Nevada Father Executes Estranged Wife in Front of Their Children After Losing Custody Battle, Gets Life Sentence
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — A Las Vegas man who lost custody of his children during a family court hearing has been sentenced to life in prison for executing his estranged wife in front of their kids later that same night.
Authorities say 40-year-old Roidan Mendoza was furious after learning that his ex-wife, Marillorky Tamayo Cruz, had been awarded full custody and the family home. Hours later, he showed up at her mother’s apartment, fired 11 bullets into the door, and shot Cruz in the forehead in what prosecutors called a deliberate, “execution-style killing.”
A Custody Ruling Turns Deadly
On August 2023, following the court hearing, Mendoza was supposed to meet Cruz for a car exchange. Instead, he arrived at her mother’s residence in the Destinations Spring Valley apartment complex and opened fire, shattering the locks before forcing his way inside.
Clark County Deputy District Attorney Corey Hallquist described the moment of terror in court:
“To feel the horror that she must have experienced when the defendant decided he was going to execute his wife in front of his child and his stepdaughter — there’s nothing that can put you in that moment.”
Cruz was killed instantly, while two others in the apartment were also shot but survived.
Teen Daughter’s Brave Attempt to Fight Back
In a heart-wrenching testimony, Cruz’s daughter — who was just 14 years old at the time — described trying to save her mother during the attack.
“I had to protect what I had left,” she said. “So I grabbed a knife from the ground, and I planned to kill him.”
She reportedly stabbed Mendoza in the back, but he disarmed her and attempted to retaliate, leaving her with cuts on her hands and back. Now 17, she told the court she will live with the trauma forever.
Prosecutors Say Mendoza Acted Out of Control and Revenge
Prosecutors argued that Mendoza was “upset he was losing control” and committed the murder out of revenge after the custody ruling.
“He wanted to be vindicated,” Hallquist said. “He wanted to prove something — and he took it out on the mother of his children.”
At sentencing, Mendoza claimed he “didn’t intend to harm anyone” and expressed remorse to Cruz’s family through an interpreter.
“I have a lot of pain in my heart,” said Cruz’s mother, Marilu Cruz-Tamayo, addressing Mendoza directly in court.
His defense attorney argued that Mendoza “lost control” in a “red zone of emotions,” but the judge imposed a life sentence with no chance of parole for decades.
The case has reignited calls for stronger protections for victims of domestic violence and better monitoring of high-conflict custody disputes.
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