Man sought in slaying of pizza deliveryman

North Las Vegas police on Thursday released a sketch of a person of interest in last week’s slaying of a Pizza Hut deliveryman, an act that Chief Joseph Forti described as “tragic” and “senseless.”

The sketch is of a man in a baseball cap and a hooded sweatshirt that police said was seen in the area before the Jan. 24 shooting on the 5800 block of Rose Sage Street, near Ann Road and Camino Al Norte.

The 7:30 p.m. shooting left 51-year-old John Norris dead in the street.

Police are hoping to keep the slaying in the public eye. They announced that Pizza Hut, Meadow Gold dairy and Crime Stoppers are contributing to a $22,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction. Lamar Advertising is blanketing its billboards across the valley with pictures of Norris and announcements of the award.

“There’s somebody out there that knows who did this, or they have heard someone talking about their part in it,” Detective Ben Owens said. “We need these people to come forward.”

Chris King, 25, hired Norris at Pizza Hut when the man moved to Las Vegas from Illinois three years ago. He described Norris as a caring person and a good father.

“You always hear after a tragedy, people say how great a person was,” King said. “And I’ll tell you, working with the guy, and hiring him, it’s all true. He was the nicest guy you could ever meet.”

King said Norris was working a second job and also going to a massage therapy school.

Pizza Hut Public Relations Manager Chris Fuller said the corporation is offering grief counseling to its employees and setting up a memorial fund for Norris’ family.

Police released few other details about the case. The person of interest is described as between 17 and 25 years of age, heavyset, and 5 feet 10 inches tall.

Neighbor Phil Hertz said earlier this week that he saw a man in a hooded sweatshirt near a house about an hour before the slaying. A memorial has been set up in front of the house, which neighbors said was vacant.

Anybody with information on the killing is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555. People who call in can remain anonymous and still collect the reward.

Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440. Las Vegas Review-Journal writer Antonio Planas contributed to this report.