Las Vegas officer charged with stalking tormented by brother’s death, attorney says

An attorney representing a former Metro officer charged with stalking said his client’s actions were driven by an unbearable grief over his brother’s molestation, bullying and eventual suicide.

David Roger, attorney for the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, is representing now retired officer Jason De La Garrigue, 47.

De La Garrigue was arrested and charged in April with eight counts of felony aggravated stalking after authorities said De La Garrigue maintained a hit list targeting five people that he blamed for his brother’s suicide.

Metropolitan Police detectives said De La Garrigue is accused of making “repeated, escalating death threats” against multiple people who live in different states between sometime in 2024 and the spring of this year.

Roger, in court papers filed Monday, said he is seeking a reduction in De La Garrigue’s previously set $1 million bail. Roger wrote in court filings that De La Garrigue and his late brother, Eric, grew up in Apple Valley, California.

“While in high school, Eric was sexually molested by the principal, which led to the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the popular administrator,” Roger wrote. “Thereafter, Eric was harassed by neighborhood boys, who are the alleged victims, for being openly gay.”

The school administrator who purportedly molested De La Garrigue’s brother was not identified in Roger’s motion. Roger said after Eric was molested, though, he was physically attacked and mercilessly harassed by neighborhood bullies in Apple Valley. On one occasion Roger said Eric’s bullies spray-painted a gay slur in the De La Garrigue family’s front yard.

“Defendant was unable to protect his brother and lived with that shame,” Roger said. “Thereafter, Eric committed suicide in February 2016.”

Roger said De La Garrigue continually mourns his brother’s death. His struggles are exacerbated in March when his brother’s birthday arrives. The grief was compounded, Roger said, by the fact that De La Garrigue’s mother died after a lengthy illness in March 2023.

Roger said De La Garrigue sought mental health counseling. He was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression and prescribed medications for treatment.

On April 9, De La Garrigue was binge drinking Cutwater Long Island iced teas, causing a reaction with the medications, Roger said. Roger said this caused De La Garrigue’s “mental state to grow darker,” and affected the officer’s ability to act rationally.

“At about 11 p.m., the defendant began calling the men he believed were responsible for his brother’s suicide,” Roger said. “He also called the males’ relatives when he was unable to reach the males.”

Over the next few hours De La Garrigue sent photos of his long gun and made several more calls. The next morning, Roger said, De La Garrigue realized what he had done and apologized.

“Defendant wrote, ‘I am going to try to negate the previous texts that I sent to a lot of people,’” Roger said, quoting his client. “I am not going to justify my actions when I do these kind of things. Every year, especially around my brother’s birthday, it is hard for my dad and I. I am not asking for forgiveness from you or anyone else. I just want you people to understand.’”

Police portrayed De La Garrigue’s actions as persistent with calls starting in 2024.

“He made dozens of harassing calls, sent threatening messages, references having firearms and a ‘kill list,’ and claimed to have a plan to travel and murder several former high-school acquaintances whom he blames for his brother’s suicide,” police said in an arrest report for De La Garrigue.

Roger, however, said the communications in question were made during a roughly five-hour span. De La Garrigue retired from the Metropolitan Police Department after 25 years of service because of the charges, Roger said.

De La Garrigue worked at Harry Reid International Airport and had a “spotless record” up until he was arrested, Roger said.

“His former colleagues continue to support him despite the criminal charges,” Roger said.

Roger said bail should be set at $10,000. He noted a man who recently was charged with shooting at police received a bail of $75,000 in Las Vegas Justice Court.

“The defendant did not intend to carry out any alleged threats and did not leave his home from the time of the calls until his arrest,” Roger said.

De La Garrigue is due back in court on Wednesday for argument over the bail reduction motion. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for July 28.

Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.