Las Vegas news briefs for June 10, 1999

Thursday, June 10, 1999 | 11:21 a.m.

A Las Vegas man who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the gang-related slaying a year ago of an 18-year-old man at a violence- and drug-plagued apartment complex will be spending at least 40 years in prison.

Ruben Paul Perez, 23, admitted in his April guilty plea that the murder of Alejandro Nievez was to promote a gang.

District Judge Joseph Pavlikowski on Wednesday sentenced Perez to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the incident just a few blocks from Clark High School.

A Metro Police patrol officer was in an alley off Silver Dollar Avenue when he heard gunfire coming from a nearby apartment building and saw flashes from a gun barrel.

Two police dogs tracked Perez into a neighborhood about three blocks west of the Greenville Park complex, where he was arrested.

Witnesses said at least seven shots were fired, but a witness who said she watched the teenager die said she saw only one bullet wound, in the area of the victim's heart.

High court upholds verdict in '91 killing

The Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the first degree murder conviction of Frederick Alford Jr., sentenced to consecutive life terms plus 20 years for the fatal stabbing of Johnny Richardson in a mobile home in December 1991 in Clark County.

Alford was initially convicted in 1993, but the court in 1995 ordered a new trial because of prosecution errors. After the second trial started in October 1996, Alford agreed to plead guilty to murder, home invasion and subornation of perjury.

In his current appeal Alford said his lawyers were ineffective and he should have received a lesser sentence. The court rejected the claim.

Doctor placed on three years probation

The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners has placed Las Vegas plastic surgeon Dr. Alban Miller on three years probation.

Miller performed surgery in September 1996 to repair a patient's nasal fracture and splits in both earlobes. The board ruled that the surgery amounted to gross malpractice.

Miller was also ordered to pay $3,177 and undergo an additional 20 hours of medical education, Richard Legarza, general counsel for the board, said. Miller received a public reprimand from the board and was ordered not to do any operative procedures outside a hospital.

Miller, contacted Wednesday, declined to comment on the ruling.

Tanning salon hit by morning blaze

An electrical malfunction at Image Resort Tanning, Nails and Day Spa, 2381 E. Windmill Lane, started a fire that caused $75,000 in damages early today, a Clark County Fire Department spokesman said.

The fire originated in the back of the day spa, possibly in a chair, department spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

Fire officials received the call about 4 a.m., and 14 units from Henderson and Clark County responded. No one was inside when the fire started, and firefighters put out the blaze quickly, Leinbach said.

The fire was contained within Image Resort, but smoke permeated the women's clothing store next door.

An employee of Fashions For You II said the business may have to remain closed for up to two weeks because of the smoke damage.

Both stores are in a new strip mall at the corner of Windmill and Eastern Avenue and have been open less than a year, the employee said.

Woman killed by limousine identified

A woman who was killed after being hit by a limousine Tuesday night as she attempted to cross against traffic on Tropicana Avenue has been identified as Sumiko Hasegawa, 52, of Japan.

Police said Hasegawa was running north to south at 9:25 p.m. across Tropicana at Island Way outside the crosswalk against the don't walk signal.

A Cadillac limousine traveling eastbound on Tropicana struck her, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.