Arrest made in slaying near Stratosphere

A suspect has been arrested in the Saturday shooting death of a man at an apartment complex near the Stratosphere, a Las Vegas police report revealed Wednesday.

Anastasio Oscar Leon, 59, was arrested and charged with murder with use of a deadly weapon in the death of Jesus Cuesta-Morales, whose age is unknown. Leon was also charged with trafficking in cocaine.

When police arrived about 10:30 p.m. at the complex at 1520 S. Casino Center Blvd., near Charleston Boulevard, they found Cuesta-Morales suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he died.

According to the arrest report, several residents of the apartment complex saw Leon shoot Cuesta-Morales in the complex's courtyard during an argument.

Leon, who was arrested Monday in a hotel room at the Stratosphere, told police he shot Cuesta-Morales after the victim insulted him and struck his wife, the report said.

Leon told police he was intoxicated when he went into his apartment, retrieved a handgun, and asked Cuesta-Morales to "say it again," the report said.

Cuesta-Morales again insulted Leon, and Leon shot him several times, the report said.

Leon has a lengthy criminal history related to narcotics in Las Vegas, court records show.

In 1992, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a felony for which he spent 111 days in prison.

In 1993, he pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to three years in prison. In 2001, he and his wife were both charged with possession of a controlled substance, for which he received a suspended prison sentence and three years' probation.