a family tragedy

Doctor slain in murder-suicide at medical office

Police say an 80-year-old patient shot the physician before shooting himself

Steve Marcus

Metro investigators go through a vehicle outside a doctor’s office on West Charleston Boulevard after Dr. Edna Makabenta was killed by a patient in an apparent murder-suicide at the office Monday.

By Mary Manning

Published Mon, Jan 12, 2009 (11 a.m.)

Updated Mon, Jan 12, 2009 (6 p.m.)

Nevada State Medical Examiners Board

Dr. Edna Almaden Makabenta

Two people are dead, one of them a physician planning her retirement, after a murder-suicide at a medical office Monday morning in the central Las Vegas Valley, Metro Police said.

Police arrived at about 9:26 a.m. to the one-story, white stucco medical office at 2511 W. Charleston Blvd. to find two people dead in an examination room, Metro Police spokesman Officer Bill Cassell said. That location is just west of Charleston Boulevard's intersection with Rancho Drive.

Dr. Edna Almaden Makabenta, 49, specialized in internal medicine, according to the Nevada State Medical Examiners Board.

The gunman, who was a patient of Makabenta, was identified by police as Eliseo Santos, 80, of Las Vegas. Police said Santos shot Makabenta, then turned the gun on himself.

Police have no motive in the shooting.

A preliminary police investigation revealed that Santos entered Makabenta's office and requested to see the doctor. Santos was directed to an examination room, then took out a handgun and shot Makabenta once in the head, police said.

Santos subsequently shot himself in the mouth and was pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital, police said.

Santos also was a patient of Henfel Baria, who owns the West Charleston Pain Center next door at 2525 W. Charleston Blvd.

Baria said he knew both Makabenta and Santos, who also was a patient at the pain clinic. Santos had missed several appointments at the pain clinic, Baria said. Baria said he and Makabenta both opened their clinics in 1997.

Baria said he went into Makabenta's clinic after hearing shots fired and heard her assistant yelling. He then saw Makabenta in the exam room.

"I saw Dr. Makabenta lifeless and the patient lying, still moving a little, but there was blood on his head," Baria said.

Baria said Santos was Makabenta's first patient of the day.

Baria said the shooting gave him pause about safety in medical offices. "It's very scary," he said. "How are we going to ensure safety?"

Former patient Deborah Jamerson stood on the sidewalk behind yellow police crime scene tape and cried, sometimes bending over in grief.

"People loved her," Jamerson said. "I don't know about the other guy."

Jamerson said Makabenta had treated her after a vehicle crash. She said Makabenta spent time talking to and comforting her patients.

"I'm just so sorry for her family," Jamerson said.

Police vehicles blocked the right eastbound lane of Charleston Boulevard between Rancho Drive and Shetland Road as crime scene investigators processed the doctor's examining room and offices.

"God knows, it was just her time," Jamerson said. "This is unbelievable. A new year and she didn't even get through it."

Makabenta came to Las Vegas in 1992, said Louis Ling, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Board of Examiners.

She was born July 8, 1959, in Tacloban City in the Philippines. She received her medical degree in the Philippines in 1984, Ling said.

From 1992 until June 1995, Makabenta worked at University Medical Center to complete her state-side residency requirements, Ling said. She passed her exams for licensure and received her license on Sept. 7, 1995.

She was board-certified in internal medicine in November 1997. Makabenta has been in good standing with the medical board, Ling said.

"There's no way to make sense of this," Ling said of the shooting death. "There's lots of questions, but no answers."

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ate edna is my cousin on my dad's side. 

i can't really remember when was the last time i saw her, but after raissa told me about the tragedy, i suddenly remembered that when i went to the US last 2007, daddy gave me ate edna's calling card just in case i find myself in vegas.  (dad knows how i maximize my travels, planned and unplanned.)  but i didn't make it to vegas because we couldn't squeeze it in even if i really wanted.

this news is very shocking and really, really, really sad for the family, especially for my daddy who is quite close to their family.  tito jorge, ate edna's dad, is one of his closest cousins on the almaden side.

my deepest condolences to tito jorge and the whole almaden and makabenta families.

rest in peace, ate edna.