LAS VEGAS, Nevada — A woman on vacation with her husband stepped away for just a moment to grab a face mask from their car. She never made it back.
Clarice Yamaguchi, 66, was walking through a parking garage at the Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip when two men pulled up in a BMW on New Year’s Eve 2021.
The passenger jumped out and demanded her purse.
Her husband tried to fight the man off. A shot rang out. Yamaguchi was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Night of Terror on the Strip
Investigators say Jordan Ruby, 22, and Jesani Carter, 24, had traveled to Las Vegas specifically to rob people on one of the busiest nights of the year.
The two carried out multiple robberies that night, targeting casinos and the mall before and after the attack on Yamaguchi.
After killing her, they drove to another casino, attempted to rob an employee, and shot at him. They then moved to a second location, robbed a woman at gunpoint, and shot and killed a second victim — 60-year-old Hyo Sup “Richard” Um — stealing his wallet.
The two eventually crashed their BMW into a tree and were arrested.
Both Men Pleaded Guilty
Ruby pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Yamaguchi’s death. Carter pleaded guilty to the murders of both victims, along with several robbery counts.
Ruby faces between 35 years and life in prison at sentencing. Carter’s sentencing is also scheduled, with prosecutors agreeing not to seek the death penalty.
In a jailhouse interview shortly after his arrest, Carter insisted police had the wrong man.
“I’m gonna be free tomorrow,” he said.
He was not.
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