Hell’s Kitchen burglar back to his old ways

by | Jul 6, 2026 | Uncategorized

The man who burglarized the offices of Hell’s Kitchen as part of what a prosecutor described as a 2021 theft spree is facing sentencing on new charges.

Johnathan Adam Towne, 37, admitted to charges of residential burglary and grand larceny of a motor vehicle on Tuesday in Douglas County District Court.

Johnathan Adam Towne
Provided

According to court documents, Towne entered a Caesars Republic hotel room on Jan. 4, where he located the keys to a 2016 Lexus, which he stole. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

He has already admitted two counts of misdemeanor theft in Tahoe Township Justice Court and is scheduled to be sentenced there on July 14.

Towne is also subject to a fugitive warrant out of El Dorado County.

Convicted of the April 17, 2021, burglary at the former Harvey’s, now known as Caesars Republic, Towne received to two suspended 19-48-month sentences.

“When I’m high on drugs, I don’t think,” he told the judge at his Nov. 3, 2021, sentencing hearing. “I hate the things I do when I’m high.”

• A South Lake Tahoe man who admitted committing a Feb. 16 theft at a Stateline casino received a suspended 2-5-year prison sentence for burglary of a business.

Adam Vincent Paul Campagna, 37, also has a burglary warrant out of El Dorado County.

Campagna stole what the victim claimed were $5,000 in tools, but that figure was challenged by attorney Max Stovall. Tuesday was the date for a hearing to define what restitution Campagna would owe. However, prosecutor Ric Casper said he’d contacted the victim for more information and hadn’t received any.

Under Nevada law, the restitution amount must be determined at sentencing.

Campagna told Young that his car had broken down, so he took the tools in what Stovall described as poor impulse control.

“He did clearly steal tools someone’s livelihood depended on,” Casper said in asking for three years in prison.

Young gave him a longer underlying sentence. His probation will last two years.

Once he’s done with whatever happens in El Dorado County he will have to do an inpatient treatment program.

• A trial was vacated in the case of a man who admitted swapping bar codes in order to obtain a $269.99 LEGO Icons PAC-MAN Arcade Retro Game Building Set from the Target for $39.99.

Aaron Vince Agosta, 46, will remain in custody until his Aug. 18 sentencing where he faces up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The theft occurred March 30, 2024, and Agosta was scheduled for a Nov. 6, 2025, jury trial, but a warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear at an August 2025 hearing. Agosta was booked in Douglas County Jail on June 21. He is also subject to a warrant out of Washoe County.

First Tahoe Fire Family Day spreads awareness

by | Jul 6, 2026 | Uncategorized

The Carson Valley Ukelele Club was serenading visitors to the first Tahoe Douglas Fire & Family Day on June 27 at Kahle Community Center in Stateline. 

“We are trying to spread awareness about wildfire safety and things people can do to prepare for wildfire and bring families together,” said University of Nevada Extension Living With Fire Manager Megan Kay as children were getting their faces painted.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District hosted the event.

Kay said one of the Extension’s key goals is to promote Firewise USA.

While there are 100 Firewise communities around the Tahoe Basin, and a few in Carson Valley, there isn’t one at Stateline.

“We’re really hoping to spread the word,” she said. “These events sometimes are not as family focused as they could be. We want to reach those folks with children, young homeowners and we designed an event where hopefully people will want to bring their families.”

Representing the Washoe Tribe were Environmental Specialist Kyle Tabor-Cooper and Environmental Manager Eliza Fitzgerald at the event promoting the Good Neighbor agreements they have with the Forest Service and other agencies.

“Kyle, and other folks with our department and with the Washoe Preparedness Resource Department, have been working with the Forest Service on this good neighbor agreement to help with boots on the ground with fuels reduction and conifer removal,” FitzGerald said. “We’re just trying to pick up a lot of those land management pieces from the Forest Service.”

Not all fires are bad. Some are part of Native American culture.

“We’ll be out there with the fires and the youngsters and challenging them,” he said. “We come out and there are still embers. Maybe don’t bring the drip torches out, and let’s just see if we can start it the way your ancestors did in the morning.”

Douglas County Emergency Manager Kara Easton was touting the Reverse 911 system and the Citizens Emergency Response Team.

“Our big push is to get folks signed up for Reverse 911. That’s the best and easiest way to get emergency information from us. If anyone is interested in volunteering for CERT, we’ll take folks from up at the Lake and in the Valley because we want to help everyone,” Easton said.