Video evidence showed Lakeisha N. Holloway, 24, of Portland, Oregon repeatedly and deliberately driving into a crowd on the sidewalk outside the Paris Hotel, Clark County officials said at a press conference Monday morning. Investigators are still working to discover the motive behind Holloway's rampage and have not ruled out the possibility of terrorism, said Sheriff Joseph Lombardo.
Authorities have identified the woman who drove into a crowd of people on the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday night, killing one and injuring more than thirty. The Oregon resident was charged with murder, fleeing the crime scene, and child abuse.
NEW: Authorities identify suspect in deadly Las Vegas Strip crash. #abc15 pic.twitter.com/G86cZjzHef
โ ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) December 21, 2015
Clark County coroner's office identified the woman who died in the incident as Jessica Valenzuela, 32, of Buckeye, Arizona.
Initial reports of possible gunshots proved to be inaccurate, Lombardo said, adding that no weapon had been found in Holloway's car. Police did find Holloway's three-year-old daughter, however, prompting the charges of child abuse and neglect, according to District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
Officials said they were still looking into Holloway's background. According to information they had, she appeared to be homeless, living out of the car that she drove during the rampage. She had been in Las Vegas for a week, apparently on the way from Oregon to Texas, where the child's father is thought to reside. His name was not released.
Reader Comments
It seems that this young woman had been thrown out by her father which prompted her flight to LV. It seems she'd planned to go to Texas to the child's father.
Then she lived in her car with her child.
Only a relatively few people know the sheer awfulness of living in your car.
I absolutely cannot condone murder. But this young woman and her child were let down time and time again by the men in her life. Where the hell were they? Why were they not supporting their children?
She was obviously desperate and had reached the end of her coping ability. That's easy to do after a few days in a car with no money, no one who cares, no help from the authorities (it'll come out). I defy ANYONE to live in their car for more than 5 days in such circumstances. I guarantee you'd be on your way to a serious illness and/or feeling like murdering someone.
Seriously, this is a crime of the whole community and a culture where young women are literally left holding the baby whilst feckless men couldn't give a damn. And our authorities just allow it...