Bail set at $1M for Vancouver man suspected of shooting at home of girlfriend, now missing

At that time, prosecutors had asked the judge to increase Warren’s bail from $100,000 to $500,000. They had not asked for electronic monitoring, for domestic violence offenders who are released pending trial.

However, the prosecution changed its stance Tuesday and requested both electronic monitoring and $1 million bail.

When contacted about the decision-making behind the bail requests and electronic monitoring, the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office declined to comment, citing the Rules of Professional Conduct regarding pending cases.

Friends of Melendez were again vocal during Warren’s hearing, shouting over his defense attorney.

Missing persons case

On Saturday, Melendez’s mother reported her daughter and granddaughter missing. She said the last time family or friends had contact with Melendez or Layla was March 11. Their car was unaccounted for, and Layla hadn’t been in school since March 10, according to a probable cause affidavit.

In a Sunday jail call with his father, Warren admitted to violating the no-contact order with Melendez, according to the affidavit.

When his father asked him if there was more than what he was charged with, Warren replied yes, court records state.

The Vancouver Police Department said it is following up on leads received from the community, as well as evidence recovered from a search of Warren’s residence after his arrest Sunday.

Initial charges

Warren is already charged in Superior Court with drive-by shooting, second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, gross misdemeanor harassment with bodily injury and two counts of fourth-degree assault, all charged as domestic violence crimes. He is also charged with making a false statement for allegedly lying on a gun application. He’s pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He’s accused of shooting at Melendez’s apartment in the Minnehaha area Dec. 13. At his initial first appearance March 3, he was ordered not to have contact with Melendez. During that hearing, the prosecution said a danger assessment found Warren poses an “extreme risk” to Melendez, with a score of 31 on a scale of 1 to 18.

Prosecutors also noted Warren has a pending case for a 2017 homicide in Arkansas. Court records show he posted $250,000 bond in that case Dec. 13, 2017, the day after his arrest.

Hours after his first appearance March 3, Warren called Melendez from the Clark County Jail. An officer who monitored the called noted Warren suggested she was responsible for his arrest and needed to get his charges dropped. Melendez could be heard saying she was trying to get the charges to go away, the affidavit states.

Warren could be heard in the jail calls with Melendez and his wife expressing concern over the possibility his bond would be revoked in Arkansas. He told Melendez he was not going back to Arkansas, the affidavit states.

A judge in Arkansas revoked Warren’s bond March 17, court records show. Prosecutors there say they are waiting to see what happens in the Clark County case.

Assistant Metro Editor Jessica Prokop contributed to this report.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the day an Arkansas judge revoked Warren’s bond in his 2018 murder case. The judge revoked his bond March 17, and the order was filed with the Arkansas court Monday, March 20.