North Las Vegas strangulation death leads to arrest

North Las Vegas police arrested a man last week who is accused of beating and strangling a 62-year-old man to death last year.

Around 6:40 a.m. on Feb. 13, 2022, Sergio Encina was found dead by people who lived with him in what police described as a flop house, where people come to use drugs and conduct other illegal activity.

The Clark County coroner’s office considered the cause of death undetermined and told police it did not think the cause would be ruled a homicide, according to a North Las Vegas Police Department affidavit, which redacted the address of the home.

Police spokesperson Brian Thomas later said that the homicide occurred on the 3300 block of Tonopah Avenue.

In August 2022, the coroner’s office told police that Encina’s death had been ruled a homicide. The coroner’s report said Encina’s injuries included blunt force head injuries, manual strangulation and blunt force injuries of the extremities.

North Las Vegas police did not disclose Encina’s death at the time he was found or after it had been ruled a homicide. Police interviewed witnesses who saw Encina being beaten and strangled by a man later identified as 46-year-old Cesar Carrillo.

Witnesses told police they thought Carrillo was trying to take over the house and got into a confrontation with Encina, according to the affidavit.

Carrillo was booked into Clark County Detention Center on Tuesday, jail records show. The affidavit did not describe how police apprehended Carrillo, and the North Las Vegas Police Department did not release information to the public about the arrest of a person sought in a slaying.

He is due in court on Aug. 28 and remains in custody on $150,000 bail.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on X.