Police: Man was in relationship with woman he ran down, killed

The man Metro said intentionally struck and killed a 42-year-old Las Vegas woman as she was crossing the street Monday night was in a domestic relationship with her, Metro announced Wednesday.

Jesus Mendoza-Cabezas, 41, was arrested Monday in the death of Gabriela Martin De Mendoza, 42, which was classified as a homicide by the Clark County coroner's office.

Police were called about 5 p.m. Monday to the 5500 block of Donaldson Court, near the intersection of Russell and Lindell roads, Metro said. De Mendoza's body was found underneath a Chevrolet Avalanche.

Witnesses told police they had seen the driver, Mendoza-Cabezas, and De Mendoza yelling at each other before the crash. After the fight, Mendoza-Cabezas turned around and accelerated the truck, hitting De Mendoza and then a house.

De Mendoza died at the scene.

Mendoza-Cabezas fled on foot and was located and brought back to the scene by witnesses, police wrote in a release Wednesday. He was arrested and booked into Clark County Detention Center, where he faces charges of driving under the influence, driving without a driver's license and failing to maintain his traffic lane.

The man was also booked on an outstanding warrant for driving under the influence, driving without a license and failing to obey a traffic control device. His bail is currently set at $14,000, detention center records show.

Police expect Mendoza-Cabezas will face an additional charge of murder with a deadly weapon, the release said. This is the 100th homicide in Metro's jurisdiction this year.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber