Man sentenced to prison in brother-in-law’s shooting death

By Dave Toplikar

Thursday, May 10, 2012 | 2:45 p.m.

Ricky Saldana will serve at least six years in prison in the death of his sister’s estranged husband, who was shot nearly three years ago in an eastern Las Vegas Valley neighborhood.

Saldana, 28, was sentenced Thursday in Clark County District Court for voluntary manslaughter with the use of a deadly weapon in the July 11, 2009, death of Gerald Hirai, 31.

Saldana had taken an Alford plea to the charges, which means he didn’t admit guilt but realized that there was enough evidence against him that if he went to trial, he might be convicted.

Judge Jerome Tau sentenced Saldana to 36 to 90 months on the voluntary manslaughter charge, plus a consecutive term of 36 to 90 months on the weapons charge.

Hirai suffered a gunshot wound to the head while sitting behind the wheel of his red BMW sedan, which was parked at a Circle K Store at Nellis Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. He was taken by ambulance to Sunrise Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later, police said.

The suspects in the case were identified as two younger Hispanic males with short hair and wearing tank tops. One of the witnesses told police that after they heard a gunshot, they heard someone yell, “Come on Ricky!”

Saldana, who wasn’t arrested until nearly a year after the incident, fit the physical description given by witnesses, according to a police report. Police also said they found Saldana’s fingerprints on the victim’s car.

Hirai's wife told police that a few years earlier, her husband had lost his job and developed a drug habit of prescription pills, methamphetamine and marijuana. He began associating with a new crowd of people and started selling drugs, she reportedly told police. She said she and her children moved out of their home and obtained a restraining order against him, according to police.

Saldana admitted he had a physical confrontation with Hirai over the mistreatment of his sister, but told police their conflict had ended, according to the police report.