Teens held in series of thefts

Keith Paul

Thursday, March 21, 2002 | 9:58 a.m.

Three Las Vegas teens arrested Wednesday after two bank robberies were implicated in a series of robberies of other banks, gas stations and convenience stores over the past two months.

Giovanni Francisco Valerio, 18, was booked into the Clark County jail on 14 counts of robbery. Two 17-year-old boys were taken to the juvenile jail on numerous counts of robbery, said Lt. John Alamshaw of Metro Police's robbery unit.

Robbery detectives had been tracking the group of robbers when a Nevada State Bank on Tropicana Avenue near Nellis Boulevard was robbed about 10 a.m. About 15 minutes later a Nevada State Bank on Sunset Road at Annie Oakley Drive was robbed.

Police spotted the getaway car on Pecos Road at Hacienda Avenue and started pursuing it. The driver of the getaway car hit another car and then crashed into a wall at Lamb Boulevard. One of the teens was slightly injured and apprehended at the crash scene, Alamshaw said.

Valerio is accused of crawling out of the wrecked car he was driving and fleeing on foot. He made it over a block wall, but was then chased down by police, Alamshaw said.

Police said money from the robberies and two guns were found in the wrecked car.

Police later identified another teen suspected in the series of robberies and arrested him. Alamshaw said detectives believe there are other suspects involved with the series of about 20 robberies in Las Vegas and Henderson attributed to the teens.