Henderson mother shot, killed by police after son’s stabbing ID’d

The Clark County coroner’s office identified the woman fatally shot by Henderson police Monday after she stabbed her young son.

She was Claudia Nadia Rodriguez, 37, of Henderson, the coroner’s office said Tuesday. Her death was ruled a homicide from a gunshot wound of the head.

Rodriguez’s son called 911 about 12:10 p.m. Monday from the Equestrian on Eastern Apartments, 10701 S. Eastern Ave. The 911 call disconnected, but police believe a “violent domestic incident” happened, according to a Monday release.

Officers found the boy with multiple apparent stab wounds and an “agitated woman” later determined to be the boy’s mother. “A struggle ensued” before the shooting, the release said.

The boy was expected to recover after emergency surgery at University Medical Center, the release said. Rodriguez died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

No officers were injured, police said.

District Court records show that a Claudia Nadia Rodriguez was involved in a contentious custody dispute in 2017 regarding her son, identified in court records as Winston Lee Xavier Brandon.

According to court documents, Winston is 6 years, 10 months old, but Henderson police on Monday said he is 7.

History of domestic violence

Winston’s father, Willie Brandon Jr., first filed documents in February 2017 seeking primary physical custody of Winston. The documents allege that Rodriguez had a history of domestic violence and that she had “physically and mentally abused” her two older children from a previous relationship.

Rodriguez accused Brandon of making false claims to gain custody of the boy, court records show. As of December 2017, the parents had joint custody of Winston.

Rodriguez was arrested four times on suspicion of domestic battery between 2015 and March, according to Henderson Municipal Court records. She had one conviction for misdemeanor domestic battery after pleading guilty in January 2017.

In March, she pleaded not guilty to another misdemeanor domestic battery charge. More information about the most recent charge was not available Tuesday, but court records indicate that the case had not been resolved.

When reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Brandon said his son was “doing good.” He said he didn’t have much information regarding the shooting.

“The police shot her; that’s all I really heard,” Brandon said.

He declined to comment further. Attempts to reach Rodriguez’s family on Tuesday were not successful.

‘Extreme tragedy’

Rodriguez’s death marked the fourth police shooting — and the first fatal police shooting — involving Henderson officers this year. The officer who shot Rodriguez has been placed on routine paid administrative leave and will be identified within 48 hours of the shooting, the department said.

Neighbor Derek Starkey described the Monday afternoon stabbing as “an extreme tragedy.”

“A neighbor who lived in the building, she came out, she was talking to me, and she said there were always arguments going on, yelling and screaming in the apartment,” Starkey said Tuesday. “Not to the point where it was aggressive enough or belligerent enough to call the police. It was more like neighbor complaints for yelling and screaming.”

The gated apartment complex where the shooting happened was quiet Tuesday morning, but two lit candles and two teddy bears were laid out in front of Building 22, where the shooting occurred. Light from the afternoon sun illuminated the teddy bears, but shadows enveloped the candles at the scene.

“I’ve just got to live through it, just stay focused and don’t let it get to me,” said Marisol Celada, who lives at the complex several buildings away.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Glenn Puit contributed to this report.