Posted on: April 29, 2024, 05:15h.
Last updated on: April 29, 2024, 05:15h.
A homeless man allegedly chewed off another man’s eyeball and ear during a Sunday morning attack near The Strip. The mangled victim died and the suspect later was charged by Las Vegas police with open murder, according to a news report.
Las Vegas TV station KLAS initially reported that Colin Czech, 31, was apprehended by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers after he chewed on the injured man’s face at a bus stop close to South Las Vegas Boulevard, near Charleston Boulevard.
The victim was identified in one local news report as Kenneth Brown. He suffered many injuries.
He had a relatively large cut on his head. An eye and ear were missing from his head when he was examined by a physician, KLAS reported.
When EMTs arrived at the crime scene, they quickly rushed Brown to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead there by a doctor.
His age and address weren’t immediately known. An autopsy is likely to be performed by the Clark County coroner’s office to confirm the victim’s ID, as well as identify the cause and manner of death.
The incident began when Czech, who told police he’s homeless, reportedly tackled the man during a fight. A witness later saw the assailant “eating” the victim’s face, police said.
When LVMPD officers arrived, Czech was kneeling by the victim’s body.
Human Remains in Mouth
Unspecified “biological matter” was in Czech’s “hair, mouth and on his clothing,” KLAS reported, citing court documents.
Initially, Czech claimed Brown had attacked him. No word on what led to the dispute between the two men.
Czech also “was going in and out of consciousness,” according to court documents. He claimed to have not slept for “five days straight,” police revealed, adding that he told officers something was “possessing him,” KLAS reported.
Later, Czech admitted “he used … teeth to eat [Brown’s] eyeballs and ears,” according to court documents.
The scene of the crime is near the Las Vegas Arts District. Numerous LVMPD officers responded there after the violent attack.
Held Without Bail
During a Monday afternoon appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court, Justice of the Peace Rebecca Saxe ordered Czech to be held without bail and found probable cause for his arrest.
He didn’t show up for Monday’s court appearance due to unspecified health conditions. As of mid-day Monday, he was a patient at a local hospital, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Once it’s medically possible, he’s expected to be held at the Clark County Detention Center.
He’s scheduled to appear in Justice Court on Wednesday.
