Suspect in Las Vegas beating death was on probation in attempted burglary case
A suspect in a Las Vegas homicide was on probation in an attempted burglary case when the killing occurred Friday, according to court records.
Police are searching for 25-year-old Jaime Santana in connection with the death of Cinthia Wendy Perez Rodriguez, also 25.
The woman’s body was found early Friday morning in a bedroom at 313 Lilac Lane, near Rancho Drive and Washington Avenue, where Santana was living. She was found half-clothed and had been beaten to death.
Santana’s roommates called police when they discovered her body, but Santana has not been located. Police said he may be driving a blue 2015 two-door Scion with Nevada license plate No. 37A563.
A criminal complaint shows that Santana was charged in November with one count of burglary with a deadly weapon and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. According to the criminal complaint, he threatened three people with a knife.
Santana pleaded guilty in March to the attempted burglary charge and was sentenced in July to three years of probation. As a condition of probation, District Judge Valerie Adair ordered him to “attend and successfully complete the Clark County Mental Health Court program.”
Minutes from the sentencing hearing indicate that Adair also imposed the following condition: “no contact with victim neighbors, stay on your side of the street.”
Josh Diaz, who lives across the street from Santana, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last week that he called police after Santana broke into the garage at his residence. He said the family with whom he is staying had to install security cameras on the garage after the incident.
As of Monday afternoon, a GoFundMe page had raised more than $7,500 for Rodriguez’s funeral.
Anyone with information about the homicide or Santana’s whereabouts may contact Metro’s homicide section at 702-828-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
Review-Journal writer Blake Apgar contributed to this report. Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find @MaxMichor on Twitter.
