News briefs for August 6, 2001

Monday, Aug. 6, 2001 | 10:29 a.m.

Father arrested in homicide

Metro Police have arrested a 73-year-old man in connection with the May homicide of the man's daughter.

Kenneth Moore was arrested at his home Friday morning and was booked into the Clark County jail on a charge of murder, homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen said.

On May 24 Moore's daughter, 49-year-old Loretta Beechler, was found dead on the side of the road near Nellis and Lake Mead boulevards. Beechler's body was found about 100 yards from Moore's home, police said.

An autopsy revealed that Beechler died of asphyxiation and strangulation. Police say that a bite mark on Moore's arm was from Beechler.

Three men sought in store robberies

Metro Police are looking for three men in connection with a string of convenience store robberies in northwest Las Vegas.

The suspects, described as white men, entered the stores posing as customers, police said. The suspects reportedly forced the clerks into the back of the stores and then broke into the cash registers and video poker machines.

One suspect is described by police as between 30 and 35, 5 feet, 8 inches, 150 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. He has a moustache and tattoos on the back of his neck and left forearm.

A second suspect is described as between 25 and 30, 5 feet, 7 inches, 160 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes. He has tattoos on both legs.

The third suspect, who is also described as 25 to 30, 5 feet, 8 inches, 150 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes. He also has a moustache.

Anyone with information about the robberies or suspects is asked to call robbery detectives at 229-3591, or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Girl, 9, hit by watercraft

A 9-year-old Las Vegas girl was injured Saturday night when she was struck by a personal watercraft as she waded in Lake Mohave.

Luis Virola, 40, of Boulder City, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless operation of a watercraft.

The accident happened at Placer Cove, where witnesses say the driver of a personal watercraft was doing doughnuts and struck the girl, who was in an area crowded with swimmers.

The girl was taken to University Medical Center, where she was treated for a severe cut onher head and released.

Auction Tuesday over BLM fees

More than 200 head of cattle seized by the Bureau of Land Management from two Nevada ranchers accused of trespassing on public lands are scheduled to be auctioned Tuesday, the BLM confirmed.

Ranchers Ben Colvin of Goldfield and Jack Vogt of Lida were notified Friday of the pending sale unless they pay fines and fees totaling tens of thousands of dollars that the BLM claims are owed for grazing violations over the past five years.

States' rights activists who dispute federal ownership of public lands plan to demonstrate outside Snow's Livestock Auction in Fallon, 50 miles east of Reno.

They also urged local law enforcement to stop the sale.

Berkley may land House committee

After the 2002 congressional elections, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., may take a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee being vacated by a retiring Pennsylvania congressman.

Democratic Rep. James Coyne, 64, announced he would not seek re-election next year. The Ways and Means Committee influences tax legislation, trade issues and Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other social programs.

Berkley has sought a Ways and Means seat from Democratic leaders since she was elected to Congress in 1999. She would become one of 17 Democrats on the committee.