Las Vegas news briefs

Monday, Dec. 21, 1998 | 11:32 a.m.

The driver, who died from his injuries, was driving a 1973 Datsun 260Z eastbound on the arterial at about 4 p.m. when for some reason he lost control and smashed into the barrier sideways, Sgt. Curt Albert said.

"It almost looks like he came around the corner and was about to miss his turn, and swerved over, but we are still investigating the accident," Albert said.

The car hit the median that separates the Highland Drive off-ramp and the on-ramp to the arterial and continued to slid sideways until it struck the barrier.

The accident was the 105th traffic fatality in Metro's jurisdiction this year.

CHAIN REACTION -- No serious injuries were suffered after a driver lost control of his car and hit four other cars in northwest Las Vegas Saturday afternoon.

At about 3 p.m. the car was westbound on Owens Avenue near Mojave Road when the driver lost control and hit a parked car on Owens, Metro Police said.

After hitting the parked vehicle the car moved into the eastbound lanes of Owens and struck three more cars.

One of the cars was a van carrying 12 children, and in all 18 people were taken to University Medical Center with minor injuries, police said.

The driver of the car that lost control was arrested at the scene for a charge of driving-under-the-influence, police said.

BOY DIES -- A young girl is in critical but stable condition at University Medical Center after a Friday night car accident that claimed the life of her brother.

Nina Chu, 13, was riding in a minivan with her family northbound on I-15 near Jean when a tire blowout caused the vehicle to roll at about 8:30 p.m., Nevada Highway Patrol officers said.

Matthew Chu, 9, was killed in the accident. Chu's father Alexander, mother Florence, 40, and second daughter Julia, 11, were all treated and released from UMC.

All three of the children were not wearing seatbelts and were thrown from the vehicle.

FATAL BURNS -- A man that had 60 percent of his upper body burned in a Dec. 8 fire died early Sunday morning at the University Medical Center's burn unit.

The 73-year-old had suffered second and third degree burns from a fire that investigators believe began as a result of careless smoking.

Fire Investigators believe that the man was sitting in a pickup smoking in front of 1956 Walker St. when he somehow allowed a cigarette to ignite his clothing.

The man may have been wearing a jacket that had residue from various automotive liquids and fuel on it, Las Vegas Fire Department officials said.

This is the ninth fire related death in the city for 1998, with nearly half the fire deaths in the last few years related to careless smoking, officials said.

SENTENCED -- A man that was part of a Nov. 14, 1997, robbery at Pioneer Citizen's Bank, 4001 E. Sunset Ave., was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole as part of the federal three strikes law.

John Buckner, 45, was convicted in August of conspiracy, armed bank robbery, use of a firearm in a violent crime, felony possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada Kathryn Landreth said.

Bunker, who had four prior convictions in Ohio for armed robbery, and co-defendant Brian Woods, 36, burst into the Las Vegas bank armed and wearing ski masks, the attorney's office said.

The two men took over $345,000 and were arrested at their apartment at 1200 Torrey Pines Drive on Nov. 14, 1997, after a pursuit by FBI, Metro and Henderson police.

Woods, who was convicted in a separate trial in July, was sentenced to 131 months in prison on Dec. 5.

ROBBERY -- Henderson police are asking for the public's help in locating two men suspected of robbing a jewelry store Sunday evening.

At about 6:15 p.m. alarms sounded at Henderson Jewelers, 746 S. Boulder Highway, Henderson police said.

Two men entered the store and used semi-automatic pistols to force the store's employees into a bathroom where they were tied up.

Money was taken from the register, safe and jewelry from the display cases, police said.

Police have not released the amount that was stolen but do believe that the suspects visited the store before committing the crime.

The suspects are described as male, between the ages of 30 and 40-years-old, police said. The first suspect is thought to be 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 210 pounds, while the second suspect is believed to be 6 feet tall and weighs about 195 pounds.

The first suspect is bald, and the second man is described as having dark hair.

Anyone with any information on the robbery is asked to call Henderson Police at 565-2009 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

INDICTMENT -- A home health nurse has been indicted by the Clark County Grand Jury for allegedly submitting false time sheets to two different employers.

During a four-week period between October and November 1996, Scott L. Nellis, 48, is accused of lying upon five separate occasions about where he was going and the hours he actually worked for patients of American United Home Care and Creekside Home Health Inc.

American United and Creekside, in turn, submitted the claims to the Nevada Medicaid program for payment, according to Tim Terry, director of the state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

A subsequent investigation uncovered the alleged falsification. A warrant has since been issued for Nellis' arrest in connection with the five-count indictment handed down Friday. Authorities believe Nellis is in the Las Vegas area and will turn himself in.

FRAUD -- An Arizona man has been arrested for a Las Vegas investment scam.

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said Friday that David Nicolay, 48, of Phoenix, Ariz., has surrendered to investigators from the Attorney General's Office on charges related to his involvement in a scheme, which defrauded a Las Vegas resident out of $30,000 in an investment with Mini Storage Corporation of Nevada.

According to a complaint filed by the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Nicolay allegedly committed securities fraud and obtained money under false pretenses.

Nicolay misrepresented to the resident that the investment funds would be used for developing Mini Storage Corporation of Nevada, when instead, the majority of the funds were used to cover Nicolay's personal expenses, the complaint says.

If convicted on the charges of securities fraud and obtaining money under false pretenses Nicolay faces up to 15 years in state prison and fines.

Persons who believe they have been the victim of securities fraud should call the Nevada Securities Division in Las Vegas at 486-2440 or in Reno at 668-1855. In addition, consumer protection information is always available at the Attorney General's website at www.statenv.us/ag.