Vegas news briefs for Oct. 16, 2000

Monday, Oct. 16, 2000 | 11:03 a.m.

California man crashes on I-15

A 21-year-old California man died Sunday morning in a one-car accident on Interstate 15 at Russell Road, Nevada Highway Patrol officials said.

Sameh S. Gharieb crashed into a guard rail apparently trying to cut across from the fast lane to the Russell Road exit after a Highway Patrol trooper clocked him at going 138 mph, Trooper Alan Davidson said.

One boy hurt in one-car crash

A 14-year-old boy died this morning in a one-car accident in North Las Vegas, and another 14-year-old boy was injured, North Las Vegas Police said.

Police said the driver of the 1999 Infiniti lost control in the 2500 block of Losee Road, hit a curb and started rolling. The car plowed into a concrete utility box, vaulted into the air and crashed through a wrought iron and concrete block wall, police said.

The names of the teens were not released this morning.

Driver flees scene, leaves family behind

A 31-year-old Las Vegas man fled after crashing his van on Interstate 15 Sunday night, leaving behind his four injured children and wife at the scene, Nevada Highway Patrol officials said.

Arsenio Tapia's four children -- ages 10, 8, 4 and 3 -- were all ejected through the windshield in the accident near Flamingo Road at about 11 p.m. Sunday, Highway Patrol Trooper Alan Davidson said.

Tapia's wife, 29-year-old Julia Tapia, and a 17-year-old cousin, were also injured in the wreck, Davidson said.

Troopers believe Arsenio Tapia was injured during the wreck, judging by the damage to the steering wheel. All local hospitals were notified, but he was not located, Davidson said.

Man indicted in killing of teen

Hernandez Villalobos, 39, has been indicted in the July 16, 1998, shooting death of Joey Cornell, a 16-year-old Las Vegas High School athlete, Chief Deputy District Attorney Bill Koot.

Authorities believe Villalobos opened fire on a car containing Cornell and three of his friends because Cornell family members had filed a police report against a Villalobos family member.

Villalobos disappeared shortly after the shooting, and Koot said police believe he fled to his native El Salvador before making his way back into the United States under a different name.

He was arrested in July in Great Neck, N.Y., where he worked as a cook.

A man found shot to death

in his Rhodes Ranch home last week was identified this morning as 45-year-old Patrick T. Sheen. Police found him dead in the house from a gunshot wound. Sheen's girlfriend, 38-year-old Zhen "Jenny" Yu Liang is unaccounted for.