Carson City sheriff’s log: Man jailed after threatening co-worker with shovel

A 37-year-old Gardnerville man was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening a co-worker with a shovel earlier in the day and then law enforcement later after he was arrested, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Aaron John Rasavage was booked on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor battery. He was released after posting $21,137 bail at the Carson City jail.

According to the arrest report, the suspect got into a verbal argument with the victim in the workshop area of a Carson City business on Lockheed Way. While the argument escalated, Rasavage allegedly took a shovel and swung it against the victim’s head. The victim stated that just a few days prior he had returned to work after major neck surgery, according to the arrest report.

The victim told deputies that at around 11:45 a.m. the suspect raised the shovel and forcefully shoved it down toward his neck but stopped about six inches from the neck and head area.

The incident was witnessed by a co-worker in which he verbally told the suspect to put the shovel down. Before the matter ended, the suspect then spit on the victim’s face. This too was witnessed. The owner of the business became aware of the incident and terminated both the victim and suspect, telling them to leave, the arrest report states.

During the interview with deputies the victim was visibly shaken and advised that he had been in fear of his own safety.

After the two were terminated, the victim took his last pay check to a nearby bank to cash it. The victim advised the suspect then began to follow him and was shaking an object, possibly a handgun, through the window of his vehicle. The victim stated that he became more fearful for his safety and left the location quickly. The victim provided a written statement.

Later that afternoon, via a phone call with the eyewitness of the incident, the investigating deputy questioned the witness about the incident. The witness closely corroborated the victim’s written statement and said the arguments between the two had been ongoing, the arrest report states.

The officer made phone contact with the suspect and requested his side of the incident. Rasavage then began to rant about the terrorists and what they were doing in America. During the 35 minute conversation, which was mostly cuss words toward the officer, the victim, blacks and Jews in America, the suspect stated he had guns and was going to “take care of the business,” the arrest report states.

He also encouraged deputies to go to his Gardnerville residence and meet him in person. The invitation sounded more like a challenge to law enforcement rather than to provide his side of the story, the arrest report states.

At around 6 p.m. the deputy, along with two Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies, made contact with the man at his residence. He began to resist arrest and was subsequently cuffed. He was charged with one count assault with a deadly weapon and one count battery. On the living room table the officer observed a bong, marijuana and a loaded semi-automatic pistol. Also in the living room officers saw a gun cabinet in plain view with several riles inside. A criminal background check showed he had a previous domestic battery arrest.

During the transport back to Carson City, the suspect remained defiant and advised that when he gets out of jail he would have his “guns in his hands.” He continued his rants toward many layers of society including minorities, the victim and law enforcement in general, the arrest report states.

In other arrests:
— A 33-year-old Carson City man, Markus Tiggs, was booked into jail Friday, 3:39 a.m. for felony probation violation. According to the arrest report, Tiggs went to the jail lobby and stated he was on probation and was in violation.

He said he was intoxicated and used marijuana a week prior. He told the officer he is on state probation and has been “messing up.” He stated he hasn’t been checking in as required and said he wanted to turn himself in before he got into more trouble by drinking and using drugs. He was booked and is on a no bail hold in lieu of a hearing.

— A 50-year-old Carson City man, Curtis Andrew Helton, was arrested Thursday, 4:07 p.m. in the 1800 block of North Carson Street on felony suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the arrest report, deputies with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Team were assigned to the area for a report of possible drug activity in one of the rooms.

A deputy made contact with Helton who agreed to let officers inside. The officer informed the suspect why they were there and asked if he had any drugs. Helton said he had some marijuana on a shelf. The officer asked him if a police dog could sniff the room. The man agreed.

The dog did a sniff of the room and located the marijuana. Two jars with a small amount of marijuana and a pipe were recovered. In a fish tank officers found a pink container with two small crystal rocks that tested positive for methamphetamine. He was arrested. Bail: $4,374.

