Las Vegas teen’s death tied to gang, and witnesses receiving threats, prosecutors say

Prosecutors on Thursday pointed to threats against witnesses to a shooting that left a 17-year-old dead at a northeast valley birthday party.

Five of six suspects in the killing faced a judge in North Las Vegas Justice Court.

Damian Delgado, 18, Jesus Ramirez, 20, Victor Cardena-Pizarro, Juan Rodriguez-Jimenez, 19, Luis Pizarro-Cardena, 19, and Daniel Murillo face charges of murder with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit murder and failing to stop for a police officer.

The ages of Cardena-Pizarro and Murillo were not available in public records.

Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint filed Wednesday that the fatal shooting of Luis Garcia-Molina on Sunday evening was tied to the Clika Los Primos gang.

“We already have people threatening our witnesses,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Schwartzer told North Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Kalani Hoo.

According to Schwartzer, the shooters were Murillo, Delgado and Pizarro-Cardena.

Gang members approached a juvenile at a party for an 11-year-old and tried to hand him firearms and get him interested in the gang, the prosecutor alleged.

The child heard threats were being made about his brother, the 17-year-old victim, and also heard a discussion about watching the 17-year-old’s apartment, according to Schwartzer.

Then, the prosecutor said, when Garcia-Molina left the apartment, he was approached by multiple people and the shooting occurred. No gun was found on the victim, he told the judge.

Schwartzer said someone has been driving around in a white pickup with Mexican plates telling people to be quiet about what happened. He said prosecutors fear for the safety of their witnesses, who include two juveniles.

The Clark County district attorney’s office and Metro did not respond to requests for information about the suspects’ immigration statuses.

Bail arguments

Citing his concerns for the safety of witnesses, Hoo ordered Delgado to be held without bail and to have no contact with anyone tied to the case, including the other suspects.

That was what Schwartzer requested.

Delgado has a “considerable” criminal history, including a 2023 arrest for bringing a firearm onto school grounds, and is a danger to the community, he argued.

“Mr. Delgado is facing the rest of his life in prison,” the prosecutor said. “Quite frankly, that’s something we’ll probably be pursuing.”

Delgado’s attorney, Ryan Helmick, said the case was “a messy puzzle with pieces all over the place.”

“Why is everybody charged with murder?” he asked. “The reason is they don’t know who did it.”

Helmick said his client has lived in Las Vegas his whole life. He asked the judge for $50,000 bail with high-level electronic monitoring.

Hoo also set bail at $50,000 for Cardena-Pizarro with high-level electronic monitoring and an order not to contact victims or witnesses.

His circumstances were different than Delgado’s because Cardena-Pizarro was not suspected of being one of the shooters, the prosecutor told the court, but he was still part of the conspiracy and attempted to destroy evidence.

Defense attorney Jack Buchanan said his client, who came to his hearing from work in paint-splattered clothing, is not a flight risk. Cardena-Pizarro was released from custody, but continued to appear for court, he said, and may have arrived at the scene after the shooting.

Cardena-Pizarro was taken into custody after his hearing.

Murillo was not present in court. Schwartzer said he was the driver during a police chase. He asked Hoo to issue an arrest warrant for Murillo.

The judge granted the prosecutor’s request.

‘Just beginning to live’

According to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report, police received a 911 call from a person who said his brother was shot near 4768 Corsaire Ave., which is near North Nellis Boulevard and Las Vegas Boulevard North. Officers found Garcia-Molina on the ground with what appeared to be several gunshot wounds, the report said.

Police attempted to stop a Chevrolet Silverado that had fled the area, the report said. Officers pursued the truck to Henderson and arrested six males.

During the chase, police said the truck’s occupants appeared to be discarding items from the vehicle. Schwartzer said the items thrown from the truck included four phones and two guns.

Garcia-Molina’s family remembered him as their “angelito,” or little angel.

“He was a child who was just beginning to live and had many dreams to achieve,” his cousin, Lesly Molina, wrote in Spanish in a GoFundMe in his honor. “At his young age he won our hearts with his charisma and witticisms.”

As of Thursday morning, the campaign had raised just under $1,000 for a future funeral, which has yet to be set.

Review-Journal reporter Katie Futterman contributed to this report. Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.