LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A family is suing the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and claiming they didn't do enough to prevent a son from stabbing his mother to death.
This happened on September 21, 2022 at an apartment complex near Nellis Boulevard and Vegas Valley Drive.
Police received a call from Cesar Colunga Prado who claimed his brother, Pablo Bonilla, was making threats and pointing a knife at their mother, Paula Prada Zuniga. He ran to a neighbor's house to call 911.
According to the lawsuit, Las Vegas police officers surrounded the apartment, they could hear Bonilla making threats, and several officers wanted to breach the apartment to reach Prada Zuniga. However, the suit alleges that senior officers, including Officer Daniel Cordero, told them to stand down.
Prado Zuniga's family claims that after 30 minutes on the scene, everyone could hear Bonilla stabbing Prada Zuniga who was screaming for help.
"LVMPD officers were told to stand down and they stood outside the apartment and listened to Prada Zuniga be horrifically murdered by her own son Bonilla stabbing her with a kitchen knife approximately 68 times throughout her body," the lawsuit reads in part.
The family also stated that "instead of focusing on saving Prada Zuniga, LVMPD put their efforts into securing the perimeter around the apartment" and that officers detained others outside the apartment while preventing family members from going inside to try to talk Bonilla down.
At least one of those claims was confirmed by LVMPD Officer Andrew Loos.
During a grand jury hearing, he testified that he was asked to help lock down the perimeter to prevent people from walking near the apartment and he did detain one of Prada Zuniga's sons.
"He was vocally irate. He was trying to get near the immediate action team so I ended up grabbing him, putting him in handcuffs and walking him away from the scene, just in order to protect him in case the guy came out or if he decided that he was going to rip the door open himself," Loos said.
Police used a bullhorn to communicate with Bonilla who ended up walking outside before being arrested.
In the aftermath of the incident, Cordero was demoted.
Prada Zuniga's family is suing LVMPD for damages in excess of $600,000, physical and emotional injuries, pain, suffering, emotional distress, and other losses in excess of $75,000.
Court records show Bonilla pleaded guilty to second degree murder with use of a deadly weapon.
On Nov. 9, 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years.
