In a tragic turn of events on the evening of December 14, 2015, Roberto Ortiz Sanchez, a 45-year-old Hispanic male, was fatally shot at his Las Vegas residence. The night began with a 911 call from a man reporting he had been the victim of an armed robbery. He told dispatchers that he had arranged to buy Lortab pills and that when he entered the sellers' vehicle, two individuals, later identified as Jesus Sanchez and Renee Martinez, brandished guns and robbed him.
The victim managed to escape and provide police with the license plate number of the car.
Two Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol located the vehicle as it was backing into the driveway of a home on King Palm Avenue. As the officers approached, they saw the occupants of the car, identified as Jesus Sanchez, Renee Martinez, and a female acquaintance, Taylor Bailey, walking towards the front door. The officers ordered the three to the ground. As this was unfolding, Roberto Ortiz Sanchez emerged from the house holding a handgun.
Having been the victim of a home invasion several months prior, it is believed Sanchez was acting to protect his home and family, unaware of the full situation unfolding in his driveway. He reportedly yelled at the three individuals who were being commanded by the police. Officers ordered Sanchez to drop his weapon, a command that was also overheard by a neighbor watching from his own home. When Sanchez raised his firearm in the direction of the officers, one of the officers fired his weapon, striking him. Sanchez retreated into his home where he collapsed in the living room.
Inside the house, one of Sanchez's two juvenile sons called 911 to report that his father had been shot. Once additional officers arrived and secured the scene, they entered the home and rendered aid to Sanchez until medical personnel arrived. He was transported to University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later determined that he died from multiple gunshot wounds and had no alcohol or controlled substances in his system.
In the subsequent investigation, Jesus Sanchez and Renee Martinez were arrested in connection with the initial armed robbery. Both later pleaded guilty to robbery charges and were sentenced to prison. Taylor Bailey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and received probation. The Clark County District Attorney's Office reviewed the officer-involved shooting and determined that the officer's actions were legally justified and reasonable under the circumstances.
