Judge denies bail for Las Vegas home invasion suspect

By FRANCIS McCABE LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

11 years ago

Las Vegas police arrested Sean Cordeiro, 33, shown here in a screen capture from a surveillance video, after a home invasion and hostage incident Thursday morning in the 7800 block of Millhopper Avenue. (Courtesy/Las Vegas police)

Police view graffiti inside a garage in the 7800 block of Millhopper Avenue on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014. The suspect may have spray painted an derogatory message directed at police before being detained. Las Vegas police responded to a hostage situation that became a standoff at the home. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

A home in the 7800 block of Millhopper Avenue as seen Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014. Las Vegas police responded to a hostage situation that became a standoff at the home. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

A man charged with breaking into a woman’s home, taking her family hostage and trying to rape the woman will be held without bail, a Las Vegas judge ruled Tuesday.

Sean P. Cordeiro, 33, faces eight counts, including four counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count of attempted sexual assault. He is being held at the Clark County Detention Center.

A preliminary hearing was set for March 25 before Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis, where prosecutors must show they have enough evidence to take the case to trial.

Prosecutors say Cordeiro broke into the home on Millhopper Avenue, near Lake Mead Boulevard and Buffalo Drive, about 5 a.m. after watching the woman’s husband leave the home.

The woman told detectives that Cordeiro forced her onto a couch, fondled her and unbuckled his pants after kicking in her door, according to a police report.

“I’m going to have some fun with you before the cops get me,” Cordeiro told the woman. But Cordeiro became distracted when lights from arriving police cars shined into the home, the report said. The woman had called her husband before calling 911 after hearing the break-in.

The woman hid upstairs with her three children before the family was rescued by officers on a ladder at a back window.

Cordeiro was arrested shortly afterward. He told Metro he was high on methamphetamine and had hoped police would kill him. He told police he had recently served a 12-year prison sentence.

Police believe he might also be responsible for a Feb. 1 home invasion about 4:30 a.m. on Grace Street in the southeast valley. Cordeiro kicked in the door to a woman’s home and held her captive while he stole things from her home, including a gun and her van, police said.

He has not yet been charged in that case, court records show.

Cordeiro has a lengthy criminal history, including a robbery conviction in 2006 for which he was sentenced to 12 to 30 months in prison. He also has a drug possession case from 2013 and a reckless driving case from 2014.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@review journal.com or 702-380-1039.