IN BRIEF

TWO HOMES BURN

Officials say suspicious blaze investigated

Henderson fire officials are investigating whether a blaze that destroyed a home under construction and severely damaged a neighboring home early Saturday was intentionally set.

Firefighters were called about 1:35 a.m. to the 1100 block of Riddle Glen Street, near Paseo Verde Parkway and Gibson Road, and found the under-construction home on fire, said Battalion Chief Jeff Lytle.

The fire extended to a neighboring home. The three residents of that home were alerted by fire alarms and escaped, Lytle said.

Both homes suffered extensive damage. The damage is estimated at $200,000 for the home that was under construction and $350,000 for the occupied house.

The cause of the fire is suspicious and was under investigation, Lytle said.

No one was injured.

RENO COUPLE

Two plead guilty in child neglect case

A Reno couple authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect.

The children of Michael and Iana Straw, a boy age 22 months and a girl age 11 months, were severely malnourished and near death last month when doctors saw them after social workers took them to a hospital, authorities said. Both children are doing well and gaining weight in foster care, prosecutor Kelli Ann Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts each of child neglect. Each faces a maximum 12-year prison sentence.

"They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games," Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The Straws have been given public defenders.

Jeremy Bosler, head of the county public defender's office, declined to comment Saturday.