DEATH OF FETUS TO BRING CHARGE

A man accused of attempting to kill his estranged wife and fatally shooting her boyfriend while armed with a chain saw and assault rifle Monday also will be charged in the slaying of the woman's 18-week-old fetus, Clark County District Attorney David Roger said Wednesday.

Roger said prosecutors reviewed the case and decided to pursue an additional charge of "manslaughter, killing of an unborn quick child," against 25-year-old William John Keck.

Keck, who is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center, faces charges of murder, attempted murder and battery with a deadly weapon resulting in bodily harm in connection with the early Monday shooting at the Fountains at Villa Cordova apartment complex, 2800 S. Eastern Ave.

Las Vegas police said Keck used a chain saw to cut a hole in his estranged wife's apartment door. He then shot the door knob off and fired multiple rounds through the hole, according to a police report.

The shooting caused the death of 26-year-old Jonathan Lestelle. The unborn child carried by Angelique Keck and fathered by Lestelle also was killed, police said.

Angelique Keck was seriously injured in the shooting. A friend said Tuesday that Angelique Keck, who is in her mid-20s, is expected to recover, but officials would not provide updates on her condition.

Police said Monday that they did not expect to charge William Keck in connection with the slaying of the fetus because it had not reached 25 weeks gestation, which Nevada law requires for a homicide charge. But Roger said a different state law that carries a possible sentence of one to 10 years would apply in this case.

"We did some research of the definition of an unborn quick child," Roger said. "It is any movement of a fetus in a mother's womb."

According to a police report, Angelique Keck told investigators that her husband recently threatened to shoot her in the stomach and kill her baby.

The report said that she and Lestelle were on the couch when they heard someone attempting to cut through the door about 1:10 a.m.

William Keck then began shooting and struck them multiple times, the report said. Lestelle died at the scene.

Police arrested William Keck about an hour later at an apartment he shared with his brother in southeast Las Vegas. Police confiscated some of Keck's clothes and collected gunshot residue from his hands, the report said.

William Keck told police he was "deeply in love" with his wife but had other girlfriends after they separated. He also told police he was on various medications but did not think they affected him in a negative way, a report said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned in Justice Court this morning.

Christl Lestelle, who was separated from Jonathan Lestelle, said he was a great man. She is the mother of Jonathan Lestelle's 3-year-old son, Trenton.

"When he walked into the room, he would make everybody smile," Christl Lestelle said. "He loved his son. He was a great husband and a great dad."

She described Jonathan Lestelle as a talented artist who worked at a tattoo parlor. She said he was a "people person" who loved horror movies. She described his artistic style as Gothic, in the style of famed Hollywood director Tim Burton.

Christl Lestelle said she could not find the words to tell her son that his father was dead.

"I have no clue how I'm going to go about that with him," she said.

Patrick Vondoom worked with Jonathan Lestelle, who was called "Caine" by his friends.

Vondoom taught him during an apprenticeship at the shop. Jonathan Lestelle worked as a tattoo artist after completing the apprenticeship in July.

Vondoom said they shared a bond.

"Above everything else, Caine was a dear friend," Vondoom said. "He's going to be missed on that level."

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.