On a Saturday afternoon in North Las Vegas, a selfless act in a bustling marketplace parking lot ended in tragedy. Hispanic male Cesar Garcia Pineda, 51, was fatally shot on November 20, 2021, at the Broadacres Marketplace located on Las Vegas Boulevard North. The incident unfolded around 4:15 p.m. when Garcia Pineda witnessed a four-door vehicle speeding through the parking lot and colliding with another car.
As the driver of the speeding vehicle attempted to flee the scene of the accident, Garcia Pineda intervened, trying to stop the motorist from leaving. In a sudden and violent turn of events, the driver emerged from the car brandishing a gun and shot Garcia Pineda. He sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
North Las Vegas Police Department officers were called to the marketplace following reports of the shooting. Their investigation led them to identify 19-year-old Ray Ngankou as the primary suspect. Police located the vehicle involved in the crash later in Las Vegas, near Charleston Boulevard and Pecos Road, and took Ngankou into custody.
Following his arrest, a witness identified Ngankou as the individual who shot Garcia Pineda. During questioning by detectives, Ngankou admitted to being at the swap meet with two friends with the intention of committing a robbery. However, he denied being the one who fired the weapon that killed Garcia Pineda. Despite his denial, Ngankou was charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting.
