Suspect arrested in fatal stabbing at Las Vegas park
An hour after a woman was stabbed to death Thursday at central Las Vegas park restroom, Liliani Pinto was found hiding inside a nearby home with a bloody knife, according to a prosecutor.
New details in the killing, thought to be a possible case of homeless-on-homeless violence, were revealed Friday afternoon during a custody hearing for the suspect in Las Vegas Justice Court.
Pinto, who faced a judge through a glass partition, was ordered held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center on one count of murder with a deadly weapon, at least until her arraignment hearing Tuesday morning, at which time another judge could set bail.
The stabbing was reported about 2:15 p.m. at the West Flamingo Park, near South Jones Boulevard. Shortly after the victim’s screams were heard coming from inside the women’s restroom, several witnesses saw a woman, later identified by Las Vegas police as Pinto, running from the bathroom toward a neighborhood adjacent to the park, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
A prosecutor on Friday said that after hearing from several witnesses, police began combing through the neighborhood and found Pinto about an hour later hiding inside one of the homes. A knife with dried blood also was found inside the home, and, the prosecutor added, Pinto had blood on her shoes.
When questioned, Pinto admitted to being in the bathroom stall at the time of the stabbing, according to the same prosecutor.
No other details, including a possible motive, have been released. Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said Thursday afternoon that the two women may have been homeless.
The victim will be identified by the Clark County coroner’s office once her family has been notified of her death.
In addition to her newest case, Pinto also has a pending misdemeanor domestic battery case in Las Vegas. Records show she pleaded no contest in February, meaning she accepted a conviction without admitting guilt, and was serving a suspended 120-day sentence at the time of the stabbing.
Among her conditions for the suspended sentence were to stay out of trouble, complete domestic violence counseling and attend narcotics support meetings, according to the records.
As of late May, Pinto had completed 10 of her 28 required domestic violence classes.
It was not immediately clear Friday from the court records whether that 120-day sentence was expected to be reinstated.
Metro asks that anyone with information about the stabbing to call the homicide section at 702-838-3531. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.
