FBI, Metro canvass Vegas motels

Jeff German and Keith Paul

Friday, Sept. 21, 2001 | 10:43 a.m.

FBI agents and Metro Police attempted Thursday to determine whether two more suspected terrorists were in Las Vegas prior to the attacks in New York City and Washington.

Investigators scoured the lower-end motels along the Strip and downtown searching for anyone who might have encountered Hani Hanjour and Nawaq Alhamzi, believed to be among the hijackers who crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon on Sept 11.

Hanjour, who lived in Phoenix and San Diego in the past three years, was reported to be the hijacker who flew the Boeing 757 to its deadly fate in Washington. Alhamzi lived in San Diego.

Additional information also was being sought on the activities of Mohamed Atta, who commandeered American Airlines Flight 11, which slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

Atta visited Las Vegas in June and August. He stayed at the Econo Lodge, 1150 Las Vegas Blvd. South, in the shadow of the Stratosphere Tower, one of the most recognizable Las Vegas landmarks.

More than 40 gang unit officers and federal agents armed with photos of the three suspected terrorists questioned front desk clerks and others at about 250 lower-end motels downtown and at both ends of the Strip for several hours into the early evening Thursday.

But a well-placed law enforcement source said the detectives came up empty.

"No solid information was developed by the gang officers," the source said.

There was no word on whether the federal agents participating in the operation came up with any leads.

In an attempt to obtain credible identification, detectives showed the motel clerks three separate sheets (one for each terrorist) of six photos. Each sheet contained only one photo of that particular hijacker and five other pictures of different men not related to the terrorist attacks.

Clerks were asked if they recognized anyone on the sheets in an identification process that was similar to a photo lineup.

Top police officials would not explain why detectives were canvassing the low-rent motels.

"We are assisting the FBI in following up leads," Undersheriff Richard Winget said. "The FBI has thousands of leads to pursue, and we, as their partners, are committed to helping them in any way."

Detectives were observed on the streets seeking any information they could about the past whereabouts of the three hijackers.

Manny Baptist, manager of the High Hat motel, down the street from the Econo Lodge, said a detective talked to him in the late afternoon Thursday.

"He showed me about nine pictures of people asking if they stayed here," Baptist said. "I didn't recognize any of them. We get a lot of people who come in here."

Baptist said he told the officer of a Middle Eastern man who stayed in the motel about a month ago, but his picture was not among those shown to the motel manager.

"He told me the FBI might want to talk to me later about it," Baptist said. "I'll do whatever I can to help. We all have to help out if we can. A lot of innocent people died."

Arvind Patel, owner of the Gateway motel, said a detective came to his property about 5:30 p.m., showing a badge and asking about suspected terrorists who may have stayed there.

"He showed me a list of names. I didn't recognize any of them," Patel said. "I showed him the last six months of records, and none of those names were there."

The only face motel clerks seemed to recognize was Atta's, but that was because his picture has been on television broadcasts and in the newspaper.

Sam Faeghi, a clerk at the Desert Star motel, said someone showed him Atta's photo in the paper, but explained that Atta didn't stay there.

Detectives declined to comment on what they were doing as they entered and left the motels.

And the FBI would not comment on any aspect of the canvassing.

But sources said the motel saturation was aimed at trying to determine if Atta and other suspected terrorists were scouting possible targets, holding meetings with each other, or just passing through town.

The New York Times reported that investigators have found evidence that some of the 19 hijackers had gambled and attended shows in Las Vegas prior to the attacks on New York and Washington.

A law enforcement source, however, told the Sun that Atta was not a "rated" player here -- someone whose name would show up on hotel gambling records.

Atta, a 33-year-old urban planner, made at least two Las Vegas visits within the past three months.

Econo Lodge records show that Atta first checked into the motel at 1 p.m. on June 29 and checked out on July 1 after spending two nights there. He was driving a 2001 Chevrolet Malibu with a Nevada license plate that belonged to Alamo Rent A Car.

Officials for Florida-based ANC Rental Corp., which owns both Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental, said federal investigators asked them to decline comment on any inquiries about their vehicles.

Cheryl Budd, a company spokeswoman, said FBI agents contacted Alamo officials on the day of the attacks, and the company has since set up a special task force to assist investigators.

Alamo rental records reaching back a year have been made available to agents, Budd said.

Elke Dreves, front desk clerk at the Econo Lodge, checked in Atta on June 29, but she said Thursday she didn't recall him.

"I don't remember him at all," she said. "It makes me ill. I looked at the face of evil, and I didn't even know it."

Atta paid a bill of $107.92 in cash, records show.

On Aug. 13, Atta checked in again at the Econo Lodge and stayed one night before leaving the next morning. He paid a bill of $59.99 in cash, records show.

Econo Lodge owner James Magar said there was nothing unusual about Atta's two stays there.

"The guy must have appeared very normal," Magar said. "Nobody really recognized him."

Magar said FBI agents this week interviewed his employees and asked for all business and telephone records related to the time Atta spent at his motel.

Sun reporter Mathis Winkler contributed to this report.