Police testimony describes planning, a home break-in and documents allegedly placed beside one victim after the grocery-store shooting.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A red folder containing child-custody records has become a central piece of evidence in the prosecution of a Las Vegas man accused of killing his former partner and her husband inside a grocery store, according to police reports and testimony presented to a Clark County grand jury.

Prosecutors say Alejandro Estrada, 43, placed the folder next to or under the arm of Amanda Frias Rosas after shooting her and Victor Frias Rosas at a Smith’s Food & Drug store on May 12. Homicide Detective Brandon Copley testified that Estrada told investigators he wanted police to understand why he had carried out the attack. Estrada has pleaded not guilty to 13 felony counts, including two counts of murder with the use of a deadly weapon. The allegations have not been proven at trial.

The description of the folder emerged after a grand jury heard evidence about Estrada’s alleged preparations and the statements police say he made after his arrest. Copley testified that Estrada said he retrieved the documents from a backpack after Amanda and Victor had fallen. The detective described Estrada as placing the red folder into Amanda’s arm. Investigators have characterized the documents as court records tied to a long-running conflict over custody and financial support for two children Estrada shared with Amanda.

Amanda, 40, and Victor worked at the Smith’s store near Maryland Parkway and Silverado Ranch Boulevard. Reports based on court records say they were not scheduled to work on the day they died. They had gone to the store to buy a birthday cake for Amanda and Estrada’s son, who turned 12 that day. Their daughter turned 10 two days later. Neither child was reported to have been inside the store during the shooting.

The criminal case reaches beyond what happened in the grocery aisles. Police say surveillance footage placed Estrada near Amanda and Victor’s home earlier that morning. Investigators found the front doorbell camera torn from the entrance, a shattered rear sliding door and signs that the bedroom had been ransacked. They also recovered a cartridge outside and a bullet in the living room. Estrada is charged with home invasion and burglary with a weapon in connection with that episode.

According to an arrest report, Estrada told detectives that he went to the home expecting to find Amanda and Victor but discovered they were not there. Police wrote that he admitted damaging the bedroom before leaving. Investigators later compared ammunition evidence from the residence with a gun associated with Estrada. The indictment includes firearm counts tied to shots allegedly fired at the home and inside the grocery store.

Video reviewed by investigators placed Estrada leaving his North Las Vegas residence at about 6:45 a.m. and walking toward the Frias Rosas neighborhood several hours later. Additional footage showed him arriving at the Smith’s shopping center at about 11:20 a.m. Police say he entered the produce area, located Amanda and Victor and waited until their backs were turned and other shoppers were not close before opening fire.

Employees and customers ran as shots rang out. About a dozen callers contacted 911, describing confusion and people fleeing the building. One employee told a dispatcher that two workers had been targeted. Another caller reported that customers were holding the suspected gunman outside near the pharmacy area and that someone had moved a backpack and firearm away from him. The calls were later released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Police and prosecutors have credited several bystanders with stopping Estrada as he left the store. Surveillance video showed people confronting him and wrestling him to the ground before officers arrived. Merconie Clark and Darius Alston were among those publicly identified as taking part in the struggle. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said their intervention may have prevented further violence. Police reported finding another firearm and loaded magazines in Estrada’s backpack.

The arrest report also contains an allegation that raised the stakes of the confrontation. Police wrote that Estrada said he had planned to engage officers in a shootout if he made it out of the area without being stopped. That encounter did not occur because the bystanders restrained and disarmed him. Officers arriving at the shopping center found him pinned to the ground. Estrada was treated for injuries that police described as not life-threatening before being booked.

Investigators say Estrada linked the alleged attack to child-support proceedings. Court records cited in the police report show that he had been ordered to pay $342 a month and owed $2,804.26 in past-due support. A hearing had been scheduled for June 1. Police say Estrada believed he might be jailed because of the unpaid amount and blamed the support obligation for financial problems, including the loss of an effort to purchase a condominium.

Estrada’s roommate, Noel Hernandez, testified before the grand jury that Estrada had expressed growing anger about the support case. Hernandez said Estrada believed the matter had interrupted the condominium purchase and cost him money. The roommate also testified that Estrada had spoken of moving out and believed he would be locked up over the unpaid support. Such testimony reflects what Hernandez said he heard and does not independently establish why the shooting occurred.

Copley testified that Estrada described making arrangements during the week or two before the killings. Police reports say Estrada quit his job, prepared to leave his residence, destroyed electronic devices and deleted social-media accounts shortly before May 12. Investigators allege that he decided Amanda was responsible for continuing legal and financial problems. The prosecution is expected to rely on those reported statements, physical evidence and video as it seeks to prove planning and intent.

The grand jury returned its indictment in June, moving the case from Las Vegas Justice Court to Clark County District Court. In addition to the two murder counts, Estrada is charged with nine counts involving the discharge of a firearm, home invasion while possessing a weapon and burglary while possessing a weapon. Each charge remains an allegation, and Estrada is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.

Estrada pleaded not guilty during a July court appearance. His defense filed a waiver seeking to extend the deadline for prosecutors to announce whether they intend to pursue the death penalty if he is convicted. The filing did not mean that such a punishment had been selected. The prosecution’s decision remained under review, and Estrada was scheduled to return to court on Aug. 5.

More than two weeks after the shooting, the Smith’s store reopened. The criminal case now centers on whether prosecutors can prove that the break-in, the journey to the store, the gunfire and the placement of the custody records were parts of a planned attack. No trial date was identified in the reviewed reports.

Author note: Last updated Aug. 3, 2026.