In Brief

death treated as suspicious

Autopsy on infant scheduled for today

The Clark County coroner's office will perform an autopsy today on an infant from Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

Lake Havasu City police Lt. Richie Sloma said 3-month-old Orion Anthony Hernandez died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center at 6:22 a.m. Friday.

Sloma said Orion was taken to Las Vegas after he was hospitalized Feb. 2 in Lake Havasu. The boy's father Albert Hernandez, 26, had called 911 and reported Orion was not breathing.

Sloma said investigators are treating the death as suspicious because there was "adult induced nonaccidental" trauma. He said a forensics expert probably will be involved in the investigation once the autopsy is completed.

RENO AREA TRANSPORTATION

Rates go up for van service, bus routes cut

The Regional Transportation Commission has approved fare increases for the van service used by Reno-area disabled people and cut main bus service routes to deal with ongoing budget woes.

Advocates for the disabled urged the board Thursday not to increase fares for RTC ACCESS, saying the increase will keep many disadvantaged homebound and isolate them from the community.

RTC officials said the changes are unavoidable.

Fares for van service in the urban Reno-Sparks area will increase from $1.75 per trip to $2.50 in May, and to $3 in August. For outlying areas, the fare will double to $5.

Last month, the RTC reduced service on its free downtown Sierra Spirit bus lines and the commuter service linking Reno and Carson City. On Thursday, the commission also cut routes of the primary bus service, RTC RIDE.

The transit service gets most of its funding through sales tax, which has steadily declined.

In November, voters rejected a ballot measure to increase transit funding.

CHARGED IN EIGHT CASES

Sexual assault suspect gives up medical license

A California plastic surgeon accused of sexually assaulting multiple patients at his Tracy clinic has turned in his medical license while his case proceeds in court.

Police say a total of 32 women have accused Dr. Peter Chi of misconduct, although the 46-year-old has been formally charged in only eight cases. He's been arraigned on counts of sexual battery and rape by a foreign object.

On Friday, Chi turned over his medical license to a judge. The doctor operated Beauty Renewed in Tracy and also worked from a Stockton office.

His attorneys argue that Chi should be allowed to continue his practice with the criminal case pending. A hearing on that request, scheduled for Friday, has been postponed until March 17.

Chi is currently free on $100,000 bail.