Local news briefs for August 10, 2000

Thursday, Aug. 10, 2000 | 10:54 a.m.

Metro seeks public's help

Metro Police homicide detectives are asking for the public's help in locating a Minnesota man who missed his flight back to Minneapolis on May 19 and is now considered missing.

Minneapolis Police have asked for Metro's help in finding Kinsey Otto, 24, who they believe may be the victim of foul play, Metro Sgt. Kevin Manning said.

Otto arrived in Las Vegas aboard a Sun Country Airlines flight from Minneapolis on May 13 but did not show up for his return flight. His ticket was never used, Manning said.

Anyone with information on Otto's whereabouts is asked to call homicide detectives at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Police arrest murder suspect

The Las Vegas criminal apprehension team arrested a man Wednesday morning who was wanted in connection with a California homicide.

Dennis Martin was arrested in the 5300 block of South Boulder Highway about 11:30 a.m. on a warrant for one count of murder.

Bakersfield, Calif., Police told Las Vegas authorities that they believed Martin was living in Las Vegas, and criminal apprehension team members tracked him to an apartment near where he was arrested.

The apprehension team is a joint task force that works to apprehend fugitives, with representatives from Metro, Henderson and North Las Vegas police departments, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI.

Probation given after guilty plea

District Judge John McGroarty placed Manuel Ortega Jr., 39, on probation for three years Wednesday following his guilty plea to a gross misdemeanor offense involving a telemarketing scheme in Las Vegas.

Ortega has already repaid a San Francisco woman $3,250, the amount of her loss.

Deputy Attorney General Jo Ann Gibbs said a man would telephone elderly people in California and Arizona claiming to be vice president of State Farm Insurance. They were told they had won a large amount of money in a cash sweepstakes, but must first send money via Western Union for expenses.

In January Ortega was arrested by investigators outside a grocery store in Las Vegas when he attempted to pick up one victim's Western Union money wire. Gibbs said Ortega tried the scheme on others but this was the only case they know of where the money was actually sent.

Ortega pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses.

Helling to head Carson City prison

Donald Helling, who has worked for the state Department of Prisons since 1978, has been named warden at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City, succeeding John Ignacio, who retired.

Helling has been warden of the conservation camp system for the past 22 months. Prison Director Jackie Crawford said today Helling would be replaced by Robert Hildreth, who is associate warden of the Lovelock Correctional Center.