Police seek public’s help in soccer field attack

By Mary Manning

Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 | 3:43 p.m.

An attack during a soccer game in a northeastern Las Vegas Valley last week park left one player with a life-threatening injury and Metro Police on Monday asked for the public's help in finding the suspects.

At about 8 p.m. Nov. 18, three teenagers were playing soccer at Rafael Rivera Park, 2900 E. Stewart Ave., when their soccer ball disrupted another group in the park, police said. The park is northeast of Eastern Avenue and East Charleston Boulevard.

The group became upset and two people confronted the teenage soccer players, police said. An argument ensued and the incident escalated when a 14-year-old girl began to hit one of the teens playing soccer, police said.

An young man then struck the same victim in the head with an aluminum baseball bat, police said. The victim was taken to University Medical Center with a life-threatening injury. Three others also playing soccer were injured and had non-life threatening injuries, police said.

During the attack, the suspects were yelling their gang name, police said.

The suspects then fled in a vehicle described as a late 90s red, two-door Volkswagen Jetta or Nissa Sentra, police said. The vehicle had Old English writing in white letters on the rear window in the shape of a half-circle, police said. The vehicle also had a lowered suspension and an exhaust pipe in the center of the rear bumper.

The suspects are described by Metro Police gang unit as four men and two female teenagers. The main suspect is 17 to 19 years of age, 6-foot tall and about 180 pounds, police said.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Metro's Gang Crimes Bureau at 828-3309. For those wishing to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.