Moises Sanchez stabbed his wife, Veronica Cortes-Rosales, to death in front of their 5-year-old daughter, police said. (Mug shot: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
A Nevada husband stabbed his wife to death in front of their 5-year-old daughter because the victim had refused to cuddle with him, authorities said.
Moises Sanchez, 53, allegedly told investigators that he harbored suspicions that Veronica Cortes-Rosales, 43, was having an affair, and yet he admitted he had no evidence to prove this, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department statement and probable cause affidavit.
“He explained that they agreed they would not have sex and would live together and remain ‘friends’ for the kids,” officers wrote. “He further admitted that if Veronica had responded to his affection in bed, he would not have killed her.”
Sanchez allegedly told cops that he and Cortes-Rosales had been married since 1999. He claimed she started acting differently three or four months before and that he believed she was having an affair with a co-worker at McDonald’s.
“Moises could not articulate why he believed she was having an affair, other than she was acting differently and was not affectionate with him anymore,” police wrote. “He further explained that she would be texting on her phone late at night, and he knew she was not communicating with her family. Moises said he took her phone by force in the past, and she became very ‘nervous,’ but he denied ever going through with it.”
Sanchez allegedly admitted spying on his wife and her co-worker, but he found no proof of an affair.
On Friday, he borrowed a friend’s car to watch Veronica’s car so no one would recognize his vehicle. But when Veronica left her work shift, she went to her car, sat there for about five minutes, and drove off.
Sanchez allegedly said that at some point that evening, he made up a story about his car breaking down, and when he asked her to pick him up, she did not believe him and instead refused. They argued about it.
“Before he got into bed, he retrieved a hunting knife which he kept in a drawer next to the bed,” authorities said. Then he put it in a trunk on his side of the bed, he allegedly told them.
According to documents, Sanchez described that his wife was between him and their daughter, with the daughter closest to the drawer.
He got into bed while Cortes-Rosales had her back to him. Sanchez allegedly said he tried to hug her, but she pushed him away. He attempted a second time — she refused him again, he said in documents.
“Moises said he lost it,” police wrote. He allegedly said he grabbed the knife from the trunk and stabbed his wife in the back once.
“Moises said she tried to scream, but he ‘didn’t let her,”” police wrote. “He said he told her to ‘Shut the f— up’ because she would wake up the kids.”
Getting onto his knees, he stabbed her again, this time in her front, he said in documents.
“Moises saw that Veronica’s blood was spreading onto his daughter, so he picked her up and covered Veronica’s body with a blanket,” police wrote. “He changed his daughter into different pajamas and put her back to sleep in her own bed, which was also inside their bedroom.”
He allegedly said he washed the knife and his hands before placing the knife back on a pillow in the bedroom.
Sanchez called a friend and told him he “f—– up,” documents said. When the friend arrived, Sanchez allegedly told the man what he’d done. The friend went to the bedroom, saw the body, and took the child to another room.
“Moises further admitted that approximately one week ago, he shot his son’s 9 mm Glock through a pillow in his bedroom,” police wrote. “He watched ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” in which a gun was fired into a pillow, which acted as a silencer. Moises said he just wanted to try it. He denied that it was any type of premeditation or threat toward Veronica.”
Sanchez, however, allegedly admitted that the attempted cuddling and the fabricated story of the broken-down car were simply tests.
“Moises denied that Veronica had ever asked for a divorce,” police wrote in regard to the couple’s earlier communications.
The medical examiner’s office that Cortes-Rosales’ cause of death was multiple stab wounds, and the manner of death was homicide.
Sanchez remains at the Clark County Detention Center without bond for a count of first-degree murder, records show. A preliminary hearing is set for March 11.
Anyone with any information about this incident is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section by phone at 702-828-3521, or by email at [email protected]. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or on the internet at www.crimestoppersofnv.com.
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