House-arrest order remains

A man charged as accessory in a Brown Street shooting will remain on house arrest until a hearing at the end of the month.

District Judge Michael Griffin denied a defense motion Tuesday to release Israel Ralla, 22, pending the Jan. 31 hearing.

"The allegation is there is open warfare on the streets between Mr. Ralla and some other people," Griffin said.

Ralla allegedly helped his friend Rigoberto Vega-Aguilar flee the scene of the Nov. 24 shooting that left Caesar Muñoz, 27, with a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Vega-Aguilar, 23, is charged with battery with a deadly weapon. A hearing to determine if there's enough evidence to go forward to trial is set for Friday.

Ralla's defense attorney Ben Walker said in court Tuesday he didn't believe the cases would go forward since Muñoz allegedly couldn't identify the shooter.

"Even the victim said on a 1-10 scale, his certainty that Mr. Vega was the shooter is 5 out of 10," he said. "The evidence against Mr. Vega appears to be so slight that I wouldn't be surprised if it got dismissed."

In 2001, Vega-Aguilar pleaded to a lesser charge in the shooting of Muñoz' older brother Gabriel. Gabriel Muñoz failed to appear for testimony, and the Carson City District Attorney's Office was forced to offer a plea bargain.

Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.