25-year-old accused of stealing car on Jan. 10, burning it days later
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A carjacking left a 62-year-old man dead and several days later, the man accused of killing him set the stolen car on fire, sources told the 8 News Now Investigators on Monday.
Chanler McCloud, 25, faces charges of open murder, robbery, grand larceny and arson, records showed. The charges are enhanced due to the murder victim, Roy Kridler’s, age.
McCloud was described as experiencing homeless and living in the tunnels under the Las Vegas valley, sources said.
On Jan. 1, police responded to a reported robbery around 1:30 a.m. near Spring Mountain and Wynn roads just west of the Las Vegas Strip. Arriving officers found Kridler suffering from injuries. While explaining to the police what had happened, Kridler collapsed and died, police said.
Kridler told police he was the victim of a carjacking outside of a gentlemen’s club in the area, sources told the 8 News Now Investigators on Monday. Kridler had driven the suspect to the area before the carjacking. A witness told police Kridler sometimes drove the car as an unlicensed taxicab.
Detectives obtained surveillance video of a person driving Kridler’ vehicle, which they released to the public several days after the murder. About two weeks after the murder, investigators located Kridler’s vehicle in a tunnel just west of the Las Vegas Strip.
The car’s driver’s seat had been set on fire, police said.
Through investigative means, police identified McCloud as a suspect. They learned he was arrested on Dec. 23, 2022, on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Prosecutors denied pursuing charges, leading to McCloud’s release from jail on Dec. 26, records showed.
On March 9, Las Vegas marshals stopped McCloud for a bicycle violation. The city marshals noted Metro investigators wanted to speak with McCloud in connection with Kridler’s death and took him into custody.
McCloud told police he was the man in the images they had shared with the media of the man driving Kridler’s car, sources said.
Judge Daniel Westmeyer denied McCloud bail during a hearing Saturday due to the murder charge. McCloud was due in court again on Tuesday.
Kridler’s died because of injuries sustained during the carjacking, police alleged. His manner of death was listed as homicide, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.