Las Vegas Crime Roundup: FBI Investigating Swastika Carved Into Back of Jewish Autistic Boy

Posted on: April 20, 2023, 06:02h. 

Last updated on: April 20, 2023, 03:39h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

News broke this week that the FBI is investigating a suspected hate crime where a swastika was carved on the back of an unnamed Jewish special needs student at a Clark County high school last month.

The swastika carved onto the back of a Las Vegas Jewish boy,
The swastika carved onto the back of a Las Vegas Jewish boy, pictured above. The incident is a suspected hate crime. (Image: Jewish Press)

The swastika, the symbol of the Nazi government of Germany before and during World War II, was discovered by the 17-year-old Las Vegas boy’s mother on March 9, according to the national Jewish publication, the Jewish Press.

The boy usually wore a Jewish head covering, known in Hebrew as a kippah, to Clark High School daily. He is diagnosed with autism and is non-verbal. He uses a service dog, and an aide accompanies him to classes throughout the day.

The mother contacted the school after the incident, but the boy’s aide did not report anything abnormal the previous day and said the student was with her the entire day.

The family has since pulled their son out of Clark High School, calling the school an “unsafe environment.”

On March 13, the Clark County School District Police were notified about the crime. The FBI has since joined the investigation, which could be classified as a hate crime.

Anti-Defamation League Issues Statement

This week, the Anti-Defamation League of Nevada issued a statement about the incident, calling it a “violent, antisemitic act.”

Not only was this student targeted for his identifiable faith, but he was particularly vulnerable due to his disability. This incident illustrates points of intersectionality in how hate can show itself across marginalized communities,” the statement read.

The ADL statement comes the same week as Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed on Tuesday. It recalls the six million Jews who died during World War II, with many killed at Nazi-run concentration camps.

Woman Due in Court for Wynn Incident

A woman is due in court next Tuesday to face charges that she allegedly stole a $75K Rolex watch and $5,500 from a man’s room at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel.

On Feb. 5, 2022, the man approached Latosha Beavers, 32, known as “Tosha,” while the two were at the casino’s B Bar. The two later went to his seventh-floor hotel room. Before showering, he placed his wallet, which contained the cash, and the watch on a nightstand. But when he returned to the room, the money and watch were missing, as was the woman.

While there, Beavers possibly snorted suspected cocaine, the man told Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers.

Beavers was arrested on April 8. She was charged with larceny and violating probation, Las Vegas TV station KVVU reported. She was released from custody after posting bond.

Beavers has been arrested previously for soliciting and trespassing on the Las Vegas Strip between 2015 and 2021, the LVMPD said.

Accused Axe Attacker

The man who allegedly attacked a car with an axe while a terrified Las Vegas mother and two-year-old child were seated inside was ruled incompetent to stand trial.

A Las Vegas judge on Wednesday ordered Christopher Vera, 33, to be placed in a specialized hospital and be given multiple psychiatric medications, according to Las Vegas TV station KTNV.

The mother, identified as Holli Dunn, and her child live near Vera.

I just looked up through the window and I saw someone open the door holding something,” Dunn told KTNV about the seconds before the attack. “When I look up, I see it’s an axe and I’m terrified.”

Before the judge’s ruling, Vera was examined by court-appointed psychiatrists who determined that he can’t assist in his defense and doesn’t understand the charges against him.

Vera was charged with burglary of a motor vehicle, child abuse, tampering with a motor vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon, and making a false statement to or obstructing a police officer.

He will be reevaluated after treatment to see if he can later stand trial.