Manhunt Monday: Luis Vagle

Luis Vagle is a fugitive from justice from the State of Colorado. In 2005, based on a racketeering warrant issued by the Denver District Court, Vagle was arrested by Metro Officers in the 1300 block of North Buffalo. Vagle was released on bail, and later failed to appear in court as ordered. Based on his failure to appear in court, Vagle is now wanted locally for the additional charge of being a fugitive from justice.

Vagle is a white male adult, 59 years of age, standing 6' tall and weighing
approximately 190 lbs. with grey hair and brown eyes. His last known address was in
the 500 block of Cabana Beach Drive in Las Vegas. He has also been known to
frequent the 1300 block of North Buffalo.
Luis Vagle is believed still to be hiding in the Las Vegas area.
Anyone with any information concerning the whereabouts of Luis Vagle should
contact the L.V.M.P.D. Fugitive detail at 828-3578 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

New Metro Driving Policy

Want the details? Read it here.
And see the Sheriff announcing the new policy here.

Manhunt Monday: Terry Lee Mendes

Terry Lee Mendes is a convicted Tier II offender who is required to update his address with Nevada authorities. He has failed to comply with this requirement, and is currently wanted on a felony warrant for:
• Failure to change address by a sex offender.

Mendes’ criminal history includes:
• Numerous arrests for being a sex offender and failing to change address,
• Burglary, and
• Possession of stolen property,

Mendes is a white male adult, 49 years of age, standing 5'11" tall and weighing approximately 180 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes. He has numerous tattoos’s including:
• A bulldog on his left shoulder blade,
• A tweety-bird on his left shoulder blade,
• A Tasmanian devil on his right shoulder blade,
• A bull on his left bicep, and
• Cherries on his right shoulder

Mendes sometimes spells his last name “Mendez”. His last known address was
in the 3000 block of E. Charleston. Anyone with any information concerning the whereabouts of Terry Lee Mendes is urged to contact the L.V.M.P.D. Sex Offenders Apprehension Program at 828-2963 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Family Focus: Domestic Violence

2009 was a good year for LVMPD's efforts to reduce domestic violence. The Crimes Against Youth and Family Bureau started a Lethality Assessment Program in 2009. By asking 11 carefully designed questions, officers try to determine if a victim of domestic violence is at high risk of becoming a murder victim during a future attack. Nevada also enacted a law making strangulation during a domestic violence attack a felony. Captain Vincent Cannito believes both developments are a factor in a decline in calls for service to help domestic violence victims.

By the Numbers: Northwest Area Command

I started my concersation with LVMPD Northwest Area Command Capt. Csaba Maczala on Wednesday with a simple question: What's going on in the northwest? He said a conversation about crime statistics has to start with homicide.
As of 12/5/'09, there had been 17 homicides in the NWAC in 2009. That's a 41.67% increase. Homicides are down for Metro overall, by 7.44%. Any police manager will tell you that homicide is one of the most difficult crimes to predict and prevent. Preventing other types of crimes, especially violent crimes, will help reduce the number of homicides. Metro is aldo working on its approach to domestic violence, since many homicides have a link to prior domestic violence incidents.

Holiday Gift Suggestion -- Emegency Needs

Here's a message we got from Clark County government...

If you’re in the market for some holiday gift ideas for friends and family, consider adding emergency preparedness items to your shopping list.

“Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere,” said Clark County Emergency Manager Jim O’Brien. “The holiday season is a great time of year to give gifts that help ensure you and your loved ones are prepared.”

Emergency managers recommend taking a few minutes during a family gathering to discuss with loved ones what they would do in case of an emergency or disaster and how you would get in touch with one another if separated. It’s best to choose a primary and secondary meeting place in case an emergency affects your home or neighborhood. You also should designate an out-of-state contact for family members to call in the event they are separated. In an emergency, it's often easier to call out-of-state than within an affected area.

In addition to creating a family communications plan, it’s important to be informed of hazards our area faces and to tune into local TV and radio during emergencies. The hazards Clark County is most vulnerable to include: communicable disease, wildfire, flooding, earthquake and extreme heat. Emergency managers recommend you build a disaster supply kit before an emergency strikes. Several recommended items would make possible holiday gifts. The list includes:

• Disaster kits for homes, offices and autos (first aid kits, food, water, prescription medications, extra clothing, blankets and flashlights)
• NOAA weather radios with extra batteries
• Enrollment in a CPR or first-aid class
• Smoke detectors
• Pet disaster kits (food, water, leashes, dishes, and carrying case or crate)
• Fire extinguishers (for kitchen, garage, car etc.)
• Foldable ladders for second-story escape in a fire.
• Car kits (emergency flares, shovels, ice scrapers, flashlights and fluorescent distress flags)
• Battery-powered lamps


Clark County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has more information about preparedness on its Web site at www.accessclarkcounty.com. Additional Internet resources include the American Red Cross, www.redcross.org; the Federal Emergency Management Agency, www.Ready.gov; and the Southern Nevada Health District, www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org.

