Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Man accused of shooting in Strip garage planned to flee to Mexico

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Jonathan Ozuna

A three-time convicted felon accused of shooting two security guards last week in a Las Vegas Strip parking garage following a retail store robbery told a tipster he “had no plans to go back to prison” and was trying to flee to Mexico, according to a Metro Police arrest report.

Jonathan Ozuna, 34, was arrested last Friday for the shooting at the Miracle Mile Shops that sent the guards to the hospital with survivable wounds. Ozuna was identified through surveillance images and the anonymous tipster.

Jaime Gonzalez-Ortiz, 25, who was arrested last week, had shoplifted with Ozuna at the Sunglass Hut to trigger the foot chase and shooting, police said.

First responders were dispatched about 7:45 p.m. last Thursday to the third floor of the parking garage, 3663 Las Vegas Blvd. S., where first responders found two guards with survivable gunshot wounds, one to the hand and the other to the side of his neck, police said.

The guards were closing in on Ozuna when he fired two to four rounds, police said.

Gonzalez-Ortiz, who was apparently not with Ozuna when gunfire erupted, fled to his pickup truck after he thought they’d been caught stealing, police said. He picked up Ozuna near the shooting scene, drove him to his apartment, and the next day hired an attorney to turn himself in after he realized Ozuna had shot someone.

Not long after the shooting, detectives began receiving phone calls identifying Ozuna as a suspect, police said.

Ozuna was tracked down and arrested when he and a man he was selling glasses and clothing to were heading to a bank to grab cash, police said.

During a search of the buyer’s vehicle, investigators found a gun matching the one used during the shooting, police said. In his apartment, they found stolen items with security devices still attached to them.

Investigators learned Ozuna was linked to shoplifting incidents in valley businesses, which merchandise was later sold at discounted rates through social media, police said.

Officers recovered stolen items from three Miracle Mile Shops stores Ozuna dropped while he was being chased by the guards, police said.

Gonzalez-Ortiz was booked on robbery-related charges and later bailed out, while Ozuna remains jailed without the possibility of bail on counts of attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon by a prohibited person and burglary, records show.