On January 18, 2022, a series of 911 calls reported gunshots at the Tropicana Royale apartment complex, located just west of the intersection of Eastern and Tropicana Avenues in Las Vegas, Nevada. Officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene around 3:45 a.m. and discovered a vehicle with the motionless body of a young man lying in the trunk. The victim was later identified as 26-year-old Tevin Alhashemi, who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Alhashemi was declared dead upon being taken to nearby Sunrise Hospital.
The investigation into Alhashemi's murder was initially separate from two other homicides that occurred later in the year, but it would eventually be linked to a broader case involving a serial killer. At the time, homicide detectives had no leads on the identity of the perpetrator, and the case remained unsolved for several months.
The breakthrough in the case came after two more murders occurred in the eastern part of Las Vegas. On May 4, 2022, 62-year-old Paulo Viana was shot and killed while waiting at a bus stop on East Tropicana Avenue near Nellis Boulevard. The shooting was detected by the Las Vegas police's ShotSpotter technology, which alerts authorities to gunfire in the area. The suspect in this case was described as wearing dark clothing, which he discarded as he fled the scene.
The third murder occurred on June 23, 2022, when 36-year-old Josue Nain-Chaparro-Montalvo, a construction worker and father, was shot while walking along Tropicana Avenue after visiting a convenience store. Surveillance footage showed a man in a puffy jacket and ski mask following Nain-Chaparro-Montalvo before the shooting. The suspect again fled the scene, removing his clothes as he ran.
Homicide detectives connected the murders of Viana and Nain-Chaparro-Montalvo through surveillance footage and recovered clothing from the crime scenes. A relative identified the puffy jacket as belonging to Alonzo “AJ” Brown, and bodycam footage from a 2021 investigation showed Brown wearing similar clothing. On June 27, 2022, police executed a warrant and arrested 18-year-old Alonzo “AJ” Brown as he left his home, which was approximately 300 feet from the double homicides along Tropicana Avenue. At the time of his arrest, Brown had two handguns on him – one hidden in a backpack and one concealed in his underwear. Forensic testing later linked one of these firearms to the murders of Viana and Nain-Chaparro-Montalvo.
Months later, investigators linked Brown to the murder of Tevin Alhashemi. It was discovered that Brown and Alhashemi were acquaintances and had an altercation prior to the shooting. Alhashemi had a significant criminal history, having been released from prison in 2020 after serving time for battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm.
Alonzo “AJ” Brown, now identified as the suspect in all three murders, denied his involvement in the crimes during a jailhouse interview, stating he was just a young man trying to figure out life. Despite his denials, the evidence collected and the forensic links established by the investigators solidified the case against him.
