No bail for Las Vegas man accused of killing grandmother, hiding body
A 29-year-old Las Vegas man was ordered held without bail Monday in the slaying of his grandmother, who police said was shot in the head and buried in two storage containers in the Nye County desert.
Matthew Ayala was charged with murder with a deadly weapon after authorities found the body of Yolanda Ayala, whose age was not released, in partially buried storage containers in an Amargosa Valley desert area.
The woman’s family became concerned for her safety after Matthew Ayala drove to his mother’s Las Vegas home and said his grandmother had died in the northwest valley apartment they shared, according to police.
Detectives found no record of Yolanda Ayala’s death or hospitalization, police said.
Investigators found blood in the apartment’s kitchen sink, on a towel and on one of Matthew Ayala’s shirts, police said. A neighbor reported hearing loud noises in the apartment around Dec. 31 and later observed a man “rolling a red dolly, with a large box,” out of the home.
Police also determined that Matthew Ayala threw out his grandmother’s mattress and box spring.
Investigators learned the younger Ayala had rented a U-Haul truck late Jan 1, and police said they used cell phone records to track him to Amargosa Valley after he rented the truck.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.
