Latest carjacking victim set on fire, abandoned

Keith Paul

Monday, Nov. 20, 2000 | 11:17 a.m.

Metro Police are searching for two men who kidnapped a 40-year-old Las Vegas Valley man, then set him and his pickup on fire in the desert during a carjacking, a crime that is on the rise here.

Richard Brewer was found Sunday about 11 a.m. wandering naked in the area known as the saddle -- off East Lake Mead Boulevard near Sunrise Mountain -- by a Metro Police helicopter. Brewer, who apparently spent the night wandering in the desert, was badly burned, Lt. Chris Carroll of Metro's Northwest substation said.

Brewer, who was listed this morning in serious condition at University Medical Center, was able to tell police that two men approached him when he was stopped at the intersection of Charleston Boulevard and Mojave Road Saturday night. The men hit Brewer on the head and forced their way into the truck.

The carjackers drove Brewer to the remote area and, using a can of gas Brewer had in the back of truck, the suspects poured gasoline over him and his truck and set them on fire, Carroll said.

"This man must have had the longest night in the desert any human has ever had. His clothes were burned off of him," Carroll said. "He was fortunate that (the Metro) helicopter just happened to be flying in the area."

Robbery detectives are investigating the case, trying to determine a motive for the case, and how the carjackers were able to then make their getaway from the remote area. Carjacking has been on the rise in Las Vegas in the past few months.

"There has definitely been an increase in the last 30 to 60 days. We have seen six over the weekend," said Sgt. Al Cervantes of the robbery unit.

On Nov. 1 about 7 p.m., 28-year-old Daniel Saucedo was shot and killed by two men in a parking lot on Bonanza Road and Eastern Avenue. One of the men then took his car and the other suspect fled in another car. The suspects have not been apprehended.

Homicide detectives do not think the violent carjacking over the weekend is related to the Nov. 1 slaying, said Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro's homicide unit.

Cervantes said many of the area's carjackings are done so the suspects can have a getaway car to be used in another crime.

"There was a car stolen over the weekend from a woman at gunpoint on East Lake Mead (Boulevard) near Hollywood (Boulevard) and that car was used in the robbery of a business," he said. "Basically the pattern is to (carjack) a car and then use it in a robbery."

Cervantes said detectives are continuing to investigate the carjacking that ended with Brewer brutally burned.

"This was very vicious," he said.

Brewer's condition was upgraded from critical to serious this morning.