LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A woman is dead after being shot and killed by her ex-husband following a court hearing about their divorce, according to Las Vegas police. The incident happened last week at an apartment complex near Flamingo and Jones.
According to an arrest report, the shooting stemmed from a divorce settlement. The couple's 14-year-old daughter told police her parents were going through a divorce and had previously gotten into verbal and physical fights on a regular basis. At 10 a.m. on the day of the murder, the couple had a court appearance to talk about their divorce. She said after school, she learned that her mom, Marillorky Tamayo-Cruz, had won and was going to get the house, the truck, and custody of the children.
She said she was sitting in the living room at 2:30 p.m. when Tamayo-Cruz got a text message from her ex-husband, Roidan Durruthy-Mendoza, asking if he could come over and switch out vehicles. However, she said her mom ignored the text message.
Witnesses told police that Durruthy-Mendoza arrived at the apartment and asked for the keys to a grey Toyota Sienna. However, the report states they said she didn't do so because she still had items in the vehicle that needed to be removed. According to the report, Tamayo-Cruz was on a second floor balcony with two other people at the time. After she refused, they told police Durruthy-Mendoza started trying to climb the balcony but he was pushed down.
That's when the report states he ran to the front door and started shooting and kicking the door in order to get into the apartment. Police said they received a call from the couple's daughter at 2:40 p.m. saying "Hurry up" and "He's got a gun" before hearing gunshots in the background. Investigators said the daughter told them that she and her mom went into one of the bedrooms and locked the door. However, she said Durruthy-Mendoza broke the door open. She said he grabbed Tamayo-Cruz by the hair and pulled her head backwards before shooting three times.
One witness told police Durruthy-Mendoza scared his family in the past because he had made several statements that "he would kill anyone like a dog who came in his house." They said during the attack, they heard him say something to the effect of "I told you not to joke around with me."
According to the report, the daughter said Durruthy-Mendoza started heading towards the master bedroom where another two people were hiding. That's when she said she ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and stabbed him in the back. She said her dad turned toward her and grabbed the knife. She said she held onto the blade so she wouldn't be stabbed but ended up cutting her hand. That's when she said her dad ran out of the apartment.
Police said Durruthy-Mendoza parked in front of a police station at 3:10 p.m. on South Martin Luther King Boulevard. Officers stated the back of his shirt was covered in blood. They asked him what happened and Durruthy-Mendoza told police "I killed my wife."
Durruthy-Mendoza is facing open murder and attempted murder charges. Court records show he pleaded not guilty on Aug. 22 and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 18.
