Metro is releasing new details in the murder investigation of a woman who was shot in the head at a stoplight.The shooting happened around 8 p.m. Friday near Charleston and Nellis. The 39-year-old woman, identified as Blanca Gonzalez, was waiting at a stoplight when she was shot in the head, causing her to crash into another car. (more…)

It's a tragic conclusion to a missing persons case. The partial remains of a human body found in the Las Vegas Wash have been identified as a Henderson woman reported missing last year.

It was March of 2007 that 33-year-old Melanie Sutton was last seen alive by her boyfriend at the wash. Her family and friends have been searching for her ever since. But it was the exhaustive efforts of a volunteer search group that finally gave the Sutton family the answer they've been desperately seeking.

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“It was always in the back of my mind that something bad did happen to her,” said Melanie's mother Cindy Sutton.

Cindy now knows that her beautiful daughter won't ever be coming home again. A human skull found on a small island in the middle of the Las Vegas Wash was identified by the coroner's office as the remains of the missing 33-year-old.

Sutton and Henderson Police say Melanie disappeared during a middle of the night outing to the wash with her boyfriend, Joe Lopez. Drugs were involved and Melanie's clothing was found scattered along the wash the next day by family members and volunteer searchers.

An emotional confrontation that day between Melanie's sister and her boyfriend has always left family members wondering if Melanie's disappearance was more than just an accident.

“There is still no evidence of foul play,” said Henderson Police Officer Todd Rasmussen.

Police say Lopez was questioned extensively and even passed a lie detector's test. Lopez maintains he and Melanie had a verbal argument and that she ran off into the water where he could not find her despite searching for hours.

If not for the exhaustive efforts of volunteers from the Nevada Center for Missing Loved Ones, Melanie's whereabouts might still be a mystery today.

“We did good. We did good and it feels good,” said Frank Mahoney with Nevada Center for Missing Loved Ones.

Now, Melanie's family is hoping someone in the community will come forward with information to provide the last piece of this agonizing puzzle.

“We would like to know what happened to Melanie. Was it an accident or was it something else?” said Sutton.

Anyone with information about Melanie Sutton's disappearance is urged to call Henderson Police or CrimeStoppers at 385-5555.

Email your comments to Reporter Alyson McCarthy

A 13-year-old girl is in critical condition after she was hit by a car while crossing a street.

The accident happened around 7:30 p.m. at Sahara and Winterwood Blvd. Police say the girl was in a crosswalk when a car driven by a 17-year-old hit her.

The accident is still under investigation and the driver could face charges.

A real estate agent is recovering at the hospital after being attacked in a vacant home. One source tells Eyewitness News, the man beat the woman so badly she needed brain surgery. Adrienne Augustus has details about this disturbing crime that has realtors here on alert.

It happened in a home near Anasazi and Summerlin Parkway. This isn't the first brutal crime against a real estate agent inside a vacant home here in the valley. Although the suspect in this crime is in custody, it doesn't mean local realtors have let down their guard.

Realtor Magdalena Chonis is on guard even before she walks through the door of a home she is trying to sell. “I check the windows, I check the doors, make sure everything is intact before walking in.”

Once she goes inside, she takes safety a step further. ”I walk with my client and do a visual. Make sure there [are] no sleeping bags, make sure there is nothing in the house that could indicate that there is someone in the house.”

The attack on a fellow realtor earlier this month is a clear reason Chonis must be so careful.

Metro tells us a man broke into a Summerlin home. When the sales agent arrived to have the window fixed, the man attacked her and took off in her car.

“It's just devastating, it's absolutely devastating,” said Chonis. “And I think everybody should take precautions, and everybody should have something with them.”

So when she is alone, she is always ready to defend herself. “And I do have my mace. And I do open it up. And I'm ready, just in case – you never know.”

With mace and a whistle at her fingertips, the Century 21 real estate agent only eyeballs the first few rooms of a home and never goes upstairs or into closets when she is alone.

“You just have to try to be safe as best you can,” she said.

But at the end of the day, Chonis knows every job has its dangers and bad things can happen anywhere.

Metro tells us police in California caught the suspect after a high speed chase near Los Angeles several hours after the attack.

They have not yet released his name or mugshot, but police told Eyewitness News they have positively identified the suspect as the same person who was caught trespassing at Nellis Air Force Base just a few days before the attack.

Right now, they have no idea what the suspect was doing inside this home.

With the lovely weather we're having, we're also starting to see something that can seem alarming, swarms of bees. It can be very unnerving for any of us to see swarms of bees this time of year.

Within the past few days, authorities have gotten several calls from concerned citizens reporting swarms of bees in their neighborhood.

This is typical behavior for bees in March and April because these are the months that bees travel. What's important to know is that when bees swarm they are not demonstrating aggressive behavior. They are actually being passive, protecting their queen.

“Swarms of bees are passive bees. They don't chase animals or sting them, they are usually — you'll see them stop around 11:00 a.m. till about 5 p.m. They will perch along a sidewalk, building, or in a tree, they will look like a basketball or football. That's just the pack of bees staying together, protecting the queen until it gets cooler when they fly again,” said Tim Szymanski with Las Vegas Fire Department.

