WCDA Secures Verdicts in Pair of Jury Trials

Cases involving charges of assault with a deadly weapon and home invasion result in two separate guilty verdicts

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has secured guilty verdicts this week in two unrelated jury trials.  The trials involved charges of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Home Invasion, with sentencings scheduled for later this year.

Rylan Joel Wallette, age 35 from Washoe County was arrested in November 2021 by the Reno Police Department (RPD) when officers responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.  When officers arrived, they located a female victim who had been jogging along a path in Downtown Reno near the National Automobile Museum.   The investigation determined that Wallette had attacked the victim as she ran by him, knocking her down and threatening her with a large fixed-blade knife.  The attack ended only after the victim was able to get up, run away and call police.  RPD officers were able to quickly identify Wallette as the suspect and arrest him. A search located the knife used in the attack, and both it and Wallette were identified by the victim.  Following the arrest and charging, Deputy District Attorney Hunter Heidrich was assigned as prosecutor and the case ultimately proceeded to trial.

Alex Tate Jr., age 59 from Washoe County was arrested in November 2022 by the Sparks Police Department (SPD)when officers responded to an apartment complex on Oddie Blvd. to a report of a home invasion. When officers arrived on scene, they found a male subject, later identified as Alex Tate Jr., walking outside near the apartment. The investigation determined that Tate had forcibly entered the apartment of a family in the early morning hours and yelled at them to leave the premises. A member of the family called police and Tate then left the apartment, where he was later picked up by police. Following the arrest and charging, Deputy District Attorney Aziz Merchant was assigned as the prosecutor for the case.