Police: Man slain by officers used machete to kill mother’s boyfriend

In the hours preceding a deadly shootout with police on Wednesday, authorities said 23-year-old Jason Baires had snapped: After gruesomely killing his mother's boyfriend with a machete, he planned to butcher the corpse with a chain saw and dispose of the evidence in the backyard.

The grisly scheme was thwarted Tuesday afternoon after Baires' mother unexpectedly came home, police said.

According to a police report, Dominga Hernandez, 45, walked in on her son while he was cleaning blood off the floor of the rental house at 4613 Stacey Ave., the home shared by the three people.

After a brief argument, Hernandez left the home and called police, the report said. When officers entered the home at about 5:30 p.m., Baires was gone. Detectives found the body of Rodolfo Velasco-Bayardo in Baires' bedroom.

The 50-year-old man had been dragged to the bedroom from the living room. Weapons and tools were scattered around the house, including a chain saw, machetes, guns, a large cooler, charcoal and lighter fluid. Bloody footprints covered the home; in the backyard, they found a shallow, empty grave.

Hernandez told police the brutal attack probably stemmed from a dispute between her son and boyfriend about a traffic ticket she had received. The report didn't give further details about the altercation.

About eight hours later, Baires was gunned down by officers with the valley's Criminal Apprehension Team assigned to track down the fugitive. According to police, Baires came out of his vehicle shooting and never gave officers a chance to take him alive.

Las Vegas officer Greg Theobald, 47, was shot in the hip. The officer was not badly injured and was released from the hospital on Thursday.

Other officers who fired included Las Vegas officer Thomas Faller, 42, and Henderson detective David Rowlett, 51. They were not injured.

The information came to light Friday after authorities released the arrest report for the man they suspect was Baires' accomplice, 28-year-old Adam Williamson. Williamson was booked at the Clark County jail Thursday on charges of accessory to murder.

According to the report, Williamson admitted to buying the chain saw for Baires at a nearby Kmart. He also admitted to helping prepare the grave and being there when Hernandez came home, although he denied taking part in the killing, according to the report.

In one tense moment detailed in the report, Williamson described being present after Baires' mother left the house and a patrol officer arrived for a preliminary welfare check. Williamson said that Baires had a silver handgun at his side and was looking through the peephole as the officer knocked on the door.

But that incident did not lead to an immediate confrontation between Baires and officers, police said.

Although the report does not reveal what transpired, homicide Lt. Ray Steiber said that officer did not enter the home because the door was locked and police did not have a warrant or probable cause to enter.

Baires' clash with police happened about 2 a.m. the next morning, after Baires' vehicle was stopped by police near Washington Avenue and Michael Way, less than two miles from the crime scene.

On Wednesday, Baires' lawyer Kristina Wildeveld expressed shock upon learning of her client's death.

Although Baires' had been convicted on several drug possession charges and was facing a charge of attempted murder on a police officer, she said he was not a violent person by nature.

She said Baires had become paranoid from his time at the county jail and was seeking treatment for mental illness.

The attempted murder charge stemmed from a June episode at the jail, when Baires attacked a corrections officer in a hysterical panic.

According to the report from that incident, Baires was being disciplined for wearing his recreation shoes during their daily free time instead of his jail-issued sandals. As the officer escorted him to his cell, Baires punched the officer in the head and neck with a closed fist.

During the exchange, Baires shouted, "I have to get out of here. People are going to die. I need the keys" and tried to grab the handcuff keys from the officer's belt.

After Baires had been restrained, he shouted, "I need to get out of here. I'm the door stopper," the report said.

Officer Theobald made headlines last year for his involvement in the excessive-force case against Charles "Chuck" Barnard, who was awarded a $2.1 million verdict by a jury last February.

A jury ruled three officers used excessive force when they searched Barnard's Henderson apartment in 2001 in search of his brother. Barnard agreed to a reduced verdict of $1.6 million, but the department has appealed the ruling.

Wednesday's shooting happened on the anniversary of the death of Sgt. Henry Prendes, who was gunned down while responding to a domestic violence call six years ago.

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.