Maple Valley woman killed in fiery Las Vegas crash

LAS VEGAS — A shootout and fiery crash on the Las Vegas Strip Thursday took the life of a Maple Valley woman.

Sandi Sutton, 48, was in Las Vegas on a trip with her business partner for a convention.

Sutton was a store owner who just moved her shop to Maple Valley. The women went to the convention to buy clothes and accessories for the store, The Dazzled Dame.

Early Thursday morning, Sutton was riding in a taxi on the strip when there was a drive-by shooting.

“Then there was a loud boom, I heard two other booms,” said an eyewitness.

Police said a person in a black Range Rover shot fatally shot Kenny Cherry Junior, who was also known as rapper Kenny Clutch. He lost control of his Maserati and slammed into a taxi, which burst into flames in front of the Bellagio, Ballys and Flamingo hotels.

“I could see the fireball over here on the corner,” said the eyewitness.

Sutton and the cab driver were killed, and the gunman drove off.

“The suspect vehicle, the Range Rover, fled the scene and law enforcement here in Nevada as well as in neighboring states is actively searching for that vehicle and its occupants,” said Sheriff Doug Gillespie of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Sutton was a wife and mother, and her family is still stunned by the loss. Her family released a statement to KIRO 7 Eyewitness News:

“Her innocent and tragic loss will be felt by all of those who knew and loved her and by the community at large.”

Sutton also worked for the Maple Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Friends told KIRO 7 reporter Alison Grande that Sutton was the heart and soul of the community.

KIRO