Search continues for man who fled accident

Keith Paul

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2000 | 11:37 a.m.

A Las Vegas man who ran from an accident leaving his hurt wife and critically injured children behind apparently has been visiting his family while police continue to search for him.

Arsenio Tapia, 31, crashed his van into a highway dividing wall on Interstate 15 near Flamingo Road Sunday about 11 p.m., causing his four young children to be thrown from the vehicle through the windshield, Trooper Alan Davidson, a Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman, said.

Tapia's 4-year-old son, Gillardo, was listed this morning in critical condition in University Medical Center. His 8-year-old son Alfredo died in the hospital Monday about 1:15 p.m. and 7-year-old daughter Juanita died Tuesday about 10 a.m., hospital and Clark County coroner's officials said.

Tapia's wife, Julia Tapia, and his 3-year-old daughter Guadalupe were treated and released from the hospital. A 17-year-old cousin in the van also was injured, but is recovering from his wounds.

Troopers have been searching for Tapia since the accident and suspect he fled because he may have been drinking or scared.

"I can't see anything scary enough to leave my kids to die on the street," Davidson said. "Doctors don't expect the other child in the hospital to live past today."

Neighbors called troopers Tuesday saying they saw Tapia at his apartment on Ala Drive near Spring Mountain Road and Decatur Boulevard, but when troopers got there he was gone and some of his relatives denied he had been there, Davidson said.

"The day after the accident there was blood on the porch of the home and it was still wet, but everyone there said he hadn't been around and didn't know where the blood came from," he said.

Troopers believe Tapia was injured in the wreck based on how the steering wheel was bent, but they have no idea how badly he might be hurt, Davidson said.

Davidson said troopers are getting inconsistent stories from some of Tapia's family and friends.

Tapia has family in Mexico and California. He apparently contacted several people to take him to Mexico, but no one was willing to do it.

Tapia is wanted on manslaughter, child endangerment, felony reckless driving, hit and run, failure to give information and render aid, improper lane change, failure to report an accident and no proof of insurance charges.

Arsenio and Julia Tapia were married Saturday, but had been together for some time, police said. She was at the hospital this morning and could not be reached for comment.

Anyone with information on Tapia's whereabouts is asked to call Nevada Highway Patrol at 486-4114 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.