— A 21-year-old Carson City man was arrested Friday, 3:20 a.m. in the area of Plaza and Proctor streets on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, possession and discharge of fireworks and obstructing, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

A 24-year-old Gardnerville man was also arrested on misdemeanor charges of obstructing and possession of fireworks. According to the arrest report, deputies patrolling the area observed a man walking and holding a roman candle firework, shooting it in the air.

The officer made contact with the Carson City man who dropped the spent firework and walked away. The deputy told to stop twice. The man continued to walk and said he didn’t do anything wrong. The officer told him that he observed him shooting the firework.

The suspect had thick slurred speech, red watery eyes and smelled of alcohol. He became argumentative when the officer asked him for identification and then stated he didn’t have one. The officer again asked the man for ID and he pulled out his wallet. He opened it enough for the officer to see he had a Nevada identification card.

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Gardnerville man walked up to the officer and the suspect as the officer was making the arrest. He subsequently dropped a mortar type firework with two projectiles that were ready to be detonated, according to the arrest report.

The 21-year-old suspect attempted to throw his wallet on the ground toward his friend. The friend attempted to grab the wallet and began interfering with the arrest, holding up a cell phone. The officer could not complete the arrest and the Gardnerville man was also arrested for obstructing a police officer.

Inside the patrol car the 21-year-old suspect began kicking the inside of the vehicle and the window. He was told to stop three times. He was charged with disorderly conduct, discharging fireworks and obstructing. Bail: $1,291. Bail for the Gardnerville man, $412.

— A 32-year-old South Lake Tahoe man was arrested Friday, 2:01 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Carson Street on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI, speeding and driving with a suspended license, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

According to the arrest report, deputies patrolling the area observed a vehicle driving southbound on Carson and Long streets going at a high rate of speed. The officer visually estimated the vehicle going 40 mph. A radar confirmed the vehicle was going 39 mph in a 25 mph zone.

The deputy stopped the man and could smell an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. The man told the deputy he didn’t have a driver’s license and that he was driving because the rest of the people in the vehicle were intoxicated. A dispatch check returned showing the man’s license was revoked for failure to appear, the arrest report states.

The man submitted to standardized field sobriety tests and showed signs of impairment. He blew a preliminary breath test of .125. At jail he chose to have a blood draw for voluntary evidence. Bail: $1,899.

— Two were arrested on misdemeanor charges Thursday night in the 500 block of East Long Street after a tip came into the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement team that several people with warrants were hiding in an apartment, a sheriff’s deputy said.

A 46-year-old Carson City man was booked on a misdemeanor warrant, violation of a suspended sentence, issued Dec. 9, 2015 out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail: $3,000. A 53-year-old woman was booked on a charge of being in violation of Alternative Sentencing conditions after consuming alcohol.

According to the arrest report SET deputies knocked on the door of the apartment at 10:03 p.m. and recognized the man who answered as the one who had a warrant. The woman inside appeared intoxicated. Dispatch advised she was on Alternative Sentencing with a “no alcohol” clause. She blew a .109, according to the arrest report. She was arrested for probation violation. Bail: $3,000.

— A 28-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Thursday, 11:10 p.m. in the 800 block of South Saliman Road on misdemeanor suspicion of DUI, driving on expired license plate and disobedience of a traffic control device.

According to the arrest report a deputy patrolling the area stopped at a red light at the intersection of East Fifth Street and South Saliman Road observed a vehicle going southbound that ran the red light.

The officer caught up to the SUV and saw that it had expired license plate tags, confirmed through DMV to be expired July 31, 2015. The driver identified herself using her Nevada driver’s license. A criminal background check showed she had been using a different name.

The officer could smell alcohol on her breath. She stated she was visiting a friend at an apartment complex. She told the officer she drank three “PBR” cans of beer that day and had consumed one about an hour and a half prior to driving. She was cooperative and submitted to standardized field sobriety tests. She had a preliminary breath test above a .08 and was arrested. At jail she provided two breath samples that showed she was over .08, the arrest report states. Bail: $1,296.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.