News briefs for May 16, 2002

Thursday, May 16, 2002 | 9:35 a.m.

A Las Vegas man has been indicted in connection with the death of his 2-year-old son in a car accident.

According to an indictment unsealed Wednesday, Michael Anthony Schlotfeldt faces two counts of driving under the influence, two counts of reckless driving, one count of child endangerment and one count of involuntary manslaughter for a March 17 accident near Searchlight.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker, in asking for $1 million bail for Schlotfeldt, told Chief District Judge Mark Gibbons that Schlotfeldt spent all night drinking and gambling in Laughlin before deciding to drive home to Las Vegas with his son, Tommy.

When Schlotfeldt reached the Searchlight area on U.S. 95, he passed five vehicles before striking a U-Haul truck, killing his son, Booker said.

Blood tests taken hours after the accident indicated Schlotfeldt was drunk, Booker said.

Gibbons set the bail at $1 million and scheduled the defendant's arraignment for May 21 before District Judge Michael Douglas.

State museums will be free Saturday

Nevada's six state museums will waive admission fees Saturday in celebration of International Museum Day.

As part of the global observance, the state Division of Museums and History has urged the public to visit one of the six.

The museums in Clark County are the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society in Lorenzi Park and the Lost City Museum in Overton.

Broker pleads guilty in wire fraud

A former broker charged with making more than 25 unauthorized wire transfers from customer accounts pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court to wire fraud and money laundering.

Tony Dean Davis, who was a registered securities broker with Moody Investment Consultations, will be sentenced Aug. 2.

Davis pleaded guilty to forging client signatures on letters of authority over an 11-month period in 1997. Victims reported $3 million was taken.

The FBI alleged Davis gambled much of the illegally obtained money at a Las Vegas casino.

Kimeses enter innocent pleas

A mother and son convicted of murdering a wealthy New York widow pleaded innocent Wednesday in Los Angeles to charges they also killed a Los Angeles businessman four years ago.

A grand jury indictment handed down last week charges Sante and Kenneth Kimes, former Las Vegas residents, with one count each of murder, along with the special circumstances of murder for financial gain, murder of a witness and multiple murder, Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles district attorney's office, said.

A pretrial hearing was set for June 26.

Gibbons said prosecutors have yet to decide whether to seek the death penalty.

The body of David Kazdin, a 63-year-old Granada Hills businessman, was found in a trash bin near Los Angeles International Airport in March 1998. Prosecutors contend that he had found out that the Kimeses had forged his name to get a $200,000 loan.

In May 2000, the two were convicted of murdering 82-year-old Irene Silverman, whose body has never been found, and conspiring to steal her $7 million Manhattan town house and other possessions.

Cantaloupe linked to food poisoning

Consumers should not eat Susie brand cantaloupe from Mexico because it has been connected to an outbreak of Salmonella poona food poisonings in California, several other states and Canada, the California Department of Health Services said Wednesday.

The I. Kunik Co. of McAllen, Texas, said Saturday it would voluntarily recall its cantaloupe. No other brands have been associated with the outbreak, and no California-grown cantaloupe are involved, the health department said.

More than 50 cases are being investigated in Nevada, California, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas and Washington. The cantaloupe was sold in retail stores and restaurants, and may have been used in institutions.

Shooting victim is identified

A 43-year-old man shot to death earlier this month when he allegedly attacked another man was identified as Zijad Nukic of Las Vegas.

Nukic was shot to death about 3 a.m. May 1 at the Canyon Willow Apartments near Tropicana Avenue and McLeod Drive. Two men in a neighboring apartment heard a woman screaming and went outside, Metro Police said.

Police said Nukic confronted the two men and started hitting them. The men told police Nukic picked up a small wooden stool and hit one of them, then came at the second.

The second man pulled out a gun and shot Nukic. Police did not arrest the man, saying at the time it appeared he fired in self defense. Prosecutors will review the case to determine if the man will face any charges in the shooting, police said.