LAS VEGAS (CN) - Families blame the Flamingo Casino for the deaths of two men, including a Highway Patrolman, in a carjacking that began at the Flamingo's valet parking concession.
The carjacker is serving 20 years to life in prison. He snatched the pickup truck as the men were loading it. One was in the truck bed at the time. His brother-in-law, a Highway Patrolman, ran it down and jumped into the bed. The thief then ran three lights at high speed and crashed into an SUV and a light pole, ejecting the men and killing them.
Jesus Magdaleno Jr., an 8-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, died in the Aug. 18, 2013 carjacking, along with his brother-in-law, Felix Cruz III, a real estate agent from Visalia. Magdaleno was 33, Cruz 31. They were in Las Vegas to celebrate Magdaleno's bachelor party.
James Robert Montgomery, 29, of Tustin, Calif., was charged with DUI causing death, kidnapping, robbery and grand larceny auto. He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison for each count. He will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years, according to the Visalia Times.
Cruz's widow and Magdaleno's family seek punitive damages in Clark County Court for wrongful death, negligence, negligent performance, and negligent hiring, training and supervision.
Their attorney Robert Eglet was not immediately available for comment. Nor were officials for the Flamingo Casino.
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