Metro, volunteers seek fresh leads in February shooting death

It’s been about six months since Heriberto Diaz was killed on his way home from work, and Las Vegas police still don’t have a suspect.

But they’re not giving up.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s northeast area substation joined forces with dozens of civilian volunteers to once again canvass the area in search of new leads Saturday morning.

Diaz, 60, was fatally shot in the early morning hours Feb. 20. He was coming home from work at the Paris Las Vegas and had just gotten off the bus on East Lake Mead Boulevard.

He was just seven houses away from his his wife and two children and a soft bed when he was accosted by a group of young men, robbed of his cellphone and shot. With a single gunshot wound, Diaz made it about 10 feet before collapsing and dying just after 1 a.m.

Maria Diaz, 45, said she was “so happy and so proud of the community for coming out” to help police with her husband’s homicide.

“Especially today with how hot it is,” she said.

DARK DAYS

She said she’s had some “dark days” since her husband was killed, and at times her emotions occasionally have felt twisted.

“The first month, for me, it was like I was in shock,” she said.

She said she was having a bad day about two weeks ago. She had started to feel like police were going to forget about her case, but that day the family was contacted by an officer.

“I was like ‘oh my god,’” she said. “I know they’re not going to forget about my case.”

Substation Capt. James LaRochelle and Sgt. Jose Rodriguez met nearly 100 volunteers at 8 a.m. at a nearby elementary school parking lot. They organized volunteers into small groups and assigned team captains. They gave them stacks of fliers about the case and sent them into the neighborhood with a mission: Knock on about 500 doors, talk to the people, and write down any suspicious activity or tips so detectives can follow up.

VOLUNTEERS HELP WITH THE CASE AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD

LaRochelle said the effort may lead to new information, but it also serves to quell neighborhood fears and show that the police care.

“We try the best we can to contact the community and let them know what we’re doing,” he said. “Part of a healthy neighborhood is that absence of fear too.”

The volunteers came in caravans, many from churches in the area who often partner with police on community-oriented initiatives.

Volunteer Mica Reyes, 38, came out with a group from the Victory Outreach Church.

“It lets the community know it’s not forgotten,” she said. “We bring hope.”

Pastor Fernando Auguiano, 36, brought an eight-person group from the New Journey Church of Las Vegas. He said the community has seen a spike in crime recently but is still united.

“We all play an important part in keeping our community safe,” he said.

When no one came to the door, volunteers left a flier and moved on. Canvassers said that while some folks who came to the door were unpleasant, most people responded positively.

“If anything happens to them or their family, they’re going to have that support as well,” Auguiano said.

SUSPECTS AND OTHER STREET ROBBERIES

The suspects — who may be linked to a handful of other street robberies leading up to Heriberto Diaz’s death — were described only as a group of black men, about 18 to 20 years old, maybe younger. Police in March released a low-definition surveillance video of a newer model sedan in the hopes that it would turn up some clues.

It wasn’t clear Saturday afternoon if the effort will lead to any substantial leads.

“I wish — I hope — they find some evidence,” Maria Diaz said. “I know somebody knows something.”

Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Find @WesJuhl on Twitter.