Car theft in Las Vegas ends in fatal crash

LAS VEGAS (NBC, KYMA) - In Las Vegas, a man is dead after the car he was sitting in was stolen, and then involved in a crash with another vehicle.

"It was just a screeching and then a bam...it almost kind of sounded like an explosion. It was bad," said Mirna Serrano, a neighbor.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) reports receiving a call about a crash just before 11 a.m. Saturday. Upon arrival, they found two cars involved, a silver van and a black Hyundai Sonata.

Officers say the passengers in the van faced little to no injuries. As for the stolen Sonata, the driver suffered minor injuries.

"Unfortunately, the passenger succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased," said Lt. Monique Rodriguez with LVMPD.

Lt. Rodriguez says the suspect accused of kidnapping the passenger and stealing the car is now in custody.

"Since his car was running, we think that it was a crime of opportunity because the suspect walked right up to the car, opened the unlocked drivers door, got in the drivers seat, and immediately started driving at a high rate of speed," Rodriguez shared.

According to investigators, the victim was a man in his 30s. They say his family member went inside Walmart while he remained in the car.

"When the family member came out, she noticed that the vehicle was missing, and then ultimately found that the car had been involved in this accident," Rodriguez detailed.

Rodriguez says the suspect has an extensive criminal history, and is likely to be charged with open murder.

Meanwhile, neighbors, like Serrano, say safety in this area has been decreasing for quite some time.

"I have had things stolen off of my front yard, so you can't really leave anything important," Serrano remarked.

Serrano has lived in the neighborhood off West Charleston for eight years and is a mother of four.

"It's really bad that this is happening so close to home like it does not feel like you can walk around and feel safe," Serrano expressed.

Over the past few years, she's taken extra precautions with her kids, and offers that same advice to people visiting the area.

"Lock the door, lock the door, do not leave the door open, and now with this, everybody needs to be aware, like if you're leaving a passenger just lock the doors," Serrano explained.