Local news briefs for June 20, 2000

Tuesday, June 20, 2000 | 11:57 a.m.

Shooting victim is identified

A man shot to death Monday while walking his dog in a northeast Las Vegas neighborhood was identified this morning as 52-year-old Danny Lee Sopp.

Sopp was in the 3100 block of Demetrius Avenue, near the intersection of Washington Avenue and Pecos Road, about 12:10 a.m. Monday when he became involved in an argument with several people in front of a house, Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro Police's homicide unit said.

A witness heard the argument, then two shotgun blasts, Petersen said.

No arrests were made in connection with the homicide as of this morning.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Metro's homicide unit at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Suspect released from hospital

An alleged gunman subdued and beaten by his captives was released from the hospital Monday night and taken to the Clark County Detention Center.

Brian Kennison, 24, was booked into the jail on charges of burglary with a weapon, kidnapping and attempted sexual assault. He was held without bond pending a court hearing later this week.

Kennison is charged with holding six employees and patrons of PT's Pub in the 2800 block of South Nellis Boulevard hostage Monday morning.

While police were outside the bar, the gunman attempted to sexually assault a female hostage, police said. The robber put down his gun, and other hostages overpowered him, police said.

Suspects found in L.A. jail

Metro Police detectives have identified three men in connection with February's take-over robbery at the Santa Fe hotel-casino's cashier cage.

Two of the men, Ricky Bell, 23, and Trevon Cotton, 23, both of California, are in custody at the Los Angeles County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Las Vegas.

The third suspect, Jajuan Bell, a 21-year-old from Compton, Calif., has not been found, police said.

On Feb. 24 hotel video cameras captured three masked men jumping over the counter at the casino's main cashier cage and running from the Santa Fe with an undisclosed amount of money. The men used a stolen car for their getaway. It was found a few blocks from the casino, police said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jajuan Bell is asked to call police at 229-3591, or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Woman suspect in death of LV woman

Police in Sacramento arrested a woman Friday whom they believe killed her niece and left her body by the road, and killed her niece's unborn baby boy.

Sacramento homicide detectives arrested 31-year-old Erin Rae Kuhn-Brown on Friday on suspicion of killing her niece, Kathaleena Louisa Draper, 17, of Las Vegas, and her baby, who was full-term.

After receiving a phone call that a possible body was lying wrapped on a Sacramento-area roadway, police found Draper. Police believe the baby's body has been disposed of somewhere in the area of Fallon in Northern Nevada.

Draper left Las Vegas three months ago to live with Kuhn-Brown, her aunt, in Sacramento, and Kuhn-Brown had planned to adopt the baby, police said.