CARSON CITY, NV – [June 26, 2025] — Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the April 30 murder of Gilbert Lopez outside the Blue Bull bar in Carson City, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a press release.
Ernst Waldermar Johnson V, 28, and Alayns Hotchkiss, 29, were taken into custody Thursday after authorities located them in downtown Carson City. The arrests follow an investigation into the fatal shooting allegedly carried out by Da’Lecs Smith, 25, who was previously charged in the case.
Johnson was apprehended by Carson City SWAT in the 500 block of South Curry Street without incident. He is being held on a $250,000 bond and faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a controlled substance, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Hotchkiss was found in the 300 block of South Carson Street and arrested by members of the Special Enforcement Team and the Nevada Division of Investigation (NDI). She is charged with being an accessory to a felony and destruction of evidence, and is being held on a $10,000 bond.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not released further details regarding each suspect’s specific role in the murder of Lopez.
