Court order fails to stop killing

Keith Paul

Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2002 | 9:28 a.m.

A Las Vegas man was charged Monday with the stabbing death of his estranged wife, who had obtained a temporary protection order barring the man from coming within 1,000 feet of her home.

Saul Lopez, 35, was booked into the Clark County jail Monday on one count of murder. Investigators say he went to his estranged wife's home in the 2500 block of Winwood Street, near Smoke Ranch Road and Jones Boulevard, about 9:50 a.m. Monday.

The woman called 911 saying her estranged husband was in the house in violation of the protection order, Lt. Tom Monahan of Metro's homicide unit said.

"The dispatcher could hear the struggle in the background," Monahan said. "By the time patrol officers got to the house, which was only a few minutes, they found her dead and took the suspect into custody."

The couple's 6-year-old son was in the house at the time. Two other children were at school, police said.

The woman filed for divorce earlier this month and had a court-ordered temporary protection order. She called police Saturday saying that her estranged husband had violated the order by coming over to the house, but he apparently left the home before officers arrived, Monahan said.

The woman's slaying is the second killing this year involving domestic partners.

On Feb. 13 Reuben Valdivia, 52, shot and killed his estranged wife, Rosario Valdivia, 38, at her home in the 200 block of East Tropicana Avenue near Koval Lane. Reuben Valdivia then shot and killed himself, police said.

Monday's slaying was the 22nd homicide so far this year in Metro's jurisdiction, compared with 30 slayings at the same time last year.