On December 26, 2016, the life of 24-year-old Hispanic female Diana Cristina Rios was tragically cut short in Las Vegas, Nevada. A contractor discovered her unresponsive body around 4:30 p.m. in a vacant apartment that was undergoing renovations at 3947 Silver Dollar Avenue. The Clark County coroner's office later confirmed that Rios had been strangled to death.
At the time of her death, Diana, a mother of two young children, was also thirteen weeks pregnant with her third child.
The investigation into her death quickly focused on her former boyfriend and the father of her children, 24-year-old Salvador Gonzalez. Just before her body was found, a contractor working in the apartment had seen a man, later identified as Gonzalez, in the hallway. The man, who appeared nervous, asked the contractor for a cigarette before leaving. Shortly after, the contractor discovered Rios's body in a bedroom and alerted the authorities. A key piece of evidence found near her body was a 7-Eleven cup. Detectives were able to obtain surveillance video from a nearby 7-Eleven which showed Rios and Gonzalez together shortly before her murder.
Salvador Gonzalez was arrested on December 28, 2016, in connection with Diana's murder. The investigation revealed a history of domestic violence between the couple, including a previous incident where Gonzalez had threatened to kill her. During questioning, Gonzalez initially claimed he had recently broken up with Rios and then denied knowing her at all, despite having children with her. Ultimately, Gonzalez was convicted of first-degree murder for the strangulation of Diana Rios and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