Manhunt Monday: Brian Velasquez

Brian Jari Velasquez is wanted on various felony charges after an encounter with private security guards at a casino/hotel on August 23, 2009. According to LVMPD, Velasquez and at least one other individual were approached in a hotel/casino parking lot by security officers on bicycles. The security personnel were investigating a possible in-progress auto burglary. When confronted by the security officers Velasquez and his accomplice attempted to run over the officers, striking and injuring both victims. The suspects also ran over the officers bicycles. The suspects then fled the area in an older model 2-door Honda Accord.

Velasquez is currently wanted for:
• Attempt murder with a deadly weapon [2 counts],
• Battery with a deadly weapon [ 2 counts],
• Attempt auto burglary, and
• Unlawful possession of burglary tools.

Velasquez is a Hispanic male adult, 21 years of age, standing 5'10" tall and weighing approximately 160 lbs. with black hair and brown eyes. He has numerous aka’s, including:
• Brian Velasquez Mencia,
• Brian Mencia Velasquez,
• Brian Jari Mencia,
• Brian Macia,
• Brian Mecia,
• Brian Jari Valasquez,
• Brian Velasquea,
• Brian Jari Macia, and
• Brallanh Esmith

Velasquez’s last known address was in the 3700 block of White Quail Ct. in North Las Vegas.

Velasquez’s criminal history includes arrests for:
• Obstructing a public officer, and
• Traffic and vehicle related offenses.

Anyone with any information concerning the whereabouts of Brian Jari Velasquez is urged to contact the L.V.M.P.D. Fugitive Detail at 828-3578 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555

More Cyber-shopping advice from Metro

In an effort to keep consumers safe, the LVMPD is offering the following information for Internet shoppers:

• Beware of fraudulent classified ads or auction sales. Internet criminals post classified ads or auctions for products they do not actually have. They then purchase the items with stolen credit cards and have the merchant ship directly to the buyer. Consumers should be suspicious of any items not shipped directly from the auction site.

• Similarly, be careful when purchasing gift cards from auction sites. The card you receive may be stolen and therefore deactivated.

• Always compare the link in an email to the link you are directed to; they should match.

• Be leery of emails or text messages you receive indicating a problem with your financial accounts.

• Beware of spoofed web sites. A spoofed web site is a fake site or copy of a real web site that misleads the recipient into providing personal information that is routed to the criminal’s personal computer.

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) email.

• Log-on directly to an official web site. Don’t use an email link to the web site and then log-on; you may have been redirected without your knowledge.

• Be suspicious of a business that only has a P.O. Box as an address.

• Get everything in writing.

• Verify the identity of the company and/or salesperson. Remember, criminals use false names! You can verify license numbers through the Better Business Bureau.

• Ask yourself, “What guarantee do I have that this solicitor will use my money in the manner we agreed upon?”

Crime by the Numbers: South Central

In Metro's South Central area commnad, auto burglary is down more than 12% year-to-date, compared to 2008. Historically, Metro sees a slight uptick of auto burglary in December. Captain Brian Greenway suspects that's because people are so rushed, they often forget their usual safety efforts.

FEMA drill pulls out of Las Vegas

Score one for the LVCVA, Emergency Preparedness efforts zero. It seems that the political pressure against a planned exercise with a "nuclear detonation on the Las Vegas Strip" scenario worked. We already knew that FEMA had agreed to move the drill to Sunset Park, so satisfy the tourist concerns. Today, word that the drill is leaving Las Vegas altogether. So, LVCVA gets its way. One has to wonder though: what happens to all the revenue from the hotel rooms the visiting drill participants were going to stay in?
Here's the press release from FEMA:


DHS ANNOUNCES UPDATED INFORMATION ON THE 2010 NATIONAL LEVEL EXERCISE


WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security announced additional details regarding the National Level Exercise planned for 2010.



The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Preparedness Directorate initially investigated several options, including Las Vegas, Nevada. While initial plans did identify Las Vegas as a possible location for the event, working closely with local officials DHS has decided to explore other options. No final location has been announced at this time, and DHS will continue to work with our federal partners to find an appropriate venue for this important event.



At the direction of Secretary Napolitano, FEMA will continue to evaluate the planning and execution process for all major exercises and to ensure they are conducted in the most useful and cost effective manner. National Level Exercises provide an important opportunity for DHS, FEMA, federal partners, as well as state and local entities to participate in simulated scenarios that allow first responders and emergency managers to hone skills and build experience.