Valley man killed, wife injured in attack

A man is dead and his wife is in critical condition after an armed suspect entered their Las Vegas home and began shooting early Monday.

Las Vegas police were called to Sage Pines Drive, near Russell Road and Jones Boulevard, at 1:18 a.m. They found the man in a bedroom dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

His wife was hiding in a closet with a gunshot wound to her face, police said. She was transported to University Medical Center in critical condition.

The investigation is in its early stages, but police think the suspect was allowed entry into the residence by the male victim, said homicide Lt. Lew Roberts.

"Originally, we were thinking home invasion," Roberts said. "It's possible that they (suspect and victim) knew each other. To what extent is a guess."

Upon entering the house, the suspect asked to speak with a person who was unknown to the victims, Roberts said.

After the suspect shot the victims, he fled the residence.

The suspect was described as a white man in his 40s wearing a white T-shirt. No vehicle description was given.

The male victim was in his 60s, police said. The female victim was in her late 50s. She is expected to survive, Roberts said.

"Fortunately, the bullet lodged in her sinus cavity," he said. "She's lucky to be alive."

Roberts said the woman was Hispanic and spoke very little English. When she recovers from emergency surgery, police hope to learn more details about the incident, he said.

According to the Clark County assessor, the home is owned by Julio and Roberta Romero.

At 7 a.m. Monday, neighbors watched as patrol officers and homicide detectives canvassed the area.

One neighbor who asked not to be named said she's a single mother with five children. The neighborhood is generally quiet, she said, but an incident like this makes her fear for their safety.

"They come home from school while I'm at work," she said. "That's scary."

The neighbor said she didn't know the family or details of the case, but said she would never open the door for someone at 1 a.m., even if the person said they needed help.

"I'd call the cops. I wouldn't open the door," she said. "When you're a single mother you have to be protective."

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.