Local prosecution of young Las Vegans whose crime spree began in Henderson and ended in Kingman last spring ended last Friday with the sentencing of the second defendant. The 20-year sentence imposed for Aveyon Nevitt, 22, was required in a plea agreement convicting him of kidnapping, aggravated assault and theft of means of transportation.
Authorities said Nevitt and co-defendant Raitasha Antoinette Williams-Gardner, 21, kidnapped an Uber driver and her male passenger and forced them to drive into Arizona on May 26, 2018. Nevitt allegedly struck the passenger in the head with a firearm and shot at an eighteen wheeler near the Colorado River Bridge linking Arizona with Nevada.
The victims were released along U.S. 93 before a high speed police pursuit ended when stop sticks deflated the stolen vehicle’s tires before it collided with a tourism bus in downtown Kingman.
Nevitt told Judge Billy Sipe he accepted responsibility for his actions but that he felt the agreed upon double decade sentence was unfairly harsh.
“I’m apologetic for what I’ve done and I agree to be punished,” Nevitt said. “But 20 years is a really long time.”
Judge Sipe said he understood why a 22-year old man would think a 20 year sentence was severe. But he also said he would impose a longer sentence if he could given the dangerous nature of the criminal behavior.
Judge Sipe previously imposed a 7.5 year prison term for Williams-Gardner for her lesser involvement in the crime spree.
