Police release photos in case of casino worker found dead

By Tiffany Gibson

Friday, Jan. 29, 2010 | 2:30 p.m.

Metro Police released a photo today of a woman found dead in an abandoned vehicle Jan. 15 southeast of Las Vegas as investigators continue to search for a person seen approaching the woman’s vehicle the previous day at a Strip casino.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 21-year-old Prisma Contreras of Las Vegas. Police released the photos with hopes that someone will come forward with information in the case.

A photo of the woman’s blue 2006 Jeep Liberty with Nebraska license plates also was released Friday. Authorities had previously released a surveillance video photo of a 1995-1998 model Nissan Sentra that was in the parking lot at the Hooters casino where Contreras worked as a service assistant.

Police said surveillance cameras show an unknown person exit a vehicle and approach Contreras’ Jeep. That was the last time the woman was seen, police said.

Boulder City Police found the body at 10:45 a.m. Jan. 15 in an abandoned vehicle found near U.S. 95 and Nelson's Landing Road south of Boulder City.

The cause and manner of Contreras' death haven’t been determined, the coroner's office said Friday. There are few leads in the case, authorities said.

Anyone with any information about the woman's death or the white vehicle seen on video surveillance is being asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or the Metro homicide section at (702) 828-3521.