Woman, 26, charged in shotgun slaying of roommate in southwest valley

By Ana Ley

Friday, Sept. 13, 2013 | 5:50 p.m.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion that she killed her roommate by firing a shotgun through his closed bedroom door, striking him while he talked on the phone with his boyfriend.

The victim, who has not yet been identified, had reportedly been arguing with roommate Mary Pitrello on Thursday at their home inside The Falls, a gated condominium community in the 9000 block of Warm Springs Road, near Fort Apache Road.

After the verbal fight, he walked into his bedroom to talk on the phone, and Pitrello, 26, allegedly grabbed a shotgun from her bedroom, firing a single round through his door.

Pitrello and a woman who was visiting her ran out of the apartment and drove away in the victim’s vehicle, police said.

While homicide detectives began investigating the shooting, police received a call saying that Pitrello and the woman were inside a business in the 2000 block of Las Vegas Boulevard.

Police caught up to both women while riding in the victim’s vehicle, which contained the shotgun.

Pitrello was taken into custody and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.

The second woman is not expected to face charges. She is cooperating with authorities.

"I saw all these people running," Eva Risigleone said in Spanish shortly after the shooting. Her daughter-in-law, Veronica Cruz, said the shooting was "definitely a shock" for the family.

"It's always very quiet," said Cruz, who has lived there for about six years. "There are security guards always patrolling and they know everybody."

Cruz had just gotten home from a Santana concert when she noticed police officers and TV news trucks in and around The Falls.

"I've only seen like one cop car before this for a noise complaint," Cruz said. "Nothing's ever happened before."