Judge denies bail to suspects in two deaths

Two men charged in two separate killings and other felonies that occurred during a two-month valley crime spree were denied bail Friday afternoon.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Sciscento ordered that Gregory Hover, 38, and Richard Freeman, 18, be held at the Clark County Detention Center until a preliminary hearing set for March 11.

New grisly details emerged about the death of one of the victims, a restaurant worker from Hooters Hotel. Prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo described how Hover and Freeman kidnapped Prisma Ivette Contreras as she left her job at the Mad Onion restaurant.

DiGiacomo said the two men took the woman to Boulder City where they raped her, strangled her and cut her throat.

The two defendants then burned Contreras' body inside of her car, DiGiacomo said. The 21-year-old's body was found Jan. 15 in the burned-out car south of Boulder City.

Freeman has spoken with investigators in an attempt to distance himself from the violent acts and downplay his culpability in the crimes, DiGiacomo said. But DiGiacomo said that as new evidence emerges, it appears Freeman is just as responsible as Hover.

"Mr. Freeman likes knives and threatening people with knives. He presents a clear and present danger to the community," DiGiacomo said.

Defense attorney Michael Castillo asked that Freeman be given a reasonable bail amount because he had no prior criminal record and has lived in Las Vegas his whole life.

Hover and Freeman also are charged with the shooting death of Julio Romero, 64, in his home Jan. 25.

Authorities said Hover, who was employed as a process server for Junes Legal Service, a local legal support business, visited Romero's home to serve papers to a friend of Romero's he had not seen in several years.

Early the next morning, Hover broke into the house and killed Romero, according to an arrest report.

Hover then forced Romero's wife, Roberta, into a closet and shot her in the face. She is recovering from surgery at a local hospital, authorities said. Prosecutors are hoping she can testify at the preliminary hearing in three weeks.

The two defendants face multiple felony charges, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery and burglary.

Las Vegas police said they have linked Hover and Freeman to business robberies, robberies at ATMs and other pedestrian hold-ups dating to late 2009. The investigation is ongoing.