On Wednesday, a Las Vegas judge closed the book on a deadly 2023 police pursuit, sentencing two women to long prison terms for a crash that ultimately killed 101-year-old World War II veteran Herbert Muskin. For his family, it was the final legal step in a case that has weighed on them since the March 1, 2023 collision.
Judge Michelle Leavitt sentenced Lorraine Alvarado to 14 to 40 years in prison and Kassandra Alvarez to 10 to 30 years after the pair struck a plea deal in January, according to News 3 Las Vegas. In court, members of the Muskin family delivered emotional victim-impact statements describing how the crash and its aftermath have reshaped their lives.
The chase and the crash
Prosecutors say the trouble started when three suspects stole a Mercedes, then went to a sporting goods store near Sahara Avenue and Decatur Boulevard and tried to make a purchase. When a payment for merchandise was rejected, they bolted, setting the rest of the deadly chain of events in motion.
A tipster passed the car's license plate to police, triggering an extended pursuit that reached speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. The chase ended only after officers laid down spike strips. The fleeing vehicle then slammed into the Muskins' car at Sunset Road and Stephanie Street, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Victim and family impact
Muskin, a former Army captain and retired orthodontist, suffered a broken neck in the collision and was hospitalized. He died weeks later, authorities said, per FOX5. His death turned a violent crash into a homicide case and left his family navigating both grief and a lengthy court process.
The Muskin family spoke in court about the pain of losing Herbert at 101, after a lifetime that included military service and a long professional career. News 3 Las Vegas reported that Herbert's wife of 67 years, Sherry, died in 2025, compounding the family's sense of loss.
Plea, charges and prosecution
A grand jury initially indicted Alvarado and Alvarez on murder and weapons-enhancement counts after prosecutors alleged that a person over 60 had been killed during the course of a robbery, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. For a time, the case was headed toward trial.
That changed in January, when both women accepted a plea agreement that took the case off the trial calendar and resulted in the prison ranges Judge Leavitt imposed this week. For the defendants, it means potentially decades behind bars. For the Muskin family, relatives told the court, no sentence can restore the life and future they lost. The case now stands as a stark example of how a single violent crime can ripple out across ordinary Las Vegas lives.
