LAS VEGAS — Authorities in Las Vegas say a man is in custody after he attacked a mannequin that police had positioned to resemble a homeless person.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Friday that a judge set bail at $50,000 for 30-year-old Shane Schindler. He faces one count of carrying a concealed weapon.
Schindler's arrest report states police set up the mannequin resembling a sleeping man after detectives had no leads on the slayings of two homeless men earlier this year in downtown Las Vegas.
The report states Schindler approached the "decoy" on Feb. 22, looked around for traffic and struck it with a hammer he had in a bag. Surveillance video captured the incident.
According to the report, Schindler told police he "knew it was a mannequin" before hitting it.
Deputy public defender Ashley Sisolak says Schindler "has proclaimed his innocence."
The incident echoes similar assualts against homeless people in San Diego.
In July 2016, police arrested 39 year-old Jon David Guerrero in connection with a series of assaults on homeless people in various San Diego neighborhoods. In some instances, the men were set on fire.
Three of the men attacked died and two others were left with horribly injured.
Guerrero is scheduled to attend a mental competency trial on March 20. Doctors at Patton State Hospital deemed him mentally competent to stand trial for murder, attempted murder, and arson charges, after being found incompetent to stand trial.
