Death penalty may be sought in killing

By Matt Pordum

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 | 10:47 a.m.

The district attorney's office may seek the death penalty against a Mexican citizen accused of kidnapping and killing his estranged wife in front of their 11-year-old daughter and two police officers Saturday morning.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Ed Kane said although a committee at the district attorney's office will ultimately make the decision of whether to seek the death penalty against 44-year-old Carlos Ortiz, he informed the court about the possibility today so the special public defender's office could be appointed to represent Ortiz.

Ortiz was arrested and charged with murder with a deadly weapon and two counts of kidnapping.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron rescheduled Ortiz's arraignment for Thursday so it could be determined if the special public defender's office would indeed represent Ortiz.

According to police, two officers were giving a traffic ticket to another driver in the 400 block of North Eastern Avenue about 1:40 a.m. Saturday when a small sedan pulled alongside their squad car and honked.

The officers heard a woman scream and then saw Ortiz grab the woman and shoot her in the head, they allege.

Ortiz then threw the pistol out of the window and was immediately arrested, police said. Maria Ortiz died at the scene of the shooting. Their daughter was in the back seat of the car.

Police said Ortiz had been arrested in the past for alleged domestic violence. Earlier that morning he was in a fight with his wife, then allegedly kidnapped her and their daughter at gunpoint and made his wife drive around, police said.