News briefs for June 29, 2004

Tuesday, June 29, 2004 | 9:27 a.m.

Hearing delayed for ex-teacher's aide

A former teacher's aide who has been charged with sexually seducing a 14-year-old neighbor will wait two weeks to find out whether she will stand trial in the case.

Marlene Hazel, 32, is charged with having sex with the teen in the boy's Henderson home in February while his parents were out of town. Hazel was suspended from her job at Gordon McCaw Elementary School in Henderson on June 7, when district officials learned of the charges.

A preliminary hearing scheduled Monday for Henderson Justice Court, which would weigh the evidence and determine whether the case would go to trial, was delayed until July 10.

Marty Hart, the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case, said Hazel's lawyer, William Terry, asked him to postpone the case so that he could investigate his client's assertion that she is innocent.

Fireworks suspected in county fires

The Clark County Fire Department investigated three fires Monday that are believed to be related to fireworks, officials said.

A brush fire on East Sahara Avenue between Lamb and Nellis boulevards was likely caused by children playing with fireworks, fire department spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

Neighbors told firefighters they heard fireworks shortly before a fire ignited about 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Harbors apartment complex at 5150 E. Sahara Ave.

That blaze caused about $30,000 in damage. No one was injured, Leinbach said.

Earlier in the evening a tree caught fire in Sandy Valley after fireworks were set off.

Firefighters responded to two other fires, an electrical blaze about 2 a.m. today in a trailer classroom at Von Tobel Middle School at 2436 N. Pecos Road and a two-alarm blaze at a shopping center at 3160 E. Desert Inn Road.