LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas man accused of killing his grandmother appears to have dumped her body in Nye County after her death.
Matthew Ayala, 29, told his mother on Jan. 2 that Yolanda Ayala had died in their apartment on Jan. 1 and was taken to a hospital. However, he did not say which one.
He also put his grandmother’s mattress and box spring in a dumpster at his mother’s apartment.
Family members obtained a key to Yolanda’s apartment out of concern. Once. Inside, they noticed things were out of the ordinary, including the door to Yolanda’s room being locked. They contacted police.
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Detectives were unable to verify that Yolanda had died after contacting local hospitals and coroner and began to investigate.
During the investigation, police searched the grandmother’s car and apartment. Inside the apartment, they found a hand towel and white t-shirt with apparent blood stains.
In the garage, they found a large appliance dolly and pieces of tape. Similar tape was found in Yolanda’s bedroom. A neighbor told police they saw Matthew using the dolly to bring a large box downstairs on Dec. 31.
Detectives also learned Matthew rented a U-Haul truck on Jan. 1. The mileage difference between the time Matthew left with the truck and returned it was almost 182 miles.
Next, detectives were able to use cell phone data to determine Matthew had driven to U.S. 95 and State Route 373 in Nye County.
Detectives and deputies from the Nye County Sheriff’s Department went to the area they believed Matthew had visited on Jan. 4 but were unable to locate anything suspicious at that time.
On Jan. 5, a Nye County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted a storage tote that was partially buried in the desert. He contacted Las Vegas police who responded to the scene.
Two totes were discovered. Yolanda’s body, wrapped in blankets and bed sheets, was found inside.
Matthew was located at his mother’s residence and taken into custody. He was then booked into the Clark County Detention Center on an open murder charge.
