morning for Belcher's murder and robbery case.

Arraignment Master Melissa De La Garza granted the continuance, resetting the arraignment for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 8 before Judge Elissa Cadish.

Belcher, 35, has been charged in the Dec. 6 death of 15-year-old Alexus Postorino and the shooting of Nicholas Brabham, 31.

Belcher was bound over for trial by Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure after a preliminary hearing Jan. 21 in Las Vegas Justice Court.

During that hearing, Brabham testified via a telephone and video hookup from his hospital bed at University Medical Center that Belcher was the man who shot him during the home invasion that took place in the early morning hours of Dec. 6 at a three-bedroom home at 9752 Villa Lorena Drive.

Brabham said he knew Belcher, also known as "Bates," because Belcher had been at the home several times. Brabham said he left his upstairs bedroom to investigate the noise from the break-in and that Belcher shot him as he stood at the top of the stairs.

Police said when they arrived they found both Alexus Postorino and Brabham suffering from multiple gunshots. Both were taken to UMC, where Postorino died.

The girl's father, Bill Postorino, testified at the preliminary hearing that he was letting his daughter sleep in his room that night while hers was being painted. Postorino said he was at was at a casino at the time of the shooting.

Postorino testified that he and Belcher had been having a disagreement over money Belcher claimed Postorino owed him. Postorino said he also accused Belcher of having broken into his home on Dec. 1 to take drugs, money and other items.

Postorino testified that after receiving a series of threatening text phone messages from Belcher that he owed Belcher $450, he decided to pay Belcher the money to end the confrontation. Belcher said he had Brabham pay Belcher the money on Dec. 4.

A neighbor testified she woke up after hearing a large scraping sound out on the street that sounded like someone was dragging a heavy metal object on the pavement. She looked out and saw someone putting the large metal object into the car. Postorino testified that he kept his safe in his bedroom and that Belcher knew about it.

Police showed the neighbor a photo of a white car that had been found burning later that morning 400 block of N. Lamb Boulevard. She said it looked like the same car.

Police also identified the car, a 2009 four-door white Nissan Versa, as being the same one that had been rented by Belcher from United Nissan.

A Metro police officer also testified that he had stopped Belcher for driving 74 mph in a 55 mph zone at 3:16 a.m. Dec. 6, driving east on the 215 Beltway, away from the shooting scene. Police identified it as the same vehicle they found burning a few hours later.