News briefs for August 10, 2004

Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2004 | 11:11 a.m.

Passer-by reports kids left in car

Metro Police were called out to a southeast Las Vegas apartment complex Monday morning after a passer-by noticed two children sitting alone inside a parked car.

Officers arrived at the Nottingham Gardens Apartments, 2165 E. Rochelle Ave., near Eastern and Tropicana avenues, about 10:30 a.m. and got the children out of the vehicle before issuing a citation to the person who was caring for them, Metro spokesman Jose Montoya said.

The temperature at that time had reached 100 degrees in the area of the apartment complex, according to the National Weather Service.

Montoya said Monday he did not know the ages of the children, how long they were left inside the vehicle or to whom the citation was given.

March earliest for corruption trials

March will be the earliest that Clark County Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey and former Commissioners Lance Malone and Dario Herrera will go to trial on charges that they traded political influence for money and gifts from a local strip club owner.

U.S. Magistrate Lawrence Leavitt on Monday pushed back hearings set for November to Jan. 14. The trial date in the case is set for March 8, 2005, but it will likely be postponed to allow defense attorneys time to review nearly 120,000 intercepted communications from telephone and body wire recordings, court officials said.

Kincaid-Chauncey, Malone and Herrera have pleaded not guilty in the case, while former strip club owner Michael Galardi and former Commissioner Erin Kenny entered guilty pleas and agreed to cooperate with authorities.

Federal prosecutors allege the politicians took thousands of dollars in exchange for their votes and use of their influence to help Galardi's Las Vegas Valley strip clubs Jaguars, Cheetahs and Leopard Lounge.

Man found shot to death

A man was killed Saturday night in a western Las Vegas apartment, apparently over drugs, Metro Police said.

A witness called police Sunday and told them a murder had occurred in the apartment at the 5200 block of Mission Carmel Lane, near Meadows Lane and Decatur Boulevard, police said.

Homicide detectives went to the apartment and found the body of a man who had been shot, police said. Police said it appears that drugs were the motive for the murder, but they would not elaborate.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or Metro Homicide at 229-3521.

Fire forces family from home

A family of three was displaced Monday night after a fire swept through the upstairs laundry room of their northwest Las Vegas home.

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue responded to the two-story home in the 6600 block of Belcamp Circle near Rainbow Boulevard and Vegas Drive about 8:45 p.m. and quickly put out the fire, which was contained to the room, said spokesman Tim Szymanski.

No injuries were reported. The American Red Cross officials said the organization would assist the family for the night.