‘Distraught’ Holloway appears in court to face charges in Strip crash

Lakeisha Holloway, the woman accused of driving her Oldsmobile onto a busy sidewalk Sunday, killing one person and injuring dozens of others, made her first appearance in court Wednesday.

A day earlier, the Clark County district attorney's office charged Holloway, 24, with one count each of murder with a deadly weapon; child abuse, neglect, or endangerment; and leaving the scene of an accident.

On surveillance video taken Sunday, a source close to the investigation said Holloway is seen driving her Oldsmobile along the Strip, creeping along with the flow of traffic, before suddenly accelerating and turning right onto the sidewalk in front of Planet Hollywood.

Pedestrians headed south scattered, but many of those walking north never saw the car, as they were struck from behind.

The car was driven through the crosswalk in front of Paris Las Vegas and careened into a light pole.

Jessica Valenzuela was trapped under the sedan for at least 200 yards as pedestrians ran alongside, banging on the car and trying to get Holloway to stop, the source said.

Valenzuela, 32, of Buckeye, Ariz., died at University Medical Center. The Clark County coroner's office determined Wednesday that she died from multiple blunt force injuries as a result of the crash, staff wrote in an email. Her death was ruled a homicide.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by Mrs. Valenzuela's death," Coroner John Fudenberg said.

Thirty-five people were injured in the crash, three of whom had critical head injuries, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. Most of the injured were taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and University Medical Center.

Holloway was brought into the courtroom separate from other inmates Wednesday. Still cameras fluttered as video cameras rolled and a throng of reporters scribbled in their notebooks. She spoke in a barely audible voice, responding with "yes, ma'am" to questions about whether she understood the proceedings from Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Diana Sullivan. Holloway did not enter a plea.

After the two-minute hearing, public defense attorneys Joseph Abood and Scott Coffee described Holloway as "distraught."

"She's overwhelmed," Abood said. "This is sad and tragic for everybody involved. And as the days go by, and the gravity of what happened sinks in, I expect that she's going to be in a very difficult mental state."

Prosecutors are expected to add dozens more charges, including attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon, District Attorney Steve Wolfson said. The crime scene along the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard ran from the Miracle Mile Shops to Bally's, authorities said.

"There's a lot of investigation that goes into the forensics," Wolfson said. "Plus, you can imagine how many scores of witnesses were out there when this happened."

Holloway told police that she remembered a body bouncing off her windshield, breaking it. She told police she was not on drugs or alcohol, according to the arrest report.

Blood samples were taken from Holloway, and although she did not demonstrate signs of being under the influence of alcohol when she was arrested, she might have been on stimulants, the report said.

Authorities are expecting results of Holloway's drug test to be returned soon.

Metro officer Michael Rodriguez said Holloway is in medically restricted custody at the Clark County Detention Center, which could mean she is injured, needs medical attention or is suicidal. If someone in custody showed signs of being suicidal, "we would not disclose that," Rodriguez said.

Holloway was taken into custody Sunday at the Tuscany after she left her daughter in the car and told a valet to call the police because she had hit several people on the Strip.

The 3-year-old child, who wasn't hurt in the crash, was taken from the Tuscany, on the corner of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, and into state custody at Child Haven, authorities said.

Investigators determined that Holloway had been in Las Vegas about a week, living in her car with her daughter. Holloway told police that security guards ran her off everywhere she stopped to get some sleep in her car. She ended up on the Strip, "a place she did not want to be," and wouldn't explain why she drove onto the sidewalk, according to the arrest report.

Holloway is due back in court in late January.

Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Kimberly De La Cruz contributed to this report.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter @RandomPoker