A father was arrested for allegedly fatally stabbing his son with a kitchen knife and then claiming his son accidentally fell on a knife, according to police.
On Dec. 22, at around 1 p.m., the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of an unresponsive man with apparent stab wounds to the chest near Pebble Road and Maryland Parkway.
Father Told Son's Girlfriend That He Accidentally Fell on the Knife and Stabbed Himself
Medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, but Nelson Garcia-Leon was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said upon arrival, officers discovered a fifteen-inch kitchen knife behind an ice cooler outside the apartment with visible blood stains.
Around 4 p.m., the LVMPD reported that detectives conducted an audio interview with Garcia-Leon's "girlfriend." She stated she had been dating Garcia-Leon for one month but knew him and his father, Juan Garcia-Hernandez, 81, for a longer period.
The girlfriend recounted that before Garcia-Leon's passing, she had briefly gone to the store and returned home to start cooking. Afterward, she took a shower and was in her room getting dressed while listening to music. She said she did not hear anything unusual during that time, according to documents.
When she exited her room, she saw Garcia-Leon standing near the kitchen and acting strangely. She then noticed he appeared to have blood coming from his chest. Rushing toward Garcia-Leon to provide aid, she asked Garcia-Hernandez about the knife on the ground. Police said Garcia-Hernandez reportedly told her that Garcia-Leon had accidentally fallen on the knife and injured himself.
Garcia-Hernandez's Story Had Multiple Inconsistencies
The girlfriend said she tried calling 9-1-1 four times but accidentally dialed an extra number each time, according to the arrest report. She eventually called a friend to contact 9-1-1. She also told police that Garcia-Hernandez "who was doing nothing to help," was instructed to get help, prompting him to leave the apartment.
When police interviewed Garcia-Hernandez, he claimed that Garcia-Leon had been drinking, leading to an argument. Documents said he told his son to stop drinking due to recent brain and liver surgeries, for which doctors had advised against alcohol.
Police said according to Garcia-Hernandez, he called for help when Garcia-Leon collapsed. He claimed that he and the girlfriend moved Garcia-Leon to his bedroom. Garcia-Hernandez said he left the apartment to seek help and went to the office multiple times, but it was closed, police said.
He then found a neighbor which he brought to the apartment, where they called the police after seeing Garcia-Leon.
Police said when questioned about an injury to his nose and the blood on it, Garcia-Hernandez claimed he had hit a tree branch three days earlier. However, police noted inconsistencies in his account, including where he was before Garcia-Leon's collapse.
When asked if he had accidentally stabbed Garcia-Leon, Garcia-Hernandez denied it, police said. Police said the neighbor who called 9-1-1 explained that Garcia-Hernandez said "his son fell on a knife and was bleeding," but that Garcia-Hernandez "didn't seem stressed at all," according to court documents.
Police determined that there was reasonable evidence to believe Garcia-Hernandez had used a knife to harm Garcia-Leon. Police said the bloodstained knife was found outside the apartment, "hastily hidden behind an ice cooler."
Garcia-Hernandez Previously Arrested for Threatening, Chasing People with a Kitchen Knife
Additionally, police records showed that Garcia-Hernandez had been arrested on May 18, 2024, for assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence. During that incident, multiple videos captured him threatening and chasing people with a kitchen knife, according to documents.
Garcia-Hernandez was arrested and charged with open murder with the use of a deadly weapon, court records show.
