Arrest made in connection with January stabbing death
What started as a smoking session among friends escalated into a fight and a fatal January stabbing, an arrest warrant suggests. The warrant adds the suspect in the stabbing asked to delay his arrest so he could “spend one more night with his girlfriend.”
Police on Tuesday arrested 27-year-old Brandon Alexander Han, in the 2000 block of Santa Ynez Drive, in connection with the Jan. 27 stabbing death of Yaudis Venzant-Diaz, 41.
The story starts at about 5 p.m. that day. According to Han’s arrest warrant, Rachel Wright, Venzant-Diaz’s girlfriend, told detectives she invited Chrystal Uebel and her boyfriend, later identified as Han, inside her residence in the 2000 block of Santa Rita Drive, to smoke marijuana.
Shortly afterward, Venzant-Diaz came to the residence to apologize to Wright for bickering with her that day, the warrant said. She invited him in and introduced him to Uebel and Han.
Uebel told Wright she had met Venzant-Diaz previously when, she claimed, he tried to sell her Wright’s clothes and purse, the warrant said.
On hearing this, Venzant-Diaz “turned his anger toward Uebel,” and poked her on the shoulder, the warrant said. Han stepped in to intervene and led Venzant-Diaz outside.
Wright told detectives Han appeared to punch Venzant-Diaz in the chest, the warrant said. Wright said Han then made a “stabbing motion” toward Venzant-Diaz’s abdomen before fleeing.
Richard Simons, who lived with Wright, called the police, the warrant said. Officers found Venzant-Diaz, suffering from stab wounds. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he later died.
On March 9, Uebel was questioned about an unrelated theft of mopeds, according to the warrant. She told detectives she was “wanted for questioning in a murder investigation.”
Later, when interviewed by detectives, Uebel was shown a picture of Han. She identified him as her boyfriend and said he had stabbed and killed Venzant-Diaz, the warrant said. Although she corroborated Wright’s version of the stabbing story, Uebel said the group had smoked methamphetamine, not pot, the warrant said.
Uebel urged Han to turn himself in and gave his number to detectives. Over the phone, Han told detectives that he’d surrender to police the if he could “spend a last night with his girlfriend,” the warrant said.
But, the next day, Han didn’t show up at police headquarters, the warrant said.
Han’s arrest warrant was issued March 15; he was arrested April 5. He faces one charge of open murder, court documents show. He is in the Clark County Detention Center, held without bail. He made his initial Justice Court appearance Thursday; he is scheduled to reappear April 12.