Las Vegas Police Capture Escaped Pipe-Bomb Murderer

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The public was informed Tuesday evening that a pipe bombing victim had escaped Nevada’s High Desert Prison. I previously described how the Nevada Department of Corrections under Governor Steve Sisolak (D), and Charles Daniels, his appointee as DOC Director, had been an ongoing disaster that culminated in an inmate running for days without being alerted.

Porfirio Duarte Herrera is an illegal Nicaraguan immigrant. He was convicted for the 2007 bombing at the Luxor Hotel parking lot which killed Willebaldo Dorantes Antonio. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was also tried for and convicted of the 2006 Halloween bombing at a Las Vegas Home Depot, where no injuries were sustained.

Wednesday night saw Duarte Herrara reported to have been taken east of downtown Las Vegas, near the shuttle service. The U.S. Marshals and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were actively looking for Duarte-Herrara. Marshals. The U.S. initially offered a $5,000 reward. The U.S. initially offered a $5,000 reward to Marshals for information leading Duarte-Herrara to his capture. This was later increased to $30,000 within hours of his arrest.

LVMPD arrested Duarte-Herrara at 10 p.m., near Owens Avenues. They received a tip from a person who matched the description that law enforcement had given. This included his last known clothing and updated photos.

Method of Escape

8 News Now journalists confirmed that a shuttle bus was scheduled to depart for Tijuana Mexico at 9:59 pm. LVMPD had received a tip that Duarte Herrera was there at 9:30 pm. He was captured at 10 p.m. They also covered the escape tactics of Duarte-Herrera:

Sources said Duarte-Herrera used acid in order to erode the area around his cell window, allowing him to climb out on Friday evening. The 8 News Now Investigators reported that Duarte-Herrera also made a cardboard dummy for his cell.

These reports have not been confirmed by NDOC.

Suspicious Item

A “suspicious object” was discovered in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon. It was located near many governments and court buildings. LVMPD reported that the object had been “rendered secure” and traffic was reopened in the area. At this point, it is unknown if the item contained an explosive device or if Duarte Herrera is involved in this incident.

Modus Operandi

The “suspicious object” was located approximately three miles from the location where Duarte Herrera was captured. The location of the fugitive capture was in eastern Las Vegas. Authorities will provide more information, but at the time of discovery and the time I am writing this, I believe that Duarte Herrera’s mode of operation is it. It is also close to other locations associated with the pipe bomber.

Political Undercurrent

This is a terrifying time for Nevadans. It comes just days after Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles was arrested for the murders of Jeff German, a local investigative journalist. Telles was appointed by Sisolak as a member of a state board, as previously reported. After learning that a sitting Democrat he had entrusted was the suspect, I criticized Sisolak and his leadership. DNA evidence quickly revealed him as the assailant. Sisolak refused to acknowledge and praise LVMPD’s work in solving this case quickly, as it was not good optics for him.

LVMPD, headed by Sheriff Joe Lombardo who is also the Republican nominee for Governor, solved German’s murder within two days of discovering German’s body. It took Sisolak about the same time to remove Telles from his state board appointment. Telles is still an active public official, but the county has asked a judge for assistance.

Right, Sheriff Joe Lombardo is facing charges for the murder of Jeff German, Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist (LVMPD), left Robert Telles.

Sheriff Lombardo’s Police Department has cleared up the murder mess that was caused by Sisolak’s appointees for the second time this month. In a previous article titled Prison Escape of Pipe Bomb Murderer is Governor Sisolak’s Fault. The Governor is responsible for NDOC which is managed by his 2019 appointee Director Daniels. Sisolak is also part of the three-person Board of Prisons Commissioners. Sisolak is directly responsible for the management of state prisons and NDOC’s leadership, as well as the oversight of policies and regulations, and it is his public duty.

Sisolak called for an investigation into the case of the pipe bomber escapee and said it was unacceptable. He shared notification of the initial $5,000 reward on Wednesday but did not update the public about the six-fold increase in reward. Sisolak mentions “the State” in his tweet to inform the public about the agencies responsible for the situation. Nevadans are aware that Sisolak’s political posturing is standard. Commenters criticized Sisolak’s delay in responding, saying that it was due to political pressures or growing negative press.

Sisolak had to have known that a suspicious object was found near several of our court’s houses. The LVMPD dealt with the situation professionally, keeping the public safe. Sisolak’s tweet “The state is also helping” was an attempt to mitigate an impending PR disaster. There was a bomber at large and Sisolak was responsible for it.

Sisolak may have even suspected that the item LVMPD “rendered safe”, was actually the work of NDOC escapee. This means that he was still in the region despite having a four-day head start before he was reported missing. LVMPD was likely to be the hero of the story if he was still in the county.

Either a murderer who went missing under Sisolak’s watch blows up the community — the worst-case scenario, for everyone — or Joe Lombardo, his political opponent, saves the day. Sisolak, undoubtedly, mitigated the political backlash by posting something and making sure that it raised the actions of the state department under his supervision.

If it doesn’t go according to plan, the state will assist. We will also hold those responsible (not us) for his escape.

If there is a successful capture, the state was actively involved — it happened!

This is Sisolak’s late tweet. It is Sisolak’s political posturing and mitigation tactic. The state couldn’t solve the problem. Vanessa Murphy, a local reporter, told the public that the prisoner had escaped from her sources. NDOC did not comment. The state police did not appear to disarm explosives or provide any information to the public. The Southern Nevada Command for State Police and Highway Patrol posted a retweet after LVMPD announced Duarte-Herrara’s capture.

Duarte Herrera was captured just a half hour before he left Las Vegas for Mexico. This is despite Sisolak’s negligence and the fact that Director Daniels, NDOC, had given him a four-day head-start. LVMPD captured the fugitive in minutes, and he fled the country in the alternative. LVMPD’s accomplishments are remarkable. Sisolak won’t likely notice this, as he did not in the Telles murder case arrest.

Similar to the Telles case the local news media played an active role in getting the information out to the public (even though Sisolak’s state cops forgot) and answering questions. Jeff German’s Las Vegas Review-Journal colleagues photographed Telles cleaning a vehicle that was identical to the one found at the crime scene. 8 News Now’s team kept an eye on the situation and revealed to the public how Duarte Herrera escaped, and where he was likely going before any other sources.

Our community is proud that police have remediated this threat to public safety. No civilians or officers were hurt. The local journalists are also proving to be tough and able to overcome the intimidating and disturbing crime that a public official committed against one of them.

I hope Nevada voters will know who their back is when it comes to casting their ballots. Those who have the backing of local journalists, local law enforcement officers, and those who tirelessly worked to keep the community safe during our Governor’s utter failures and his inept appointees.

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