A 40-year-old Nevada man, Roidan Durruthy-Mendoza, is facing a life sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of his ex-wife, 34-year-old Marillorky Tamayo-Cruz. The fatal shooting occurred just hours after a divorce-related court hearing in Las Vegas that reportedly did not end in his favor.
On Monday, Durruthy-Mendoza formally admitted to one count of murder with the use of a deadly weapon. The guilty plea came as jury selection for his murder trial was set to begin, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Originally, prosecutors charged Durruthy-Mendoza with several additional counts, including attempted murder, domestic battery with a deadly weapon, assault, and child abuse. However, these charges were dismissed under the terms of his plea agreement.
Chief Deputy Special Public Defender Charles Cano revealed in court that the deal was contingent on Durruthy-Mendoza also entering an Alford plea in a separate case involving allegations of child s*xual assault. “If, for whatever reason, that falls apart, then everything falls apart,” Cano said.
An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have sufficient evidence for a conviction.
Prosecutors stated they will pursue a life sentence without the possibility of parole when Durruthy-Mendoza returns for sentencing on October 15. Legal experts say such penalties are common in Nevada homicide cases, especially those involving domestic violence and child endangerment.
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, officers responded to an emergency call on August 17, 2023, at an apartment complex near South Jones Boulevard and Flamingo Road. The call, placed by Tamayo-Cruz’s daughter, was frantic: “hurry up,” she told the dispatcher, warning, “he’s got a gun.” Multiple gunshots were heard in the background.
Police later discovered Tamayo-Cruz dead in the hallway with a fatal gunshot wound to the forehead. Two other victims, one shot in the elbow and another in the eye, were rushed to the hospital. Investigators recovered 11 shell casings and noted the apartment doors had been blasted open by gunfire. A 9mm handgun was found near the victim’s body.
Surveillance cameras captured Durruthy-Mendoza minutes later arriving at the Las Vegas Police Records Bureau, covered in blood. When confronted by officers, he allegedly admitted: “I killed my wife.”
Investigators revealed that earlier that day, Tamayo-Cruz had celebrated winning custody of the children, along with ownership of the house and family truck, in her divorce case. According to witness testimony, Durruthy-Mendoza forced his way into the bedroom where she was hiding, shouting, “I told you not to joke around with me,” before shooting her three times in the head.
A two-year-old child shared by the couple was inside the apartment during the attack but was not harmed.
This tragic case highlights the growing concerns about domestic violence in Nevada and the severe consequences of high-conflict divorce disputes.
Experts note that victims’ families may pursue a Las Vegas wrongful death lawsuit, while defense attorneys specializing in Nevada criminal law will closely follow the sentencing as a precedent for future homicide cases.
