IN BRIEF

SPORTS MEMORABILIA

Suspect in Simpson case freed from jail

The last suspect behind bars tied to the O.J. Simpson robbery case was released from jail Wednesday, Las Vegas police confirmed.

Charles Cashmore was detained in the Clark County Detention Center since Sept. 19. Police confirmed that he was let out of jail Wednesday afternoon.

Cashmore, 40, is being charged with robbery with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Police said he was with Simpson on Sept. 13 when Simpson and five other men went to Palace Station and robbed two memorabilia dealers of more than $80,000 worth of sports memorabilia.

TOURNAMENT HILLS

Cheney plans to attend Las Vegas fundraiser

Vice President Dick Cheney is coming to town today, and that could mean problems for airport travelers and valley drivers.

Cheney is expected to land at McCarran International Airport at 10:45 a.m. He then will be whisked through the valley via Las Vegas police escort to a fundraiser at the swanky Tournament Hills gated community near Rampart Boulevard and Summerlin Parkway.

The vice president is scheduled to leave Las Vegas via McCarran about 1:35 p.m.

Protesters plan to demonstrate during Cheney's visit from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They plan to meet at Bruce Trent Park at Vegas Drive and North Rampart Boulevard, across the street from Tournament Hills.

BUILDING SUPPLY STORE LOT

Police officer involved in shooting identified

Las Vegas police said the officer who shot and wounded a 20-year-old man at a Home Depot parking lot near Decatur Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue was Todd Eftekhar.

Eftekhar, 26, shot Kerry Purnell in the right calf early Monday morning.

Police said Eftekhar contacted Purnell as he was walking because there had been a rash of crimes in the area. When Eftekhar approached him, Purnell ran away, pulled out a gun and fired several shots at the officer, police said.

Eftekhar returned fire and wounded Purnell. Purnell continued to run but was caught about half a mile away at a hotel, police said.

Purnell is being charged with attempted murder of a police officer, resisting arrest and carrying a concealed weapon.

Eftekhar has been with the Police Department since January 2006. He works out of the Southwest Area Command, patrol division.

LEGACY HIGH

Teen arrested after gun found at school

A 15-year-old Legacy High School student was arrested on campus Wednesday after a loaded .38-caliber handgun was found in his backpack, a Clark County School District police officer said.

An officer approached the student at the North Las Vegas school around 10:30 a.m. when he and three other students were observed skipping class near the tennis courts, police Capt. James Ketsaa said.

The officer found the gun in the student's backpack.

Ketsaa said the backpack was searched because the student wasn't where he was supposed to be, but wouldn't elaborate. He said the student did not threaten anybody with the gun.

The student was then taken to the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with possession of a dangerous weapon on school property.

His name was not released because he is a minor.

Three guns have been confiscated at district schools this fall. Last school year, 54 guns were confiscated on school property, Ketsaa said.

FREE ADMISSION

Celebrate National Public Lands Day

Admission will be free to all National Park Service sites throughout the nation Saturday, including Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in honor of the 14th annual National Public Lands Day.

More than 250 volunteers will take part in a clean up at Lake Mead's Government Wash on Saturday.

More information is available at http://www.publiclandsday.org.

ENCINO, N.M.

Authorities find body of 15-month-old boy

The body of a missing 15-month-old boy was found in a field Wednesday, a day after his mother told authorities in Encino, N.M., that she lost him when she fell asleep stargazing.

Search and rescue crews found the body of Richy Willis-Brown near a highway junction in Torrance County in central New Mexico, according to state police Lt. Rick Anglada.

Anglada said an autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death.

"Right now we don't know if the child died of exposure or any other trauma," he said.

Deputies said the boy and his mother had been seen along U.S. 60 before dawn Tuesday. The woman, wearing no clothes, showed up a few hours later in Encino and told authorities her baby was missing.

The woman said she was driving through the area when she decided to stop, take off her clothes and star gaze. She said she fell asleep, and son was gone when she awoke.

The boy's mother was in an Albuquerque hospital Wednesday. Authorities were considering filing charges against the woman, whose name has not been released.