Local news briefs for June 22, 2000

Thursday, June 22, 2000 | 11:33 a.m.

Police say driver failed to yield

A failure to yield right of way appears to be the cause in a fatal accident Tuesday involving an elderly Las Vegas man and a Clark County School District Police officer, Metro Police investigators said.

Lawrence Rothmeyer, 76, died at University Medical Center Tuesday from injuries he sustained when he turned his 1992 Mazda pickup into the path of Darnell Couthen's police car on Charleston Boulevard at the intersection of Arlington Street.

The accident occurred about 1:55 p.m. as the Mazda tried to turn left onto Arlington from eastbound Charleston and collided with Couthen's 1999 Ford Crown Victoria as it headed west on Charleston, police said.

Rothmeyer was not wearing a seat belt, and that may have contributed to the severity of his injuries, police said.

Metro looking for two men, a woman

Metro Police detectives are looking for two men and a woman involved in two jewelry robberies that have resulted in a combined loss of nearly $100,000.

The first robbery was on June 8 at the Jewelers store in the Belz Factory Outlet mall, and the second took place on June 13 at the Zales store in the Meadows mall, police said.

In both robberies two robbers distracted employees, while the third reached over display cases and snatched jewelry.

Damage estimated at $675,000

Clark County firefighters battled three house fires Wednesday that caused a combined $675,000 in damage.

The first fire was at 4740 Laguna Vista St. Wednesday morning, with the blaze causing $300,000 in damage, Clark County Fire Department spokesman Steve La-Sky said.

A firefighter suffered minor injuries battling the blaze and was treated and released from University Medical Center.

Later in the day firefighters responded to 1090 Fleetridge St. where a fire started in the closet of the home caused about $75,000 in damages. A juvenile who lives at the home was arrested by Metro Police officers and charged with setting the fire, La-Sky said.

And just before 6 p.m., a house at 4566 Spencer St. burned to the ground. The damage is estimated at $300,000, and investigators determined that a cigarette on a couch was the cause.