Las Vegas has been the scene of a grim tale of violence and prejudice, as two individuals, Vivian Jimenez, 34, and Joseph Skeirik, 30, were taken into custody over the death of a man later identified as Andre Matthews. According to a report by News 3 Las Vegas, the couple was booked on Sunday on suspicion of open murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The fatal encounter occurred on Sahara Avenue, near Interstate 15, on August 6, where Matthews was found with a gunshot wound to his neck. Although the motive was not immediately clear, further investigation shed light on what preceded the shooting. 8 News Now detailed that Matthews, who worked at a nearby fast-food restaurant, appeared to have been on his break and asked a woman, allegedly Jimenez, for a bite of her hot dog before he was fatally shot.
Police allege that the disturbing incident spiraled into violence when Matthews and the suspect, identified by a witness as having a swastika tattoo, exchanged words. The same witness claimed that racial slurs were thrown at Matthews. "Surveillance footage from multiple properties were [sic] recovered, and showed Andre running after the white male and female and within a short time of him catching up to them, the white male and female continued to run away from that location, and Andre was not seen on surveillance footage other than laying in the roadway," according to the 8 News Now report.
The aftermath painted a picture of a cold indifference; despite the apparent severity of Matthews' injuries, neither Jimenez nor Skeirik attempted to call for help. As per the charges, it is alleged that Jimenez furnished the weapon that Skeirik, already prohibited from possessing a gun due to a felony record, used to commit the crime. In light of the seriousness of the charges, both suspects were refused bail, with a preliminary hearing set for August 27. As authorities continue to peel back the layers of this case, court records show that while Jimenez and Skeirik are being held without bail, the murder charges were not included in the initial criminal complaints against them filed on Tuesday, as noted by News 3 Las Vegas.
