Raul Moran murder case is a DA/Metro whitewash

Raul Moran murder case is a DA/Metro whitewash

By Perly Viasmensky

Las Vegas Tribune

I need to disagree with the article that appeared on the front page of the Nevada section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sunday, March 27, 2022 written by the new California transplant, David Wilson.

Mr. Wilson met with the Moran family on March 12, 2022.

This clarification of the article is not hearsay; I have reason to know facts because the Morans are part of my family.

In a text message sent by Mr. Wilson to Christine Moran, he said, “I spoke with Metro last week and I will be meeting with Shannon, from the District Attorney’s Office on Friday, March 18.

Wilson spoke with Ray Spencer in Metro, but there are no comments made by the Deputy District Attorney, Shannon, included in David Wilson’s article.

I want to make clear that for years, Rolando Larraz, the late publisher of this newspaper, had a good relationship always based on mutual respect with Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson. In fact, when numerous attorneys criticized Rolando Larraz for defending, supporting, defending and writing in favor of Judge Jackie Glass (Mr. Wolfson’s wife) Rolando continued to support her. Rolando Larraz really liked and respected Jackie Glass.

In one of the last of the many articles that Rolando Larraz wrote about Raul Moran, he called District Attorney Wolfson “corrupt,” for his lack of prosecution in the murder case of Raul Moran.

Mr. Wolfson called Rolando Larraz, stating he was very upset by his article, and after a little conversation and discussion regarding the lack of interest by the District Attorney’s Office in the case of Raul Moran, Mr. Wolfson stated that he had no knowledge of such a case.

I have knowledge of the conversation because I was in Mr. Larraz’s office at the time of the conversation.

Mr. Wolfson told Rolando Larraz, “Give me two days to enquire about the case and I will call you back.” Mr. Wolfson made a mockery out of Rolando Larraz because he never called him back.

That conversation with Wolfson upset Larraz so much to the point that he had to be admitted to the hospital.

Referring to the article of this past Sunday, Steve Wolfson told the RJ reporter, Davis Wilson, that “after gathering more information, prosecutors came to the conclusion that Cruz acted in self-defense and that the gunshot that killed Moran was an accidental discharge.”

In the statement David Wilson got from District Attorney Steve Wolfson, Wolfson said: “Everything within our knowledge pointed to no intent to kill, no intent to actually discharge the firearm.”

According to the David Wilson article, “Cruz admitted to making a mistake by hitting Moran with the firearm.” And in his statement to Metro Police and reported by David Wilson, “Cruz stated he did not see Moran holding any weapon and was not attacked by Moran as he had no injuries on his person.”

According to the article of RJ reporter David Wilson, Mr. Wolfson stated, “Mr. Cruz struck him with the butt of the gun. That was his intention, which would have been a reasonable amount of force, but the gun accidentally discharged.”

Apparently, Mr. Wolfson, David Wilson and his editor believe that because we speak with an accent, we also think with an accent.

A gun doesn’t accidentally discharge unless you have your little finger on the trigger and chambered. I personally believe that if Mr. Cruz doesn’t have the knowledge of how to operate a gun, he should never be allowed to own one, or even have it in his possession, especially if he carries concealed.

Cruz admitted to the police that he did not see Moran holding any weapons.

We ask, where is the self-defense Mr. Wolfson wants to feed us? Maybe Mr. Wolfson, Metro Police and the RJ crime reporters can learn something from the statement that the Glock Company sent to the Moran family:

“Hi Christine,

The Safe Action trigger system in the model 43 is the same as all Glock pistols and incorporates three mechanical safeties built into the fire control system. The three internal safeties disengage sequentially only when the trigger is pulled and automatically re-engage when the trigger is released. The G43 trigger requires at least 4.5 pounds of pressure, but no more than 6.7 pounds of pressure, to draw the trigger to the rear position and release the firing pin.

 The first safety is the trigger safety and is a lever incorporated into the trigger itself. When the trigger safety is in the forward position it blocks the trigger from moving rearward. The trigger safety and the trigger must be fully depressed at the same time to fire the pistol. If the trigger safety is not depressed, the trigger will not move rearward and allow the pistol to fire. The trigger safety is designed to protect against firing if the pistol is dropped or the trigger is subjected to lateral pressure.

 The second safety, referred to as the firing pin safety, mechanically blocks the firing pin from traveling forward when the pistol is in the ready-to-fire condition. As the trigger is pulled rearward a portion of the trigger bar pushes the firing pin safety up and frees the firing pin channel. If the user decides not to fire and releases the trigger, the firing pin safety automatically reengages.

 Finally, the trigger bar rests on the safety ramp within the trigger mechanism housing and is referred to as the drop safety. The trigger bar engages the rear portion of the firing pin and prevents the firing pin from moving forward. As the trigger is pulled rearward the trigger bar lowers down, or drops off, the safety ramp and allows the release of the firing pin. After firing, the trigger bar moves upward and reengages the firing pin.”

Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter, David Wilson, was also informed and presented facts of the incident last year in which Mr. Cruz harassed the Moran family by blocking their car in a shopping center across the street from Santa Barbara Upholstery during which 911 was called and they were put on hold for a long period of time and then the 911 call center told them to go to the nearest substation to file a report for their safety, which they did immediately at the Martin Luther King main office, because all the rest of sub-stations are closed after 5:00 p.m.

Detective Allen Hogan responded to the Moran family a month later and also stated that he and his partner arrested Victor Cruz and detained another person of interest, who later was used as a prime witness on Cruz behalf.

We escaped communism from Cuba in 1959, and all of a sudden we need to ask for permission to travel the streets of this “supposedly free” United States of America and we are all American citizens.

Because of David Wilson’s negligence and incompetence, Wilson has put the life of the Moran family in jeopardy and danger by disclosing the area of town where they all live. The proper thing to say and/or write was to say “the Valley of Las Vegas.”

Nothing that was recorded in the interview with the Moran family was disclosed in the article of Sunday, March 27; the reporter only wrote about the opinion of the District Attorney and Detective Spencer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

What was the purpose of wasting three-and-one-half hours of the Moran family time to NOT disclose their statements?

However, let’s not put all the blame on Victor Cruz—there are others involved…

* * * * *

Perly Viasmensky is the General Manager of the Las Vegas Tribune. She writes a weekly column in this newspaper. To contact Perly Viasmensky, email her at pviasmensky@lasvegastribune.com.

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