A child custody and financial dispute ended in a devastating double killing inside a Las Vegas grocery store, leaving two children without their parents and a family searching for justice.
Alejandro Estrada, 43, has pleaded guilty to two counts of murder with the use of a deadly weapon in the May 12, 2026, shooting deaths of his former wife, Amanda Frias Rosas, and her husband, Victor Frias Rosas. The couple were inside a Smith’s grocery store in the Silverado Ranch area when the shooting occurred.
Estrada’s guilty plea, filed in October, includes an agreement calling for consecutive sentences of 28 years to life for each murder count. If approved by the court, the terms would amount to 56 years to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2026.
The plea brings the case closer to resolution after months of legal proceedings. But for the victims’ family, the outcome cannot undo the loss of two people whose lives were cut short in a public place where they had simply gone shopping.
A grocery trip that ended in tragedy
The shooting happened shortly before noon on May 12 at a Smith’s store near South Maryland Parkway and Silverado Ranch Boulevard.
According to investigators, Estrada entered the store and followed Amanda and Victor before opening fire. The couple were both employees of the grocery store, and the attack unfolded as shoppers went about their day.
Witnesses described a frightening scene as gunshots rang out and customers tried to get away from the danger.
Investigators later said several bystanders intervened after Estrada left the store area. They managed to restrain him and take control of the weapon before police arrived.
Authorities praised those who stepped in, noting the courage required to confront an armed suspect during a rapidly unfolding emergency.
Estrada was arrested that day and remained in custody as the case moved through court.
Investigators uncovered a dispute over child support
Court testimony and investigative records pointed to a long-running conflict between Estrada and Amanda involving their children and financial responsibilities.
The former couple had two children together and shared legal custody, according to court records. Their relationship had ended years earlier, but disagreements over child support continued.
Records indicated that Estrada had been ordered to pay $342 per month in child support. By November 2025, he reportedly owed more than $2,800.
A roommate told investigators that Estrada had become increasingly resentful over the financial consequences of the child support dispute. According to testimony, he was upset because the payments had disrupted his plans to purchase a condominium and caused him to lose money associated with the transaction.
The roommate also recalled Estrada discussing an upcoming court appearance and expressing concern that he could face jail time over unpaid support.
Investigators said the dispute appeared to be a major factor in the killings. A detective testified that Estrada had allegedly made arrangements to kill Amanda and Victor.
The evidence described in court painted a picture of a conflict that had continued well beyond the end of the relationship. However, the financial dispute does not excuse the violence that followed.
Custody documents were reportedly left beside Amanda
One of the most disturbing details to emerge during the investigation involved a folder of custody-related paperwork.
A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detective testified that Estrada described retrieving a red folder from his backpack after the shooting and placing it near Amanda’s body.
According to the testimony, the documents related to the dispute between the former couple.
Investigators also said Estrada had expressed intense resentment toward Amanda in social media posts, including references to hatred and a personal vendetta.
The details became central to the investigation as authorities worked to understand whether the shooting was spontaneous or planned.
Detective testimony indicated that investigators believed Estrada had prepared for the attack. The reported placement of the custody paperwork also raised questions about whether he wanted the dispute to be understood as part of his explanation for what happened.
The guilty plea means the case will not proceed to a jury trial, although the circumstances described in court remain an important part of the public record.
The couple had been preparing for a child’s birthday
Beyond the legal dispute, the circumstances surrounding the couple’s final hours have made the tragedy particularly painful for relatives and people who knew them.
Amanda and Victor had married in February 2025, following Amanda’s separation from Estrada. They were building a life together while navigating the responsibilities of family and work.
A store coworker told local media that the couple had a birthday cake in their shopping cart when they were killed. The cake was reportedly for Amanda’s son, who was turning 12 that day.
The detail offered a heartbreaking glimpse into what the couple had been doing before the shooting: preparing to celebrate a child’s birthday.
Instead of marking the occasion with their family, Amanda and Victor became the victims of a double homicide that would profoundly affect their children and relatives.
Amanda’s mother, Angela Mejia, expressed her grief over the guilty plea and the agreed sentence in comments to local media.
She emphasized that the children had no choice in what happened to their parents or in the legal outcome that followed.
Her remarks reflected the lasting consequences of the killings for a family now forced to navigate life without two loved ones.
Bystanders helped stop the suspect
The response from shoppers was another significant part of the case.
Witness accounts described people confronting Estrada after the shooting, including one person who testified about struggling with him over a firearm.
Police arrived to find several individuals restraining the suspect, according to officials who discussed the incident after the attack.
Their intervention helped bring the immediate danger to an end before officers took control of the scene.
The shooting also had a wider impact on the store’s employees and the surrounding community. The location remained closed for more than a week while the company addressed the aftermath and prepared to reopen.
For coworkers who had known Amanda and Victor, the incident was not simply a crime scene. It was the loss of two colleagues who had been part of their everyday working lives.
Why Estrada’s guilty plea matters
Estrada initially pleaded not guilty in May. He later changed his plea, agreeing to two counts of murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
Under the agreement, prosecutors and the defense accepted consecutive terms of 28 years to life for each count. The final sentence is scheduled to be addressed by the court on November 25.
The plea avoids a jury trial, which could otherwise have required relatives and witnesses to revisit the events through additional testimony and evidence.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal said prosecutors believed the agreement brought a sense of justice for the victims’ families. Estrada’s defense attorney also described the outcome as fair, according to local reporting.
The agreement does not lessen the loss suffered by the victims’ relatives, but it provides a path toward resolving the criminal case without a prolonged trial.
The sentencing hearing will formally address the punishment under the agreement.
A lasting impact on the children and family
The deaths of Amanda and Victor left their children and extended family facing a future shaped by an abrupt and devastating loss.
The case also highlights how disputes involving custody and financial support can have consequences far beyond the courtroom when conflict escalates into violence.
Child support is intended to help meet children’s needs after parents separate. Disagreements over payments or custody can be addressed through legal proceedings, but violence can destroy the very family relationships those processes are meant to manage.
Amanda had previously shared messages on social media emphasizing that children should not be caught in the middle of conflicts between parents. Those posts have taken on added significance in light of the circumstances surrounding her death.
For her mother and other relatives, the central concern now is the future of the children and how they will cope with losing both parents.
As the November sentencing date approaches, the case is nearing a critical stage in court. The agreed prison terms would keep Estrada incarcerated for decades if accepted, while the family continues to live with the consequences of the May shooting.
The case began with a dispute over family responsibilities. It ended with two lives lost, children left grieving, and a community struggling to understand how a conflict could lead to such devastating violence.
