2 women indicted on murder charges in World War II veteran’s death

Two women were indicted Thursday on murder charges after they allegedly drove away from a petty robbery and slammed into a car containing a 101-year-old World War II veteran who later died from a broken neck.

A grand jury in Las Vegas charged Kassandra Alvarez, 29, and Lorraine Alvarado, 31, with murder with the use of a deadly weapon on a victim 60 years or older in the death of Herbert Muskin, an Army officer in World War II who died in a hospital on March 30, nearly four weeks after the crash, Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani said.

On March 1, Alvarado allegedly stole a Mercedes Benz car from a woman she knew and drove Alvarez to the Hibbett Sports store at 4620 W. Sahara Ave., according to Giordani.

When Alvarez’s method of payment was rejected at the checkout counter, Alvarado allegedly grabbed a firearm from Alvarez’s waistband, pointed it at the store staff and left with a bag of clothing, he said.

Someone reported the license plate number to police, setting into motion a 10-mile car chase with speeds reaching 100 mph, until the Mercedes’ tires were shredded by spiked stop sticks placed in the road by officers.

The Mercedes, driven by Alvarez, crashed into the back of the car in which Muskin and his wife Sherry were sitting while waiting at a red light.

Both suspects fled on foot, with Alvarez being captured quickly, while Alvarado brandished and pointed a firearm at officers, Giordani said.

When she lifted the gun, officers opened fire — wounding her several times — and took her into custody, he said.

In testimony before the grand jury, the Clark County medical examiner found that the broken neck Muskin suffered in the collision caused his death, which prompted prosecutors to seek murder charges against Alvarez and Alvarado, Giordani said.

The grand jury also charged Alvarez with felony offenses including battery with the use of a deadly weapon with substantial bodily harm, possession of a stolen vehicle, possessing a concealed firearm in a robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery with a deadly weapon

Other charges lodged against Alvarado include attempted murder, battery with substantial bodily harm, possession of a stolen vehicle, burglary and grand larceny.

District Court Judge Tara Clark Newberry ordered both Alvarado and Alvarez held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail and set their arraignment hearings on the charges for Wednesday.

Jon Muskin, Herbert Muskin’s son, said the family remains very upset and that murder charges against the two are justified.

“They are a menace to the community and should be in jail the rest of their life,” he said.

Contact Jeff Burbank at jburbank@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0382. Follow him @JeffBurbank2 on Twitter.