Las Vegas police find missing woman’s body, seek suspect

Las Vegas police have found the body of a 22-year-old woman, and her death is being investigated as a homicide, police said in a statement Wednesday.

Lesly Palacio, who had been missing since Aug. 29, was found in Moapa Valley near Valley of Fire State Park by Metropolitan Police Department investigators, Moapa Tribal Police and Red Rock Search and Rescue, police said.

Erick Rangel-Ibarra, 25, has been identified as a suspect, and police said they are pursuing a warrant for his arrest on one count of open murder. He had previously been reported missing, and was last seen on Aug. 29, the same day Palacio was last seen, police have said.

Metro issued a press release regarding Rangel-Ibarra’s disappearance on Sept. 1, and police confirmed he was still missing on Wednesday.

The Sept. 1 release stated that 45-year-old Jose Rangel was missing along with Rangel-Ibarra. Metro homicide Lt. Ray Spencer confirmed Thursday morning that Rangel-Ibarra is the same man suspected in Palacio’s death, but it remained unclear if police believe Jose Rangel is involved in the case.

Police said both men were last seen in a white 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck, with a Nevada plate of LVN84A.

Rangel-Ibarra is about 5-feet, 6-inches tall, weighs about 173 pounds, and has brown eyes with black hair. He has a tattoo on his ear of California, a tattoo on his chest of a skull, and a tattoo on his left wrist of a “Dragon Ball Z image,” police said.

Anyone with information may contact Metro at 702-828-3521 or, to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Katelyn Newberg contributed to this report.