Deaths at lakes, assault of five-year-old girl, mar weekend

A 5-year-old girl was kidnapped and sexually assaulted Sunday before being dropped off near Channel 10 Drive and Flamingo Road, Metro Police say.

Also over the weekend, two people were killed in accidents involving personal watercraft at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, a 9-year-old boy drowned while swimming at Lake Mead, a 2-year-old girl was killed in a hit-and-run car accident near Mount Charleston and a Clark County inmate serving time at the Nevada State Prison hanged himself.

The kidnapped girl was missing for an hour before being found by police about 12:30 p.m. Sunday at a 76 gas station on Boulder Highway.

Metro Police learned the girl had been playing with another child at an apartment complex in the area of Desert Inn Road and Boulder Highway when she was kidnapped.

The youngster was driven to another location where she was sexually assaulted, said Lt. Tom Monahan. The victim described the house as being white with a red roof and a black wrought iron gate leading to the door. She also told police there was a pregnant woman with black curly hair inside the house.

After the assault, the girl was driven to the area of Channel 10 Drive and Flamingo Road and released.

The suspect is described as a clean-shaven white male adult, unknown age with black curly hair. He was wearing black shorts, no shirt, a gold chain and a gold crucifix,

The man is believed to have been driving a four-door car, possibly a Mercury Sable, painted with gold metallic-flake paint.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police at 795-3111 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

On Friday a collision between two personal watercraft, or Jet Skis, resulted in the death of Charlie Seymour Sr., 49, from Raleigh, N.C.

Seymour and his son, in his late 20s, were riding on the Jet Skis near Boulder Beach when the father's malfunctioned and stalled directly in the path of the son, park police said.

The father was struck from behind and was rushed to shore where he was picked up by a Flight-for-Life helicopter and taken to Valley Hospital.

Seymour was pronounced dead at 4 p.m. from massive chest trauma.

The Nevada Division of Wildlife is investigating another death at the lake involving a personal watercraft. Details remained sketchy as to the Saturday afternoon tragedy in Horsepower Cove. The victim was pronounced dead at 3:15 a.m. Sunday., according to Karen Whitney, National Park Service spokeswoman.

A 9-year-old Southern California boy died after a swimming accident at Lake Mead about 2 p.m. Saturday.

The boy's father had been aboard his boat when it drifted from the area where his son was swimming in Arizona Bay on Lake Mohave, north of Cottonwood Cove.

The father had started up the boat and was turning it around to pick up his son when the boy apparently panicked and slipped below the surface, authorities said. The father jumped into the water and rescued his boy, holding him until a passing boat came to their rescue.

Several off-duty Henderson police officers attempted to resuscitate the boy and then transported the father and son to Cottonwood Cove launch ramp where National Park Service rangers and volunteers administered advanced life support. He was transported by Flight for Life helicopter to University Medical Center where he later died.

A two-vehicle accident Sunday on State Route 158 near Mount Charleston resulted in the death of the daughter of Gregory Brancolino, 33, and Ronnie Brancolino, 30. According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, the 4 p.m. accident happened when the Brancolinos' car, heading south, rounded a corner and was struck by a pickup truck being driven north by Juan Morales, 29. Police said the Morales vehicle had taken the curve too wide. Morales and a male companion fled the scene but police, using dogs, found them four hours later hitchhiking on Lee Canyon Road.

Finally, officials are declining to speculate why an inmate from Clark County, who was facing a murder charge, hanged himself in his cell Saturday morning at the Nevada State Prison.

There was no note in the cell of Richard P. Irvine, who was found by correctional officers during a routine count of the prison.

Irvine, serving eight life terms for sexual assault with use of a deadly weapon, was charged with murder in the beating death of fellow prisoner Steven Silva.

The investigation into the death is continuing today.

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