News briefs for May 7, 2004

Friday, May 7, 2004 | 9:40 a.m.

Not-guilty plea entered in killings

A man accused of robbing a downtown jewelry store and slaying a mother and her daughter pleaded not guilty to murder with use of a deadly weapon on Thursday.

Avetis Archanian, 46, is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 29 in the slayings of Elisa Del Prado, 65, and her mother, Juana Maria Quiroga, 86, owners of World Merchants Importers in downtown Las Vegas.

Archanian had previously been charged with attempted murder of Del Prado, who died in March, but a grand jury changed the charge to murder.

Authorities allege Archanian beat the women with a hammer or another heavy object in a storage room before the store opened on Sept. 2.

Archanian is being held without bail in the death-penalty case.

Man arrested after incident in store

A Las Vegas man was arrested Thursday after he held a woman hostage with a box cutter at the Wells Fargo Bank inside an Albertson's near Jones Boulevard and West Tropicana Avenue.

Fabio Alvarez walked into the grocery store, 5975 W. Tropicana Ave., about 3 p.m. and headed straight to the Wells Fargo Bank, said Jose Montoya, Metro Police spokesman. Alvarez jumped over a counter, put his arm around a female teller and told her that he had a box cutter in his hand, Montoya said.

When Metro officers arrived on the scene, Alvares "had a change of heart," let the woman go and tried to walk out of the store, Montoya said.

Alvarez, who was on medication and didn't demand money from the teller, was stunned with a Taser gun by officers and taken into custody, Montoya said.

Alvarez will be charged with kidnapping with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon, Montoya said. The teller was not injured.

Voter campaign targets minorities

A statewide voter registration drive aimed at signing up young people and minorities kicks off Saturday in Reno.

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, which includes 43 groups, hopes to register 30,000 additional voters for this election.

"We plan to focus our registration drive around young people, gays and lesbians, Latinos and African-Americans," Inger McDowell, of the Nevada Young Activist Project, said. She said these people in the past have been under-represented on the voter rolls.

The session Saturday will include a door-to-door campaign to get new voters.

Resolution praises charter schools

The House unanimously passed a resolution by Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., recognizing charter schools in honor of National Charter Schools Week.

Nevada has 14 charter schools that serve more than 3,000 students, according to Porter's office. Since 1991 about 3,000 charter schools have opened, serving 750,000 students in 37 states and Washington, D.C. There are five in the Las Vegas Valley.

A charter school is organized by community members and receives the same per- pupil funding as a traditional school. They have more freedom in instruction methods and curriculum but still need to meet state and district standards.

No Child Left Behind, an education reform bill approved by the Bush administration, expands charter schools for low-income students and provides $200 million for creating new charter schools and helping existing ones.

Member sought for wildlife board

Clark County is looking for a new sportsman, rancher or farmer to join its wildlife management board.

The Clark County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife advises the Nevada Wildlife Commission on wildlife-management issues.

Appointed by the Clark County Commission, the board members represent sportsmen, ranching and farming interests in the county.

Board members are appointed to staggered three-year terms and may be eligible for reappointment. There is a seat opening in July. For information, call the Clark County Manager's Office at 455-3530.

Completed applications must be submitted by June 11.