Las Vegas mayoral candidate targets brother’s alleged killer, illegal immigrants

A Las Vegas mayoral candidate whose brother was slain last week lashed out at the man he alleges is the killer as well as illegal immigrants on Friday, adding that he intends to send a bounty hunter team to Mexico because he thinks that is where the shooter has fled.

"This piece of crap is probably heading to Mexico," Anthony Wernicke wrote in an e-mail to supporters Friday morning. "Like most Mexicans, they bring their families here and commit crimes against U.S. citizens and head back to Mexico ... we have (a) team going to Mexico next week."

In an interview, Wernicke said he wasn't sure of the location of the person he thinks killed his brother, nor did he know for sure if the person came to the United States illegally. But he stood by, and added to, the statements in his e-mail.

"I believe he is" an illegal immigrant, he said. "I believe 90 percent of the Mexicans in this town are here illegally. The families come over and they raise their kids here ... and they turn into gangbangers or Crips or pieces of crap. They have no remorse."

Wernicke's brother, Edward, died after being shot Jan. 20 near the corner of Alta Drive and Jones Boulevard.

The case remains under investigation, said Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Jay Rivera, who declined to comment on whether the police have a suspect yet.

Although he has not formally filed for office, Wernicke has mayoral campaign signs around town and has been campaigning door to door as "the little guy" in the race.

Wernicke is a perennial candidate, finishing with 35.5 percent of the vote in the state Senate District 3 contest in 2008. He also ran unsuccessfully for Clark County assessor in 2010 .

The mayor of Las Vegas is elected at-large and serves as the representative and ambassador for the entire city. In this case, it's a city where about a third of the 600,000 or so residents are Hispanic, according to Census Bureau estimates.

"The ones that are registered to vote, that are American citizens, I'll represent those," Wernicke said. "The ones that are here illegally, I'm not going to represent them. If I'm the mayor and they come into my office, and they're not legal to be in the United States, why would I help them? I'm taking a job from another American citizen."

In the e-mail, Wernicke asks people for their help in locating the man he's looking for, and issues a warning as well.

"You can run but not hide," he wrote. "God help you ... because no one else will!"

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.