Teens killed after high-speed chase

LAS VEGAS - Two teen-agers were killed and a third was charged with murder after they led police on a high-speed chase and then crashed two stolen cars into concrete barriers.

Cedric J. Tiffith, 16, and Miguel A. Munoz, 15, both of Las Vegas, were dead at the scene of Monday's crash.

Milton Ennis, who suffered minor injuries, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on two counts of murder. Police spokesman Steve Meriwether said Ennis faces murder charges because the deaths occurred during the commission of felony.

Ennis, 14, also faces one count of possession of a stolen vehicle and one count of evading a police officer, both felonies.

Police said the incident began when an officer spotted two Honda Civics, a 1995 and a 1996, leaving an apartment complex. The officer learned the 1996 Honda had been reported stolen and called for backup before following both cars.

Police tried to stop the cars, but the drivers entered U.S. Highway 95 and accelerated to speeds near 100 mph.

As the 1995 Honda approached a downtown exit about 2:20 a.m. Monday, it struck the concrete barrier wall on the south edge of the road, then slid across the three southbound travel lanes and struck the center concrete barrier wall.

The car began to climb the wall, then struck a traffic sign pole mounted on the concrete barrier and broke into three pieces. Tiffith, the driver, and Munoz, the passenger, were ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene.

The left front of the 1996 Honda then struck the right rear of a police car being driven by Officer Edward Erickson.

The 1996 Honda, driven by Ennis, rotated counter-clockwise and slid into the barrier on the south edge of the road before coming to a stop.

Erickson, 24, was taken to University Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries.

Meriwether said the owner of the 1995 Honda reported that car stolen while police were investigating the crash.

The highway was closed in both directions until about 7:15 a.m.

Police said the teen-agers knew each other and are believed to have been working together on the car thefts.