Police: Starbucks Confrontation Turns Deadly After Suspect's Card Declined
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LAS VEGAS (CBSMiami/AP) — A man shot another man dead Sunday inside a Las Vegas Starbucks and the suspect left along with people being evacuated but was arrested later, police said.
At least a dozen customers and workers were inside the store when the suspect got into an argument with the victim and opened fire, said Las Vegas police Lt. Dan McGrath, several miles west of the Las Vegas Strip
Pedro J. Garcia was jailed Monday pending an initial court appearance on murder, robbery, burglary and weapon charges.
Officer Larry Hadfield says detectives are trying to determine if there's a connection between Garcia and the 41-year-old man killed with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The name of the victim wasn't immediately made public.
Hadfield says Garcia went into the store after his payment card was declined in the drive-thru.
CBS affiliate KLAS reports he then got into an argument with the victim, who was a store customer, not an employee, and fired two shots.
The incident was initially reported to authorities as a hostage situation. Someone at the scene made a comment about a possible explosive device, prompting authorities to seal off the area around the Starbucks so bomb experts could be brought in.
Police allege Garcia called 911 in an attempt to throw off investigators, giving them a fake suspect description, reported KLAS.
The suspect was allegedly among the crowd that evacuated from the Starbucks but was taken into custody later.
They searched the suspect's vehicle and a backpack but found nothing dangerous, McGrath said.
Police did not immediately identify the suspect or the victim.