A Saturday morning nap outside a Las Vegas Walmart turned into a fatal kidnapping after a stranger allegedly jumped into an idling car and crashed it during a high-speed getaway.
The victim, a man in his 30s, was resting in the front passenger seat of a black Hyundai Sonata while a female relative was inside the store at 4505 W. Charleston Blvd.
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Monique Rodriguez, the car was left running and unlocked. Around 10:59 a.m., a suspect in his 50s reportedly spotted the vehicle and took off with the victim still inside.
“The man in the passenger seat woke up to another man essentially kidnapping him,” Rodriguez said during a press briefing.
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The situation escalated quickly as the suspect sped out of the parking lot. Police say the stolen Hyundai slammed into a silver minivan, causing it to spin out, before the suspect careened into a utility pole and a large boulder. The impact killed the passenger who had been napping just moments before.
The two people in the minivan were taken to a local hospital; the driver suffered minor injuries while the passenger was unharmed. Investigators described the incident as a “crime of opportunity” and noted that the suspect and the victim did not know each other.
The driver of the stolen car was taken into custody at the scene.
While names have not yet been released, Rodriguez confirmed the suspect has an extensive criminal history and is expected to face murder charges.
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