Teen driver in crash that killed 2 faces murder charges

A teen driver accused in a 12-vehicle crash that left two dead Tuesday now faces murder charges.

Jose Gutierrez, 19, faces two counts of open murder, a count of attempted murder and a count of battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, according to court records for the case filed Thursday.

In a separate case tied to the same crash, he faces four counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm.

His passenger and girlfriend, Adilene Duran Rincon, 20, and a driver from another vehicle, Edward Garcia, 38, died at the scene on West Cheyenne Avenue near North Jones Boulevard, according to Gutierrez’s arrest report.

Two others, Jose Pena-Dominguez and his passenger, Vanessa Lanez-Vasquez, also were critically injured in the collision, police said. Pena-Dominguez suffered a lacerated liver, according to police.

Police said Gutierrez was driving an Infiniti G37 at “a high rate of speed” and did not slow down before he hit vehicles stopped at a red light. Witnesses reported to police that the Infiniti was traveling around 100 mph in a 45 mph zone.

The report said Gutierrez rear-ended Pena-Dominguez’s Nissan Altima first, catapulting it over the median and into the intersection.

Then the Infiniti began “rotating as it approached the group of stopped cars facing east on the west side of the intersection,” the report said. “The front of the Infiniti collided with the rear of a Subaru Crosstrek that was stopped, causing the Subaru to become wedged in between [another vehicle].”

Garcia drove the Subaru, according to police, and he had to be physically extracted from the vehicle.

Duran Ricon was “completely ejected” from the Infiniti as the right door was sheared off in the crash, police said.

Police: Marijuana vape pen found

A GoFundMe page for Duran Rincon indicates she was pregnant.

While questioned at the hospital, Gutierrez, who suffered “serious injuries” in the crash, said he could not remember the collision, police said. Officers asked if he had consumed alcohol before the collision, and Gutierrez said he had not had alcohol or smoked marijuana “in the last week.”

An officer observed that the teen’s eyes were bloodshot and watery, according to the report. A crime scene analyst also found a marijuana vape pen inside one of the pockets of Gutierrez’s clothing, which had been removed by medical staff. Police, suspecting that the teen may have been impaired, drew two blood samples from Gutierrez.

“The fact that the group of cars was stopped at the intersection, the light was red and clearly visible to other drivers, and the Infiniti still failed to decrease its speed as it approached is an indicator that Gutierrez was possibly impaired,” the report said.

Gutierrez’s blood test results were not immediately available.

Metro has sought additional witnesses who may have noticed “anything unusual” about the way Gutierrez was driving.

A Metropolitan Police Department news release said Gutierrez had been re-booked on Thursday on the murder charges. According to the department, Gutierrez remained at University Medical Center in Metro’s custody.

Court documents show that Gutierrez was cited in October for speeding after allegedly driving 52 mph in an area with a 35 mph limit. When he was stopped, he was driving the same Infiniti, which police said is registered to Duran Rincon’s mother.

He also was cited in September for an illegal left turn and tinted windows, according to Las Vegas Municipal Court records.

Vigil Thursday night

Family of Duran Rincon gathered Thursday night at the side of Cheyenne near the site of the crash. Mourners held balloons and flowers. They exchanged hugs and lit candles, which they arranged in the shape of a cross.

Her mother, Gabriela Rincon, remembered her as “a nice girl.” Duran Rincon, who worked in the office of a landscaping company, was three months pregnant, her mother said.

“She always makes everybody happy,” said Gabriela Rincon. “If you have a problem, she’s always there for everybody.”

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X. Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.