Man accused of attacking real estate agent in model home

A homeless man is accused of choking and attempting to sexually assault a real estate agent on Monday at a model home, Las Vegas police said.

Police said they have arrested Richy Cervantes, 32, on suspicion of attempted sexual assault, home invasion, first-degree kidnapping and other felonies. Police said that at the time of his arrest, they learned that he also was a suspect in an unrelated sexual assault case.

The events leading to Cervantes’ apprehension started at 3:30 p.m. on Monday at a model home at an undisclosed location in the Las Vegas Valley.

Police said in Cervantes’ arrest report that a female real estate agent was in the home when a man showed up and filled out an interest card under the fake identity of Carlos Diaz of Los Angeles.

“Suspect was acting suspicious and victim became very uncomfortable,” police wrote in the report. “Suspect went around the model home and unlocked several windows and eventually left.”

The woman told police she locked the door of the home, then locked all the windows. The man then returned and tried to open the front door, prompting the agent to barricade herself in a closet and call 911 and a co-worker.

Police said the man smashed out a window, found the agent in a master bedroom closet, then took her phone and dragged her to a laundry room, where a struggle ensued.

“Suspect threw victim to the floor and pinned her down,” police wrote. “Suspect mounted victim and told her not to scream and he covered her mouth with one hand and placed the other hand on her throat and applied pressure which restricted victim’s airflow.”

The victim could not breathe and felt like she was going to pass out, according to the report.

Police wrote that the woman’s attacker engaged in a lewd act and made comments such as: “I’m going to have sex with you and kill you.”

A patrol officer arrived moments later, looked into the home through a window and saw what appeared to be blood. He then retrieved a sledgehammer and attempted to break down the front door of the home. As he was striking the door with the sledgehammer, a man identified by police as Cervantes opened the door. Cervantes was immediately taken into custody.

The victim told police that her assailant stopped attacking her only when the police started banging on the front door.

Police wrote in the report that they then learned that Cervantes was a suspect in a Las Vegas police sexual assault investigation, and that in that case, Cervantes “was in possession of the victim’s wallet, purse, credit cards and I.D.’s.”

Cervantes chose not to speak with detectives.

Las Vegas Justice Court records indicate that Cervantes now has two criminal cases pending against him.

In one case, he was charged Wednesday with eight felonies, including burglary, kidnapping, battery with intent to commit sexual assault, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault and robbery. In the second case, he is being held on suspicion of battery, kidnapping, coercion, battery by strangulation, attempted sexual assault, home invasion, and open and gross lewdness, although a criminal complaint has not been filed.

Cervantes was being held without bail Friday at the Clark County Detention Center.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.