Group sought in violent street robberies, teacher’s death

By Jackie Valley

Published Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010 | 10 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010 | 11:37 p.m.

A 50-year-old Eldorado High School teacher who died Wednesday morning was reportedly beaten and robbed by suspects in a string of robberies, Metro police said.

Police have described the suspects as four or five Hispanic men in their early 20s driving a 1998-2000 Nissan Maxima.

At 5:28 a.m., police responded to the intersection of Washington Avenue and Betty Lane in northeast Las Vegas to investigate a reported traffic accident involving a pedestrian, police said. While officers were responding, additional calls were received saying the victim had been attacked and beaten by several Hispanic men before being struck by a car, police said.

Police said the victim was left injured in the westbound lanes of Washington Avenue at Betty Lane, where he was accidentally hit by a passing driver. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, police said. No charges are planned to be filed against the driver, police said.

Metro spokesman Bill Cassell said the crime spree of four street robberies began about 2 a.m. and ended about 5 a.m. The robberies involved the Nissan, which was sometimes accompanied by a red Dodge Neon, he said.

Police said the Nissan Maxima might have visible front-end damage from the hit-and-run.

Eldorado High School's principal sent a letter home with students noting the death of Tim VanDerbosch, a physics and chemistry teacher.

Cassell said the suspects used violence in all four street robberies committed in a three-hour time frame before the hit-and-run. The four to five suspects used guns and knives to assault and pistol-whip victims on the streets, Cassell said.

Three robbery victims were taken to the hospital, including one person who was stabbed, he said.

The robbery attacks occurred at the intersections of Lake Mead Boulevard and Los Feliz Street, Vegas Valley Drive and Hollywood Boulevard, Bonanza Road and Nellis Boulevard, and the 1600 block of East Sahara, Cassell said.

The suspects stole items such as jewelry, wallets and cell phones during each attack, he said.

Cassell said an extensive investigation is under way to find the suspects.

"Every resource of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is currently being pressed into service to identify, locate, arrest and prosecute these thugs," he said. "These individuals showed a wanton disregard to human life, a wanton disregard to human safety and that will not be tolerated in our city."

Police ask anyone who witnessed the hit-and-run or robberies, spotted the vehicles or anyone who is familiar with the vehicles to contact Metro Police through Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit www.crimestoppersofnv.com.

Sun reporter Rich Coleman contributed to this story.