An early-morning robbery inside a vacant Walgreens on Boulder Highway ended with Las Vegas police pulling a suspect from the store’s ceiling and several unhoused people found bound and injured on Tuesday, according to officers. The strange scene drew SWAT, crisis negotiators and multiple units to the east valley and briefly shut down lanes at Boulder Highway and Flamingo while the building was cleared, as reported by KTNV.
Standoff in east Las Vegas
Officers were called just after 3 a.m. to the 4800 block of Boulder Highway near Flamingo following reports that people staying inside the closed Walgreens had been robbed, according to KTNV. SWAT officers and crisis negotiators responded as police searched the property. Metro later said SWAT cleared the empty store and no additional suspects were found inside.
Victims describe attack
One victim who managed to get to a nearby casino told investigators he woke up to masked men pointing a gun and ordering people to strip, according to FOX5. He said the men first pretended to be undercover officers, then pistol-whipped and tied people up. Victims’ hands and feet were reportedly bound with zip ties, and others were later found hiding elsewhere in the building.
Suspect, charges and court status
Court documents and police records reviewed by 8 News Now identify 29-year-old Jeshamaun Stennett as one of the suspects and state that officers located him hiding in the store’s ceiling during the search. The filings say Stennett faces charges that include robbery and kidnapping and report that at least six other people were found hiding inside the vacant store, with victims bound using zip ties. According to the records, a judge declined to set bail at a probable-cause hearing, and Stennett is scheduled to return to court on Monday. The documents also note he was previously barred from having firearms following a 2021 conviction.
Neighbors and safety concerns
Nearby residents and business owners told reporters they were relieved to hear about arrests but want the city and property owners to do more to lock down vacant storefronts that have become informal shelter sites, according to FOX5. Their frustrations echoed broader safety concerns along Boulder Highway after the heavy police presence and road closures overnight.
What happens next
Metro investigators say the investigation is still active and are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the department, after SWAT cleared the building and traffic reopened, according to KTNV. Detectives are continuing to follow leads and collect evidence as they work to piece together the full timeline of the early-morning robbery.
