Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Police: Suspect in fatal pipe beating was high school friend of victim

Jaime Santana

Metro Police

Metro Police say they arrested Jaime Santana, 25, on Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in the beating death of a woman in the 300 block of Lilac Lane on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.

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Jaime Santana

Not long after rekindling an old high school friendship with her alleged killer, the woman lay dead, her mostly naked body covered with a blanket after being fatally struck on the head with a metal pipe, according to a Metro Police arrest warrant.

In the hours leading up to her death, Cinthia Wendy Perez-Rodriguez, 25, texted several friends about an encounter she'd had days earlier at her job on the Strip. She had exchanged phone numbers with Jaime Santana, a high school friend.

Her body was discovered about 12:25 a.m. Aug. 12 in the 300 block of Lilac Lane, near Rancho Drive and Bonanza Road, police said. Santana fled in her blue 2015 Toyota Scion, along with her purse and cellphone, according to police.

Hours before the body was discovered, Santana’s father, who has told police his 25-year-old son suffers from schizophrenia, said his son mentioned a girl from high school was going to take him to the Wynn, according to the document. He didn’t further elaborate on his friend's identity.

Santana's father told investigators he would take his son to work with him as a limousine driver to keep him out of trouble, the report said. After all, he was on probation for allegedly breaking into his neighbors’ garage and threatening them with a large kitchen knife months prior.

With the excuse of being tired and wanting to meet up with Perez-Rodriguez, Santana told his father he wasn’t going to work with him on Aug. 11.

At 6:42 p.m. that day, Perez-Rodriguez was seen on video withdrawing $100, police said. She was alone in the car.

About 8 p.m., she sent a text message to a friend: “Are you home?” That was reportedly the last time anyone heard from her.

A half-hour later, a roommate at the Santanas arrived at their cul-de-sac home and found the door unlocked and Perez-Rodriguez’s car in the driveway. He told police he grabbed something to eat and went to sleep.

It wouldn’t be until 12:25 a.m. when Santana’s father discovered the body and found that his son was missing, police said. The car, which was found abandoned last week, was gone.

Santana was taken into custody in the east valley on Friday. He is housed at the Clark County Detention Center on one count each of murder, auto theft and robbery. His next court appearance is Sept. 16.

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