Jackie Valley

Crime and Courts Reporter

Jackie has lived in northwest Indiana, South Carolina, Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio. A Cleveland girl at heart, she graduated from Kent State University, where she was the student newspaper editor. She completed a Dow Jones copy editing internship at the Virginian-Pilot in summer 2009 and a year later joined the Sun, where she covers crime and courts.

Email »

702-948-7813

« Older
Newer »

Story Archive

Men arrested in death of teen during iPad robbery held without bail: Thursday, May 23, 2013; Two men accused of driving over and killing 15-year-old Marcos Vincente Arenas while stealing his iPad last week will remain in jail at least until their preliminary hearing. Michael Solid, 21, and Jacob Dismont, 18, appeared Thursday morning in Las Vegas Justice Court wearing standard blue jail attire and shackles on their wrists and ankles.
Gay adoptive parents live as a 'normal family' but yearn for the right to marry: Thursday, May 23, 2013; They live in a spacious Summerlin home that boasts four bedrooms, a three-car garage, an outdoor pool and a sizable patch of grass in the backyard. The environment screams family atmosphere, and it is. Greg Flamer and Fletcher Whitwell, a gay couple, consider themselves and their adopted daughter a family like anyone else in the gated neighborhood. But the road to becoming a family was a difficult one because of Nevada’s ban on same-sex marriage, which added extra steps throughout the adoption process, they said.
Metro IDs former MLB all-star Jose Canseco as suspect in sexual assault: Wednesday, May 22, 2013; After Metro Police contacted Jose Canseco on Wednesday morning about sexual assault allegations raised against him, the former Major League Baseball player publicly proclaimed his innocence.
Suspects in iPad-related death to be represented by public defenders: Tuesday, May 21, 2013; The pair accused of killing a teen while stealing his iPad last week briefly appeared Tuesday morning in Las Vegas Justice Court. Public defenders were appointed to represent both Jacob Dismont, 18, and Michael Samuel Solid, 21, during the appearance.
Police release images of suspect sought in home invasion: Monday, May 20, 2013; Metro Police are asking for the public’s help identifying suspects wanted in connection with a residential burglary. Police said two men knocked on a front door about 7:30 p.m. April 17 and attacked the person who answered.
Boy, 15, run over by SUV and killed during theft of iPad: Friday, May 17, 2013; A teenager died Thursday after a man grabbed an iPad out of his hands and fled in an SUV that ran over the boy as he struggled to hold on to the device.
LV attorney faces 30 years behind bars for role in securing 9 bogus mortgages: Thursday, May 16, 2013; A Las Vegas attorney pleaded guilty Wednesday to a mortgage fraud crime that could land him in federal prison for up to 30 years, Nevada’s U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden announced Thursday.
A 'good day' for O.J.: Simpson tells his version of trial gone wrong: Claims of ineffective counsel center on bad advice from lead lawyer; Wednesday, May 15, 2013; The man who helped clear O.J. Simpson in a road rage case could inadvertently help free him again — that is, if a judge believes the former football star’s accusations against his lead trial attorney.
Las Vegas detective compares unsolved 1999 missing person case to 'a scar on your heart': Wednesday, May 15, 2013; The little girl with a gap-toothed smile and wavy, brown hair vanished more than 13 years ago from her Las Vegas neighborhood — leaving behind a frantic family and questions haunting detectives to this day.
O.J. Simpson strategy seeks to portray former lawyer as ineffective: Monday, May 13, 2013; If Gabriel Grasso had his way, O.J. Simpson would have testified during his 2008 robbery trial and the defense would have sought to exclude potentially damaging audio recordings.
O.J. Simpson expected to take stand in bid this week for new trial: Sunday, May 12, 2013; O.J. Simpson will receive a change of scenery this week — a Las Vegas courtroom rather than a Nevada prison cell. Simpson is expected to testify Wednesday, according to his defense attorneys, Patricia Palm and Ozzie Fumo. “I think we have a lot of evidence in our favor,” Palm said. “I believe in my heart that he didn’t get a fair trial.”
Grand jury indicts suspected pimp on 20 counts: Friday, May 10, 2013; A suspected pimp arrested last month at a luxury, high-rise condominium on the Las Vegas Strip has been indicted by a Clark County grand jury.
Embezzler gets prison term, ordered to repay $506,000 to electrician: Thursday, May 9, 2013; The woman who embezzled more than $366,000 from a family-owned electrical company was sentenced to at least 5 1⁄2 years in prison, a judge ruled Thursday morning.
The electrician and the embezzler: a cautionary tale: Trusted bookkeeper to be sentenced Thursday for stealing more than $300K from small business; Wednesday, May 8, 2013; A Metro arrest report details years of deceit in which Ana Ocegueda wrote checks to herself, completed direct deposits to herself, misused company credit cards and wrote fraudulent checks from the bank accounts of her employers, Tom and Jeanie Clift. Total damage: $366,844.
