Elderly man dies after trash-lid beating outside store

An elderly man was beaten to death with a trash lid outside a Las Vegas grocery store, and the suspect is facing a murder charge, according to records released Wednesday.

Eric Simmons was arrested May 3 after police said he walked up to a stranger and hit him with a metal trash lid in an Albertsons parking lot, at 1760 E. Charleston Ave., according to an arrest report from the Metropolitan Police Department.

A week later, the 78-year-old victim died, and prosecutors charged Simmons with murder, according to court documents.

The Clark County coroner’s office said Larry Thomas died at Spanish Hills Wellness Suites from complication of a left hip fracture, coronary artery disease, hypertension and diabetes. His death was ruled a homicide.

Video from the Albertsons near East Fremont Street showed Simmons hit the man with a 3-foot-wide trash lid, causing him to fall on his hip, and Simmons ran off before police arrived, according to the arrest report.

He was arrested later that day but refused to speak to police, detectives wrote in the report.

Neither Simmons’ lawyer nor the district attorney’s office could be reached immediately for comment.

Simmons is due in court Aug. 29.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.