Arrest made in May shooting death of Las Vegas teen
Las Vegas police have made an arrest in connection with the May killing of a 17-year-old boy in the central valley.
Mauricio Mejia, 17, was arrested May 30 on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon.
According to Metro arrest records, the crime was motivated by a territorial dispute between rival graffiti groups.
On May 23, police found Angel Campos lying between two cars in the parking lot of an apartment complex. He had been shot in the head above his left ear.
Campos was taken to University Medical Center, where he was kept on life support for five days and died.
During Metro’s investigation, as detailed in the report, detectives learned that Campos was standing in the parking lot where he lived in the 3100 block of Chadford Place, near the intersection of South Valley View Boulevard and West Sahara Avenue.
A witness told police two older teen boys approached Campos with their faces covered — one with a shirt hood and one with a bandana. They shot him and ran away.
Detectives learned Campos was a member of a graffiti crew called BCW, short for Bombing City Walls. Campos spray-painted using the monikers “Plex” and “Fatass,” and he had recently been having trouble with another graffiti group: BTA, short for Bombing The Atmosphere.
Mejia is a member of BTA using the nickname “Acer,” police said. He and Campos had been crossing out each other’s tags and had had previous conflicts, the report said.
Multiple witnesses said they were able to identify Mejia, even though he had his face covered with a black and white bandana at the time of the shooting, police said.
Police arrested Mejia one week after Campos was shot, But they are still looking for a second teen. Witnesses say he ran off with a gray handgun in his backpack.
On the night of the shooting he was described as Hispanic and in his late teens with a skinny build. He was wearing blue jeans, a black hoodie and a Jansport backpack.
Anyone with any information about the identity or whereabouts of this teen can contact Metro’s homicide detectives at 702-828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or www.crimestoppersofnv.com.
Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @WesJuhl.
