LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man is facing murder charges after being accused of getting into a fight and killing his ex-girlfriend's father.
According to an arrest report, the incident happened on June 11, 2023 in the 3900 block of Maryland Avenue and was due to an argument over a dog.
The suspect, identified as Roman Ramirez, had been in a relationship with the woman and they were engaged for about eight years. However, in May 2022, she told police the pair had separated and she went to live with her parents with the couple's daughter and pitbull.
The report states Ramirez originally had primary custody of the dog but when his work schedule changed, his ex-girlfriend took care of the dog the majority of the time. However, they reached a custody arrangement for the dog, which Ramirez usually picked up for weekends.
His ex-girlfriend told police that in the weeks prior to the incident, Ramirez had gotten a new dog that attacked their pitbull and she told Ramirez that he couldn't take their pitbull unless he was there to watch the two dogs.
On June 11, Ramirez told police he went to pick up the pitbull from his ex-girlfriend's parents' house. When he got there, Ramirez told police that his ex-girlfriend's father, identified as 69-year-old Larry Vargas, punched him and caused him to lose his prescription glasses. He said he pushed Vargas and he left.
However, police said evidence contradicted his version of events.
According to the arrest report, detectives looked at video surveillance that was captured from a home across the street from the victim's home, which showed Ramirez hit Vargas. When the dog ran back towards the house, Vargas ran past Ramirez who then pushed Vargas off a walkway, causing him to fall into a palm tree. The report states Vargas stood back up and Ramirez struck him several times causing him to fall back into the tree. Ramirez then drove away from the scene.
Medical personnel arrived at the scene and took Vargas to Sunrise Hospital, where he later died. On Feb. 8, the Clark County Coroner's Office ruled the cause of Vargas' death was cardiac arrhythmia and the manner of death was homicide.
When detectives told Ramirez about the video surveillance, the report states Ramirez told officers "then book me for murder and take me to county".
Ramirez was arrested on June 11 on battery charges related to the incident. He was out on bail but was re-arrested last week on a new open murder charge. According to jail records, he is currently in custody at the Clark County Detention Center and his next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
