Las Vegas Man Charged with Murder Was Already a No-Show for Court on Domestic Violence Charges

A 32-year-old Carlos Magana—now facing an open murder charge for allegedly stabbing his stepfather to death—was already a wanted man with a record of domestic violence charges and restraining order violations. Despite clear red flags, he had been released from jail not once, but twice, after failing to appear in court.

Magana, who is accused of fatally stabbing 57-year-old Luis Torres-Avila five times, actually called 911 himself to report the crime—after calmly cleaning the knife and brushing his teeth. A witness reported hearing a loud argument just before the deadly attack.

What’s even more disturbing is the chain of missed warning signs. Back in December 2023, Magana had already been reported to police for threatening to harm family members and violating protection orders. Prosecutors charged him with aggravated stalking and violating a restraining order. A warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court.

He was arrested on that warrant in February, and despite objections from prosecutors, Justice Court Judge Nancy Bernstein released him under the highest-level pretrial monitoring. Shockingly, he failed to appear again. That misstep led to another arrest warrant—only this time, it was too late.

Now, Judge Suzan Baucum has finally denied him bail. But many are left wondering: Why was a man with a violent history and multiple court no-shows allowed to walk free in the first place?

This case doesn’t just point to one man’s actions—it exposes a system that’s more concerned with revolving doors than public safety. When do we start putting victims and families first? How many more lives must be lost before judges are held accountable for releasing dangerous individuals back onto our streets?

Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal