UPDATED: Carson City cocaine dealer arrested by SWAT, SET teams in homicide case 

UPDATE 4 p.m. Friday: The Carson City Sheriff’s Office issued the following press release in addition to our cops report, the original of which you can find below.

Resulting from the continuing investigation of the murder of Gilbert Lopez III, Carson City Sheriff’s  Investigators obtained warrants for two co-conspirators for their involvement in the incident, which  occurred on April 30, 2025. Sheriff’s Detectives, supported by the Nevada Division of Investigation  (NDI), located both suspects in downtown Carson City on June 26, 2025. 

Ernst Waldermar Johnson V (DOB: 5/25/97) was in the 500 block of South Curry Street. Carson City  SWAT apprehended Johnson without incident. He is being held on a $250,000 bond for Conspiracy  to Commit Murder.  

A search warrant at that location revealed Johnson was in possession of a firearm and drugs. In  addition to the warrant, he was charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and  Possession of a Controlled Substance.  

Alayns Hotchkiss (DOB: 3/28/96) was in the 300 block of South Carson Street. Members of the Special  Enforcement Team and NDI arrested her without incident. She was charged with being an Accessory  to a Felony Crime and Destruction of Evidence. She is being held on a $10,000 bond.  

Both suspects are being held at the Carson City Detention Center.  

Original:

Carson City SWAT and SET teams conducted a warrant arrest on an April 30, 2025 homicide Thursday, arresting Ernst Johnson, 28, on the crimes of homicide, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of cocaine. 

In an associated warrant arrest, Alanys Hotchkiss, 29, of Carson City was arrested by SET and SWAT at the same residence on a $50,000 warrant issued at the same time. 

According to the arrest report, Johnson was arrested at his home in the 500 block of S. Curry Street on a felony warrant stemming from an April 30, 2025 homicide that occurred in the 100 block of E. Telegraph Street. 

Deputies, detectives, SWAT and SET officers conducted the arrest Thursday, with tactical planning beginning at 11 a.m. A warrant was granted with a bail amount of $250,000, and at around 6:40 p.m., the teams moved in. 

According to the arrest report, Ernst is a “known cocaine dealer in the downtown area, and typically sells his narcotics at the Blue Bull Bar.” 

The teams surrounded and called out to Ernst to leave his apartment, and when he came out, he was taken into custody. Deputies asked if there was anything that could harm them in his apartment, and Ernst said no, and there was a firearm by the front door. 

The apartment was cleared, and evidence was collected from within the apartment, including a semiautomatic firearm on the kitchen island, and a clear plastic bag assumed to be cocaine. Next to the presumed cocaine, deputies found Ernst’s wallet with a large amount of cash inside. 

There were a number of cell phones in the home, along with cannabis and cannabis paraphernalia. 

On speaking with Ernst, they asked about his cannabis usage, and he said he uses it to help him sleep around one day a week. He said he uses cocaine approximately five days a week. 

He was taken into custody and booked in the Carson City Jail for possession of cocaine, possession of the firearm, and on the homicide warrant. 

Bail: $272,500 

Carson City man arrested for domestic battery, dissuading a victim from reporting a crime

On Thursday, David Zachary Seslar was arrested for domestic battery and felony preventing or dissuading a victim from reporting a crime. 

Deputies were dispatched to the 1400 block of N. Carson Street on report of a domestic dispute. Upon arrival, deputies spoke with Seslar and the victim. Seslar told one deputy that they’d been verbally arguing, but it had not become physical. He said the victim was upset because they felt Seslar was “not taking care of them properly” and “did not love them enough.” 

On speaking with the victim, they told deputies Seslar had woken up around 4 a.m. and began going through their phone outside the apartment. They said they walked outside to grab their phone, and Seslar handed it to them. 

However, when they attempted to walk back into the apartment, Seslar grabbed them by both arms, held on with a tight grip, and told them that he had not finished speaking to them. 

The victim told deputies they told Seslar to let go and that they no longer wanted to continue their relationship. They then went back into the apartment, and entered the bathroom. They said Seslar then stood in front of the bathroom door, blocking their exit, and said he loved them and did not want to break up. 

The victim said eventually Seslar left the apartment and went to work, and while at work, he texted them multiple times saying he did not want to break up and that he loved them. One of the messages read, “I did grab your arm, but that’s because I wanted to talk to you!” according to the report. 

Seslar returned to the apartment after work, and they began to argue again. The victim said they told him if he didn’t leave, they would call the cops so he’d be removed. They said Seslar then grabbed them by the face and tried to kiss them, and they told him no. 

They said Seslar walked up to them, “aggressively grabbed them” and took the phone out of their hands. He said they could not call the cops until he’d packed his belongings and left, according to the report. 

Deputies noted a security camera on a neighbor’s home and asked if they could review the footage. Deputies observed Seslar “walking up to [the victim], ripping the phone out of their hand, and walking away.” 

On speaking with Seslar again, he told deputies that the victim had been “hanging out with their neighbors and recently added another male on a social media application.” Seslar said he began going through the victim’s phone early in the morning. 

Deputies asked if he’d grabbed the victim while they were trying to walk away, and he said he did, but “it was not hard.” Deputies asked if he’d ever taken the phone from them, and he said he had, but it was before they said they wanted to call the police. Deputies asked if he’d grabbed her face for a kiss, and Seslar told deputies he “moved their face over because they were looking away, and he wanted a kiss.” 

Deputies took him into custody for domestic battery and preventing a victim from reporting a crime. 

Bail: $8,000 

In other arrests: 

• A 31-year-old Carson City man was arrested for possession of a controlled substance after allegedly having methamphetamine inside of his vehicle. Bail: $3,000 
• A 38-year-old Carson City woman was arrested in the 3900 block of Highway 50 E. for possession of a controlled substance, paraphernalia, and a P&P hold. No bail. 
•  A 65-year-old Carson City man was arrested in the area of N. Roop and E. Winnie Street for DUI first, failing to obey a traffic control device, and an improper left turn. Bail: $1,786
•  A 38-year-old Carson City man was arrested on warrants for violating a TPO and criminal contempt. He was already in custody when he was adbooked on the additional warrants. Bail: $10,000 cash only

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) is public information and supplied by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office through probable cause reports. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. View our policy on naming defendants here.

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