NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV: A woman is shown disposing of a body by the side of the road, allegedly before killing her second victim. Rosemary Meza, aged 37, is now facing two murder charges related to the tragic deaths of her girlfriend, Alyssa Valdovinos, 26 years old, and Alyssa’s mother, 58-year-old Norma Rios-Valdovinos, which occurred on September 18, according to law enforcement.
During their inquiry, North Las Vegas police obtained video evidence indicating Meza pulling Rios-Valdovinos out of a vehicle and leaving her lifeless body along Cartier Avenue, approximately a block away from Las Vegas Boulevard.
On the same day, shortly after 6 p.m., authorities responded to a report of a deceased woman found on the road near Magnet Street, later identified as Rios-Valdovinos. Medical professionals pronounced her dead upon arrival at the hospital. Detectives observed significant ligature marks on her neck, suggesting that she had been subjected to an assault and had fought back.
Several hours later, at the intersection of Alexander Road and North 5th Street, North Las Vegas police were called to a collision involving Meza’s car and construction equipment. Upon conversing with Meza, they discovered that she matched the description of the individual seen in the surveillance video from the earlier homicide.
While in custody, Meza allegedly confessed to a police officer that she had killed her girlfriend, as revealed in grand jury transcripts. She expressed remorse and indicated that she had harmed both her girlfriend and her girlfriend’s mother.
Additionally, authorities noticed smeared blood and the presence of shoelaces in the middle console armrest of Meza’s car. Prosecutors suspect that Meza employed these shoelaces to carry out the killings.
As part of their investigation, law enforcement conducted a welfare check at Valdovinos’ residence, located approximately a block from where Rios-Valdovinos’ body was discovered. Inside, they found Valdovinos deceased on the floor, apparently strangled.
Detectives believe that Meza initially drove to Rios-Valdovinos’ workplace, strangled her in the car, and subsequently drove to Valdovinos’ residence. Meza claimed not to recall whether she disposed of Rios-Valdovinos’ body before or after strangling Valdovinos.
Prosecutors have filed documents indicating their intention to seek the death penalty against Meza should she be convicted on the two murder charges. In addition to the murder charges, Meza also faces a third charge of burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon.
It is worth noting that although the death penalty is legal in Nevada, the state has not executed a convicted murderer since 2006. Meza is scheduled to return to court on January 4.