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LAS VEGAS — 5 days after the violent slaying of investigative reporter Jeff German, police arrested an elected public official who had been the topic of a collection of high-profile tales by the slain journalist that uncovered claims of bullying and retaliation.
Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles was taken into custody by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division at his dwelling in western Las Vegas round 6:30 p.m., simply hours after investigators concluded a search of his property.
The Las Vegas Overview-Journal, the place German, 69, had labored for many years, was the primary to report the information of the arrest. Telles, 45, had been a spotlight of German’s reporting about turmoil together with complaints of administrative bullying, favoritism and Telles’ relationship with a subordinate staffer within the county workplace that handles property of people that die with out a will or household contacts.
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo advised the newspaper that Telles was arrested on suspicion of homicide. Lombardo was anticipated to launch additional particulars at a information convention Thursday morning.
Officers earlier within the day descended on Telles’ two-story dwelling round 7 a.m., looking the almost 3,000-square-foot property in western Las Vegas for greater than six hours earlier than a crimson GMC Yukon Denali was towed away.
The GMC, which had been parked in Telles’ driveway, matched the outline of a automobile police say may very well be linked to German’s killing: A 2007 to 2014 crimson or maroon Denali with chrome handles, a sunroof and roof racks.
Telles, a lawyer who practiced probate and property regulation, received his elected place in 2018, changing a three-term public administrator. He misplaced his June get together major to Assistant Public Administrator Rita Reid. Telles’ time period expires Dec. 31.
Within the weeks earlier than the election, German’s bylined reviews about an workplace “mired in turmoil and inner dissension” between longtime staff and new hires below Telles’ management.
Telles blamed “old-timers” for exaggerating the extent of his relationship with a feminine staffer and falsely claiming that he mistreated them.
“All my new staff are super-happy and everybody’s productive and doing properly,” he advised the newspaper. “We’ve virtually doubled the productiveness within the workplace.”
Telles later posted Twitter complaints about German, the Overview-Journal reported, together with claims in June that German was a bully who was “obsessed” with him.
German, a reporter with a fame for tenacity, was engaged on follow-up reviews, the newspaper stated Wednesday, and not too long ago filed public information requests for emails and textual content messages between Telles and three different county officers together with Reid and marketing consultant Michael Murphy.
Wednesday’s police search unfolded lower than 24 hours after the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division launched the automobile description, together with a surveillance picture, at a information convention the place police Capt. Dori Koren reassured the general public that investigators have been working “continuous” to unravel the case.
Not lengthy after police wrapped up their search, Telles was dropped off in a white sedan, sporting a white jumpsuit as he ignored reporters camped out on his road.
Police returned two hours later, however Telles didn’t reply the door after an officer knocked a number of instances, figuring out himself as “Metro police!”
Inside minutes, a swarm of extra law enforcement officials in marked and unmarked automobiles arrived and taped off the realm for the second time. The scene remained comparatively stagnant for about an hour till, round 5:45 p.m., when police closed off all the neighborhood.
As reporters and residents exited the neighborhood, armored SWAT automobiles and ambulances arrived.
Telles, who was up for reelection this 12 months, misplaced his Democratic major in June. His time period ends in January.
German, 69, was found dead Sept. 3 with stab wounds outside his home, about 5 miles from Telles’ dwelling, based on police. Authorities imagine he was killed a day earlier throughout an altercation within the “late morning hours.”
After the Review-Journal published the stories about the Clark County public administrator’s office, Telles publicly lashed out at German in a collection of posts on Twitter.
Requested on the Tuesday information convention whether or not German’s demise might have been motivated by his high-profile tales, Koren stated detectives have been “not excluding something presently.”
German was identified for his tales uncovering authorities malfeasance and political scandals. His reporting profession spanned 4 a long time, together with stints on the Las Vegas Solar earlier than becoming a member of the Overview-Journal.
Rio Lacanlale is the Las Vegas correspondent for the Reno Gazette Journal and the USA TODAY Community. Contact her at rlacanlale@gannett.com or on Twitter @riolacanlale.
Contributing: Related Press
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