In the late hours of a November night in Las Vegas, a domestic argument spiraled into a fatal encounter for Conrado Mendoza, a 41-year-old Asian man. He shared a home with his girlfriend, Sounilak Ouchlaeun, in the southwest valley. On November 19, 2012, the couple, who were coworkers at the Rio resort, had been drinking tequila shots with a friend when an argument erupted.
The dispute became heated, with Mendoza accusing Ouchlaeun of infidelity and punching a hole in a kitchen cabinet.
The conflict escalated, prompting Ouchlaeun to leave the house and get into her Toyota Venza SUV, intending to drive away and let the situation cool down. Mendoza, however, followed her outside and positioned himself behind the vehicle to prevent her from leaving. Their friend, who was a witness to the unfolding tragedy, warned Ouchlaeun that Mendoza was behind the SUV. Another witness walking in the neighborhood also reported seeing Mendoza banging on the back window of the vehicle.
Despite the warnings, Ouchlaeun proceeded to back out of the driveway, striking Mendoza with the vehicle. The impact proved fatal. The friend who had been with the couple called 911 to report that Mendoza had been run over. When police arrived at the scene on Mammoth Creek Drive, they found Mendoza deceased.
Following an investigation into the incident, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested 33-year-old Sounilak Ouchlaeun. She was taken into custody and booked at the Clark County Detention Center. Ouchlaeun faced a charge of murder with a deadly weapon, with the deadly weapon being her 2010 Toyota Venza. While her friends and lawyer argued that the death was a tragic accident occurring during a drunken argument, prosecutors contended it was murder. Bail for Ouchlaeun was set at $100,000.
