Brother says he's not with accused shooter

The day after a murder victim was laid to rest, a man police believed was in the company of the alleged shooter walked into the Carson City Sheriff's Department and denied any knowledge of the killing, authorities said.

Saul "Tubbs" Cisneros, brother of murder suspect Maximiliano "Dagger" Cisneros, 22, told police he's been in Los Angeles for the past week and had no idea his brother was wanted for murder, nor did he know his brother's whereabouts, said Detective Cate Summers.

"He's not cooperating," she said.

Maximiliano Cisneros is charged with murder in the shooting death of Juan Carlos Alegria, 23, and attempted murder in the wounding of Fidel Fuentes, 22.

Alegria died early Tuesday morning from gunshot wounds sustained in an alleged domestic dispute involving Fuentes, Fuentes' estranged girlfriend Katie Armstrong, 24, and Cisneros.

Alegria had accompanied Fuentes about midnight to Armstrong's West Fifth Street Apartment when Fuentes spotted Cisneros inside. According to court documents, after Fuentes kicked in the door Cisneros allegedly emerged and opened fire, hitting Alegria three times in the torso and Fuentes once in the leg.

A search for Cisneros came up empty, police said, so Thursday they released the names and photographs of three men possibly with him headed to Los Angeles, Summers said.

Saul Cisneros said Friday morning he returned to Carson City from Los Angeles about 5:30 a.m. and saw his picture in the Nevada Appeal.

He was under the wrong impression police had a warrant for his arrest, said Sgt. Bob White.

After talking to police for about an hour, he left, Summers said, adding police have no evidence to link him to the shooting.

"He denied any knowledge of his brother's whereabouts, details of the event or his brother's involvement," she said.

Summers said Maximiliano Cisneros could still be with Steve "Speedy" Contreras, 20, and Danny Flores in a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am of unknown color with California license plate 5COS541 in the Southgate area of Southern California.

Two blocks from where the shooting took place, city workers clearing brush found a .40-caliber handgun. Tests results to determine if it's the gun used to kill Alegria are pending, Summers said.

Contact F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.