Woman sought in holiday slaying arrested

Monday, Nov. 29, 2004 | 10:56 a.m.

Henderson Police officers, responding to a homeowner's call of a prowler late Saturday, took into custody the 25-year-old California woman wanted in the shooting death of a 51-year-old Las Vegas woman on Thanksgiving Day.

Henderson patrol officers "found (her) acting hysterical" in a nearby backyard at 11:17 p.m. on Saturday, a police log said.

Susie Aguillar-Moreno of Fontana, Calif., was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson for suspected drug abuse, police said.

While at the hospital, she was identified as a suspect in the Thanksgiving Day murder at a home near Vegas and Buffalo drives. Metro Police homicide detectives then arrested her at the hospital and took her to the Clark County Detention Center.

She was booked on a homicide charge, police said.

Henderson police found the silver Honda Civic Aguillar-Moreno was driving about 5:30 a.m. Saturday where it had been abandoned in a 7-Eleven store parking lot on Horizon Drive and Boulder Highway.

Aguillar-Moreno is suspected in the shooting death of a woman during a Thanksgiving celebration at the 1800 block of Battle Born Drive.

Neighbor Mae MacDonald, who with her husband Ian has lived on Battle Born for seven years, said the shooting surprised her.

"Nothing, nothing like that has ever happened on the street," MacDonald said.

The MacDonald couple was home Thursday night, but stayed inside.

"It's a good thing we didn't have to go out," she said.

The victim's family declined a request for an interview.

Police said family members barely knew Aguillar-Moreno, a friend of the victim's son.

Metro Homicide Lt. Tom Monahan said the suspect allegedly drew a gun and started firing shots. Police found a weapon in the garage of the home, although it was not clear if that was the weapon used in the shooting or how many shots were fired.

The victim's name had not been released by the coroner's office late Sunday.