Las Vegas news briefs for July 2, 1999

Friday, July 2, 1999 | 11:08 a.m.

A Las Vegas couple has been arrested on charges related to the death of a 3-year-old girl.

The girl died June 24, one day after she was taken to University Medical Center from her home in the 5800 block of West Lake Mead Boulevard. Metro Police are not releasing the name of the girl or how she died, although the coroner's office ruled her death a homicide.

On June 25, the child's mother, Carol Miller, 20, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and child neglect. The child's stepfather, Jacquin Webb, 29, was arrested and charged with child abuse.

Suspect charged in September killing

Metro Police have arrested a suspect in a murder that occurred last September.

Samuel Nathan Ivey, 18, was arrested on charges of murder, attempted robbery, burglary and conspiracy Thursday in connection with the slaying of Ronnie Cook Pradon Jr. on Sept. 29.

Metro Police are continuing to investigate Pradon's death. Anyone with information regarding this killing can call Metro's homicide division at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555. Callers may be eligible for a $1,000 reward. The family of Ron Pradon Jr. has also offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to arrests in this case.

Victim identified in nightclub killing

A man shot to death outside a nightclub in the 4000 block of South Decatur Boulevard early Monday has been identified as Mark Encarnacion, 18, of Las Vegas.

Francisco "Frankie" Fernandez, 27, has been charged with murdering Encarnacion. Metro Police say the two men argued in the nightclub, and then Fernandez shot Encarnacion in the parking lot. Fernandez fled the scene but was arrested in a later traffic stop, police said.

Woman beaten in Laughlin attack

Metro Police are looking for three men who robbed and beat a disabled woman in Laughlin.

The three men approached the woman in an apartment complex parking lot in the 3300 block of Needles Highway. One man pushed her down while another struck her on the side of the face with his closed fist, police said. The men took her purse and fled the scene, police said.

The first suspect is described as a white man, 18 or 19 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 175 pounds, with short bleached blond hair and wearing tan baggy shorts, a light-colored sleeveless T-shirt and sandals.

Police say the second suspect is a "chunky" Hispanic man, 17 to 20 years old, 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 190 pounds. He was last seen wearing dark baggy shorts and a sleeveless shirt.

The last suspect is described as a 6-foot-1-inch Hispanic man with a lean build, dark brown curly hair and brown eyes. He has a tear drop tattoo under his right eye and a tattoo of a skull and crossbones on his left arm.

Anyone with information on the robbery or the suspects may call Sgt. Swoboda at the Laughlin substation at 298-2223 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Goldwater red-faced over statement

Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, is a little red-faced today after erroneously announcing that one of his laws on small business took effect July 1.

Goldwater, in a press release this week, touted the new law to protect small businesses from new regulations and he said it became effective Thursday. The bill, Assembly Bill 486, however, doesn't take effect until Jan. 1, 2000.

When the error was called to his attention, he said he was a "little embarrassed," and quipped, "I knew is it was a J month."

Two patriotic events scheduled

Two patriotic events are scheduled for Boulder City this month.

The Damboree Parade will kick off Independence Day celebrations in Boulder City's Old Town District Saturday at 9 a.m., city spokesman Roy Theiss said.

And on July 10, Gov. Kenny Guinn and other officials will speak at a groundbreaking for the Veteran's Skilled Nursing Home, Theiss said. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on the outskirts of Boulder City at Industrial Road near the first traffic signal on Adams Boulevard.

Shipp named head of Nevada group

John Shipp of Las Vegas has been elected president of Retired Public Employees of Nevada, a group with 7,400 members.

Shipp, who taught school in Clark County for nearly 30 years before retiring in 1993, succeeds Barbara Bybee of Carson City.

Other officers elected at the annual board of directors meeting earlier this month were Gail Hardy of Pahrump as secretary; Jack Milligan of Las Vegas to the executive committee and Wendell Lewis of Las Vegas as treasurer.

The organization represents state and local government workers and schoolteachers in Nevada who have retired.