What did Robert Telles do? Clark County official arrested in connection to the death of journalist Jeff German

On Wednesday, September 7, 2022, Robert Telles, a Clark County official, was arrested on suspicion of Jeff German's murder. German, a journalist at the Review-Journal, was found dead outside his Las Vegas home on Saturday, September 3.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, police believe that the journalist was involved in an "altercation" on Friday which led to him being stabbed to death.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) on Thursday, September 8, said that Telles's DNA was found at the Journalists murder scene. The public administrator reportedly tried to destroy the evidence by cutting up his hat and shoes.

Police did not name Telles as the perpetrator in the case at the time of his arrest. However, in a Twitter post on Wednesday, they announced that a "suspect" had been arrested in connection to the murder of journalist Jeff German.

Telles was the subject of Jeff German's investigative reporting, the Review-Journal reported.

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Robert Telles, the focus of Jeff Germans reporting, loses his re-election bid

Robert Telles, a 45-year-old Democrat, is allegedly responsible for the fatal stabbing of investigative journalist, 69-year-old Jeff German.

Telles was elected to office in 2018 and was up for re-election in June 2022. He lost his re-election bid after Jeff wrote an article that detailed allegations of misconduct in the local official's office. The loss might have stoked his animosity against Jeff, who was found dead with “multiple sharp force injuries,” outside his home on September 3.

Weeks before the re-election, the article bylined by Jeff, portrayed an office embroiled in toxicity. Telles was accused of creating a hostile work environment and having inappropriate relations with a staffer. Telles thwarted the allegations leveled against him and repeatedly accused Jeff of being singularly obsessed with his life.

Jeff worked for more than two decades at the Las Vegas Sun and joined the review in 2010. According to reports, at the time of his death, he was reportedly pursuing more leads for a follow-up article against the public official.

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How was Robert Telles arrested in connection to the death of journalist Jeff German?

Police issued a video that characterized an unidentified suspect walking by the sidewalk wearing bright orange colors. They also issued photos of a GMC Yukon Denali SUV as a possible link to the case.

Police searched his home early on Wednesday, following the Review-Journal's assertion that reporters had spotted a similar vehicle parked in Telles’s driveway. The vehicles were towed from Telles’ property at about 12:50 pm, according to reports and he was taken into custody at 6:30 pm that evening.

"Review-Journal reporters observed Telles in the driveway of his home, standing next to a vehicle matching that description. A GMC vehicle and a second vehicle were towed from Telles' property at about 12:50 p.m. on Wednesday."

While police vehicles were seen surrounding Telles's home on Wednesday, police have yet to confirm the name of the suspect in Jeff's stabbing.

After a long police stand-off, Telles was arrested with “non-life-threatening self-inflicted stab wounds,” ABC News reported. Before his arrest, he was observed walking into his garage by reporters surrounding the area. Telles's term as a public official was set to expire at the end of this year.