News briefs

Wednesday, March 8, 2000 | 11:19 a.m.

Rodriguez featured by national group

A flier with the picture of missing 7-year-old Karla Rodriguez has been mailed out by a national missing children group.

Karla has been missing since Oct. 20, when she was last seen in the 700 block of Bonita Avenue near Sixth Street and St. Louis Avenue playing with friends. Massive door-to-door manhunts and national media attention focused on her disappearance.

Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Karla can call the Metro Police missing person unit at 229-LOST, Secret Witness at 385-5555 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) THE-LOST (800 843-5678).

Man in fair condition at UMC

A North Las Vegas man was in fair condition this morning in University Medical Center after being shot Tuesday night in North Las Vegas.

A man fired nine shots into a car, missing the female driver but hitting Gregory Robinson in the stomach about 8:25 p.m. in the 600 block of West Lake Mead Boulevard, police said.

The woman sped off to the 300 block of Zoee Avenue and called police, said Lt. Chris Larotonda, North Las Vegas Police spokesman.

The gunman fled the area in a car. Robinson apparently had a previous dispute with the gunman, Larotonda said.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call North Las Vegas Police at 633-9111 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Lack of money foils bank robber

An attempted robbery of a Henderson bank Tuesday afternoon didn't turn out as planned. The teller had no money to give the would-be robber.

About 2:30 p.m. a man walked into the Colonial Bank at 4299 E. Sunset Road and handed a note to the teller that demanded money, Henderson Police said.

When the cashier found there was no money in the drawer, the suspect ran from the bank.

Police are looking for the man described as white, between 35 and 45 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall with a slim build, brown hair and a ponytail.

Descriptions given on two gunmen

Metro Police robbery detectives have released descriptions of men believed to have been involved in a February robbery of an auto supply store in the 500 block of East Sahara Avenue.

The two men entered the store on Feb. 16 and one of them pointed a revolver at an employee's head and demanded money while the other acted as a lookout, police said.

One of the suspects is described as a 19-year-old Hispanic man, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds. He has a long braided ponytail and was last seen wearing a black baseball hat, police said.

The second suspect is described as a 19-year-old light-skinned black man, 5 feet 6 inches tall with a small build.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police at 229-3591 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Couple say cops left house unlocked

A Las Vegas couple has filed a lawsuit against Metro Police claiming their house was burglarized because officers left it unsecured following a search.

According to the lawsuit, Officers K. Taylor, W. Pates and D. Lyerly "forcibly removed" the lock on the front screen door of Murl D. and Carrie Ann Richard's Tumbleweed Avenue home while conducting a search of the home in June 1998.

After the officers were done, they left a notice that they had been there, but they left the house and four storage buildings unsecured, the lawsuit states.

As a result, burglars ransacked the house, taking more than $15,000 worth of property.

The Richards are seeking $15,000, plus other unspecified damages.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday by attorney Robert Kossack, the officers conducted the search after identifying the Richards' son, Antonio, as a suspect in a 7-Eleven robbery.