In Brief - Local - Feb. 6, 2013

Police probe
armed robbery
Las Vegas police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at Payless Shoe Source last week.
Las Vegas Police Chief Christian Montaño said two to three males went into the store, located on Mills Avenue, between 5 and 6 p.m. on Thursday and demanded money. The men brandished what appeared to be a firearm.
The robbers got away with a small amount of cash, Montaño said. No one was injured.
“We do have solid leads,” Montaño said. He said investigators are trying to determine whether the Payless armed robbery was committed by the same assailants who robbed the Sav-O-Mat the previous week.

Man damages
Southwest bank
A 26-year-old Las Vegas man upset that he couldn’t withdraw money from his account because Southwest Capital Bank had closed for the day decided to take his frustrations out on the bank’s door, according to a statement of probable cause filed in San Miguel County Magistrate Court.
Martin DyrKacz, of the 1000 block of 11th Street was arrested and charged with criminal damage to property of less than $1,000, a petty misdemeanor.
The incident occurred on Jan. 23, and Dyrkacz was released from the San Miguel County Detention Center the following day.
The Las Vegas police officer handling the case states that he was dispatched to the bank on the 600 block of Douglas Avenue at about 4:55 p.m on Jan. 23. He said that when he got there, two bank employees flagged him down and pointed to the man who had allegedly broken the glass on the door.
According to the probable cause statement, Dyrkacz told the officer he was going to the bank to withdraw money from his account, but when he got to the front door it was locked.
“He said the employees gave a hand signal to him saying they were closed for the day, and he got angry and kicked at the door and broke the window,” the court document states.
The officer said the glass panel on one of the front doors was cracked. The glass panel was about 6 feet by 3 feet, and the damage was estimated at about $900.

Prescribed burn
slated for forest
The Santa Fe National Forest Pecos/Las Vegas announced on Monday that it is planning to treat 100 to 150 acres per day of piles on the Gallinas prescribed burn piles project through Friday, weather permitting.  
The project acreage is 8,200 of which 2,940 acres consist of piles.  The project will be ongoing throughout the winter as conditions allow. The treatment area is located 20 miles northwest of Las Vegas and six miles north of Mineral Hill.
There may be smoke settling into the communities of Gallinas, El Porvenir, San Pablo, Mineral Hill, San Geronimo and Gascon. Smoke may impact Highway 65 which is the main access to the Gallinas corridor and may affect visual qualities of Hermit’s Peak.
Smoke from prescribed fire can be a nuisance to some people and a health concern for others, such as children, pregnant women, senior citizens and those suffering from allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivities, or other heart or lung diseases.
To reduce exposure to smoke, stay indoors as much as possible with windows, doors and vents closed. Avoid or limit physical activities outdoors.
In the evenings, smoke settles into low lying areas, including drainages; however, lifts by mid-morning when the sun rises. Residents living in such low-lying areas may be most affected.
The public can obtain prescribed fire information by:
• Calling the Santa Fe National Forest Public Affairs Office at 505-438-5320.
• Calling the Santa Fe National Forest Fire Management Hotline: 1-877-971-FIRE
• Following Santa Fe National Forest on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SantafeNF
• Being added to the Forest’s notification list. Receive daily updates on Santa Fe National Forest fire management activities by contacting the Public Affairs Officer Bruce Hill at 505-438-5320 or e-mail brucehill@fs.fed.us to be added to the notification list.