News briefs

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1999 | 10:44 a.m.

Arrest made in sexual assault

A 22-year-old man was arrested Monday on charges stemming from the Sept. 13 sexual assault and robbery of a woman in the restroom of local hotel-casino.

Juan Garcia Diaz was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and charged with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of sexual assault, battery with intent to commit sexual assault, robbery and grand larceny.

After the woman was assaulted, two men escaped in the victim's car, police said. The other man, also in his 20s, is being sought in connection with the rape and robbery.

Police declined to name the hotel where the incident occurred so that investigators can determine the veracity of information they receive from potential witnesses.

Man booked in stabbing of cousins

A Las Vegas man charged with stabbing his 7- and 13-year-old cousins was taken into custody Tuesday at the Sunset Station hotel-casino on charges he was trying to cash a bad check.

Henderson Police turned Jaramie Womack, 23, over to Metro Police who booked him into the Clark County Detention on the outstanding warrants for attempted murder. Henderson Police say they plan to file charges on the matter at Sunset Station where Womack was arrested without incident shortly before noon.

Womack is charged with stabbing the two boys several times Monday morning in their apartment at 1750 E. Karen Ave. where he had been staying.

The younger victim was released from the University Medical Center on Monday and the older boy was released late Tuesday, a hospital spokesperson said today.

Teen killed in two-car accident

A 16-year-old Las Vegas girl who was was killed Monday in a two-car accident that injured three others has been identified as Nikki Shirazian.

Shirazian, who Metro Police say was driving a car and was not wearing a seat belt, died at the University Medical Center Monday following the 4:30 p.m. accident at Las Vegas Boulevard and Robindale Road near Blue Diamond Road.

Shirazian was traveling west on Robindale, police said. She failed to stop at a sign before turning left on Las Vegas Boulevard and collided with a northbound vehicle, police said.

The driver of the other car, Travaughn Hitchens, 18, his passenger, Dawn Turner-Lake, 21, and Shirazian's passenger, Tommie Davis, 20, all suffered what police called moderate injuries.

71-year-old man dies in accident

A Henderson man who died Tuesday after he drove into a power pole and a tree late Monday has been identified by the Clark County Coroner as 71-year-old Angel Luis Torres.

Torres was driving his vehicle east on Sunset Road just east of Athenian Road at 11:15 p.m. when he began to drift over into westbound traffic lanes, Henderson Police said.

The car veered onto the shoulder striking a pole before colliding with the tree, police said, noting that the investigation is continuing.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call police at 565-2009.

Mohave power plant plans cleanup

PHOENIX -- Owners of a coal-burning power plant, often blamed by environmentalists for clouding the view of the Grand Canyon, agreed to install pollution equipment to settle a lawsuit.

The agreement among the owners of the Mohave Generating Station in Laughlin, the Grand Canyon Trust and the Sierra Club includes installation of smokestack scrubbers, a filter system and new burners for the plant's boilers.

"This is going to be one of the largest cleanups of one of the old coal-powered plants in the West," said Rick Moore, air quality program officer for the Grand Canyon Trust. "This plant regularly belches enormous plumes of soot and smoke."

Improvements at the plant are designed to cut sulfur dioxide emissions by at least 85 percent and to reduce nitrogen oxides and soot. The project could cost $300 million and is to be finished by April 1, 2006.

Man faces additional charges in sex case

A sex offender arrested in August faces additional sex charges after police uncovered a videotape that they say shows him engaging in sex acts with young boys.

Metro Police Lt. Tom Monahan said Russell D. Cohen, 40, of Las Vegas is now charged with nine counts of use of a minor in the production of pornography.

Cohen first was arrested Aug. 26 on charges he forced two boys into sex acts. Authorities accused Cohen of meeting young boys by employing them to distribute fliers throughout the Las Vegas Valley, then taking them to his home where they were sexually abused.

Shortly after news of Cohen's August arrest was circulated in the Las Vegas media, Monahan said, police received a videotape in the mail that is alleged to show a man engaging in sex acts with several male juveniles. Monahan said the juveniles have not been identified.