A Clark County public official has been arrested for the murder of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, whose reporting of alleged wrongdoing by that official cost him his party’s nomination for another term in office this year.

Investigators searched the home of Robert Telles early Wednesday morning, as CrimeOnline previously reported, but police provided no further information for about 12 hours, when Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said that Telles had been arrested for German’s murder, the Review-Journal reported.

German, 69, reported that Telles had created a toxic work environment in the public administration office, which oversees the estates of people who have died, and that he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

He was found dead outside his home on September 3.

Investigators released photos of a suspect Tuesday, a person walking down the street wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, a safety-orange shirt, and black pants. Police also said they were seeking a 2007 to 2014 red or maroon GMC Yukon Denali with chrome handles, a sunroof, and a roof rack. A vehicle matching that description was towed from Telles’s driveway.

German was reportedly seeking more information for a second report on Telles’s office when he was killed. Telles came in third in the Democratic primary for his post in June, after the reporter’s initial story broke. He is expected to leave office in January after November’s election.

“The arrest of Robert Telles is at once an enormous relief and an outrage for the Review-Journal newsroom,” Executive Editor Glenn Cook said. “We are relieved Telles is in custody and outraged that a colleague appears to have been killed for reporting on an elected official. Journalists can’t do the important work our communities require if they are afraid a presentation of facts could lead to violent retribution. We thank Las Vegas police for their urgency and hard work and for immediately recognizing the terrible significance of Jeff’s killing. Now, hopefully, the Review-Journal, the German family and Jeff’s many friends can begin the process of mourning and honoring a great man and a brave reporter.”

Telles’s top deputy, Rita Reid, won the primary and will face off against Republican Patsy Brown and Independent Tabatha al-Dabbagh in November.

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[Featured image: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; Jeff German/Wikicommons; Robert Telles/Twitter]