In the late hours of April 26, 2016, a 48-year-old male security guard named Mark Steven Santee was on duty, patrolling a construction site for a new apartment complex in the southwestern part of the Las Vegas Valley. His shift seemed to be proceeding as usual, with his last communication to a supervisor at 9:34 p.m. indicating that a security tour was complete with no concerns to note.
However, the quiet of the night was soon shattered by a violent confrontation that would cut his life short.
Sometime after his last check-in, it is believed that Santee encountered individuals in the process of stealing televisions from the property. Evidence suggests that a struggle ensued before he was shot multiple times in the head. His body was discovered in the early morning hours of April 27, 2016, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on the 5100 block of South Jerry Tarkanian Way. The investigation into his death pointed to a robbery, as several large televisions were missing from a room near where his body was found.
The investigation into the murder of Mark Santee led to the eventual arrest of three men. In March 2017, authorities charged 43-year-old Raymond Padilla with murder, robbery, and burglary in connection with the case. Investigators were able to link Padilla to the crime scene through his distinctive orange Chevrolet Avalanche truck, which was seen in the area, and phone records that placed him nearby on the night of the killing. Further investigation led to the arrests of two more suspects in May 2017: 29-year-old Deandre Daniels and 20-year-old Julian Warren. Both men were already in custody for unrelated incidents when they were charged with murder, robbery, and burglary. An anonymous tip also identified Kendall Hubbard as being involved, and detectives were able to trace a stolen television to his apartment. According to police reports, one of the suspects, Julian Warren, admitted to being present during the incident. He told investigators he heard a struggle and then three gunshots, after which he saw Santee lying bleeding in the street.
