LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Justin Gaines, 30, belongs behind bars, according to a man who had an encounter with him in the summer.
Now Gaines is accused of killing his own father — a murder that could have been avoided if Gaines was still in jail, according to a Las Vegas real estate agent.
Gaines was arrested near the Arizona-New Mexico border Thursday. Police said he shot and killed his father at a home near Boulder Highway and Tropicana on Wednesday.
Real estate agent Johnny Walker was not surprised to hear that Gaines is behind bars in connection with a murder.
“He was very capable. He had extreme anger when he assaulted me,” Walker said.
Walker said he almost lost his life in an encounter with Gaines in the summer. He said Gaines asked him to come to his house to list it for sale. That meeting did not go as planned.
It’s the same house where Gaines’ father was found dead.
“It turned violent after just a few seconds,” Walker said. “He started punching in my head with an object. It was a sharp object. I couldn’t tell what it was.”
Walker said he had to escape the house and go to a neighbor’s house for help.
“If I didn’t have a way out of where I was, he would’ve killed me,” Walker said.
Gaines was arrested and pleaded guilty to that crime and was released on his own recognizance.
He is expected to be sentenced next month.
“He should never have been on the street. He is a dangerous person. He should never have been out of jail and because of that, someone lost their life that shouldn’t have had to,” Walker said.
This week, Gaines’ father, Roy, traveled from Northern California to visit Justin because they were concerned about his mental state.
Metro police said after communication with Roy stopped on Tuesday, his family came to the house and found him dead on Wednesday.
“Prior to that, he was in prison for three years for robbery, so he should have been behind bars, not slapped on the wrist and sent home,” he said.
Gaines is expected to be extradited to Las Vegas to face an open murder charge in the death of his father.
