Published Thursday, April 19, 2012 | 9:30 a.m.
Updated Thursday, April 19, 2012 | 1:55 p.m.
Carlos Vargas
Two men arrested in connection with a fatal shooting during a Tuesday morning robbery needed money for drugs, according to an arrest report released Thursday.
The second suspect — 22-year-old Carlos Vargas — was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, according to jail records. He was booked on one count of murder with a deadly weapon, two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon and two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, records said.
His arrest followed that of 30-year-old Carlos Humberto Garcia, who was arrested Tuesday as he was getting off a bus near Eugene Avenue and Decatur Boulevard.
Garcia was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon and one count of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday.
“Everybody who was outstanding from that homicide is in custody,” Metro spokeswoman Laura Meltzer said.
An arrest report released Wednesday identified the victim as Manuel Torres-Garcia, who died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center after being shot in the neck during the robbery.
The incident occurred about 7 a.m. Tuesday in the 3300 block of Vista Del Monte, a street in a mobile-home community near Desert Inn Road and Nellis Boulevard.
Garcia’s wife, Jennifer, told detectives the trio were planning to buy methamphetamine, but no one had enough money, according to an arrest report released Thursday. Vargas also mentioned he needed rent money, Jennifer Garcia told police.
As they were driving, Garcia and Vargas began talking about “robbing a store or something for the money,” Jennifer Garcia told police. Shortly afterward, Garcia drove past their normal drug dealer’s location and instead headed into the mobile-home community, where they saw Torres-Garcia talking to another man in the street, according to the arrest report.
Garcia and Vargas did not know the victims, Jennifer Garcia told police.
Police allege Vargas and Garcia, armed with guns, began robbing Torres-Garcia and the man, the report states.
During the encounter, Garcia fired at Torres-Garcia, striking him in the neck, the report states. As the suspects fled, the man jotted down their vehicle’s license plate number, the report states.
When a detective called Vargas on Wednesday, Vargas said he was innocent and would be fleeing to Mexico rather than turn himself in, according to the arrest report.
Police found Vargas Wednesday at 2127 Daley Street in North Las Vegas and took him into custody, the arrest report states.
