Woman sought in husband's death in California is arrested in Florida

Tuesday, March 19th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DESTIN, Fla. (AP) _ A woman suspected of killing her husband with a dose of horse tranquilizers and burying his body in a California vineyard has been arrested in this Florida Panhandle beach town.

Laren Renee Sims, who spent six years as Elisa McNabney, was arrested late Monday.

She did not resist arrest and told officers, ``I'm the one you're looking for,'' said Rick Hord, spokesman for the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say she killed Larry McNabney and put his body in a hastily dug grave in a San Joaquin County vineyard.

Larry McNabney was last seen at a horse show Sept. 10 in Los Angeles. A day later, authorities say, Elisa McNabney began clearing out his office and selling his personal items. She closed the Sacramento law practice Jan. 7, leaving nothing but his trophies.

She's a thrice-married 36-year-old who has a 113-page criminal record and is wanted in Florida and Washington for credit card and grand theft charges. Sims has more than a dozen aliases and multiple social security numbers.

The search nearly came to a close Friday in Destin, where authorities said they missed catching Sims and her 17-year-old daughter by one hour.

If Sims waives extradition, California authorities can pick her up immediately, Hord said. If she fights extradition, the process could take a few weeks.