Man in wheelchair dies after being struck by car in western valley: Monday, May 6, 2013; A 56-year-old man in a motorized wheelchair who was struck by a car Monday morning has died.
Police seek second suspect in parking lot slaying: Monday, May 6, 2013; An arrest warrant has been issued for a second suspect in connection with the death of a man shot last month in a Fremont Street parking lot, Metro Police said.
Playboy Bloods gang member convicted on murder, drug charges: Monday, May 6, 2013; A member of the Playboy Bloods street gang faces life in prison after being convicted Monday of federal murder, racketeering and drug charges, officials said.
Some 1,200 without power; outage not related to weather: Monday, May 6, 2013; About 1,200 customers were without power near Flamingo Road and Spencer Street, as crews tried to determine the cause of the outage, NV Energy officials said.
Metro targets drunk drivers with checkpoint tonight: Friday, May 3, 2013; Metro Police will be conducting a DUI checkpoint Friday in a northeast valley location prone to incidents of impaired driving.
Horsford intent on securing money for Las Vegas anti-terrorism center: Friday, May 3, 2013; The Boston Marathon bombings happened more than 2,700 miles away, but for the men and women working on the third floor of a Metro Police building, that couldn’t have mattered less.
Police: Suspect charged officer with same knives used in slaying: Tuesday, April 30, 2013; Nathan Benson, the murder suspect Metro Police shot Monday after he charged an officer with two knives, said he wished police would have killed him, according to an arrest report released Tuesday.
Suspect in stabbing death is critical after officer-involved shooting: Monday, April 29, 2013; A man who was wanted for questioning in the weekend stabbing death of a Las Vegas woman was shot during an altercation with Metro Police officers late Monday in the northwest valley.
NLV bridge project to force nighttime lane closures on I-15: Monday, April 29, 2013; Expect slowdowns on Interstate 15 at night this week as crews work on the North 5th Street Bridge.
Henderson Police fires officer whose vehicle was destroyed: Monday, April 29, 2013; A Henderson Police SWAT officer driving a department vehicle that caught fire after he struck a median has been fired, officials said.
Metro Police board urges firing of officer involved in shooting: Monday, April 29, 2013; A Metro Police officer who shot a man in the leg last year should be terminated, the department’s Use of Force Board has recommended.
Survivor Store a 'center of opportunity' for victims of domestic violence: Saturday, April 27, 2013; Casino management told the single mother of three she could work as a maid — nothing else. Her accent was too thick and she didn’t have any skills. Rebeca Ferreira kept the rejection paperwork as a reminder of the day she says changed her life.
Reports offer recommendations to curb domestic-violence fatalities: Thursday, April 25, 2013; State and local teams analyzing domestic violence-related homicides have issued 17 recommendations to reduce those deaths in Nevada. The office of Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto on Thursday released the first report, which will be done annually going forward.
Understand signs of sexual abuse, child advocates urge parents, others: Wednesday, April 24, 2013; The small room looks innocent enough, maybe even calming: a blue wall, a tiny table with chairs, an assortment of crayons and markers. That’s the point. In here, forensic interviewers talk to children who have possibly suffered physical or sexual abuse. Next door, in another small room, detectives and case managers can watch the interview via television screens. This is the Child Assessment Center, a special place housing law enforcement, caseworkers, family advocates and a medical team.
Man arrested in deadly parking lot shooting east of downtown Las Vegas: Tuesday, April 23, 2013; A multi-jurisdictional police task force has arrested a man in a fatal shooting Friday night on Fremont Street, authorities said.
Honoring the past, surviving the pain, pursuing new dreams: Sunday, April 21, 2013; The heart-shaped, helium balloon is sagging and the flowers have wilted and turned crunchy, but still their presence makes this disturbed plot of earth at Woodlawn Cemetery noticeable. A headstone is absent. That will come later.
Prayers for yesterday, hope for tomorrow: Friday, April 19, 2013; Tantalizing smells of an impending feast waft through the apartment as giggling chaos reigns in a back bedroom. Welcome to the kid zone. Five-year-old Alejandro Martinez and a cousin wrestle on the carpet, inching precariously close to a television perched on a stand.
The comfort of friends; the compassion of strangers: Thursday, April 18, 2013; The technicians at his eye appointment tell Arturo Martinez-Sanchez to be sure to use lubricating eye drops — artificial tears, as they’re called — if his eyes feel dry. That’s not a problem, he says. “I could cry any time,” he says.
A life in danger, months after an intruder's attack: Wednesday, April 17, 2013; The boys will not be attending school this September morning. Instead, they accompany their dad to the hospital, where Arturo Martinez-Sanchez will undergo his third surgery in five months, after being struck hard on the head by what police say was a hammer. The first two were brain surgeries and involved the repair of a brain laceration toward the front of his head. This one, a cranioplasty, will fix a skull indentation on the back of his head, made by the intruder who raped and killed his wife and 10-year-old daughter in April.
