Luxor Casino Bomber Was Headed to Tijuana, Stopped by Cops at Las Vegas Bus Station

Posted on: September 30, 2022, 08:50h. 

Last updated on: September 30, 2022, 03:46h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A man convicted for a 2007 murder at the Luxor Hotel & Casino is back behind bars after escaping from a Nevada prison last Friday. Porfirio Duarte-Herrera was caught on Wednesday night in Las Vegas, and on Thursday, officials released several new details on his capture.

Porfirio Duarte-Herrera's image was included in this flyer distributed by local officials
Porfirio Duarte-Herrera’s image was included in this flyer distributed by local officials. The escaped prisoner was captured on Wednesday in Las Vegas about to board a bus. (Image: Twitter)

Duarte-Herrera, 42, was about to board a bus to Tijuana, Mexico. At about 10 p.m. Wednesday, he was stopped by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers at North Eastern Avenue near Searles Avenue in Las Vegas. Officers cautiously approached the escaped inmate.

One told him, “Don’t be stupid. Don’t be stupid. Put your hands back.”

When asked where he was heading, Duarte-Herrara replied Tijuana. Located some 348 miles south of Las Vegas, it would take at least five hours to reach Tijuana by bus from Las Vegas.

He appeared to cooperate with authorities and was placed in an LVMPD vehicle. Duarte-Herrera was then driven to the Clark County Detention Center, where he remained on Friday. Since he was sentenced to life in prison, he will be held without bond.

Since 2010, he was incarcerated in the Southern Desert Correctional Center in Indian Springs, Nev., until last week’s brazen escape. It took corrections officials four days to realize Duarte-Herrera had escaped. Once aware of his flight, numerous agencies launched an all-out investigation.

The incident “ultimately ended well,” Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said on Thursday during a press conference. Lombardo credited the efforts by the agencies and the media for publicizing and distributing the suspect’s photo.

Alert Bus Station Worker Praised

Lombardo said a bus station employee notified Metro police after recognizing the fugitive. He had seen his photo.

One of the things we were concerned about, specifically, was him escaping the state or the country, so we wanted to flag all the transportation hubs in the valley, specifically bus depots,” LVMPD Capt. Brandon Clarkson explained at the press conference.

It appears Duarte-Herrera got a ride and money from an unnamed person. He was dropped off on Monday night near the intersection of Bonanza Road and Nellis Boulevard in Las Vegas. He kept a low profile to avoid being recognized by police or general public, police said.

The employee who called police after recognizing the fugitive is likely to get some or all of the $30K reward offered for Duarte-Herrera’s capture, officials said.

Guards’ Actions Under Review

Meanwhile, the Inspector General for the Nevada Department of Corrections will review the actions of the prison guards in connection with Duarte-Herrera’s escape.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D), Lombardo’s opponent in the state’s upcoming gubernatorial election, was livid about the prisoner’s escape.

Duarte-Herrera was convicted for the murder of Willebaldo Dorantes Antonio at the Luxor casino. Antonio was killed after a pipe bomb exploded on the casino parking garage’s roof. Duarte-Herrera and a second defendant, Omar Rueda-Denvers, were convicted of murder by use of a deadly weapon and attempted murder by use of a deadly weapon in connection with the incident.

Prosecutors sought the death penalty for the two defendants. Both got life sentences without any chance of parole.

In 2019, a federal judge granted Rueda-Denvers a new trial because of improper court procedures. In a retrial last year, he was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and other charges.