Las Vegas police arrest ‘prolific’ auto theft suspect

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A “prolific” auto theft suspect was arrested after months of surveillance and investigation, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.

Parker Leonard, 36, faces five counts of auto theft-related crimes and three counts of prohibited person in possession of a gun. However, police said they are still investigating more thefts Leonard may be connected to.

Leonard was arrested Aug. 11 at a residence that was under surveillance for criminal activity by the Violence Prevention and Elimination Response Taskforce, or VIPER. A stolen vehicle was located near the residence, LVMPD said.

VIPER detectives reportedly investigated Leonard for months for auto theft-related crimes. Police tried to pull Leonard over twice, but he evaded officers, LVMPD said.

Leonard was not granted bail, according to court records. His next hearing was set for Aug. 31.

VIPER is a multi-agency task force focused on reducing auto thefts, consisting of members with LVMPD, North Las Vegas and Henderson Police, Nevada State Police and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.