2 arrested in store robbery, ax attack
Two men face multiple felony charges in connection with a convenience store burglary and an ax attack in the central valley Tuesday.
Just before 4 a.m. a 7-Eleven at 5700 W. Charleston Blvd. was robbed by two men wearing masks who pointed handguns at an employee and demanded money from two registers, according to a Metro arrest report.
The men took about $139, then ordered the clerk to lie on the ground so he couldn't see them leave. The employee reported the robbery and described the men as a 6-foot Hispanic and a 5-foot-8-inch Hispanic, both wearing puffy jackets, gloves and dark masks.
Video from the store and witness statements helped police identify the men as Casimiro Venegas and Jose Fernando Monay-Pina.
About 30 minutes later, the same men entered the home of Javier Colon and attacked him in his bedroom with an ax, the report said.
When the first officer arrived on the scene, he found Colon bleeding from his hand and face. The officer found the men in a neighboring backyard. One suspect was hiding under a storage shed and the other was behind a bush, according to the report.
After the pair were were taken into custody Monay-Pina said, "you don't understand, we reported as victims that our tires were slashed and you guys didn't do anything, we were retaliating because he slashed our tires," the report said.
The report did not specify whether Colon was suspected of the slashing tires.
Colon was taken to University Medical Center where he told police that upon entering his bedroom, Venegas and Monay-Pina pistol-whipped his head and body numerous times. Venegas then began to hit Colon with an ax, causing a large laceration to Colon's right hand as he tried to defend himself, police said. Colon also suffered large lacerations to his head.
While arresting Venegas and Monay-Pina, police found a roll of cash in the approximate amount taken from 7-Eleven, Colon's wallet, three large knives taken from Colon's room, two black ski masks, two pairs of gloves and three pellet guns.
Venegas was arrested on charges of two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of burglary with a deadly weapon, attempted murder with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon with substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Monay-Pina was arrested on charges of two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of burglary with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon with substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit robbery. Both men were booked at the Clark County Detention Center.
Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lawrenlinehan
