Three men face felonies in Las Vegas ambush shooting of witness

Three young men are facing a total of 66 felonies and 28 gross misdemeanors following an ambush-style shooting in Las Vegas that police say targeted witnesses of an armed robbery. Brandon Jaymes Thomas McCoy, 18, Raymond Duncan, 19, and Tywann Robert Hoyer-Pitts, 18, are currently being held without bail in connection with the October 10 death of 18-year-old Miguel Chavarria Garcia.

The incident, which unfolded in the early morning hours of October 10, began at an In-N-Out Burger located at 6530 S. Rainbow Blvd. According to an arrest report from the Metropolitan Police Department, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Chavarria Garcia and his friends were at the restaurant when they witnessed two men robbing another individual of a gold chain. When the assailants fled the scene, Chavarria Garcia’s group briefly followed their vehicle.

The Ambush at West Rochelle Avenue

The situation escalated rapidly as the group approached a traffic light near the intersection of West Rochelle Avenue and South Durango Drive. A 2018 Nissan Kicks pulled up alongside the Acura carrying Chavarria Garcia and his friends, and gunmen inside the Nissan opened fire. Crime scene analysts later recovered 28 cartridge cases from the street. One of the bullets struck Chavarria Garcia in the face; he was transported to a hospital where he died days later.

Investigators utilized a combination of video surveillance, cellphone data, and witness accounts to identify the three suspects. In the arrest report, Hoyer-Pitts acknowledged his presence at the In-N-Out Burger. He told police that he believed he was being followed by an unknown vehicle and subsequently fired upon that vehicle with a rifle.

Legal Proceedings in Las Vegas Justice Court

McCoy and Hoyer-Pitts made brief appearances in Las Vegas Justice Court on Thursday morning. Duncan was scheduled for an initial hearing later that same afternoon. Court records do not currently list an attorney for Duncan, and McCoy’s attorney, Dayvid Figler, declined to comment on the charges. Legal representation for Hoyer-Pitts could not be reached.

The scale of the charges reflects the severity of the allegations, with prosecutors filing dozens of felony counts against each defendant. The judicial process is set to move forward later this month, with a preliminary hearing for McCoy and Hoyer-Pitts currently scheduled for November 19.