Douglas County man arrested in Carson City on suspicion of Nevada County murder

A 27-year-old Douglas County man, a suspect in a California homicide investigation, was arrested Thursday night during a joint agency operation that happened at an Airport Road apartment complex, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.

The arrest happened at around 6:40 p.m. and involved the Carson City Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and California law enforcement agencies.

At 8:45 p.m. Furlong released the following statement:

At 6:40 p.m., at the 1600 block of Airport Road, Carson City Sheriff’s Deputies assisted Nevada City, California authorities in the apprehension of a Murder Suspect.

Earlier today, the murder victim’s vehicle was located at the apartment complex on Airport Road. As preparations were made to contact the person of interest, the suspect exited the apartment with a Rottweiler. When approached by officers, the dog acted aggressively toward officers and was put down by gunshot and the person of interest was taken into custody without further incident.

As the scene was being investigated, Nevada City officials issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, Joseph Ward, 27, a Douglas County resident, on the charge of murder. The suspect is being held in the Carson City Jail pending extradition.
Agencies involved in the support of Nevada City authorities included Carson Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Public Safety Investigations Division, and the Nevada Highway Patrol.

The arrest was made in the area of Bella Lago Apartments in the 1600 block of Airport Road. Details of the investigation are not being released at this time because the suspect’s arrest was led by California authorities and the investigation remains active, said Furlong. During the arrest, a dog was unfortunately shot and killed, said Furlong.

The area has been secured around the apartment where the suspect was arrested and it is considered an active crime scene, said Furlong.