News briefs for Dec. 18, 2002

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002 | 11:10 a.m.

Man sentenced in assault on officer

The Las Vegas man accused of attacking a police officer with a knife and barricading himself in a woman's home near Mount Charleston was sentenced Tuesday by District Judge Valorie Vega to 16 months to six years in prison.

Thomas Rotsch, 52, was originally charged with five felony counts, which included invasion of the home, attempted murder with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon. He pleaded guilty to invasion of the home and the other charges were dismissed as a result of a plea agreement, Deputy District Attorney Brandon Smith said.

Police said the woman had a temporary protection order against Rotsch.

Rotsch led police on a 30-minute car chase in the Kyle Canyon area, police said. He returned to the woman's house after crashing his truck and abandoning it, police said.

Death penalty request upheld

A District Court judge on Tuesday upheld the state's notice of intent to seek the death penalty against a local teen charged in a crime spree in which one man was killed and several women were sexually assaulted.

Public Defender Curtis Brown on Tuesday asked District Judge John McGroarty to dismiss the state's notice to seek the death penalty against his client, Justin Porter.

An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for March 3.

Brown's motion was based on an opinion issued in October by the International Commission on Human Rights, which declared that executing a person who was 16 or under when he committed his crime violates international law.

McGroarty denied the motion, as well as Brown's request to argue the motion, but did not elaborate on why.

Porter faces 57 felony charges, which include murder with a deadly weapon, sexual assault with the use of a deadly weapon and attempted robbery with the use of a deadly weapon. Police say Porter invaded 13 homes between Feb. 1 and June 9, 2000, killing one man and sexually assaulting six women.

He was 17 at the time.

New winter storm may bring rain

Another winter storm is expected to sweep into Southern Nevada late Thursday through Friday, National Weather Service forecasters said.

Most of the snow and rain is expected to fall in California, but the Las Vegas Valley could get another fraction of an inch of rainfall and snow is expected in the Spring Mountains.

Daytime temperatures will remain in the low to mid-50s and lows will dip into the low to mid-30s for the next three to five days.

County approves shelter funding

Funds for an emergency winter shelter were approved by the Clark County Commission Tuesday, bringing hope that slightly more than 100 homeless men and women will be able to come in from the cold.

The funds went to the Shade Tree, a shelter for women and children, and Catholic Charities, which will provide beds for single men.

The Shade Tree received a total of $60,000 for 50 extra beds, and Catholic Charities received $58,848 for 62 beds.