Plea change in $15,000 casino theft

A 29-year-old South Lake Tahoe man changed his plea to guilty Tuesday in connection with the theft of $15,000 from Horizon Hotel Casino.

Cesar Peres Pulido, a former money counter at the Horizon, admitted he and two others stole the money last November.

He was observed on a surveillance video emptying the contents of two-bill validator drop boxes.

Pulido originally pleaded not guilty and was set to go to trial Oct. 2.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy, a gross misdemeanor, and faces up to one year in Douglas County Jail and a $2,000 fine at his sentencing Nov. 6.

Prosecutors agreed to recommend probation without jail time, but the sentence ultimately is up to the judge.

n A 46-year-old Gardnerville woman was sentenced Tuesday to 21Ú2 years in prison for her third conviction of driving under the influence within seven years.

Diane D. Rieser must serve a minimum of one year before she is eligible for parole. She also was fined $2,000.

"I just don't want this to happen again," Rieser told District Judge Dave Gamble. "I want to apologize."

She was convicted of driving under the influence in August 2000 in Bridgeport, Calif., May 2003 and May 2006 in East Fork Township.

Her most recent arrest was July 7 after a deputy spotted her driving on Tillman and Kimmerling at 1:45 a.m. with a broken headlight.

Her blood-alcohol content was .194, more than twice the legal limit of .08 for driving in Nevada.

"It's your daughters, family and all the people who care about you who deserve the apology," Gamble said. "It seems like a waste. I hate to have you in front of me to send you to prison."

She was given 18 days credit for time served.

"There are programs in prison that can help you live with this addiction to alcohol," Gamble said. "But they all depend on you."

n Two Carson City women were arrested shortly after midnight Sept. 11 at Hobo Hot Springs in Johnson Lane after a deputy found marijuana and methamphetamine in their vehicle.

Kimberly Ann Miller, 39, was charged with possession of a controlled substance for sale, forgery or altering a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hypodermic and trespassing.

She was jailed on $15,687 bail and briefly hospitalized for drug withdrawal.

Myrna Lynn Robertson, 32, was jailed on $1,000 bail and charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Searching the vehicle, deputies found marijuana, a metal smoking device with burnt residue, multiple syringes, three plastic bags and a crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine.

n A 20-year-old Gardnerville woman who requested a two-day delay in her probation revocation so she could obtain an abortion was ordered to report to jail Saturday.

Ashley Annear tested positive for methamphetamine Sept. 11 when she showed up at East Fork Justice Court to request more time to pay $206 restitution for illegal use of a credit card.

She also tested positive for marijuana and was jailed for a probation violation.

"You're pregnant and you're using crank?" asked East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl.

"I'm not planning on keeping the baby," Annear said.

Her lawyer, Terri Roeser, said Annear was two months pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Roeser asked EnEarl for a two-day delay in sentencing so Annear "could take care of it."

Or, Roeser suggested, jail personnel could transport Annear to Reno for the procedure.

EnEarl agreed to the delay and ordered her to begin serving her 90-day sentence Saturday. He told her he wanted to be notified personally if she shows up with drugs in her system or fails to appear.

He told Annear he would arrange for drug rehabilitation if she desires.

At her arrest in July, Annear said she had been using methamphetamine for six months. She had been jailed three times on drug-related offenses.

n A Gardnerville Ranchos man was jailed on $57,687 cash bail after he and a woman passenger were stopped with drugs in their vehicle which he was driving with a suspended license.

Deputies, familiar with David Thomas Knapp, 38, from prior arrests, observed him Sept. 13 with a woman at a convenience store on Tillman in the Gardnerville Ranchos.

A check of his record indicated that Knapp's license had been suspended, so when he drove away, deputies initiated a traffic stop.

The woman reportedly told officers they had smoked methamphetamine that evening.

Knapp was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, driving under the influence of drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, alternative sentencing violation and driving without a valid driver's license.