In a courtroom replete with the weight of grief and consequence, Valente Ayala, the stepfather of an 11-year-old boy tragically killed in a road rage incident, delivered his testimony against 22-year-old Tyler Matthew Johns. The incident, which unfolded on November 14th along the 215 Southern Beltway at Gibson Road, left young Brandon Dominguez-Chavarria dead from a gunshot wound. The exchange began with both vehicles jockeying for position, as per reports by FOX5 Las Vegas, and escalated when one car tried to pass on the highway's shoulder.
Ayala's account, given through a translator, detailed the chilling moment when the suspect allegedly brandished the gun. "He speeds up to catch up to me, at that moment he’s trying to travel next to me, I turned around to look at him and at that moment he was already pointing a gun at me," Ayala said, as noted by FOX5 Las Vegas. According to Ayala, it was only seconds later when he heard the gunshot that took his stepson's life. Johns, however, did not testify during this preliminary hearing.
The accused, Tyler Matthew Johns, remains held without bail. During his arraignment, the defense claimed innocence on Johns' behalf. "My client is innocent, and we are going to prove that in court," Ryan Helmick, his defense attorney, asserted in a statement obtained by Hoodline. Meanwhile, a separate incident report from the Henderson Police Department found Johns previously involved in aggressive driving behavior on the very same beltway, further complicating his legal defense.
Amid these proceedings, the victim's mother, Rubi Chavarria, is a voice of anguish pleading for justice. "Nobody should be going through what I am going through," she said, in an emotional plea reported by Hoodline. Chavarria emphasized that her son's right to safety was irrevocably breached on his way to school during the incident. Johns is scheduled for another court appearance on December 11 for his next arraignment.
