LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A person is spending the remainder of his life in jail for killing his estranged spouse in entrance of his two kids greater than two years in the past.
Clark County District Courtroom Decide Michelle Leavitt sentenced Roidan Durruthy Mendoza, 40, of Las Vegas, to life in jail with out the potential of parole on Wednesday after he pleaded responsible on Aug. 25 to homicide with use of a lethal weapon.
Mendoza was additionally sentenced to 2 consecutive phrases of 8 to twenty years in jail on the lethal weapon enhancements.
Based on Clark County prosecutors, the homicide of Marillorky Tamayo Cruz occurred after she received a household court docket listening to that awarded her the household residence and custody of their 2-year-old and 14-year-old daughters.
“He wants to be vindicated. He’s upset that he’s losing control, and he wants to get revenge,” Clark County Deputy District Legal professional Corey Hallquist mentioned in court docket.
The Las Vegas Metro Police Division responded to an condo close to Flamingo and Jones on Aug. 17, 2023, and located three individuals who had been shot.
Hallquist informed Decide Leavitt that Mendoza left household court docket the morning of Aug. 17, sad with the result and vying for revenge. Later that night, Mendoza went to Tamayo Cruz’s mom’s condo, the place a number of relations had gathered.
“There’s really nothing that can put you in that moment, right? To feel the terror and the horror that’s going on in the apartment complex, when the defendant decided that he was going to execute his wife in front of his child and his stepdaughter,” Hallquist mentioned.
Clark County prosecutors mentioned Tamayo Cruz’s daughter, who was 14 years outdated on the time, helped stop additional bloodshed.
“I had to protect what I had left, so I grabbed a knife from the ground, and I planned to kill him,” Miriam Martinez, now 17 years outdated, mentioned.
As Martinez was giving her testimony, Mendoza stood to her proper, making no eye contact together with his stepdaughter.
“I am not a tall person, nor was I strong. I was a 14-year-old girl trying to defend myself and my family,” Martinez mentioned.
Martinez stabbed Mendoza within the again. He then grabbed the knife and tried stabbing his stepdaughter within the abdomen, however as a substitute reduce her palms after she blocked the assault, in accordance with prosecutors.
Prosecutors performed in court docket the 911 name Tamayo Cruz made within the bed room, fearing for her life as Mendoza barged in together with his gun drawn. Two gunshots had been heard within the background. Mendoza shot her within the shoulder and within the brow at shut vary, in accordance with prosecutors.
Via an interpreter, Mendoza apologized in court docket for the killing.
“I never went with the intention to harm anyone,” Mendoza mentioned.
Regardless of the intention, a lady was murdered and a household was shattered.
“I have a lot of pain in my heart,” Marilu Cruz-Tamayo, the sufferer’s mom, mentioned with tears streaming down her face.
Here’s a hyperlink to sources out there for victims of home violence – LIST: Assets for victims of home violence, abuse
