A judge on Monday ordered that a 16-year-old girl accused in connection with a fatal shooting will be held without bail.
Kassandra Orozco and Jayden Torres, 19, were arrested by the Las Vegas police and accused in the death of Carlos Valenzuela, 20, July 18 in the 1500 block of South Hollywood Boulevard, near Hollywood Regional Park.
“The state is never going to allege that she got out of the vehicle, that she fired the gun, but ultimately she’s the one that created the situation,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Madilyn Cole. “She’s the one that lured the victim there, that made him feel comfortable, that let him believe that he was in an environment where he was with friends and associates, not rival gang members, and then, ultimately, orchestrated this whole thing to happen.”
Police have alleged that the shooting stemmed from a gang-related feud and that Valenzuela was a member of the 18th Street gang, while Torres and another friend involved in the killing were part of the Florencia 13 gang. Cole said in court that a desire to hurt the mother of Valenzuela’s child was “likely a large motive.”
The status of the third suspect is unclear, and Cole declined to comment after court.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Eric Goodman said that in making his no-bail finding, he paid particular attention to text message and video evidence.
Court records indicate Torres is also being held without bail.
Defense attorney Robert Draskovich questioned the extent of his client’s involvement, saying prosecutors were asking the judge to make assumptions based on the recollections of a juvenile witness who told police that she ran away from Child Haven, a Clark County facility for children awaiting foster care.
He suggested that witness was “less than truthful.”
A police report said the runaway told investigators that the interaction between Valenzuela and his friend and Torres and his friend was initially peaceful until Torres’ friend informed them that he and Torres were Florencia 13 members.
Metro said a fight broke out just before 5:10 a.m. and that video showed Torres’ friend point “an object at Carlos as he ran away and several muzzle flashes.”
The girl who spoke to police “stated Kassandra was not upset, and it seemed as if she knew the shooting was going to (take) place,” according to the report.
During the bail hearing Monday, Metro homicide Detective Edgar Nahum testified that in his experience, 18th Street and Florencia 13 are sometimes at odds and sometimes aligned based on gang politics.
He said Orozco recorded video of the events surrounding the shooting. Portions of video played in court were difficult to hear, but in one video, Nahum said it sounded like a gun was clicking, indicating it could no longer fire due to a malfunction or running out of ammunition.
He said a voice that he believed to be Orozco’s also asked if “J” had more bullets or not. He said the video also indicated that the suspects were looking for the victims.
Cole said the suspects were hunting the victim to ensure “make sure that they finished him off.”
Under cross-examination by Draskovich, Nahum said he was not aware of Orozco belonging to a gang. He also conceded that the runaway girl’s statements were inconsistent.
Cole indicated that after the shooting, Orozco was recorded in a video “screaming with excitement.”
Draskovich said that those involved in the case were relying on the runaway girl’s identification of the speakers in the video footage.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
