A Las Vegas woman who claimed she had a bomb during a fight over a $14 parking charge has been sentenced to probation instead of prison. Jessica Vazquez pleaded guilty in September to one count of making a bomb threat, and a judge this week ordered her into a mental health treatment program rather than behind bars.
District Judge Christy Craig ordered a suspended sentence of two to five years and directed Vazquez to complete Mental Health Court, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. If Vazquez fails to meet the terms of her probation, she could still be ordered to serve the original prison sentence. Prosecutors had agreed not to oppose probation as long as the mental health court requirement was part of the deal, the paper reported.
Vazquez thanked Craig during the hearing for the opportunity she was given, and Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Schwartzer argued that probation was an appropriate remedy for someone dealing with mental health issues, noting Vazquez has a minimal criminal record, per the same account.
A Parking Dispute Spirals Into a Street Shutdown
The case began in June, when Vazquez parked in a garage near the Regional Justice Center in downtown Las Vegas. She became upset over the amount she was being charged after multiple credit or debit cards failed to process, according to 8 News Now. An arrest report cited by FOX5 Vegas says Vazquez told a parking enforcement officer, “I have a bomb, I have a bomb… there's a bomb in the area,” and separately told an attendant there was a bomb in her vehicle.
Police responded to the threat and searched the area, but nothing was found at the scene, 8 News Now reported. The scare was disruptive enough to force authorities to close stretches of Third and Fourth streets, and it also caused the shutdown of Clark Avenue between Las Vegas Boulevard and 3rd Street, and Lewis Avenue between 3rd Street and 4th Street, according to KARK. Courthouse visitors were left waiting for hours before they could get back to their cars.
From Competency Evaluation to Guilty Plea
The case took months to reach this point. A judge had ordered a competency evaluation for Vazquez over the summer, and she was later found competent to stand trial before entering her guilty plea in September. By the time she appeared before Craig, the single felony count she admitted to replaced what had earlier been reported as two counts tied to the same incident.
What Mental Health Court Requires
Instead of prison, Vazquez will now work through Clark County's Mental Health Court, a specialty court program run by the Eighth Judicial District Court. The program's handbook describes its goal as giving justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness the tools to stop criminal behavior and increase their overall wellness and stability.
According to the handbook, the program generally runs 15 to 24 months, though an individual's time in it can vary depending on probation length and how well they comply with treatment and program rules. If Vazquez fails to comply with probation, she could be required to serve the suspended sentence.
