Man charged in killing had a chance to walk away, police say

A knife-wielding man had a chance to walk away after a man who was trying to disarm him lost his balance and fell in central Las Vegas, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Instead, Jovanny Cuevas-Mendez, 21, jumped on top of Danny Huxford and jabbed the knife into his chest, police allege in his arrest report.

Huxford, 51, died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, police said.

Cuevas-Mendez is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center on one count each of murder and assault constituting domestic violence.

He does not have a listed attorney.

Huxford had accompanied a family he was friends with to Cuevas-Mendez’s apartment in the 1500 block of Karen Avenue, near Maryland Parkway, police said.

A woman in the group had broken up with Cuevas-Mendez, and they were there to help her move out, police said.

After his arrest, Cuevas-Mendez told detectives he was trying to mend the relationship with the woman, but that the three people with her would not let them talk alone, police said.

He said he pulled out a knife from his back pocket because Huxford had threatened him, and said he had “poked” the victim in the abdomen, according to his arrest report.

That was not what Cuevas-Mendez’s ex-girlfriend saw, police said.

She told detectives that her group had just walked out of the apartment when her ex-boyfriend pulled out the weapon and pointed it at her, police said.

Huxford saw that and intervened, she told police.

When Huxford fell, Cuevas-Mendez jumped on him and stabbed him, she told police.

He is next expected in court Thursday morning.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on Twitter.