Lakeisha Nicole Holloway, 24, of Oregon, leaves the courtroom after her initial appearance at the Regional Justice Center Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. Holloway faces faces felony murder, hit-and-run and child abuse charges in a crash that killed one pedestrian and injured at least 35 others on the Las Vegas Strip on Dec. 20, 2015.
Published Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015 | 8:17 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015 | 11:13 a.m.
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A woman accused of driving down a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk on Sunday, killing one pedestrian and injuring at least 35 others, is “distraught” and “overwhelmed,” a defense attorney said today.
“That would make sense for someone who doesn’t have any significant history on their criminal background,” said Joseph Abood, an attorney for Lakeisha Holloway.
A judge this morning delayed a preliminary hearing for Holloway, who appeared briefly in Las Vegas Township Justice Court.
Justice of the Peace Diana L. Sullivan set a status check for Jan. 20 to set the preliminary hearing, which normally is set within 15 days.
Holloway, who is jailed on a suicide watch, agreed to the delay. Her attorneys said today she plans to plead not guilty.
Holloway is charged with murder, child abuse and hit-and-run. District Attorney Steve Wolfson said today the state plans to press additional charges against Holloway before the Jan. 20 status check.
Metro Police say no motive has been established for the incident, which has captured national headlines.
Jessica Valenzuela, 32, of Buckeye, Ariz., was killed in Sunday's crash. The Clark County Coroner's Office reported today that she died of multiple blunt-force injuries.
Among those hurt were five Canadians, four Oregon college wrestlers, five Pennsylvania college wrestlers and tourists from Mexico, Florida, Colorado and Washington.
Police said Holloway’s 3-year-old daughter was in the backseat. The girl is now in custody of the county at Child Haven.
Police were called at 6:38 p.m. Sunday to the Strip, just north of East Harmon Avenue. The crash happened in front of Paris and Planet Hollywood, across the street from the Bellagio.
The car stopped briefly outside Paris before accelerating toward Flamingo Road while still on the sidewalk, witnesses said.
The car turned onto Flamingo and stopped in front of the Tuscany Hotel and Casino, where Holloway asked a valet attendant to call police, Metro reported.
Holloway was “stoic” when officers arrived, showed no resistance and spoke clearly about what happened, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said.
Holloway, an Oregon resident, had been in Las Vegas for at least a week, Lombardo said. She told police she was trying to sleep in her car at casinos, but was “run off by security” at various properties.
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