Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Murder charge dropped against MMA fighter in football player’s death

Jason Sindelar

Jason Sindelar

DeMario Reynolds

DeMario Reynolds

A judge has dismissed a murder charge against a mixed martial arts fighter accused in the death of former UNLV football player DeMario Reynolds during an altercation in June at the Luxor.

Jason Sindelar will be charged with involuntary manslaughter related to the June 19 incident when he goes to trial, officials said earlier this week at a preliminary hearing.

In August, the Clark County Coroner's Office ruled that Reynolds had ecstasy, cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of his death.

The coroner's report also concluded a "physical alteration" contributed to Reynolds' death. The coroner ruled the death a homicide.

Metro Police said Reynolds got into a fight with Sindelar, a mixed martial arts fighter, in a Luxor suite on the Las Vegas Strip. Sindelar allegedly punched Reynolds in the face and chest. Police said the two were friends.

Police arrested Sindelar in June in connection with murder in Reynolds' death.

According to the arrest report, Sindelar and his girlfriend got into a verbal confrontation during a party at the suite, and Reynolds asked Sindelar to leave because of the disturbance.

Witnesses told police that Sindelar was intoxicated and belligerent. He tried to grab his girlfriend by the throat and slapped her during the confrontation, the report said.

Reynolds tried to calm Sindelar by holding him in a bear hug on the bathroom floor and saying he “didn’t want to fight with him; he loved him,” one witness told police.

Reynolds let go of him and went into the main bedroom, where Sindelar followed and a brief struggle ensued between the two. Punches were thrown but the fight was broken up, police said.

Sindelar then left and Reynolds took a seat on the couch. Witnesses said Reynolds was sweating and out of breath.

Shortly after the altercation, Sindelar came back into the suite and began hitting Reynolds in the chest, the report said. The mixed martial arts fighter pulled Reynolds onto the floor and continued to hit him, authorities said.

The fight was broken up again and security was called after Reynolds became unresponsive, police said.

Reynolds was a 2006 graduate of UNLV and had worked at the Cathouse nightclub inside the Luxor.

Sindelar told officers that Reynolds had provoked him by grabbing him by the throat and pulling him out of the room. He said he came back to the room to argue with Reynolds but did not fight with him again.

Police said Sindelar was the primary aggressor because witness statements indicated he came back to the room for a second fight and continued to hit Reynolds after the former football player took a defensive position.

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