Local News

Actions

Mom remembers daughter killed near Strip

Posted at 5:13 AM, Feb 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-23 14:34:57-05

LATEST UPDATE:  The two women shot and killed were in Las Vegas for a graduation party, according to Tonette Mendoza, the mother of one of the victims. 

Melissa Mendoza and Jennifer Chicas had been best friends since high school.  

"Melissa had no children, Jenny had two children," said Mendoza, "I don't even know how to express the sadness that our family is going through right now."

Mendoza said Jennifer was like a second daughter to her.  

Meanwhile, 13 Action News has just received the arrest report for Omar Talley. 

In the report, police say it all started with a fight in the parking garage of the Miracle Mile Shops when Talley pointed a gun at a car with three people inside.
 
They took off and he chased after them before firing six shots into the car near Harmon and Polaris avenues. 
 
After Talley was arrested, he told police he was drunk and high on marijuana at the time and didn't remember much about the fight. 
 
He told police the gun he pointed at the car was a BB gun but said he never pulled the trigger. 
 
Talley now faces several charges including two counts of murder with a deadly weapon. 

UPDATE: Omar Talley was arrested Saturday in connection to the shooting.

He faces two counts of murder with a deadly weapon, attempted murder with a deadly weapon, six counts of discharging a gun at/into an occupied vehicle and six counts of discharging a gun from a vehicle.

The two women killed in Friday's shooting have been identified.

27-year-old Melissa Yvette Mendoza died around 2 a.m. Friday while 27-year-old Jennifer Margarita Chicas died around 4:40 a.m. Their causes of death are pending. Their city of residences are unknown.

ORIGINAL STORY

Three people were shot near the Las Vegas Strip on Friday morning.

Around 1:29 a.m. LVMPD patrol officers were dispatched to the area of Harmon Boulevard and Aldebaran Avenue to investigate reports of a shooting.
 
Arriving patrol officers located an unresponsive female suffering from apparent gunshot wounds lying in the street. The victim was transported to UMC Trauma where she was later pronounced deceased.
 
At approximately 1:33 a.m. the LVMPD Dispatch Center received reports of a male and female shot inside a vehicle at the valet area of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas located at 3708 South Las Vegas Boulevard.
 
Both victims were transported to UMC Trauma where the female was pronounced deceased.
 
The male victim was treated and is currently listed in stable condition.
 
The investigation initiated by the LVMPD Homicide Section indicated that at approximately 1:18 a.m. several individuals were involved in a fight inside the parking garage of the Miracle Mile Shops located at 3663 South Las Vegas Boulevard.
 
After the fight was broken up by security officers, several of the individuals involved left westbound on Harmon Boulevard in two separate vehicles. Based on evidence at the scene, the shooting took place at or near Harmon Boulevard and Aldebaran Avenue.
 
One female victim was found at the intersection while the other female victim drove herself and the male victim to the valet area of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
 
Detectives are currently asking the public’s assistance in locating a dark gray 2015 Toyota Camry driven by a black male adult in his early 20s believed to be connected with this incident.

 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

 

A shooting near the strip leaves one dead, one extremely critical, and another barely able to speak to police. Just got new info.

Posted by Parker Collins on Friday, February 19, 2016