Carson City sheriff’s log: Man admits to shooting air rifle at vehicles in bank parking lot

A 20-year-old Carson City man was arrested Monday after admitting to using a high-powered air pellet rifle to shoot out vehicle windows in a bank parking area from his second floor apartment unit, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

The man was taken into custody after being interviewed at the complex in the 800 block of East William Street. He faces two gross misdemeanor charges of property destruction, and two misdemeanor charges of discharging a pellet gun.

According to the arrest report, the man confessed to using the air gun to shoot at vehicle windows in the Bank of America parking lot on Roop and John streets because he was angry about his car being repossessed.

At 1:56 p.m. a deputy was called to the area in reference to a property damage report. The deputy arrived and spoke with the victim who advised someone had broken the rear window of her truck while it was parked in the main bank parking lot between the hours of 6:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The deputy inspected the broken rear window and observed an impact mark on the dash above the radio.

Due to the angle it appeared someone shot out the window using a pellet or BB gun from an elevated position, the arrest report states. The victim said she was notified by a security guard that another vehicle had its window shot out in the same parking lot the week before.

The officer noted the apartment complex at 850 East William backs up to Roop Street and directly across the street from the Bank of America parking lot. The officer walked to the complex and inspected facing windows that have a view of the parking lot.

The deputy noticed only one window on the entire east facing side of the complex had its screen removed. It was on the second floor of the building with an elevated view of the area. The officer went to the second floor apartment unit and made contact with the suspect who appeared nervous, telling the deputy he was the sole occupant of the apartment, the arrest report states.

The deputy asked the man if he had any idea who may have been responsible for the shootings. The suspect said he had no idea. The officer pressed further and asked if he had air rifles, pellet guns or BB guns in the apartment. The suspect said no and that he was forced to pawn them recently, the arrest report states.

The officer said that he was going to look at security footage from the bank to obtain further information. The man then admitted that he had been the one shooting at cars from his bedroom window and had done so for several weeks, the arrest report states. After he was read his Miranda warning, he agreed to speak further with the officer.

He admitted to shooting out the window of a truck that afternoon as well as shooting at least five other vehicles from his bedroom window, including a windshield of a white SUV parked in front of a salon the week prior. He told the deputy he was angry because his car was repossessed four weeks prior and that he took his anger out on vehicles in the area because he was envious of other people who still had their cars, the arrest report states.

The deputy was able to obtain the high powered, competition model air rifle with a long-range scope where it was in a closet. He was charged with the two gross misdemeanor counts of malicious destruction of property and two counts of discharging a pellet gun within 1,000 feet of a dwelling, building or public resort. Bail: $6,274.

In other arrests:
A Carson City man was booked into jail Monday on multiple felony charges of burglary and credit card fraud, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

James Yale Novak was booked into Carson City Jail after being brought to the sheriff’s office by the Nevada Department of Corrections on the warrants. He faces six counts burglary and five counts credit card fraud, both felonies, a gross misdemeanor charge of conspiracy and a misdemeanor charge of probation violation.

The case involves a theft last year at an accounting firm, in which an employee allegedly stole a card and pin number and then gave the card to the suspect and others to use where they withdrew cash and paid for merchandise. Bail: $23,000.

— A Washoe Valley man was arrested Monday, 11:41 a.m. on a gross misdemeanor warrant, eluding, issued Feb. 5, 2016 out of Washoe County Judicial Court. He is being held without bail in lieu of a hearing.

— A 25-year-old South Lake Tahoe man was booked Monday into Carson City jail on a contempt of court warrant, failure to appear, issued Oct. 27, 2015 out of Carson City justice court. Bail: $300.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.