Local news briefs for October 20, 2000

Friday, Oct. 20, 2000 | 10:48 a.m.

Sex offender faces charges

A convicted sex offender was arrested Wednesday for allegedly taking pictures of Las Vegas-area girls.

Vern Lucas, 62, was held this morning in the Clark County jail on 17 counts of using a minor in the production of pornography, 14 counts of possession of child pornography and 12 counts of abuse or neglect of a child, Metro Police said.

Girl disappeared one year ago

Karla Rodriguez disappeared one year ago today from her neighborhood.

Karla, who turned 8 on Sept. 29, was last seen Oct. 20, 1999, about 7 p.m. in the 800 block of East St. Louis Avenue, Metro Police said.

A massive search, television spots, mailings, posters and her picture on the front of a race car have failed to generate information needed to find her.

Anyone with information on her is asked to call Metro's missing persons unit at 229-5678 or Detective Roberto Juarez at 236-4768, Sgt. Dan McGrath at 262-3047 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Second suspect makes deal in killing

The second of three young men accused of killing a man over a litter of pit bull puppies has accepted a deal from prosecutors. The third defendant was expected to enter a deal this morning.

According to police, Deangelo Jackson, 20, was shot in July 1999 following an argument with Eliodora Cabrera Jr., 20, Adam Aguilar, 22, and Ismael Vargas, 20. The men had agreed to split a litter of six puppies, but they couldn't decide who should get the puppies after three of the puppies died.

Police say Aguilar fired at least 10 shots from a 9 mm pistol at Jackson while he was sitting in a car. A second man, Jessie Jesus Gutierrez, 19, was shot in the leg.

Vargas pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to a felony in May and Cabrera took the same deal Thursday, Chief Deputy District Attorney David Schwartz said.

Aguilar, who was set to go to trial on Monday, was scheduled to enter a plea this morning before District Judge John McGroarty.

Suspect found in California

A man suspected in a Henderson sexual assault is being held in California for another sex crime, Henderson Police said.

A woman told police a man who was going to give her a ride home from the Flamingo Las Vegas assaulted her early Sunday. Police put out a description of the suspect and his van.

The California Highway Patrol spotted the van near Barstow, and Jose Alberto Arrivillaga, 45, of Los Angeles, was taken into custody.

Two men sought in Oct. 4 crime

Metro Police are searching for two men who robbed a Super Pawn store on East Bonanza Road Oct. 4.

They entered the shop pretending to be customers, and after being shown several men's rings, the smaller of the two men said to the other, "I want to see one too, Alex," according to police.

The larger man then revealed a handgun tucked into the front of his pants and they took several rings, police said.

One man was described as Hispanic, 18 to 20 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 150 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a goatee. He was last seen wearing light-colored cowboy boots, white pants, a black sweatshirt and a black baseball cap.

The second man was described as Hispanic, 20 to 22 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a tattoo near his right eye. He was last seen wearing construction boots, blue jeans, a gray sweatshirt and a dark-colored baseball cap. He was armed with a small, black revolver.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Metro's robbery unit at 229-3591 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.