A 22-year-old Las Vegas man is behind bars after police say he ran a red light at East Tropicana Avenue and Tamarus Street, slammed into another car, then tried to disappear into a small group of unhoused people outside a nearby tattoo shop.
The crash turned the busy eastside intersection into a crime scene early in the morning and left the other driver fatally injured. Medics rushed that motorist to a trauma center, where he was later pronounced dead. Detectives say surveillance cameras and witnesses helped them track down the suspected driver after he bolted from the wreck on foot.
What police say
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, evidence from the intersection, along with witness accounts and video, indicates a 2021 Dodge Charger entered the Tropicana and Tamarus intersection against a red light and crashed into a 2003 Toyota Camry that had a green signal.
Medical personnel took the Camry’s driver to Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center’s trauma unit, where he died from his injuries. Police say the Charger’s driver did not stick around. Instead, he allegedly ran from the scene before officers located and arrested him a short time later. The department says its Collision Investigation Section is still working the case.
Scene and early reporting
Local outlets reported the collision occurred around 7:03 a.m., prompting officers to shut down the intersection while they documented the scene and cleared wreckage. FOX5 reported that when officers found the suspected driver, he showed signs of impairment and was booked into the Clark County Detention Center. Traffic and surveillance video were cited in those reports as key pieces in reconstructing how the crash unfolded.
How the suspect allegedly tried to avoid detection
Coverage that reviewed the arrest report describes a less-than-subtle hiding strategy. Officers say the driver tried to blend in with two unhoused individuals in front of Blessings Ink Tattoo at a shopping center on Tropicana Avenue, hanging around there while talking about the crash and insisting the other car had run a red light.
8 News Now reports that the arrest paperwork says the suspect refused to identify himself or complete field sobriety tests, had slurred speech, and smelled of alcohol. Investigators also noted finding temporary Nevada tags and alcohol containers inside the Charger, including two Buzz Ball drinks and a Coors Light bottle. According to the report, the vehicle had been registered in the suspect’s name only days earlier.
Charges and what’s next
Police say the 22-year-old was booked into jail on counts that include DUI resulting in death, failure to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in death, and reckless driving resulting in death. In its press release, LVMPD identifies the arrested driver as a Las Vegas resident and the other motorist as a 36-year-old who died after being taken to the hospital.
From here, prosecutors are expected to bring the case into the Clark County court system as detectives finish collecting video, witness statements, and other evidence.
Hearing date, witnesses and context
According to 8 News Now, a preliminary hearing for the suspect is scheduled for June 30, and the outlet identified the man who died as 36-year-old Agustin Cruz Mantilla.
Local coverage has counted this collision among the Las Vegas Valley’s traffic fatalities for the year, and investigators are still looking for additional witnesses. As noted in coverage of the dawn crash at Tropicana and Tamarus, detectives are asking anyone with dash-cam or security video from the area to contact LVMPD’s Collision Investigation Section.
Legal implications
The allegations fall under Nevada’s impaired-driving laws for crashes that cause serious injury or death. Under state statute NRS 484C.430, DUI resulting in death or substantial bodily harm is a felony that can bring significant prison time and fines. Prosecutors are expected to lean on camera footage, witness testimony, and details from the arrest report as they build their case.
The defendant remains entitled to due process and will move through arraignment and subsequent court dates in the Clark County system while the investigation continues.
