Las Vegas woman, who previously posed as a man, is accused of murdering worker

A 27-year-old woman, who previously claimed to be a 52-year-old man, faces serious accusations for allegedly killing a worker in a seemingly random act of violence.

According to court documents obtained by KLAS-TV, Kayla Alery approached a carpet cleaner named Raul Cardoza, 41, and shot him in the neck while he and his brother were taking a break at an apartment complex in the 3600 block of South Fort Apache Road, near Twain Avenue, Las Vegas.

Police officers responding to the incident found Alery with a .45 caliber handgun in her waistband, along with a bag allegedly containing methamphetamine. However, it is still unclear whether the woman was under the influence of drugs at the time of the attack.

After the incident, Alery claimed not to remember where she got the gun from and stated that she "sometimes blackouts for days." The woman claims she does not remember what happened before being taken to the police station.

This tragic episode is not Alery's first encounter with the law. In September 2022, police responded to reports of a woman attempting to set fire to a vehicle that was in the parking lot of an apartment building. In that incident, Alery provided false information and posed as a middle-aged man. But when she was finally properly identified, the criminal record revealed a series of previous charges, including domestic assault, robbery, aggravated robbery of a firearm, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, among others.

Alery is currently facing murder charges, along with other felonies related to Cardoza's death. However, while awaiting trial, Alery continues to be involved in violent incidents. The latest charges she faces are for assaulting another inmate at the Clark County Detention Center "out of nowhere" while she was waiting to be processed.