Las Vegas man accused of fatally stabbing ex-girlfriend’s male friend who tried to defend her

LAS VEGAS (TCD) -- A 21-year-old man was arrested after allegedly fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend's male friend.

According to a news release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, on June 24, at approximately 8:21 p.m., officers responded to an apartment complex in the 1500 block of Karen Avenue to a report of a stabbing. At the scene, authorities reportedly found a male victim in the parking lot suffering from a stab wound. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police say.

Upon further investigation, authorities learned the victim was accompanying a female friend as she gathered belongings to bring back to her ex-boyfriend, Jovanny Cuevas-Mendez, according to police. Cuevas-Mendez and the female got into a dispute because Cuevas-Mendez wanted to talk and not end their relationship, KLAS-TV reports.

According to police, "Cuevas-Mendez pulled out a knife and the victim stepped in to protect the female. A physical fight ensued, and the victim was stabbed."

Cuevas-Mendez allegedly fled the parking lot and ran back into his apartment after the stabbing. He was eventually located, arrested, and booked into the Clark County Detention Center for open murder.

During an interview, Cuevas-Mendez told authorities he tried to talk to his ex-girlfriend alone, but her family, who also accompanied the female to his apartment, kept preventing him from doing so.

Police say the Clark County Coroner's Office will release the identification of the victim and manner of death.

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