LV man, teen jailed in kidnap, shooting

Keith Paul and Jace Radke

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2001 | 9:44 a.m.

A Las Vegas man and a teenager were in jail this morning after a high-speed chase in California following the kidnapping of the man's estranged wife and the shooting of the woman's teenage sister.

Pablo Guerrero, 23, was in a California jail awaiting extradition to Las Vegas to face attempted murder and kidnapping charges. A 16-year-old boy was in the Clark County jail this morning after Metro Police arrested him at his house about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Guerrero was arrested about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday by the California Highway Patrol near Victorville, Calif., after police tried to negotiate with him over his estranged wife's cellular phone.

"When he was talking on the phone, she could be heard screaming in the background," Lt. John Alamshaw of Metro Police said.

Guerrero was captured and his wife, 22-year-old Brenda Guerrero, was rescued unharmed after California Highway Patrol closed down Interstate 15 and put down spikes across the interstate. Guerrero rode over the spikes in the van and blew out all four tires.

"He continued to drive for about six miles on the rims before he stopped," Alamshaw said. "He started to cooperate. He was told to give the gun to the woman and she threw it out of the window."

Brenda Guerrero's 17-year-old sister, Sonia Gallardo, was in critical condition at University Medical Center this morning, but she is expected to survive her injuries.

Police are not sure if Guerrero planned the kidnapping, but both he and the 16-year-old boy had guns.

The kidnapping and shooting started when Pablo Guerrero and the 16-year-old boy went to Brenda Guerrero's parent's home on Juniper Twig Avenue near Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Spencer Street. Guerrero was at the home for several hours with his wife. At some point they started to argue, Alamshaw said.

Brenda Guerrero was then tied up and put into a van. Pablo Guerrero drove her to Silverado High School and offered a ride to the woman's sister.

"She gets in the van and her sister is in there tied up, but he has a gun," Alamshaw said. "He takes them back to the house."

The 16-year-old boy stayed at the house with Brenda Guerrero's 3-year-old and 8-month-old children. The children were not injured and no one else was at the home.

The sister was shot at the house. Pablo Guerrero then fled in a van, taking his wife, who was still tied up. The 16-year-old boy left in another car, Alamshaw said.

Neighbors heard the shot about 1:30 p.m. and called police. Alamshaw said police notified authorities in California and Arizona, after getting information that Guerrero may be heading to Mexico.

Sandra Yaskoweak was headed outside to trim her trees when she spotted a fire truck on her street and began to wonder what was going on. Police cars and an ambulance followed, and Yaskoweak was left to wonder what had happened at her neighbor's home.

"I saw someone that I thought was a firefighter or a police officer come out of my neighbor's house, and I heard him say, 'I think it was a pillow shot,' " Yaskoweak said. "It seemed like it took an eternity, but then I saw the 17-year-old daughter come out of the house. It was a relief to see her walk out, but it was awful to see the bloody top of her head and the blood running down her face."

Yaskoweak said that Brenda's estranged husband had been known to come to the neighborhood, but added that his wife and her family wanted nothing to do with him.

There was no record of previous domestic violence between Pablo and Brenda Guerrero and no indication what set off Tuesday's incident.