Las Vegas, NV – A Nevada man has pleaded guilty to killing his ex-wife just hours after the two attended a court hearing over their divorce, according to prosecutors and local reports.
Guilty Plea and Charges
Roidan Durruthy-Mendoza, 40, formally pleaded guilty to one count of murder with the use of a deadly weapon in the 2023 death of 34-year-old Marillorky Tamayo-Cruz. Jury selection in his murder trial had been scheduled to begin Monday before Durruthy-Mendoza reached a plea agreement with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
Other charges, including attempted murder, domestic battery with a deadly weapon, assault, and child abuse, were dismissed under the plea agreement. The agreement is contingent upon Durruthy-Mendoza entering an Alford plea in a separate case involving sexual assault of a child under 14.
Timeline of the Shooting
On Aug. 17, 2023, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Las Vegas Metro Police responded to an apartment complex on the 3900 block of South Jones Boulevard near Flamingo Road after receiving a call from Tamayo-Cruz’s daughter reporting gunshots.
Upon arrival, officers found Tamayo-Cruz dead from a gunshot wound to the forehead. Two additional victims suffered gunshot injuries — one to the elbow, the other to the eye — and were transported to a local hospital. Eleven cartridge cases were recovered from the scene, and a 9 mm handgun was found next to the victim’s body.
Security and front doors had reportedly been shot off, indicating the severity of the incident. Tamayo-Cruz’s body was located in the hallway between the bedroom and bathroom.
Suspect Surrender and Statements
Security footage captured Durruthy-Mendoza parking outside the LVMPD Records and Fingerprint Bureau at 3:10 p.m., wearing a shirt “saturated with apparent blood.” He voluntarily entered the building to speak with an officer before returning to a bench, reportedly stating:
“I killed my wife.”
Investigators also noted he claimed Tamayo-Cruz’s daughter had stabbed him in the left shoulder, which occurred earlier in the incident.
Background and Motive
Police interviews with witnesses revealed that prior to the shooting, Tamayo-Cruz had informed her daughter that she had won custody of the children, the house, and the truck in the court hearing earlier that day. A witness reported Durruthy-Mendoza kicked down the bedroom door, shot Tamayo-Cruz three times in the head, and allegedly said, “I told you not to joke around with me.”
A two-year-old child shared by the couple was present in the apartment but was unharmed.
Next Steps
Prosecutors said they will seek life in prison without parole during Durruthy-Mendoza’s sentencing hearing, currently scheduled for Oct. 15.
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