Top News

State health officials delivered cease-and-desist letters Friday to two Las Vegas retail stores suspected of operating as illegal and unlicensed surgical centers.

Authorities said they took the action after gathering information from a female victim of a botched surgery at Botanica Maya, 5347 E. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite B. They also found medical waste in the store and in a trash bin behind the business, near Nellis Boulevard.

"What was going on here was totally wrong," owner Adam Padilla said.

A Las Vegas resident, Padilla said he has owned Botanica Maya for five years. He said the business, which operates seven days a week, sells herbs and vitamins to its Hispanic clientele.

He said his father owns the other business, Botanica San Francisco on Nellis Boulevard near Sahara Avenue.

Ben Kieckhefer, a spokesman for the state Health Division, identified the botched June 19 surgery as a gynecological procedure "to remove an abscess."

MONDAY

PARENTS FACE CHARGES

A police report revealed that the parents of a 10-year-old boy who shot a 7-year-old girl in the mouth last month will face multiple felony charges because the .38-caliber pistol used was not secured properly.

According to the report, North Las Vegas residents David and Karen Wachner face one count each of child neglect with substantial bodily harm, reckless endangerment and child endangerment.

The girl survived.

TUESDAY

ENSIGN GETS APPLAUSE

The fallout from U.S. Sen. John Ensign's admission that he carried on an illicit affair with a staff member continued.

Ensign apologized to his fellow Republican senators, speaking for about two minutes during a luncheon.

The crowd applauded him.

WEDNESDAY

SUSPECT SOUGHT

Police arrested one man and publicly named another as a suspect in what they said was an attempt to kill a third man that ended up taking the life of a 9-year-old girl.

Marcus Dewayne Larry, 27, was arrested. Kenneth Reid, 20, was named the gunman and was still at large.

Police allege that Will Bullins was the target of the shooting earlier this month. A bullet entered his North Las Vegas apartment and struck his daughter, Savannah, and killed her.

Bullins said he did not know either suspect.

THURSDAY

GANS' WIFE CALM

A police report into the death of popular entertainer Danny Gans provided some drama, but no new details.

Henderson police released the report into Gans' death, as well as a 911 call from his wife, Julie, but would not release a report from the crime scene analyst on the case.

The 911 call reveals that Julie Gans seemed calm as she performed CPR on her husband while an operator directed her.

Gans' May 1 death, involving a powerful painkiller commonly known as Dilaudid, was ruled accidental.

FRIDAY

EX-TEACHER CHARGED

A former Boulder City schoolteacher was charged with 76 counts relating to child molestation.

Charles "Rick" Rogers is accused of molesting young boys in his Boulder City home.

Authorities allege that he used the boys for child pornography, as well.

Rogers, who is in jail on $1.3 million bail, faces a 76-count indictment.