A man from Reno was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole following 30 years after being convicted of fatally shooting A 61-year-old man back in 2021.
The Washoe County District Attorney's Office says Nicholas Silva was found guilty after a seven-day trial in the Washoe County District Court of Second-Degree Murder with Use of a Deadly Weapon and Robbery with the Use of a Deadly Weapon.
On March 2, 2021, officers with the Reno Police Department (RPD) responded to reports of a shooting at a home on S. Virginia St., where they found the body of 61-year-old Charles Hooper.
The investigation determined that Silva shot Hooper, identified as the boyfriend of Silva’s mother, in their shared home because Hooper had music playing while Silva was trying to sleep.
While officers were still on scene of the shooting, RPD received a report of an armed robbery at a 7-Eleven on S. McCarran.
Upon arrival, officers learned Silva had robbed the store clerk, at gunpoint.
After a 100-mph pursuit across county lines, Silva was apprehended by Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies.
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Original Story from December 14, 2022:
A 24-year-old man, found guilty of second-degree murder this week, will be sentenced in February.
A jury found Nicholas Silva guilty of fatally shooting an unidentified man he lived with on South Virginia Street early last year.
Police say Silva then robbed a nearby 7-Eleven store, before driving away from Reno.
Officers say they notified law enforcement in Humboldt County telling them he was headed their direction.
After a short pursuit along U.S. 95, the sheriff's office was able to take him into custody.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
