Suspect jailed after man dies of fight injuries in Las Vegas hospital

Las Vegas homicide detectives have arrested a suspect in the death of a 37-year-old man who was pronounced brain-dead days after a fight.

Just before 1:55 p.m. on Sept. 15, Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers were called to the area of Boulder Highway and South Lamb Boulevard to break up a fight involving Shane Betten and at least one other person, according to Metro spokesman Larry Hadfield. Betten was hospitalized at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

No one was arrested at the time, Hadfield said. But two days later, Betten was pronounced brain-dead from blunt force injuries he suffered in the fight and was taken off life support. His death was ruled a homicide by the Clark County coroner’s office.

Homicide investigators arrested 46-year-old David Roman Vazquez on Saturday as a suspect in Betten’s death. He was picked up on the 2800 block of South Lamb Boulevard, less than a mile from where the alleged fight happened, Hadfield said.

Further details surrounding the fight were not immediately available Wednesday as Vazquez’s arrest report had not been released.

Betten’s death was the 160th homicide this year in Clark County and the 131st investigated by Metro, records maintained by the Review-Journal show.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.