Local news briefs for April 24, 2000

Monday, April 24, 2000 | 10:36 a.m.

Woman riding in bed of pickup dies

A 28-year-old North Las Vegas woman died Sunday in a one-vehicle accident on southbound U.S. 95.

Alberta Green was riding in the back of a pickup Sunday about 2:30 p.m. on U.S. 95 at the Eastern Avenue exit when the driver lost control of the truck and hit a ditch, throwing Green from the truck into a pole, Nevada Highway Patrol officials said.

Green was taken to University Medical Center but died about 9:30 p.m. The driver, 30-year-old Paul Rhodes, and four other passengers in the truck either were not injured or suffered only minor injuries, police said.

Rhodes is accused of driving off after the accident. His truck was found a short time later in the area of Eastern Avenue, but he had not been located, police said.

The accident remains under investigation.

Girl, 4, found in men's restroom

Metro Police are trying to determine what happened to a 4-year-old girl found inside a men's restroom at a Summerlin park Sunday afternoon.

The crying girl was found about 3 p.m. inside the restroom at Hills Park on Hillpointe Road between Rampart Boulevard and Hills Center Drive. A medical exam at Sunrise Hospital was inconclusive for sexual assault, said Lt. Tom Monahan of Metro's sexual assault unit.

The girl was treated at the hospital and released, Monahan said.

A man was seen running from the restroom by a boy, but the man was not located. The park was filled with families Sunday afternoon.

Teen jumps from raft in Lake Mead

The body of a 14-year-old boy was found near Boulder Beach at Lake Mead Saturday morning after he jumped from a raft and drowned Friday, National Park Service spokesman Bert Byers said.

Ryan M. Willard's disappearance was reported by his mother about 4:30 p.m. Friday after the boy dived into the lake to retrieve an oar, Byers said.

Park Service divers responded to where the boy was last seen but were unable to locate his body until about 11:40 a.m. Saturday.

Police suspect homicide as cause

Metro Police homicide detectives are investigating a body found in a trash bin in the area of Oakey Boulevard and Lindell Road Saturday night.

A man walking in the 2500 block of Westwind Road about 5:20 p.m. called police after noticing a man's body in a Dumpster.

The victim is a white man believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s, is 5 feet 10 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall and 180 pounds, Metro Sgt. Ken Hefner said.

The man was wearing a gray and tan short-sleeve button-down shirt, gray tweed slacks and brown leather sandals with thick rubber soles.

The cause of death is pending an autopsy, but it appears that it was a homicide based on observations at the scene, Hefner said.

Politicians on time with statements

Nevada politicians apparently took seriously the threat that they would be fined if they didn't submit their financial disclosure statements on time.

The state Ethics Commission says every incumbent state officer and all members of the Nevada Legislature met the deadline of March 31.

Commission Executive Director Kenneth Rohrs said Friday his office is still going through the rest of the forms, which were due by March 31. An estimated 5,000 public officials are required to submit the form that calls for a brief description of a person's financial holdings.

Last year scores of public officials were late or didn't submit their required forms, and more than $200,000 in fines were levied. But the Ethics Commission waived $188,425 of the fines because of mistakes in levying the penalties or finding that the forms were filed but lost.

The penalty for tardy reports is $25 for each day for up to seven days late. After seven days, the fine rises to $50 per day until the 15th day. After the 15th day, the penalty then increases to $100 for each day. The law allows the commission to waive the fine for good cause.