A 22-year-old man, Bryan Clay, was arrested on Friday for the rape and murders of 38-year-old Ignacia Martinez and her 10-year-old daughter Karla on April 15 in Las Vegas, ABC News is reporting. Clay, who had no connection to the Martinez family, allegedly used a hammer as a weapon to attack a random family in their home.
Lt. Ray Steiber said yesterday that “this was a complete stranger killing a mother and daughter and attacking the father. I’ve been doing this (police work) 24 years, and you don’t see cases like this.” There was no apparent reason for the attack.
Police were notified about the murders when Martinez’s 9-year-old son, who wasn’t injured by Clay during the attacks, told a counselor at school the next day that his mom and sister were dead. Steiber added that it’s unknown why the boy and his 11-year-old brother were spared in the attack. The two boys remained in the home with the bodies and their severely injured father for at least 24 hours.
Arturo Martinez, the 39-year-old husband and father of the family, was critically injured in the attack. He remains hospitalized with head injuries, and has been unable to talk to investigators.
The boys are in protective custody with the Clark County Department of Family Services. Clay was being held without bail yesterday, pending a an initial court appearance. He was booked on several charges, including murder, battery with a deadly weapon and sexual assault.
Written by: Karen Benardello
