Man faces charges in Christmas Eve incident

It definitely wasn’t Santa attempting to enter two Indian Hills residences on Christmas Eve.

Bail was set at $5,000 cash or bond for an Indian Hills man arrested on Christmas Eve after apparently trying to break into two addresses a block apart.

Shawn Christopher Watt, 42, appeared in East Fork Justice Court on Wednesday morning. He was ordered to return on court on Jan. 3.

He denied charges of home invasion and burglary, in addition to destruction of property, trespassing and obstructing an officer.

Watt was ordered to stay away from addresses on Indian Drive and Garnet in Indian Hills.

Attorney Matthew Ence argued for Watt’s release without bail, saying intoxication was a factor in the incidents.

Prosecutor Ric Casper disagreed, arguing that Watt has a non-extraditable warrant in Texas and a failure to appear in court in California.

Casper said that Watt broke a door at one of the addresses trying to get inside.

Two similar incidents over two days in May 2021 resulted in a man being shot dead after he entered a Topaz Ranch Estates home and the next day another man being shot by a resident after he entered a Gardnerville Ranchos home.

• A man waived a preliminary hearing and will appear in Douglas County District Court on a charge of subsequent felony driving under the influence.

Kevin P. Fanning, 58, faces 3-8 years in prison under a plea agreement.

He was previously sentenced to 12-32 months in prison for felony driving under the influence in 2006. In that case he took a vehicle belonging to a Genoa resident, who chased him to Minden and pulled him out of the car.