A Las Vegas man was indicted Thursday on charges that he killed the mother of his children last September, a murder court documents say those children witnessed.
But 39-year-old Elmer Manzanarez, who was initially arrested on charges of domestic battery and child abuse, was released on a $100,000 bond, reportedly with an ankle monitor, KLAS reported. He was still not in custody Friday morning.
A Clark County grand jury handed up the indictment for Manzanarez on charges of murder and sexual assault. Court documents say Las Vegas Metro Police responded to an apartment on September 15 for a report of a dead woman. They found Yanci Gomez dead at the scene.
The indictment accuses Manzanarez of strangling and beating Gomez during a rape in front of the children. Witnesses told investigators that Manzanarez was abusive toward Gomez and that they fought on the night of her death.
One of the children told detectives they saw Manzanarez hit Gomez. “Mommy’s dead,” that child told the officers.
Another witness said they confronted the suspect after finding Gomez unconscious on the bed. Manzanarez told the witness she “fell down.”
The court documents say several children “were present during the incident.”
Manzanarez reportedly told police that he didn’t fight with Gomez and that she “convulsed” while they were having sex. He also told them that he’d only had 14 beers that day when he usually drinks 20.
It’s not clear when Manzanarez was released from jail, but a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
