Henderson police have arrested two people in a string of residential burglaries that targeted the homes of people who recently died, according to police records.
Shawn James Baird is charged with two counts of felony residential burglary. Yolanda Marie Gonzalez is charged with felony invasion of the home, grand larceny value more than $100,000, and grand larceny of a firearm.
A Henderson police arrest report in the case indicates the two were charged after police probed three home invasions in Henderson and one in Las Vegas from February through June. Police said in the heavily redacted report that Baird, whose age was not released, and Gonzalez, 44, were actively involved in monitoring and discussing online obituaries in the days leading up to the home invasions, and that at least one of the homes targeted belonged to a woman who was featured in an online obituary.
More than $600,000 in money, guns, sports memorabilia, jewelry and even a significant rare coin collection were stolen and have yet to be recovered.
After Baird was identified as a suspect in the case, detectives served a search warrant for Baird’s Facebook page and found he followed the Facebook page “Obituaries in Las Vegas – Nevada.”
“It should be noted that Shawn followed this page approximately five (5) days before the first home invasion occurred,” police wrote.
Baird, Gonzalez and others were also captured on video surveillance when they attempted to sell coins at a coin shop in Las Vegas, police said. An attendant at the store recognized the coins as likely belonging to one of the late victims, whom he had known previously, and called police.
“Numerous messages, screenshots, searches, etc., were located on both of Shawn’s phones containing evidence of the home invasions,” police said, adding they found messages on the phones “in reference to obituaries and checking out the addresses of the deceased homeowners.”
Gonzalez was arrested on Aug. 14. Police said a plastic jar containing a handful of coins was found in her car. She briefly talked to police. When police asked her what her involvement in the home invasions were, she stated “the only thing she would do was look up names that Shawn would send her.”
She then invoked her right to an attorney. Baird also invoked his right to an attorney when arrested.
Court records show Baird posted a $35,000 bond after his arrest and is out of custody. Gonzalez, meanwhile, remains in custody.
Brief hearings were held in Henderson Justice Court on Thursday to consolidate the cases for both suspects, and Baird was not in court. An attorney for Baird declined comment and an attorney for Gonzalez, who appeared via Zoom during Thursday’s court proceedings, could not be reached after the fact.
Baird was listed in the police report as having prior arrests for possession of narcotics, DUI, possessing a gun by a prohibited person, possession of a stolen vehicle, theft, trafficking a controlled substance, burglary, possession of stolen property, a parole violation, grand larceny and multiple traffic related charges.
The case is the second in Henderson in recent months in which police made arrests in serial burglaries. Yusuf Tahir Scott, 32, and Leonte Mcclay, 26, were arrested and charged with more than a dozen felonies including burglary, home invasion, grand larceny, and theft more than $100,000 in home burglaries in a string of home invasions, many of which unfolded in the area of Seven Hills of Henderson.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.
