‘Evilness is what I see,’ Las Vegas teenager heads to prison for killing man on Fremont Street
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The teenager who shot and killed a man at the Fremont Street Experience two years ago began a 15-year-to-life sentence Thursday.
Police arrested Ruben Robles, 18, in the days after the June 19, 2022, shooting that left 23-year-old Raymond Renova Jr. dead. Renova was a son, brother to seven siblings and uncle to several children, his family said Thursday.
Robles initially faced charges of murder, attempted murder and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Last year, he took a plea deal on a second-degree murder charge. As part of the deal, he agreed to serve a minimum of 15 years in prison.
“I’m very remorseful for what happened,” Robles said in court before Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones sentenced him. “I’m ready to do my time and become a better man.”
A fight inside a Fremont Street casino preceded the shooting, which spilled out into the street, police said. Part of Robles’ group began beating Renova’s cousin, which prompted the shooting. A second man, a bystander, was also shot and survived.
Video of the incident went viral shortly afterward.
“This case is about a toxic culture of juveniles, firearms and someone looking for a fight,” prosecutor Binu Palal said.
The shooting led to tougher security screens and a curfew for teenagers in the area on Friday and Saturday nights.
In court Thursday, Renova’s family said they will never forget getting that call that Sunday morning.
“My brother is gone forever over reckless decisions,” Nina Woodward Renova, Renova’s sister, said. “Just, evilness is what I see.”
Renova, an aspiring tattoo artist, loved animals and kept a pet iguana, his stepmother, Joanne Renova, told the court.
“And the last few years of his life he had turned around, and we were so proud of him,” she said. “And to lose him in this way so unexpectedly when he was doing the best in life was a really difficult pill to swallow.”
Jones sentenced Robles per the settlement agreement: to 15 years to life. With credit for time served, Robles will be up for parole when he is in his early 30s.
A second man, Fabian Carmona, 23, was already sentenced for his role in the fight. As of Thursday, he was more than a year into serving a 6-to-12-year sentence on a lesser charge, records said.
Court documents obtained Thursday afternoon said Carmona “threw the first punch.” Investigators had said he violently stomped on a victim during the fight, documents said.
Robles was out on bail at the time of the murder on a firearms charge, records said.
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