Eight Las Vegas teenagers arrested for fatal beating of high school student
LAS VEGAS, Neva. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Las Vegas police say eight teenagers were arrested in connection to the fatal beating of Jonathan Lewis, a 17-year-old student at Rancho High School.
Metro Police say the fight on November 1 was allegedly over stolen wireless headphones and possibly a stolen marijuana vape that were taken from either Lewis or his friend.
The duo and the other teens agreed to fight in a back-alley off-campus after school over the items, according to police.
A video of that brutal fight was posted on line and apparently starts with a teen identified as Lewis throwing a punch.
Then about ten people swarm him, bringing Lewis to the ground while kicking, stomping and hitting him.
Correctly identifying the suspects
Police issued search warrants Tuesday to collect clothing seen in the video in effort to confirm the identities of those involved.
Officers say the suspects arrested range in age between 13- and 17-years-old. They were booked in the Clark County Juvenile Jall on charges of murder.
On why it took nearly two weeks to arrest them, Metro Police say they wanted to make sure they correctly identified each person.
"When we're talking about an investigation like this, I've mentioned before one of the biggest aspects of us doing the investigation is...this is a highly emotional video. Anybody that watches it has parents that it is emotional for all involved. But remember, for us to go put arrest somebody for the charge of murder, we have to be right. We have to make sure that we have positively identified who those people are. It's one thing for someone to say I believe that is such and such we have to actually physically be able to put that person there if you watch that video. Many of them have hoods over their faces. Many of them have their faces obscured during the attack. Our job is to go in there and be able to be able to prove in court beyond a reasonable doubt."
Lt. Jason Johansson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD)
Johansson also said police are searching for two additional subjects who were seen in the video of the incident.
