Woman convicted of shooting and killing man in downtown Reno

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A woman has been found guilty of second-degree murder after a Washoe County jury found she shot and killed a man in downtown Reno in October 2022.

Nicholas “Nicki” Nevarez was convicted of second-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon. The verdict came on the two-year anniversary of the murder of victim Jalawrence Holden.

The court noted that on October 2, 2022, Nevarez was walking from her room at the Virginian in downtown Reno toward the Cal Neva parking garage when she passed Holden and some friends loitering in front of Reno City Hall. The pair exchanged minimal, non-threatening words before Nevarez returned to her apartment and retrieved an AR-15-style pistol.

After putting the gun in a shoulder bag, Nevarez went back outside and approached the group again. She kept the gun concealed until she drew it when she was about 15 feet away from Holden, who was then shot three times.

Nevarez claimed that Holden tried to attack her, but no evidence was found to support this claim.

The court also found that Nevarez repeatedly used racially charged language when referring to the victim and his friends, such as calling them “ghetto animals.”

Nevarez will be sentenced on December 5.

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