Two men charged in commercial burglary

Two people were charged Wednesday in a commercial burglary on Goni Road - including a man whom SWAT members were about to extract from a Fifth Street apartment when he surrendered.

Luis Alberto Meza, 25, a transient, was arrested at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday in the 900 block of East Fifth Street on two counts of allegedly being a felon in possession of a firearm, three counts of possession of stolen property, one count of discharging a firearm in an occupied residence and one count of commercial burglary. Also charged was Robert Neese, 40, of Carson City on suspicion of felony commercial burglary.

At about 6 a.m. Tuesday, a Carson City deputy spotted two men using a gas can to put gas into a Lincoln Continental behind a business in the 4600 block of Goni Road. The deputy believed the men when they told him they'd run out of gas. After running their names for warrants, he allowed the men to leave.

On Wednesday at 10 a.m. Deputy Sal Acosta took a report of two handguns, tools and two gas cans missing from the business at 4621 Goni Road. When the address came up again, dispatchers alerted Acosta of the previous call.

Neese was arrested on a probation violation on Tuesday, but investigators were unsure of Meza's whereabouts until a tip came in.

"Be really careful with this guy. He has two handguns," the informant is quoted in the police report as telling the deputy.

Meza's vehicle was eventually located at Neese's apartment in the 900 block of East Fifth Street about 4 p.m., and he was allegedly spotted by officers outside.

As deputies approached, Meza allegedly refused to stop and ran inside the first-floor apartment. A tenant there said that moments before police arrived, Meza fired a round into the floor.

Tenants in surrounding apartments were evacuated while SWAT members assembled. About 6:30 p.m., before SWAT had a final plan, Meza walked out of the apartment and was arrested without incident.

According to the arrest report, the two stolen handguns, four bullet clips, two gun cases, and tool boxes and two gas cans with the victim's name written on them were recovered from the apartment.

Meza is being held on $25,000 bail.

He has at least one prior felony conviction for trafficking a controlled substance.

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