West Las Vegas Teen Faces Open Murder Charge in Unprovoked Stabbing

LAS VEGAS (January 11, 2024) – An 18-year-old Las Vegas resident, Elijah Candelaria, is facing open murder charges in connection with the December 13th stabbing death of 36-year-old Noe Garcia. The attack occurred near the 8300 block of Mulcahy Avenue in west Las Vegas.

Responding officers found Garcia unconscious with apparent stab wounds near the front door of a residence, with a trail of blood leading from the driver’s seat of a car. He was transported to UMC Trauma but later pronounced dead.

According to the arrest report, Garcia sustained five stab wounds to the face and neck. Investigators interviewed Garcia’s cousin, who confirmed he lived with her family for the past decade. She stated her security camera captured footage of shouting just before 10 p.m. on the night of the murder, followed by a man in black chasing Garcia.

Police reviewed the footage, hearing shouts of “Hey! Hey! Oh! Don’t!” and observing a man matching Candelaria’s description pursuing Garcia. Subsequent neighborhood canvassing on December 14th yielded more surveillance video showing the same individual, later identified as Candelaria, walking with a noticeable limp both before and after the attack.

Authorities traced Candelaria to a nearby residence on January 6th, where he was apprehended. He invoked his right to an attorney and declined to be interviewed. No details regarding a potential altercation between the two men prior to the stabbing have been released.

Candelaria remains at the Clark County Detention Center on an open murder charge and is denied bail.

This case remains under investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Credits: News3LV