News briefs for October 11, 2004

Monday, Oct. 11, 2004 | 9:46 a.m.

Woman found dead in motel

Police are looking for a man who may have information about the death of a woman found in a North Las Vegas motel room late Sunday morning.

Officers went to the Knotty Pines Motel, in the 1900 block of Las Vegas Boulevard North, about 11:15 a.m. after someone reported finding the body of a 50-year-old woman inside one of the motel rooms, police said.

Police said they are looking for witnesses and would like to speak with 57-year-old Lawrence Sears of Las Vegas, who was apparently seen in the area around the time of the slaying and may have information.

Sears, who also goes by the name Lawrence Finley, is described as a black man with a medium complexion, 5-feet-11, 165 pounds and has black and gray hair and brown eyes.

Police said Sears is not considered a suspect, but anyone with information as to his whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or North Las Vegas at 633-9111.

School bus collides with car

A 51-year-old Las Vegas man is in critical condition after the car he was driving collided with a school bus Friday afternoon.

Police allege the driver of a 1998 Thomas school bus, 54-year-old Sandra Scarlette of Las Vegas, failed to yield the right of way and made a left turn in front of David Whitmarsh, who was driving a 1987 Ford Taurus north on Eastern Avenue.

Whitmarsh was unable to stop and the Ford collided with the left rear of the school bus, police said.

He was taken to University Medical Center with critical injuries, police said.

Pedestrian injured as cars collide

North Las Vegas Police are investigating a two-car accident in which one of the vehicles struck a woman pushing a shopping cart north on Civic Center Drive near Webb Street.

The woman, Teresa Huerta, was taken to University Medical Center after 4 p.m. on Friday with two broken legs and a large cut on her face. A hospital spokesman said that she was in fair condition Sunday night.

Police found that a green 1997 Ford making a left turn had collided with a green 1995 Honda, sending the Honda onto the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Civic Center.

The Ford driver tried leave the area, but several witnesses called police and Juan Sanchez-Sandoval was taken into custody by police.

Meetings scheduled on Grand Canyon

The National Park Service is hosting a series of meetings throughout the West and in Washington, D.C., to offer an overview of a draft environmental impact statement that will revise the 1989 Colorado River Management Plan for Grand Canyon National Park.

A meeting from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 18 has been scheduled for Henderson Convention Center, Ballroom and Sierra A & C, 200 Water St., Henderson.

The meetings are offered to help the public learn about the proposed and preferred alternatives under consideration in the plan.

There will be no formal presentation at any of the meetings. The public may comment at any time during the period.

A complete copy of the draft EIS may be downloaded at nps.gov/grca/crmp.

A CD with the complete document can be ordered online at the same Web site.

A man who died in a Fremont Street apartment fire

Oct. 6 has been identified by the coroner's office as 62-year-old Peter Westenberger of Las Vegas. Westenberger was found dead in his second-floor unit at the Newport Apartments at 2540 Fremont St. near Charleston Boulevard. The blaze was confined to his apartment, authorities said.