Man accused of Vegas shooting and crash arraigned
May 13, 2013, 7:17 PM
LAS VEGAS (AP) – A self-described pimp accused of killing three people in a shooting and fiery crash on the Las Vegas Strip pleaded not guilty to 11 counts against him Monday, after initially telling the judge he wanted to plead guilty.
Ammar Asim Faruq Harris, 27, was arraigned in Clark County District Court on murder, attempted murder and shooting charges filed after the Feb. 21 crash.
After Harris indicated he wanted to plead guilty and dismiss his lawyer, the attorney said that would be a mistake and suggested Harris didn’t understand the gravity of that decision. After a break, Harris returned to court and entered not guilty pleas.
Harris’ lawyer, Special Public Defender David Schieck, wouldn’t elaborate on what might have changed Harris’ mind but said there were defenses for some of the allegations.
Harris is accused of shooting from a black Range Rover into a Maserati sports car that then slammed into a taxi that burst into flames.
Taxi driver Michael Boldon, 62, of Las Vegas, and passenger Sandra Sutton-Wasmund, 48, of Maple Valley, Wash., were killed. The Maserati driver, Kenneth Cherry Jr., 27, died at a hospital.
Another man in the Maserati suffered gunshot wounds and survived. Five other people in several other vehicles suffered less serious injuries.
Police said Harris and Cherry had exchanged angry words at a casino valet stand before speeding up the Strip. Investigators found no gun in the Maserati and no evidence that Cherry returned fire before crashing.
Harris was arrested a week later in Los Angeles.
A trial is set to begin Sept. 9. Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty _ something that Boldon’s brother supports.
“My brother is dead, and I don’t think this man deserves to breathe,” Tehran Boldon said after Harris appeared.
Harris also pleaded not guilty Monday to felony robbery and sex assault charges in a 2010 rape case that had been dismissed. A July court date is set in that case, which could increase the severity of his sentence in the murder case.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
