Local news briefs for August 31, 2000

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000 | 11:18 a.m.

Teen to face murder charges

A 15-year-old Henderson girl was booked into the Clark County jail Tuesday on murder in connection with the April death of her newborn boy.

Virginia Vasquez, who was charged as an adult, surrendered to Henderson police Tuesday afternoon on a warrant charging her with second-degree murder and felony child abuse.

Officers were called to a home on April 19 and found a newborn dead in a toilet. The girl had given birth in the bathroom. An autopsy determined the baby was born alive and died from drowning.

Clark County prosecutors reviewed the case and issued an arrest warrant for Vasquez.

Police seek help in ID of bank robber

The FBI, Metro Police and Henderson Police are trying to identify a man suspected of robbing 15 area banks in the last five months.

In all of the robberies, the suspect gave a bank teller a note stating that he was committing a robbery and that he had a gun. No one has been injured during the robberies, but a gun has been displayed at some banks.

The suspect is described as black, between 20 and 30 years old, between 5 feet 7 inches and 6 feet tall and weighing between 170 and 200 pounds. He has a shaved head, and sometimes has a goatee during the robberies, FBI officials said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 385-1281 or Secret Witness 385-5555.

Four men face charges in invasions

The trial of four men charged in a string of home invasions in the Summerlin area last fall and winter has been scheduled for December.

District Judge John McGroarty set the Dec. 4 trial date after Draketonial Macon, 31, and Nahum Brown, 24, each pleaded not guilty Wednesday to more than two dozen criminal counts.

Two other men, Edward Bonser, 30, and Tyrone Walker, 35, pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing.

The four are accused of committing burglaries in the Summerlin area in groups of two and three between September and December.

Group seeks park ban

A San Francisco-based environmental group went to court Wednesday to ban jet skis from National Park Service waters, including Lake Mead in Southern Nevada.

The law firm of Meyer & Glitzenstein on behalf of the Bluewater Network filed the lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., to end the use of the motorized watercraft at two dozen national park sites.

"The park service knows quite well that jet skis threaten public safety, shatter natural quiet and destroy visitor enjoyment," said Sean Smith, public lands director for Bluewater Network and a former park ranger.

Court ruling sought over licenses

Two bail bond companies whose licenses have been suspended have asked a district judge to determine what the law is regarding unlicensed employees.

According to court documents filed Wednesday, Nevada's Department of Business and Industry suspended the licenses of A Bail Bonds and Allstar Bail Bonds because of the actions of employee Donald Johnson.

The bail bond companies say in court documents that although Johnson is unlicensed, he can assist in the arrest of bail jumpers as long as he is under the "direct and immediate" supervision of a licensed employee.

Venetian closes C2K over dispute

Venetian officials padlocked Club C2K Wednesday because of a dispute over a lease between the club's owner and the property.

Brad Packer, public relations coordinator for the Venetian, said legal actions have not been filed at this point in the dispute, although last month attorneys filed a notice of default against H&H of Nevada, which leases the space.