In the early morning hours of July 11, 2018, a 25-year-old Hispanic male named Thomas Romero was at a self-service car wash on North Eastern Avenue in Las Vegas. It was there, just before 7:30 a.m., that his life was cut short in a burst of gunfire. Security cameras at the car wash captured the chilling moments as two men, later identified as Fidel Miranda, 22, and Rene Nunez, 30, were present with Romero next to a stolen black Ford Expedition.
The footage showed Miranda approaching Romero and opening fire. Almost immediately, Nunez also drew a weapon.
Following the shooting, the two suspects spoke briefly before calmly getting into the Ford Expedition and driving away from the scene, leaving Romero motionless on the ground. Witnesses who heard the gunshots saw the men flee in the dark SUV. When authorities arrived, Romero was rushed to University Medical Center, but he succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds hours later. The investigation into the killing, which police suspected was gang-related, was quickly underway as law enforcement began searching for the black Expedition.
About two hours after the shooting, police spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspects' SUV, initiating a pursuit through the streets of Las Vegas. During the chase, Miranda and Nunez fired at the pursuing police vehicles. The chase came to a dramatic end when the Expedition crashed into a wall at an elementary school. Miranda exited the vehicle and was fatally shot by police as he attempted to flee. Nunez, who was driving, was also wounded during the exchange of gunfire with officers.
Rene Nunez was taken into custody at the scene and transported to a hospital with survivable injuries. He was later booked into the Clark County Detention Center and faced a litany of charges, including murder for his role in the death of Thomas Romero and attempted murder for firing at police officers. One of the suspects, Fidel Miranda, was killed in the shootout with law enforcement, while Rene Nunez was arrested and charged.
