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Officer Identified in Henderson Shooting

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Henderson Police have identified the officer involved in a shooting on Saturday.

Officer Brian Pollard shot and killed 42-year-old Richard Nolton after a domestic dispute. Officer Pollard has been on the Henderson Police force since 1994.

Officers were called to Nolton's home on Severn St., near Horizon and Greenway Rd., around 6:50 a.m. Police say he was threatening his wife. The woman was able to escape the house but her 15-year-old son was still inside with her husband. For nearly an hour, officers repeatedly asked Nolton to come out of the house and surrender.

Shortly after 8:00 a.m., Nolton came out of the home and confronted officers with a handgun. Police say officers repeatedly ordered Nolton to drop the weapon and surrender, but he refused.

Man Arrested for Death of his Uncle

HENDERSON -- A  Henderson man is under arrest in connection with the stabbing death of his uncle whose body was discovered lying on a street.

Thirty-four-year-old David J. Garcia was arrested Wednesday night and is facing murder charges. 

The family of the victim identifies him as 46-year-old  Roy Butanda. His body was found Wednesday around 12:30 p.m. on Copper Street.

Police say Garcia said the two got into a fight over a cell phone and the fight escalated with him stabbing his uncle several times. Garcia claims he acted in self defense.

The man's death is the second homicide in Henderson this year.

 

 

FBI Report: Assaults Rose in 2009 in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS -- An FBI report found the number of aggravated assaults reported by police in Nevada's major metropolitan areas increased from 2008 to 2009.

But the FBI's preliminary annual Uniform Crime Report released Monday found most other categories of crime decreased in 2009 in and around Las Vegas, Henderson and Reno.

North Las Vegas saw a 3 percent increase in violent crime -- including a jump from 11 to 17 in the number of murders between 2008 and 2009. Henderson reported a 21 percent increase in robberies, a 33 percent increase in aggravated assaults, and an 18 percent increase in arson cases.

The FBI report is a snapshot of the number of crimes reported by police agencies around the nation. Nationwide, it found a 5.5 percent decrease in violent crimes in 2009.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

More Come Forward Alleging Doctor was Inappropriate

LAS VEGAS -- Dr. Karl Fazekas has been accused of sexually assaulting two female patients.

Court documents detail two separate incidents: one in which he's accused of fondling a senior citizen heart patient who went to the hospital complaining of chest pains. Reports on the second show a woman went to his office for back pain and tingling in her legs, but Dr. Fazekas began examining her pubic area.

Fazekas awaits trial on criminal charges, including attempted sexual assault, coercion and lewdness. Two alleged victims claim Fazekas was not doing what he was supposed to.

In a report, patients claim the doctor did not pay attention to the ailments they were there for, but that the doctor's actions were sexual in nature.

Henderson Teen Accused of Trying to Kill Newborn

HENDERSON -- A Henderson 19-year-old is accused of trying to kill her newborn baby shortly after giving birth in April.

Henderson police say Sarah White concealed her pregnancy from her parents and then attempted to dispose of the child after giving birth in the family's bathroom.

According to police, White's mother found the baby in the bathroom tub in a plastic bag and the child had no signs of life. White's father, a paramedic, resuscitated the baby.

White's parents told police they suspected the teen was pregnant but whenever they asked her, she denied it and said she had just gained some weight. 

White is facing charges of attempted murder and child abuse and neglect.

Scammed Homeowners Have No Recourse

LAS VEGAS -- Thousands of valley homeowners who may have been caught in mortgage fraud scams have little recourse.

It was announced Thursday that 123 people were arrested in southern Nevada and accused of over-inflating home values.

Read a partial list of those arrested

"It's not the bank that misled them, it's the actual loan agent, mortgage broker," said Yolanda Macias, Citizen Home Advocates.

Homeowners already underwater in their mortgages are quickly learning there are few options available on getting them back above water.

"At this point, the banks aren't looking to cut their debt. They know the value isn't there on the properties," said Macias who works as a negotiator between banks and homeowners. She says many homeowners are confused about where to go for help.

123 Charged in Las Vegas in Mortgage Fraud Crimes

LAS VEGAS -- More than a hundred alleged mortgage fraudsters are now behind bars. Las Vegas was one of the key targets of a federal crackdown on home mortgage scammers in an effort called Operation Stolen Dreams.

The Southern Nevada Fraud Task Force has charged, sentenced or convicted 123 people with mortgage related fraud crimes. Seventy-three of those charged worked in the Las Vegas real estate industry.

The collective law enforcement effort aimed at mortgage fraud has netted 500 arrests. Those arrested include real estate agents, mortgage brokers, loan officers and even a builder.