Arrest made in death of homeless man in Las Vegas

The man accused of striking and fatally injuring a homeless man in August on a Strip walkway bridge was arrested Wednesday, Las Vegas police confirmed.

Steven Montoya, 46, told police that he punched Larry Minnich on the walkway between Bill's Gambling Hall and Caesars Palace after the man threatened Montoya's family, a Las Vegas arrest warrant said.

Minnich, 49, was begging for money about 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 15 alongside members of Montoya's family, who were selling water. According to the report, Minnich argued with one of the women selling water and threatened to beat her and throw her children over the bridge.

The family members called Montoya, who came to the bridge to confront Minnich. Montoya kicked the homeless man, punched him above his left eye and fled the scene, the report states.

Minnich was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center after a hematoma formed above his eye, but he checked himself out. On Aug. 17, Las Vegas police responded to reports of a man with a hematoma above his eye acting erratically at the corner of Maryland Parkway and Charleston Boulevard.

The man, who was later identified as Minnich, was taken to Desert Spring Hospital Medical Center for mental evaluation. He died on Sept. 1.

Detectives interviewed a woman who was with Minnich before the incident in August. She said Minnich was sitting on the walkway with his pit bull and wanted to beg for money by himself. She said Minnich "has a mouth" and kept arguing with the nearby group selling water.

The woman didn't witness the punch.

Authorities interviewed Montoya in mid-September, when he admitted to striking Minnich. He was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

Montoya faces charges of murder and battery with substantial bodily harm.

Contact reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.