ARMED ROBBERY AT PAWN SHOP

Monday, January 04, 2010

TWO MESQUITE MEN IN CUSTODY

An armed robbery at the Virgin Valley Pawn Shop on Wednesday (Dec. 30), has resulted in the arrest of two Mesquite men according to MPD Public Information Officer Robert W. Everett.

Major E. League and Brent E. Vaughn are currently in the Mesquite Detention Facility awaiting transport to the Clark County Detention Facility in Las Vegas.

Mesquite Police received a call of an armed robbery at Virgin Valley Pawn Shop. An employee reported two men had walked into the shop, one of them pulled a gun from his waistband and a canister (believed to be pepper spray) and sprayed the employee in the face. As the suspects fled, a second employee, who was in the back of the store was able to get a license plate on the suspect’s car.

The owner of the car had a direct connection to League. Officers proceeded to Leavitt Lane, in an attempt to locate the suspects at a residence. The two suspects along with a third man got into a red pickup truck at the rear of the residence. Officers tried to stop the pickup, but the driver and occupants fled. A pursuit ensued, taking officers into Bunkerville on Riverside Road. As the truck crossed the Bunkerville Bridge, occupants threw stolen guns and other articles out the windows. The guns were later recovered and are in police custody.

The vehicular pursuit ended as the pickup struck a barbed wire fence and was left abandoned on a dirt road. The driver and occupants fled on foot into a field. Vaughn surrendered only minutes after fleeing and was taken into custody. The police received information Mr. League was at his father’s residence on Tobler Street in Bunkerville. Mesquite Officers set up a perimeter around the residence with the assistance of Las Vegas Metro and the Nevada State Highway Patrol.

Once communication was established, League was ordered out of the residence. After a brief standoff, League exited the residence, surrendered and was taken into custody without incident.

Both League and Vaughn were charged with robbery with a deadly weapon (felony), conspiracy to commit robbery with a deadly weapon (felony), evading police (felony), and possession of methamphetamine (felony). Additionally, League was charged with coercion with a deadly weapon (felony). Mesquite Detective Division is continuing their investigation into this incident as a third suspect is being sought.

Chief Douglas Law said, “We were fortunate no one was injured, especially given the circumstances surrounding the armed robbery and pursuit; I want to commend everyone who worked as a team to safely apprehend the suspects.”

Chief Law thanked the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Nevada State Highway Patrol for their assistance.