Police: Machete-wielding man stabbed maintenance worker in neck before being shot by constable

The machete-wielding man arrested after a police shooting on Tuesday stabbed a maintenance worker in the neck and swung a bag of rocks at a constable, according to a police report.

Victor Vondrasek, 46, was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder, resisting a public officer, battery, and other charges, according to jail records.

His booking information was linked to the second police shooting that occurred on Tuesday within the Metropolitan Police Department’s jurisdiction.

Police said the constable, identified as Sergeant Deputy Constable Mark Ruesch was serving an eviction notice at an apartment in the 6600 block of South Sandhill Road and contacted maintenance worker Orlando Sosa for help entering the unit.

After Sosa could not open the front door, he used a ladder to climb in through the balcony of the apartment, according to the report. Then, Vondrasek, who was holding a large knife, came onto the balcony and attacked Sosa, who started yelling for help, police said.

Ruesch followed and climbed onto the balcony moments before Vondrasek tried to stab him as well.

Police said that the machete was lodged between the constable’s uniform shirt and undershirt, and he fired his handgun at Vondrasek.

Ruesch then tried to provide medical aid to Sosa, who was bleeding from the neck, but Vondrasek got up, kicked Ruesch in the face, and then grabbed a bag filled with landscaping rocks. Vondrasek swung the bag at Ruesch. The constable reported minor injuries afterward.

After Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene, Vondrasek was arrested and taken to Sunrise Hospital. Police said he was shot in the face.

Sosa was also transported to the hospital and needed several surgeries.

The 63-year-old constable has been employed with the Office of the Ex-Officio constable for the Las Vegas township since 2017, police said in a Thursday news release. He is an independent contractor and will not be assigned new work while the investigation is ongoing, according to the release.

Vondrasek did not appear in court on Wednesday afternoon because he was still in the hospital, according to Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum. She said he would be held without bail pending his next hearing on Monday.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com

A previous version of this story misidentified which day the shooting happened.