The boys' refuge; the father's hell: Tuesday, April 16, 2013; It’s the first day of school and Arturo Martinez-Sanchez is anxious. Until today, he hasn’t had to face the morning routine as a single father, and he can’t find something. He is opening and closing cabinets and peering into the back reaches of drawers.
After the horror: Unimaginable grief, unimaginable grace: Monday, April 15, 2013; Arturo Martinez-Sanchez is sitting in a private area of the church, the sacristy behind the altar where he is out of view of the congregation. From here he can hear a choir softly singing as his wife and daughter are wheeled forward. They are in matching white caskets.
Sleeping with angels, awakening to a nightmare: Sunday, April 14, 2013; A year ago this week, a young family was torn apart by unspeakable evil. Starting today, the Sun presents an intimate, seven-chapter serial chronicling how the survivors have moved forward.
Las Vegas home prices 30 percent higher than year ago: Tuesday, April 9, 2013; Southern Nevada home prices increased in March and are now 30 percent higher than one year ago.
Two suspected copper wire thieves arrested in Henderson: Monday, April 8, 2013; Two men suspected of stealing copper wire from light poles told Henderson Police they were in the area for a bike ride early Sunday morning, officials said.
Clark County issues air quality advisory, with nod to ozone effects: Monday, April 1, 2013; It’s that time of year again. Officials have issued an air quality advisory, effective through Sept. 30, related to ground-level ozone in Southern Nevada.
Teen pedestrian fatally struck by semitrailer while crossing Spring Mountain Road: Monday, April 1, 2013; A 17-year-old boy died after being hit by a semitrailer Monday evening on Spring Mountain Road, according to Metro Police.
Teen driver in restaurant crash in custody on DUI charges: 10 seriously hurt when car plows into Las Vegas eatery; Monday, April 1, 2013; A teen driver of a car that plowed into the Egg & I restaurant Monday afternoon, injuring 10 people, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, authorities said.
Immigration document forgers to serve prison time before being deported: Monday, March 25, 2013; Two illegal immigrants from Mexico convicted of producing what investigators called “high quality” counterfeit documents will serve multiple years in prison, officials announced Monday.
Metro's request for $27 million in additional city, county support raises eyebrows: Monday, March 25, 2013; With a final decision a month away, Metro Police’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year dominated discussion Monday morning during a Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting.
Henderson house fire blamed on discarded cigarette: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; A discarded cigarette led to a fire Monday night in the garage of a Henderson home, fire officials said.
California man arrested in child-sex sting in Henderson: Monday, March 18, 2013; A Palm Desert, Calif., man who is accused of arranging to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex in Henderson is scheduled to appear in federal court later this month for a preliminary hearing.
Additional competency testing ordered for suspect in double-slaying at Las Vegas group home: Friday, March 15, 2013; A 68-year-old Las Vegas man charged with killing two people will be transferred to a maximum-security facility in Sparks for further medical and psychological testing, a Clark County judge ordered Friday.
Person flown to UMC after rollover crash near Jean: Monday, March 11, 2013; One person was ejected when a vehicle rolled Monday evening on State Route 161 near Jean, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Driver in crash that killed boy, 15, had drunk beer, smoked pot, police say: Monday, March 11, 2013; The driver of a vehicle that hit a light pole Saturday night, killing a 15-year-old passenger, allegedly admitted to drinking several beers and smoking marijuana before the crash, according to an arrest report released Monday.
Veterans from WWII to Afghanistan swap war stories, share bonds in Henderson courtroom: Friday, March 8, 2013; Ninety-year-old Richard Zimpfer considers himself the lucky one. The World War II veteran — part of a small team charged with maintaining anti-aircraft systems during the war — once drove a Jeep to retrieve an explosive that didn’t detonate. He returned unharmed. Now he chuckles at the memory, but don’t call him a hero. He says he’s just one of many who served.
Cab driver's son files lawsuit over father's death in Strip shooting, crash: Tuesday, March 5, 2013; The son of the taxi driver who died as a result of a shooting on the Las Vegas Strip has filed a lawsuit against the suspect, Ammar Harris. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Clark County District Court, alleges Harris, 26, failed to drive in a “manner reasonable and safe” Feb. 21, which caused a Maserati driven by Kenny Cherry Jr. to strike a taxi cab driven by Michael Boldon.