IN BRIEF

ARGUMENT TURNS FATAL

Man stabbed to death at Las Vegas motel

A drug-related argument may have led to the fatal stabbing of a 46-year-old Las Vegas man Saturday morning in a central valley motel room, Las Vegas police said.

Authorities did not release the name of the victim.

The incident began about 5:33 a.m. Saturday at the Safari Motel, 2100 E. Fremont St., near Eastern Avenue. Police arrived at the motel and found the victim on the street. The victim had been stabbed multiple times while in a motel room. Police said there were several witnesses.

The wounded man was taken to University Medical Center and died a short time later.

No arrests have been made in the slaying, said Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lt. Lew Roberts Sunday. Anyone with information related to the slaying is urged to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 385-5555 or the homicide section at 828-3521.

LARGEST LAKE TAHOE TRIBUTARY

Upper Truckee River restoration beginning

Truckee, Calif., city officials have broken ground on an $8 million, three-year restoration of part of the Upper Truckee River, in hopes of undoing some historic damage to the river.

Project officials plan to replace the channel that currently exists with a 4,000-foot winding channel. The river is the largest tributary to Lake Tahoe and a major source of clarity-reducing fine sediment.

Scott Carroll of the California Tahoe Conservancy says the project is about developing a full "ecosystem restoration" rather than just improving the quality of the water in the lake.

TODDLER IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Man held on charges of child abuse, torture

A 28-year-old Modesto, Calif., man is under arrest on suspicion of child abuse and torture after he was found home alone with a severely injured boy.

Police say Roberto Valencia turned himself in Saturday. The 19-month-old Modesto boy was found unresponsive by Valencia's mother Thursday.

The boy was flown to Children's Hospital Oakland, where a nursing supervisor said he was in critical condition. Police would not provide details of the boy's injuries.

Modesto police Sgt. Craig Gundlach said the baby's mother, Valencia's girlfriend, had taken a sibling to a doctor's appointment.

Gundlach said Valencia went to a Modesto hospital with the boy but was gone when detectives arrived.

CARRIED OUT BY RIP TIDE

Body of teacher found off coast of Panama

A fisherman has found the body of a Santa Monica, Calif., high school teacher who drowned off the coast of Panama.

Joey Lutz, 25, was standing in shallow water at a beach Thursday when a wave swept him away and a rip tide carried him out to sea.

The fisherman found Lutz's body near where he was swept away. His mother, Freda Lutz, said witnesses saw Lutz struggling, but his friends could not help him and Panamanian police did not look for him.