Death penalty sought for Las Vegas man in toddler’s death

Prosecutors said Wednesday that they plan to seek the death penalty against a Las Vegas man charged with killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son.

Emanuel Flores is facing 15 counts, including child abuse and murder in the death of Nicolas Rodriguez-Tienda. Prosecutors said the boy suffered systematic abuse at the hands of Flores.

Attorneys for Flores declined to comment outside of court.

In August, Nicolas was taken to University Medical Center, where he died. Flores, 30, initially was arrested on charges of child abuse and making false statements to police.

Flores told police that his mother, Margarita Najera, had been watching the boy when he fell off a trampoline at a home on the 4200 block of Walnut Family Court, according to court documents.

An investigator interviewed Nicolas’ 4- and 5-year-old siblings, who told police that Flores, not Najera, was watching them. The children said Flores threw the boy against the floor because he was touching the wall and sticking his tongue out, Flores’ arrest report said.

Police records show the baby had a brain bleed, bruises on his head and neck and other blunt-force injuries.

Najera was charged with child abuse or neglect and making false statements to police.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.