Las Vegas family accused of causing crashes to collect insurance money
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A family is accused of causing at least two crashes on a busy freeway in what Nevada State Police believe was an attempt at insurance fraud, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained.
Adriana Montiel, Elias Montiel and Jennifer Montiel face charges including battery, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and attempted insurance fraud, records said.
On Wednesday, Jan. 10, a Nevada State Police trooper responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 15 near Spring Mountain Road. A man, who was driving a dump truck, told the trooper he was driving behind a black SUV. A white car was also in front of the SUV.
“He stated that the white car stopped suddenly in front of the black SUV and the black SUV stopped suddenly in front of him and then took off,” the trooper wrote in a report. “He stated that when he stopped behind the black SUV, he was rear-ended.”
The dump truck was outfitted with cameras, which captured the incident, the trooper said. The trooper was able to obtain the SUV’s license plate from the video. A witness also called police and described the SUV’s driver.
After investigating the circumstances of the crash, the trooper believed the crash “was likely a staged event” and that the driver of the SUV “may try again,” the report said. The trooper then discovered a similar crash that had just happened where a landscaping truck crashed into a similar SUV, which had stopped in the road with a white car in front of it.
Further investigation disclosed the SUV was registered to Jennifer Montiel, the trooper said.
The trooper investigating the first crash involving the dump truck responded to the second crash, finding Jennifer Montiel in the front passenger seat, the trooper said. Elias Montiel was driving, and Adriana Montiel was also a passenger in the car, the trooper said.
From the information gathered from the two incidents, the trooper believed the three siblings, “along with the unknown white sedan” would “[look] for a victim to perform a staged accident,” he said.
While interviewing the trio, the trooper noted two of the siblings spoke “very loudly” as to allegedly let the others know what they were saying, the report said. One sibling told police the SUV would not drive above 50 mph.
The trooper then arrested all three siblings. Information about the white car troopers suspected to be part of the scheme was not provided in court documents.
A pro temp judge did not set bail as prosecutors had not yet filed criminal complaints before the siblings’ initial court appearance, records said. A future court date was scheduled for May. No attorney was listed for any party in their court dockets.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
