Burglary suspect shot, another sought following home invasion

The homeowner is not facing charges, but police have arrested Daniel Yara, 35, of Las Vegas, who suffered a gunshot wound to his hand. Yara is charged with felony residential burglary.

Police are still looking for Paul Mares, 41, of Santa Fe, who has also been charged with felony residential burglary. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.

According to an affidavit of arrest warrant filed in San Miguel Magistrate Court, on the evening of Nov. 5, LVPD officers responded to a home in the 1000 block of Railroad Avenue after receiving a call from the homeowner. The man told police that Mares and Yara, who is his neighbor, had been pounding on his window and front door. The homeowner said he told the men to leave, and warned them that he had a gun. However, the pounding continued, and when he went to his bedroom to get his gun, Yara and Mares broke in through the front door.

The homeowner said he exited the bedroom to find Yara in his kitchen. He pointed the gun at Yara and told him to get out of his house, warning that he would shoot him. He told police Yara responded by saying, “Well, shoot me then, because I’m going to kill you.”

The man fired one shot, which he told police was meant to be a “warning shot.” The bullet struck Yara in the hand.

Yara and Mares both fled, and the man called a friend who instructed him to unload the firearm and call police.

As police investigated, officers inspected the front door, finding that the frame and door knob had been damaged.

The homeowner gave police permission to search the house, and in the kitchen, an officer located a spent casing from a .45-caliber round, along with blood. More blood was located on the front porch and on the porch of Yara’s home.

Yara was treated at Alta Vista Regional Hospital for a single gunshot wound and later released. Police say Mares was with Yara at the hospital when they arrived, but left before he was detained or questioned.

Yara admitted that he and Mares went to his neighbor’s home, but said that the man opened the door while holding a handgun, and that without saying a word, the man fired the weapon. Police were able to speak with Mares by phone, and according to police, Mares said the man shot at him “about four times.”

Believing that Yara and Mares’ stories weren’t supported by the evidence found at the home, police arrested Yara and obtained an arrest warrant for Mares.

Yara is currently awaiting trial on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from a June incident where police allege he threatened the same neighbor with a switchblade knife. The prosecutor in that case has filed a motion to have Yara’s conditions of release revoked; a judge will hear arguments this week.

Yara was booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center the morning of Nov. 6. During a hearing later that day, Judge Christian Montaño set bond for him at $10,000 cash only, citing his criminal history.

As of this writing, Yara was still in custody at SMCDC. He is scheduled to appear in Magistrate Court on Thursday. A warrant for the arrest of Mares was issued Nov. 8 by Judge Montaño.