Local news briefs for September 27, 2001

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2001 | 10:07 a.m.

Suspect arrested in Mexico

A 24-year-old man wanted in connection with the slaying of an elderly women in northwest Las Vegas was arrested Wednesday by Mexican authorities.

Brett D. Jones, arrested in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, a tourist town near the Gulf of California, was found with a handgun stolen from the victim's home, authorities said.

Shirley B. Rogers, 67, was found dead in her home in the 2400 block of Sage Pointe Circle, near Rampart and Lake Mead boulevards, on Saturday after neighbors called.

Police found the beaten victim's body in the house and discovered that her 1989 Chevrolet pickup was missing. The truck was found Saturday near Yuma, Ariz., just north of the Mexican border.

Metro Police is working with Mexican authorities to return Jones to Las Vegas, where he will face murder charges.

Man indicted in brother's death

A 22-year-old Las Vegas man has been indicted in connection with a fatal accident that killed his brother.

Casey Centeno was indicted on the felony charge of driving under the influence, causing death.

Henderson Police say Centeno lost control of the extended cab pickup June 30 and struck a large boat parked on Arrowhead Trail, near Horizon and College drive. The collision caused the pickup to spin into the intersection before stopping.

Centeno's brother, Dustan, 26, died at the scene.

Woman faces two charges

A Las Vegas woman has been indicted in connection with a car accident that killed a bicyclist in July.

Michelle Huish was indicted Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence and a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker said Dereck Tobias was struck and killed when he darted in front of Huish's car on July 13 near Washington Avenue and Decatur Boulevard.

Huish fled, but was convinced by an eyewitness who followed her to return to the scene, Booker said.

Suspect in slaying takes deal

The second of three Las Vegas residents accused in the killing of a 58-year-old Henderson man in February 2000 has entered a plea agreement.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike O'Callaghan said Taras Stewart pleaded guilty to second-degree murder moments before jury selection was scheduled to begin in his trial Tuesday.

Stewart, 17, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 19 to life with parole possible after 10 years.

Stewart's agreement comes on the heels of a guilty plea by Lakeisha Smith, 24, to first-degree murder. She is scheduled to receive a 20-year to life sentence Oct. 31.

Authorities allege they and Frederick Benson, 21, shot Henry Zegler in a dispute over a Ford Mustang and $800.

Zegler was able to call 911, identify Smith as one of his assailants and provide her address, O'Callaghan said.

Benson is scheduled to go to trial Jan. 28. If convicted, he could get the death penalty.

Two businesses settle with EPA

Two Las Vegas businesses have settled with the federal Environmental Protection Agency for illegally selling pesticides that pose health risks to children.

Mothballs, containing para dichlorobenzene and naphthalene, substances that are suspected of causing cancer but can be mistaken for candy, and insecticidal chalk that lacks child-proof packaging were discovered during routine inspections of 15 markets in California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.

The International Thai Market at 3297 Las Vegas Blvd. North has been fined $3,000 for selling one insecticidal chalk, and the Western Supermarket at 3899 Spring Mountain Road has a proposed penalty of $3,960 for selling one package of mothballs.

Between 1992 and 1995 poison control centers nationwide received 668 reports of children who had eaten insecticide chalk, EPA officials said.

Guilty plea entered in case

A Western High School teacher could face as much as 10 years in prison or as little as probation after pleading guilty Tuesday to two sex-related charges.

James Gabriele pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of sexual conduct between a school employee and a student, Deputy District Attorney Lisa Luzaich said.

The charge carries a one- to five-year prison sentence. The judge could also choose to give Gabriele, 38, probation when he is sentenced Nov. 30.

Nevada authorities charged Gabriele with the crimes after police in Escondido, Calif., found him and the underage girl having sex in a hotel parking lot in February.

Desert grave is discovered

A partially buried, decomposing body was found in the desert Wednesday southwest of Las Vegas, Metro Police said.

Police received a call from a man who was walking his dogs near Sunset Road and Hualapai Way shortly after 6 p.m. and spotted what is believed to be the body of a woman, police said.

The body apparently had been there anywhere from several days to several weeks. The cause of death is unknown but is being investigated as a homicide, police said.

Nevada will receive an extra $311,000

from the tobacco settlement as a result of a recent ruling by the Internal Revenue Service. Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said the IRS ruled that income earned by the tobacco money that is in escrow is not taxable. The extra interest earned will be added to the $1.2 billion coming to Nevada in the next 25 years. The state uses it for Millennium Scholarships, tobacco prevention efforts and senior citizen health programs.