Suspect left cell with his victims

That’s what Salvador Villarruel did when he robbed a woman in July, according to a Las Vegas police report.

A salesman at an auto dealership, Villarruel, 31, is now facing one count of robbery with a deadly weapon and three counts of coercion. He is scheduled to go to court Jan. 7 for a preliminary hearing.

He declined to comment for this story but according to the arrest report he told police that he had lost his cell phone prior to the robbery.

If the accusations are true, Villarruel’s case will become the latest in a series of “dumb criminal” stories that are read, viewed and shared around the world.

For instance, there’s the guy in the United Arab Emirates who used a fake ID to try to embezzle money. According to news reports, the photo on the ID was internationally known actor Brad Pitt. In another case, an intoxicated man who broke into a liquor store through the roof became trapped inside when he couldn’t figure out how to get out.

According to Villarruel’s arrest report, Lilea Camacho, Angela Johnson and Rodica Colibon were walking to their car parked at Town Square at about 11 p.m. when Camacho noticed a car following them. She initially thought that it was just someone looking to take her parking spot.

When the women reached their car, however, the vehicle stopped directly behind them and a man tried to grab a purse from Camacho. There was some struggling back and forth. Camacho was also carrying a shopping bag at the time.

“Just let go of the purse or I’m gonna kill all of you so don’t do nothing,” the assailant said when she refused to give up her purse, according to the arrest report. He also told the women he had a gun, but they didn’t see a weapon.

Camacho let go of her purse and the assailant fled.

All three women got into their car and tried to call police but realized Camacho’s phone was in her stolen purse, the report said. Colibon, however, reached into the shopping bag that the thief didn’t grab and pulled out a black Samsung Blackjack cell phone. None of the women recognized the phone.

The women searched through the cell phone’s photos and found a picture of the man who had robbed them. According to the arrest report, Camacho was positive that the photo of the suspect in the phone was that of the man who robbed her. He had a thin but noticeable mustache and was slim. She turned the phone over to police who had arrived at the scene.

A few days later, Camacho told a detective that there was an attempt to use her ATM card at a Bank of America branch. When police reviewed surveillance video and photos from the ATM, they saw that a man with a thin mustache had tried to use Camacho’s card, the report states.

Police tracked down Villarruel using the Samsung cell phone’s number and interviewed him at the end of September. Villarruel told the officers he lost his cell phone at the South Point resort months earlier. Police showed Villarruel photos from the ATM and he told them they “kind of looked like him but could be any Hispanic male,” the report states.

Police booked Villarruel into the county jail on robbery charges. He was later released.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.