Man Left To Die In Las Vegas House Fire Was Tortured

A 22 year old male who had been stabbed, had his legs bound, throat slashed, little finger cut and several finger nails removed had been left for dead in March 2016 at a house fire in central Las Vegas, say metro police.

Several days later after the discovery of the victim, metro detectives arrested two men connected to the crime. They were trying to extort $300 from the victim according to the arrest report. They only walked out with a pack of cigarettes.

Edward Hornbach, 28, and Luis Angel Castro 29, were being held at the Clark County detention center. They both face multiple charges that include mayhem, attempted murder, extortion, battery with the use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to murder, robbery, and arson. Once a fire was observed in the 1900 block of East Oakey Blvd., near eastern avenue, emergency responders arrived at the scene at 3.30 pm.

A bystander assisted a male who had been yelling for help from the backyard. The arriving medical personnel discovered that the victim, Ortiz-Salazar had been bound by his legs and was suffering from a slashed throat as well as several stab wounds to his back, arm, and chest. His right pinky finger had been amputated and several fingernails were missing.

Before he was rushed to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, he told the woman who found him: “Angel Castro did this to me.”

The victim later told the police that Castro, Hornbach and two women had used a knife and machete to harm him. These individuals then made several calls to family members and friends asking them for $300.

They tortured the victim before, during and after the phone calls. Police then linked at least one call to Hornbach’s phone. During the attack the victim pretended to be dead as the group departed. And it is then that Hornbach decided to set the house on fire. The victim was fortunately able to untie his hands and crawl out of the home. Bystanders’ found him in the backyard crying for help.

The victim’s girlfriend told the police that her boyfriend was friends with Castro and had asked him for a favor just 24 hours earlier, for which he would pay him $50. The following day, Castro returned for the money in Hornbach’s truck. Nearby residents noted that Hornbach, Castro, and two females were removing things from the home.

The victim is now in the hospital and recovering.