UNLV Police Lt. Rochelle Sax, 55, died March 4 after a battle with cancer.
She was born Jan. 3, 1947, in East St. Louis, Ill. A 20-year veteran of UNLV's police department, Sax was the first female in the department to attain the ranks of sergeant and lieutenant. She specialized in the areas of sexual assault investigations and crime prevention. As lieutenant, Sax was in charge of special events and the patrol division.
She joined the university's police department in 1982. While working full time as a police officer, she took classes and graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from UNLV in 1987. Prior to joining UNLV, Sax worked as a corrections officer for the city of Las Vegas and as a peace officer for the Humane Society of Las Vegas. She loved all animals and was a volunteer and charter member with the local chapter of the Humane Society.
She is survived by her sister, Annette Szawan.
Memorial services will be held Friday, March 8, from 11 a.m. until noon at Palm Mortuary, 1325 N. Main St. The family asks that memorial donations be made to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) at 4800 W. Dewey Drive, Las Vegas, Nev., 89118. The SPCA phone number is 873-7722.
