On a Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas, 40-year-old Elio Saucedo was at a car wash on West Charleston Boulevard with his wife. The date was November 17, 2020, and the everyday task of vacuuming his vehicle was about to take a tragic turn. As Saucedo sat in the driver's seat, a white sedan approached. Shots rang out from the vehicle, striking Saucedo multiple times. His wife, who was in the car with him, was not injured but witnessed the horrific event.
Saucedo was rushed to University Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence. Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer stated that Saucedo knew the person who shot him. Although the exact nature of their relationship was not made public, the police identified 44-year-old Thomas Bermudez as the suspect. Bermudez had a criminal record dating back to 1995. Following the shooting, authorities began their search for him.
The manhunt for Bermudez came to an end three days later, on November 20, 2020. Acting on information that the suspect was at a residence on Sacks Drive, near Boulder Highway and Tropicana Avenue, police surrounded the home. They attempted to make contact and called for Bermudez to surrender. A resident of the home, who had come outside, reported hearing a loud noise from within the house. When detectives finally entered, they found Bermudez deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Clark County coroner's office later confirmed his death as a suicide. With the death of the sole suspect, the case of Elio Saucedo's murder was brought to a somber close.
