Katario Miller
Nicholas Johnson
Map of Canyon Springs
Three suspects are in custody and three others remain at large in a reported incident in which Canyon Springs High School students were beaten and pistol-whipped on their way to a senior class event last week, according to Clark County School District Police.
The incident occurred about 7:15 a.m. Friday, according to a School District arrest report released Tuesday afternoon.
The report detailed the alleged actions of two of the three apprehended suspects, who are adults. An arrest report for the third apprehended suspect, who is a juvenile, was not released, because of student privacy provisions. School District and North Las Vegas Police are still looking for the remaining suspects — two adults and one juvenile.
Here's what the arrest report detailed for the two adults in custody, both of whom are former CCSD students. School District police detective Mitch Maciszak provided additional details in a phone interview.
A male Canyon Springs senior was on his way to a "senior sunrise breakfast" the Friday before the start of school. He was walking on the far west side of the high school, near the baseball diamond, when he was approached by six people — four men and two boys — who robbed the student of his cellphone, a Motorola Sidekick.
Although the student complied with their requests, one of the suspects, who had a black, semiautomatic handgun, struck the student on the left side of his head, causing a skull fracture and internal bleeding of his brain.
The student was later transported to University Medical Center and admitted into the intensive care unit because of his injuries.
The six suspects then walked over to the school's quad where they exchanged words with two other students on their way to the senior breakfast.
As the two students attempted to leave the area, the six suspects began to throw boxes and spit at them.
Once the students were in the south parking lot, they were attacked by the six suspects.
One man allegedly drew his handgun and pointed it at one of the students. He then struck one of the students on the upper left side of his head, causing a one-inch laceration, and on his left abdomen, causing three rib fractures.
The other student also was beaten but escaped with minor bruises.
School resource officers responded to the fight, and the six suspects fled in a silver four-door Volkswagen Jetta.
With the help of North Las Vegas police and parole/probation officers, School District police interviewed witnesses and worked overnight to apprehend three of the suspects.
Katario Miller, 18, was arrested at his North Las Vegas house, where police and North Las Vegas SWAT officers found the student's Motorola Sidekick in Miller's bedroom. Police then obtained a search warrant on the cellphone to help with the ongoing investigation.
After being positively identified by the student victims in a photo lineup, Miller was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of conspiracy to commit battery with a deadly weapon, possession of stolen property, probation violation and battery.
Police executed a search warrant on another suspect's house in the 800 block of Senica Heights Avenue in North Las Vegas. While they didn't find the suspect who had the handgun, officers found another suspect, Nicolas Johnson, 18.
Johnson told police he "stomped out some dude," slamming him into a parked vehicle, but said he did not know who he was. Officers, who found a damaged vehicle in the parking lot, attributed it to Johnson's alleged actions.
Johnson was arrested and booked into the detention center on charges of conspiracy to commit battery with a deadly weapon, battery with substantial bodily harm, battery, loitering about schools and injury to property of another.
A third suspect, a juvenile male, was also arrested that same night at a third house.
The three student victims returned to school Monday, Maciszak said.
The investigation is ongoing. Maciszak warned parents, students and school staff to remain vigilant to prevent school violence.
"If you see something, say something," Maciszak said.
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