In a screen grab, people are shown causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage in downtown Las Vegas on May 30, 2020.
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020 | 8:05 p.m.
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On video, the same man was seen swinging a metal bar against the windows of the federal courthouse and a pawn shop in downtown Las Vegas, which he allegedly looted during a turbulent police brutality protest on May 30. But it wasn’t surveillance cameras and social media posts that unmasked his identity: It was his fingerprints.
The blue metal bar that Alejandro Avalos left behind contained his fingerprints, according to his criminal complaint.
On Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the district of Nevada named Avalos and four other suspects who were arrested for allegedly causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage at a George Floyd-inspired protest that turned unruly.
Avalos, 28; Alexander Kostan, 21; Reginald Lewis, 19; Kelton Simon, 34, and Jeanette Wallace, 24, are each facing one federal count of depredation against property of the U.S.
The allegations were outlined in court documents. Information for Lewis’ case wasn’t immediately available, but the remaining suspects were released from jail on their own recognizance while the legal process continued. All but Kostan admitted to the crimes, criminal complaints show.
The late-May demonstration, one of the first in Las Vegas decrying Floyd’s death in Minnesota began with hundreds of protesters marching throughout downtown. As the night progressed, however, demonstrators who stuck around faced off against officers, who used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Some demonstrators had vandalized buildings and thrown bottles, fireworks and rocks at officers in riot gear. Others set brush fires, officials said.
Later into the night, some protesters gathered at the George Federal Building and began kicking and throwing items in order to gain entry, officials said. A federal security guard inside was threatened when several people allegedly yelled: “Get him, get the cop!” Damage for broken glass and vandalism was estimated at over $70,000, according to the complaints.
Agents allege Avalos swung the blue bar at the courthouse windows, breaking at least one of them before he headed to a nearby pawn shop where he swung the same bar. Once the door was broken, agents allege, Avalos walked into the shop, broke display cases and stole items.
He admitted to the crimes when he was interrogated at home.
Simon, who was wearing a Golden State Warriors cap atop his red dreadlocks, covered his face with a bandanna as cameras captured him throwing a metal sign at the courthouse windows, and walking into the pawn shop to steal things, according to his complaint.
Earlier in the night, a maskless Simon was recorded on a TV news stream flashing a middle finger, according to his complaint. It wasn’t clear how he was identified, but the complaint said agents found stolen cameras at his home, where he allegedly admitted to being the person in the video images. Losses to the pawn shop were estimated at $50,000.
Wallace was discovered through facial recognition technology and identified through her Facebook account, according to her complaint. She is accused of kicking the courthouse windows a half-dozen times, as well as throwing at least one rock and a can of paint at them.
Kostan, a trans woman, was the only person who denied involvement. She is accused of kicking the courthouse windows seven times, according to her complaint.
The five suspects are not the only people facing federal cases for incidents at the same protest.
In June, federal agents arrested Tyree Walker, 23, Devarian Haynes, 23, and Ricardo Densmore, 24, who are accused of torching a Metro Police cruiser.
Zachary Sanns, the spouse of a Metro officer, was later arrested for allegedly impersonating an officer. Authorities allege he showed up to the protest while heavily armed and blended in with legitimate officers.
And the day of the protest, the FBI took Stephen “Kiwi” Parshall, 35, Andrew Lyman, 23, and William Loomis, 40, into custody in the downtown area. Alleged members of the Boogaloo movement — a right-wing anti-government group — the trio of suspects, who were found with weapons and Molotov cocktails, are facing explosives and weapons-related federal charges.
“Agitators at the May 30 protest in downtown Las Vegas allegedly damaged a federal courthouse and threatened to attack a law enforcement officer,” said Nicholas Trutanich, the U.S. attorney in Nevada, in a news release. “These cases should reinforce that our office will protect lawful First Amendment activity — while also upholding the rule of law by prosecuting those who would incite and escalate violence, vandalism and destruction.”
“The FBI’s mission is to uphold the Constitution, which includes freedom of speech and the right to assemble,” said Aaron Rouse, the head of the FBI in Nevada. “A line was crossed in what was intended to be a peaceful protest in Las Vegas and federal property was destroyed as a result of the alleged actions of these subjects. We will continue working with our federal, state and local partners to ensure that those that destroy parts of our city are held accountable."
“The United States Marshals have protected the Federal Judiciary since 1789. This investigation is part of a joint effort by many agencies,” said Marshal Gary Schofield. “These arrests ensure that the community continues to have unfettered access to Justice.”
