Robert F. Dula Jr.

LAS VEGAS SUN

April 10, 1955

Teenagers Face Murder Charges

Third Teenager Faces Charge As Assessory

Two shaggy-haired boys may face murder charges for the hit and run death of Police Sergeant Robert Dula, who died early yesterday of multiple injuries in Southern Nevada Memorial hospital after he was struck by the youth’s car and sent hurtling into two other vehicles.

Dula, 25, was answering a call to investigate the beating of another boy, which was inflicted by the same young toughs who plowed their car in Dula’s motorcycle.

The boys, Marlin Bray, 16, and Ronald Kent Montesano, 17, were rousted out of bed at the Montesano home, 4325 Evergreen place, yesterday morning, taken to city jail and booked for hit and run and manslaughter.

Another youth, Robert William Wooley, 18, was picked up later in the morning and booked for being an accessory to the manslaughter.

Bray, who lives at 4307 Baxter place, was asked by Sgt. Joe Shepp and Sgt. John Skelton if he was going to tell his mother about the accident. “You seem to know everything, coppers. Why don’t you tell them?” the boy replied.

…The accident happened about 11:40 p.m. Friday. Dula had been in the 2200 block with Officer A.V. Wood on a routine traffic detail. A message was broadcast over the police radio, instructing them to proceed to fifth and Fremont, where a body was lying in the middle of the street. At the time, it was thought that the youth lying there, Steve Wilson of Reno, was himself a hit and run accident victim. Dula and Wood were sent to take care of what was thought to be a traffic detail.

In reality, Wilson had been beaten up by one of the boys in the Montesano car. They were fleeing at that time, at first north on Fifth street, then east on Steward to Twelfth street. They were waiting at the stop signal at 12th and Fremont when Wood went through the intersection with his red light blazing and siren screaming.

Dula, following behind, started through the intersection as the signal changed. His red light and siren were also in use. Bray, at the wheel of the car, pulled out into Fremont Street and struck Dula as he roared past.

Dula, a six-foot four inch 240 pounder, was catapulted off the cycle and sent soaring through the air about 50 feet, where his body crashed into another car, bounced and smacked another vehicle. He then was thrown across Fremont by the impact with the third vehicle, skidding along the pavement, and slammed into the curb on the south side of Fremont.

…Dula, suffering from a fractured leg, fractured skull, brain concussion, internal injuries and shock, was taken to the hospital in a Mercy ambulance and died at 1:25 a.m. yesterday.

…Ironically, both Bray and Montesano recently finished serving probationary terms for their participation in the teenage mob that formed one night last fall. Police rounded up all the juveniles and recovered and arsenal of deadly weapons.

Dula, then a police detective, who took an intense interest in the problem of juvenile delinquency, worked closely with high school authorities in their attempt to eliminate teenage mobsterism in Las Vegas.

Both the boys in the car which struck Dula know the officer.

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