Pair arrested in stabbing death

Monday, Aug. 25, 2003 | 11:36 a.m.

Two people were arrested Sunday in connection with the fatal stabbing and robbery Saturday of a 33-year-old woman outside a pharmacy at Lamb Boulevard and Bonanza Road, Metro Police said.

James Ray Walker, 47, and Mary Smith, 51, both of Las Vegas, were arrested and charged with murder with a deadly weapon and robbery in connection with the death of Christine M. Anziano, 33, of Las Vegas.

Anziano was attacked about 3:30 a.m. outside the Sav-On Drugs store at 4411 E. Bonanza Road. A man grabbed the woman's purse and kept stabbing her, police said.

Anziano was taken by paramedics to the University Medical Center Trauma Unit, where she was pronounced dead.

The suspects were arrested "as the result of extraordinary police work" by a pair of northeast area command patrol officers, Mike Maloney and Brian Cole, who located a vehicle driven by the suspects, Homicide Lt. Tom Monahan said.

Maloney and Cole tracked the suspects to an apartment in the 3700 block of East Bonanza Road, where they were arrested.

Walker and Smith were also charged with robbing a citizen Saturday at Food 4 Less at Pecos and Bonanza roads.

Walker is a seven-time convicted felon, Monahan said. He served 22 years in Nevada prisons for attempted murder and attempted robbery. Smith is a 10-time convicted felon.