Local news briefs for April 7, 2000

Friday, April 7, 2000 | 2:30 a.m.

Henderson justice nominated for post

Kent J. Dawson, a Henderson resident of 27 years and the city's Justice of the Peace, has been nominated for the post of U.S. District Court Judge by President Clinton.

Dawson, who has served on the Henderson Justice Court since 1996 and was Henderson's city attorney from 1973-79 and a private attorney from 1979-95, was one of three recommendations that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., offered to Clinton in December.

Clinton made his nomination of Dawson on Thursday. The Senate must confirm Dawson, who received his law degree from the University of Utah in 1971.

The others who were considered for local federal court posts that were created last November as part of the final spending bill for fiscal 2000 were U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Linda Riegle and U.S. Magistrate Roger Hunt.

As Nevada's senior senator, it was Reid's responsibility to forward names to the president for consideration.

Man sought in two killings

A 21-year-old man arrested downtown on a misdemeanor charge turned out to be wanted in two states in connection with two slayings, Metro Police said.

Tremaine Delene Jernigan told police his name was Danathan Johnson when he was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor late Monday at 13th and Fremont streets, police said.

Police determined Jernigan's real name and that he was wanted on murder and attempted murder charges in Alamogordo, N.M., and also wanted in connection with another homicide in Los Angeles.

Jernigan was held without bond in the Clark County Detention Center.

Man wanted in 1996 killing found

A man wanted in connection with a 1996 slaying outside a Las Vegas restaurant was arrested by New Mexico police, who raided a house looking for drugs.

Geovanny Torres was wanted by Metro Police in connection with the Dec. 30, 1996, shooting death of Alfonso Lazaro in the parking lot of the El Matador restaurant.

Torres was one of the five people arrested inside the home raided by police Wednesday. Police discovered during a computer check that Torres was wanted on the murder warrant.

Torres is accused of arguing with Lazaro inside the restaurant. Apparently the two had a conflict dating back to the time both were staying at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba before immigrating to the United States. Torres and his bother, Carlos Torres, are accused of waiting in their car for Lazaro, who was shot in the parking lot.

Geovanny Torres was held this morning in New Mexico pending an extradition hearing.

Motel death called homicide

Metro Police are considering the death of a man found in his motel room Thursday a homicide.

At about 2 p.m. a 51-year-old man was found dead by a motel employee in the bathroom of a motel room in the 4100 block of Boulder Highway, homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen said.

Until a cause of death is determined police will treat the case as a homicide, Petersen said.

If anyone has any information about the victim they are asked to call detectives at 229-3521, or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Subcritical test is protested

Six anti-nuclear demonstrators were arrested for trespassing and released at the gates of the Nevada Test Site on Thursday as they protested the 11th subcritical experiment sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The tests are called subcritical experiments because no nuclear chain reaction actually occurs.

ATV rider killed in NLV

A 26-year-old Las Vegas man died early this morning after falling from the all-terrain vehicle he was driving on a dirt mound in North Las Vegas.

John Tacker was riding an ATV about 150 yards east of the intersection of Clayton Street and Hammer Lane about 12:40 a.m. when he rode up a large dirt hill, said Lt. Chris Larotonda, North Las Vegas Police spokesman.