Body identified as missing woman
When Mariela Moreno disappeared after a New Year's Eve outing with her boyfriend, the young Henderson woman's family feared the worst.
Those fears turned into reality Friday when authorities confirmed that a body found a week earlier near Sunset Park, a few blocks from her home, was Moreno's.
"Very early on, the detectives knew that something was up," officer Todd Rasmussen said Friday. "They just had a hunch that foul play was involved."
Rasmussen, a spokesman for the Henderson Police Department, said investigators have gathered evidence during the past two months that will shed light on what may have happened to the 20-year-old woman, but they are not ready to talk specifics.
"We have made substantial progress on this case, and although we haven't taken any official actions, detectives are optimistic that we will be able to bring justice to Mariela's family," he said. "And unfortunately, there's no timeline on that. I'm not even saying an arrest is imminent."
Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy said fingerprints were used to identify the body. Although an autopsy has been performed, Murphy said the cause and manner of death "are pending further investigation."
For Henderson police, the missing person case has turned into a homicide investigation.
Police said Moreno's uncle last saw her around 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 as she was leaving her home at 353 Washoe Way, near Pecos and Warm Springs roads. She was headed to a New Year's Eve function at the Firefly* on Paradise, a hip tapas restaurant and bar on Paradise Road.
Moreno's boyfriend told police he dropped her off at her house about 4:30 a.m. but did not watch her go inside. He also said he saw a strange car in the neighborhood as he was leaving.
No one saw Moreno alive again. She failed to show up for work at a Mexican restaurant in Henderson, where she was a waitress, and she missed a Jan. 2 court date involving a domestic violence charge against her ex-boyfriend.
Rasmussen said police interviewed Moreno's boyfriend soon after she disappeared, but the spokesman would not say whether they had interviewed him again since her body was identified. Rasmussen said the man is now in Mexico.
"We had no authority to keep anyone from leaving early in the investigation," he said.
He said all pertinent witnesses have been interviewed.
Rasmussen would not identify the boyfriend or ex-boyfriend, and he named no suspects.
Las Vegas police initially responded on Feb. 29 when construction workers found the body under bushes near Tomiyasu Lane and Maule Avenue. At the time, Lt. Lew Roberts estimated that the clothed body had been at that location about a week.
On Friday afternoon, news crews converged on the neighborhood where Moreno, a native of Mexico, lived with her older sister and other relatives.
Moreno's sister, Monica, came to the door of the family's two-story home but declined to be interviewed. A short time later, family friend Esther Brown arrived at the scene to speak to reporters.
Brown said she has known the family about five years.
"Right now they are going through a very delicate and painful situation," Brown said.
She said Moreno's relatives held out hope she would return home, but they knew the chances were slim. She said a service will be held in Southern Nevada before the body is returned to Mexico for burial.
Rasmussen said Moreno's next of kin are listed as her grandparents, who live in Mexico.
Brown said she typically saw Moreno at birthday parties or other celebrations.
"She was a very joyful girl and always happy, smiling," Brown said.
Patrick Moniz Jr., a next-door neighbor, said Moreno's death had left her sister "heartbroken."
Moniz said he has known the family since his own family moved into the neighborhood about a year and a half ago.
"They've always been very nice people," he said. "It's tragic."
The Burgess family lives two doors from the Morenos.
"The family is very quiet," Erin Burgess said. "We rarely see them."
Anyone with information about the case may contact Henderson police at 267-4750.
