Vegas woman who once claimed to be middle-aged man executed worker at random: cops
A Las Vegas woman who previously claimed to be a 52-year-old man allegedly executed a worker sitting in his van in a random killing, according to authorities.
Kayla Alery, 27, who has been out on parole since December following an arson conviction, walked up to 41-year-old carpet cleaner Raul Cardoza and shot him in the neck while he and his brother were taking a break on March 26, according to court documents obtained by KLAS-TV.
Cops found a .45-caliber handgun in her waistband and “a bag containing purported methamphetamine,” police said.
It was not clear if Alery was high on methamphetamine at the time of the shooting, but witnesses said it appeared to have been a “completely unprovoked” attack, according to an arrest report.
Alery’s trouble with the law predates last month’s random shooting.
In September 2022, police received reports of a woman attempting to set a vehicle on fire at an apartment building.
When cops arrived, they found a crowd gathered around Alery, who was lying on the ground of the parking lot, Fox 5 previously reported.
Witnesses told police Alery had tried to set a vehicle in the parking lot on fire.
When officers took her into custody and asked for identification, Alery provided the name of a middle-aged man before asking for a lawyer and refusing to answer any questions.
She was taken to the hospital, where she disclosed her real identity. A criminal history check revealed an active warrant for domestic battery as well as several prior arrests, including coercion with force, domestic battery, DUI, burglary and grand larceny of a gun, according to reports.
Alery later admitted to lying but refused to provide any other information. At the time, she was found with a lighter, a Halloween mask, gloves and a firearm.
Following the shooting, Alery said she didn’t remember where she got the gun and that she “sometimes blackouts for days” and couldn’t remember what happened before she was brought into police headquarters.
She entered a guilty plea to third- and fourth-degree arson charges and served the minimum 14-month sentence before she was paroled in December 2023.
She was charged with open murder and multiple other felonies connected to Cardoza’s death.
While waiting to be booked on her latest charges, she punched another inmate who was cleaning up trays and trash in the open booking area, Fox 5 reported.
Alery also faces charges of battery by a prisoner.
She is due back in court on Thursday for a status check.
