Two men indicted in beating of limo driver

Two men claiming to be members of the “Mexican Mafia” were indicted on charges they brutally beat a limousine driver earlier this month, prosecutors said Friday.

Emilio Jacob Ruvalcaba, 30, and Carlos Saenz, III, 27, face five counts of robbery, mayhem and conspiracy and two counts of battery with substantial bodily harm.

Judge Linda Bell ordered both men to be held at the Clark County Detention Center on $1 million bail after prosecutors explained this wasn’t their only criminal case.

Texas authorities say the two men brutally beat and stabbed a tourist at South Padre Island — a popular Spring Break destination for college students — and skipped town after posting bail, prosecutor Danielle Pieper said.

Pieper didn’t know what brought Ruvalcaba and Saenz to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas police said Saenz and Ruvalcaba were two of four men who, along with a woman, got into a limousine driven by Brenda Pruitt about 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 5 at the Encore resort.

Pruitt drove her passengers to Industrial Road where one of the passengers went into a liquor store, a police report said. Pruitt felt there was something odd about her passengers and used her mobile phone to record and photograph them.

At the liquor store, Ruvalcaba began to taunt Pruitt, saying he was a member of the Mexican Mafia, had killed people and “was going to kill her and no one would find her body,” the report said.

Saenz then approached and asked Ruvalcaba if he should “take care” of Pruitt. Saenz then punched Pruitt in the head.

She fought back, but soon Ruvalcaba, Saenz and a third unidentified male passenger had her on the ground and repeatedly kicked her, according to the report.

During the attack, a fourth male passenger took $180 Pruitt had in the limousine.

A man who was nearby saw the assault and ran over to help Pruitt.

Saenz, Ruvalcaba and the two other passengers ran north on Industrial and jumped into a cab at the Sapphire strip club.

During the cab ride, the men bragged about beating a woman, the driver told police.

The cab driver dropped the men off at the Palazzo Hotel.

Detectives worked quickly to identify Pruitt’s assailants and found Saenz and Ruvalcaba staying at the Palazzo.

The two other male passengers were not found.

An arraignment hearing was set for Oct. 1.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@review journal.com or 702-380-1039.