Two Suspects Arrested in Deadly West Las Vegas Shooting, Kidnapping

Las Vegas police have arrested two suspects in connection to a deadly shooting and kidnapping.

On Wednesday, Feb. 7, authorities arrested Jessica Tolentino-Arciga and booked her into the Clarke County Detention Center in connection to a kidnapping and fatal shooting that occurred in the city’s west valley, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Officers also arrested 27-year-old Joseph L. Fernandez Jr. in connection to the case.

According to a police report, Fernandez allegedly broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend, Mandy Hernandez, just before 4 a.m. Wednesday. He then dragged Hernandez by the hair and forced her into a gray BMW sedan, fatally shooting her friend, Terrell Thomas Jones, who had attempted to stop the abduction. When Hernandez attempted to escape and began screaming, Fernandez is said to have hit her over the head and pointed a gun at her, threatening to kill her if she didn’t quit screaming.

It is then alleged that Fernandez drove his ex-girlfriend to an apartment, where he met up with Tolentino-Arciga, who helped restrain Hernandez inside of the apartment. Hernandez managed to escape and run to a nearby pharmacy to call for help when Tolentino-Arciga left the apartment to check for police.

Fernandez was arrest after a Metro helicopter noticed a gray sedan driving erratically at about 4:30 a.m. A police patrol car clipped the sedan, causing it to come to a stop. They then arrest Fernandez. Tolentino-Arciga was arrested later inside of the apartment where Hernandez had been held.

The shooting and kidnapping occurred roughly six hours before Hernandez was due in court for a hearing regarding a restraining order she had against Fernandez.

Prosecutors have charged Fernandez with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, burglary, battery and home invasion. They charged Tolentino-Arciga with conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.