Unless they are threatened or provoked, a swarm of bees will generally keep to themselves and move on within a day or two.

If you have an actual beehive on your property, do not try to exterminate the bees yourself. This could lead to an attack that could be deadly. It is always advised to call a professional exterminator.

Police have confirmed that several shots were fired and a male juvenile walking home from school has been shot near Moore Elementary School near Lamb and Bonanza.

Police say someone in a car fired shots, hitting the 15-year-old Desert Pines High School student in the foot. Eyewitnesses say he went running and limping to the Vera Johnson Manor apartment complex. He later was taken to North Vista Hospital.

The mother told Eyewitness News that her son isn't in a gang but that she does believe it is gang related. She said she is cooperating with police but the police say something different. They say neither the teen nor the mother are cooperating.

No one is in custody yet. Police are still investigating. 

Eyewitness News will have the latest.

The Thunderbirds have kicked off the official start to their 2008 season which will have them performing 37 shows this year around the country.

Before the Thunderbirds can get the green light to do their shows, they must get approval from a 4-star general. That approval took place during a demonstration show on March 11, 2008 for top military officials.

The team is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year. Included in the demonstration show was the first solo flight by a female pilot paired with the unit's first African-American solo pilot.

The team's first performance was June 8, 1953 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Since then, the Thunderbirds have flown before millions people at more than 4,000 air demonstrations in all 50 states and more than 61 foreign countries.

Monday has been a record breaker for gas prices, setting an all-time high statewide and in the Las Vegas valley.

According to AAA, drivers in Vegas are paying an average of $3.23 a gallon for regular unleaded, beating the previous record of $3.21 set in May of 2007.

Experts say Las Vegas is one of the most competitive gas station markets in the country. Part of the reason, there are just so many gas stations, and the station owners say they aren't gauging retailers.

One owner said his company doesn't make that much money on gasoline. On average, they mark up gas 5 to 7 cents a gallon from what they pay. Add credit card fees and they aren't really turning that much of a profit.

Many gas stations and mini-marts make their money from gaming inside their stores, but the smoking ban and the overall economy has brought those numbers down as well.

AAA spokesperson Michael Geeser says the cost of crude oil, which has skyrocketed to over $100 a barrel, is bringing up the prices.

“This is not a good time for consumers who drive automobiles. Look around, we all drive cars, especially in the Las Vegas valley, where we are married to the car. Things aren't as close as we'd like them to be, so people are going to be using their cars and gasoline, which is going to cost money,” he said.

Geeser predicts that prices will go even higher because we still haven't entered the peak summer travel season, when demand and prices traditionally see an increase.

AAA says there are simple steps you can take to increase fuel efficiency. They suggest you make sure your car is serviced and well maintained, including checking fluid levels and keeping your tires properly inflated.

Email your comments to Reporter Colleen May

Eight Clark County schools received honors in the Magnet Schools of America Merit Awards for their high academic standards.

There were more than 50 schools around the country which received an Excellence Award. Three of those schools were in Clark County and are Jim Bridger Academy of Math, Science and Technology, Roy Martin Middle School, and Sandy Searles Miller Academy of International Studies.

Five other Clark County schools received a Distinction Award. Those schools are The Advanced Technologies Academy, Jo Mackey Academy of Leadership and Global Communication, Mabel Hoggard Magnet School, Southeast Career and Technical Academy, Walker Bracken Magnet Empowerment School for Math & Science through Technology.

Only 119 schools nationwide received the awards.

A jury in Las Vegas has decided the fate of a Nevada physician charged with murder in the death of a patient prosecutors say overdosed on pain relievers he sold her. They have found him guilty on all counts. Sentencing is set for April 22.

The charges were second degree murder, 46 counts of selling a controlled substance and six counts of possession of controlled substance with intent to sell.

The doctor now faces life in prison — one to five years per 46 counts of selling, one to six years per six counts of possession and 10-25 for second degree murder.

A prosecutor characterized Dr. Harriston Bass Jr. as a pusher of painkillers that he allegedly delivered to patients at hotel rooms and homes from a PT Cruiser equipped with a portable refrigerator. He called his medical practice Docs 24-7.

Bass, 54, described himself as a skilled doctor who helped patients get quality medical care and cheaper medications — a “one-man team” who performed house calls for ailing patients. He stood trial in Clark County District Court on charges of second-degree murder in the death of 38-year-old Gina Micali, who died in October 2005 after taking the pain reliever hydrocodone, and the illegal sale of controlled substances.

Murder can be charged under Nevada state law if someone dies from drugs they receive illegally from a dealer. Bass was arrested in December 2006 after investigators linked drugs found in Micali's home to him. Authorities reported finding more than 10,000 doses of prescription drugs and $150,000 in cash at Bass' home in a gated golf course community west of the Las Vegas Strip.

Bass' defense lawyers, David Lee Phillips, said his client always followed the law and was “not some street dealer.” Bass testified that he was merely doing his job and that he believed he could legally sell prescription drugs for a profit. Deputy Chief state Attorney General Conrad Hafen said that while Bass had a license to prescribe drugs, he did not have a license to dispense and sell controlled substances.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)