Police said Vanesa Rodriguez-Valdes planned to leave with the couple’s 2-year-old daughter.
LAS VEGAS, NV — A Las Vegas man was arrested after police said his wife was found dead early April 28 inside their home following an argument over her plan to leave with their young daughter.
Roelmer Sanchez-Garrido faces an open murder charge in the death of Vanesa Rodriguez-Valdes, whose body was found inside a residence in the 4300 block of Esmeralda Avenue, near Sahara Avenue and Arville Street. Police and arrest records described the case as a domestic homicide. The couple’s 2-year-old daughter was at the scene and later placed in protective custody, authorities said.
The case began shortly after 3 a.m. when Sanchez-Garrido called 911 and reported that his wife was not breathing, according to police accounts of the arrest report. Las Vegas Fire and Rescue crews arrived about 10 minutes later and found Sanchez-Garrido outside the home, pacing in the front yard while holding the child. Paramedics then entered the home and found Rodriguez-Valdes on the bedroom floor. Lt. Robert Price of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said medical personnel became suspicious after seeing the woman’s condition and requested a police response.
Investigators said Sanchez-Garrido told dispatchers and officers that his wife needed help after an argument. Police said he later told investigators the couple had argued earlier that night and that “something bad had happened.” The arrest report said the argument centered on Rodriguez-Valdes’ plan to leave the home and return to Cuba with the couple’s daughter. Detectives believe the dispute became physical before Rodriguez-Valdes died. Authorities have accused Sanchez-Garrido of strangling her, but the Clark County coroner’s office had not released a final public report on the official cause and manner of death as of the latest accounts.
Police initially described the home as being in a central Las Vegas neighborhood near Valley View Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. Later reports placed the residence more specifically in the 4300 block of Esmeralda Avenue, near Sahara Avenue and Arville Street. Officers took Sanchez-Garrido into custody at the scene after homicide detectives began investigating the death. Police said the incident appeared to be isolated and did not describe any ongoing threat to nearby residents. The child was not reported injured in the initial police accounts.
Sanchez-Garrido was booked at the Clark County Detention Center on one count of open murder, a Nevada charge that allows prosecutors to pursue different degrees of murder as facts are developed. Jail records cited in local reports said he was being held without bail. He was scheduled for an initial court appearance the day after his arrest. Authorities had not publicly announced whether prosecutors would seek a specific degree of murder charge or whether additional charges would be filed.
The arrest report added new details after police first briefed reporters on the killing. In the early hours after the death, police said the woman had been trying to leave with the couple’s child, while later reporting identified her as Rodriguez-Valdes and said the move involved returning to Cuba. Police also clarified that the couple had one child together, a 2-year-old daughter, after earlier public statements left the number of children unclear. The daughter’s placement with child protective services became one of the first immediate consequences of the killing.
Price said the first call to 911 came from the husband, who reported that his wife was injured and needed help. After firefighters and medical workers found Rodriguez-Valdes dead, homicide detectives took over the scene. Officers blocked the area around the home as investigators gathered evidence and interviewed Sanchez-Garrido. Police did not publicly describe a weapon. The arrest report’s description focused on an argument, physical force and allegations of strangulation.
The killing drew attention across Las Vegas because of the domestic circumstances described by police. Rodriguez-Valdes was allegedly trying to end the living arrangement and leave the area with her child when the fatal fight occurred. Investigators have not released a detailed timeline of the relationship, any prior calls to police at the home or whether there were previous court orders involving the couple. Those details remain unknown unless they appear in future court filings or police records.
The case now moves through Clark County courts while homicide detectives continue their investigation. Prosecutors are expected to review the arrest report, medical findings and witness statements before deciding how to proceed with the open murder case. The coroner’s office is expected to provide the official cause and manner of death after its review is complete.
Sanchez-Garrido remained in custody after his arrest, and Rodriguez-Valdes’ daughter remained outside the home under protective supervision. The next major developments are expected through court filings and the coroner’s final findings.
Author note: Last updated May 2, 2026.