Friday, Nov. 9, 2001 | 10:06 a.m.
Two young Las Vegas sisters, one kidnapped by her estranged husband and the other shot in the face as part of an apparent revenge plot, found enough courage to save themselves and try to help each other.
Brenda Guerrero, 21, sat on the floor of a van Tuesday as her estranged husband tried to speed away from California police and, through the tears, found enough courage to save her own life.
After being hit, tied up, kidnapped and told repeatedly by her husband, Pablo Guerrero, that he was going to kill her and then himself Tuesday, Brenda Guerrero reached up and turned off the ignition.
Her sister, 17-year-old Sonia Gallardo, miles away in their Las Vegas home, also, after she was shot in the head, summoned enough courage to jump from a second-floor balcony. As a consequence, she was able to give people enough information to effectively begin the search for Brenda Guerrero.
"I was so scared. I thought I was going to die," Brenda Guerrero said. "He kept saying he was going to kill me."
Brenda Guerrero thought she was alone, but she did have some help.
A Metro Police robbery detective called her cellular phone in an attempt to talk Guerrero, 23, into surrendering. Sometimes Guerrero would talk to the detective. Other times he would toss the phone to Brenda Guerrero, then snatch it from her hand.
But after the van ran over a strip of metal spikes placed across the road by California Highway Patrol near Victorville, Calif., about 160 miles from Las Vegas, the phone was in Brenda Guerrero's hand.
"The man on the phone asked if I could see the gun. It was on his lap," she said. "After I turned off the ignition he moved his hand to turn it on. I grabbed the gun off his lap, ran to the back of the van and threw it out of the window."
Soon after that the 10-hour ordeal ended, and Pablo Guerrero was taken into custody. Meanwhile, Sonia Gallardo was being treated at University Medical Center as her sister was brought back to Las Vegas. The 17-year-old was in good condition this morning and, other than some bruises, Brenda Guerrero wasn't hurt.
The kidnapping and shooting apparently was born after a conversation between the estranged couple about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Guerrero told his wife he wanted her back after their nearly six-month separation. But Brenda Guerrero said she told him that she didn't want to get back together. She wanted a divorce.
About 9 a.m. Tuesday Guerrero went to Brenda Guerrero's parent's house, where she was staying with their two young boys.
Guerrero had been very nice to his estranged wife for about a month, apparently trying to win her back. But once in the house, Brenda Guerrero said he started waving a copy of her cellular phone bill, demanding to know who she had been talking to.
"He was always very jealous," she said. "He hit me in the face. I ran to the phone, but he grabbed the phone and broke it. He said he had a surprise for me at 10 o'clock."
At 10 a.m. a man came into the house wearing gloves and carrying a gun. She had seen the man before, but didn't really know him. It was Guerrero's friend Eddie -- later identified by authorities as 16-year-old Eriberto Leon.
"It was planned. He was upset that I wouldn't go back with him," she said, referring to her husband. "He said he was going to take me to Tijuana. He said he would kill me and then himself."
Brenda Guerrero, who was tied up, said she would go with him, but to leave their two young sons behind.
But about 12:30 p.m. Brenda Guerrero said she was taken to the van and driven down the street to where her sister was going to high school. Pablo Guerrero spotted the teenager and her offered a ride. Once inside, Gallardo saw her sister tied up, but Pablo Guerrero had a gun. He drove back to the house.
"I told him to leave her alone. I would go with him," she said.
Brenda Guerrero, thinking Leon had left, told her sister to go into the house and lock all the doors. But as the high school student went into the house, Leon appeared. Guerrero whispered something to Leon. Leon went into the house as Guerrero drove off with his wife tied up in the van.
She said he didn't learn until later that Leon was apparently told to shoot Gallardo in the head.
Leon is accused of taking the girl into the house. The teenage girl was crying and begging for her life.
"Sonia said as they were going upstairs he said to her, 'It's only business,"' Brenda Guerrero said.
Gallardo was led into her parent's walk-in closet; a blanket was put over her head and the gun was placed in her mouth. But as the trigger was being pulled, she moved her head. The bullet struck her in the bridge of her nose and lodged in her sinus. Brenda Guerrero's two young sons were still in the house and were unharmed.
The gunman fled the house. Thinking the gunman may still be in the house, Gallardo jumped off the second-floor balcony and ran to a neighbor's house to call police.
She told police her sister was kidnapped, and they were heading to Tijuana.
Brenda Guerrero still doesn't understand why her sister was brought back to the house and then shot.
"She had nothing to do with anything," Brenda said. "Maybe because he knew it would hurt me more to know that I lost someone I love."
Guerrero drove to Stateline, apparently to wait for Leon. But when Leon didn't show up after a few hours, Guerrero started driving to Tijuana.
"He said again he was going to kill me and then himself," she said. "I was almost relieved. I knew then he couldn't hurt my boys or the rest of my family."
Brenda Guerrero said she didn't know if anyone was looking for her. She didn't know what happened to her sister. She didn't learn until later that her sister provided police with information to help track down the van.
"I'm so proud of my sister," she said.
The van was spotted, and the California Highway Patrol pursued the vehicle. The Metro detective called the cellular phone, trying to convince Pablo to surrender. After Brenda Guerrero threw the gun out of the window, police arrested her husband.
Guerrero is being held in the San Bernardino County jail pending extradition to Las Vegas.
Leon was arrested at his home about 10 p.m. Tuesday. Leon was charged as an adult with attempted murder, kidnapping and other charges. He is being held in the Clark County jail.
Brenda Guerrero never imagined anything such as Tuesday's incident would actually happen. She met Guerrero when she was 13 and started dating him when she was 15. They were married for three years before separating about six months ago.
"We are doing OK. My sister is walking on crutches and doing better, but she is still so scared," she said. "I've heard about things like this on the news and on television (shows), but I never thought it would happen to me," she said. "We are just so thankful to everyone that helped us."
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