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At the scene of the crime

Five suspects (only one specifically identified by the Nye County Sheriff's Office) were arrested on charges stemming from a residential burglary after they literally returned to the scene of the crime.

Saturday, March 15, Melvyn Millet, 60, pulled up the driveway of his East Gemini Drive residence at approximately 10 p.m. and saw a male lying on it.

When Millet's headlights hit the man, the suspect ran "in a southerly direction," according to a sheriff's office press release.

Millet reportedly didn't think much of the incident until he got to his front door, which he found open.

After going into his house, he saw that items had been disturbed and two of his firearms, a 30-30 rifle and .22-caliber pistol, were missing.

Millet went back to the driveway where the suspect had been lying and found his rifle on the ground.

He then called the sheriff's office and reported the incident to dispatch.

While on the phone with the sheriff's office, a car pulled up in front of his house. A man got out of the car and went to where Millet had found the rifle.

When the suspect noticed Millet, he ran back to the car, which drove away. Millet, however, was able to get the car's license plate number.

About an hour and a half later, the sheriff's office street crimes unit located the car near Blagg and Hickory roads.

An interview with five suspects led officers to where the stolen gun was located: at Pierce A. Henkel's house, also located on East Gemini Drive.

In addition to the stolen gun, officers also located other items stolen from Millet's residence.

Henkel was arrested and booked on charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of drug paraphernalia and grand larceny of a firearm.

His bail was set at $5,000.

The sheriff's office reported the four other suspects were also arrested, but they were not identified.

Use your turn signal

BEATTY -- Two men were arrested and booked on charges relating to high-level drug trafficking Wednesday, March 12, when failure to use their turn signal resulted in the discovery of crystal meth valued at $9,000 wholesale and a retail worth of $44,000.

Ciro Enriquez-Valencia, 26, and Daniel Flores-Lopez, 24, were pulled over while driving their 2004 Mercury Sable near mile marker 30 of Highway 95.

The routine traffic stop turned on a dime when Highway Patrol Trooper Chris Bennett and Nye County Sheriff's Office Dep. Daniel Pineau approached the vehicle and "could smell a strong odor of a masking agent emitting from the vehicle, and also noticed several indicators of criminal activity," a sheriff's office press release said.

The deputies reportedly received verbal and written consent to search the vehicle.

They soon discovered a hidden compartment where the right-front passenger air bag would normally be located.

The compartment, opened by jumping power to two hydraulic pistons, yielded a half-pound of crystal meth and $736 in U.S. currency.

Both men were charged with high-level trafficking of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, and conspiracy of methamphetamine.

Neither of the suspects were assigned bail due to an Immigration and Naturalization Services hold.