Las Vegas police say man died in February from 2014 gunshot wound

Rogelio Regalado Salas Jr., who was paralyzed by a single gunshot wound when three people burst into his home in 2014, died in February, the Las Vegas Review-Journal has learned.

His death came almost five years to the day after what police have called a drug-related shooting.

On Feb. 1, 2014, Salas was sitting inside his home on the 1400 block of South Christy Lane when the trio forced their way in.

Startled, Salas stood up, according to Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lt. Ray Spencer.

That’s when Rodolfo Cordero, now 39, fired one round at Salas, striking him in the chest and paralyzing him, Spencer said.

On Feb. 13 of this year, Salas died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center from complications of that gunshot wound. His death has been ruled a homicide. He was 25.

The other two people with Cordero that day have never been identified, according to Spencer.

But Spencer said detectives quickly pinned down Cordero as the shooter, and about two months after the shooting, a warrant was granted for his arrest on charges of battery with a deadly weapon, mayhem, burglary and home invasion.

He was arrested in October 2014 and pleaded guilty in May 2018 to the battery charge as part of a plea deal. The remaining charges were dropped as part of the negotiation, records show.

Cordero was sentenced to serve six to 15 years in a state prison consecutive to a sentence in a federal case. As of Thursday, according to Spencer, Cordero was in custody out of state on unrelated charges.

Details of the federal case were not known.

Las Vegas Justice Court records show that another arrest warrant for Cordero was requested Tuesday — this time for one count of open murder with a deadly weapon.

Salas’ death marked the 16th homicide this year in Clark County and the 10th investigated by Metro, according to Review-Journal records.

Spencer confirmed Thursday that the death also would be included in Metro’s 2019 homicide numbers.

Anyone with information may contact Metro’s homicide section at 702-828-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381.