News briefs

Friday, March 10, 2000 | 12:35 p.m.

Psychiatric report sought by DA

Defense attorneys in the Zane Floyd murder case have until April 18 to submit some sort of psychiatric report about their client to prosecutors.

Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell and Deputy District Attorney William Koot on Thursday asked District Judge Jeffrey Sobel to compel defense attorneys Curtis Brown and Doug Hedger to provide them with the results of a defense psychiatric expert's examination of Floyd.

Brown and Hedger explained that although their expert has met with Floyd, he has yet to receive all of the documentation in the case necessary to write a report.

Sobel told the attorneys they have until April 18 to provide a report, even if it's not the complete report, to the state.

Floyd, 24, is scheduled to go to trial July 10 in connection with a June 1999 shooting spree at the Albertson's store at Sahara Avenue and Valley View. He is accused of shooting to death Thomas Michael Darnell, Carlos Chuck Leos, Dennis Troy Sargeant and Lucille Alice Tarantino.

Passers-by catches dropped 3-year-old

As a woman's second-floor apartment filled with smoke Thursday she dangled her 3-year-old daughter out a window and dropped her into the arms of man on the ground.

Jesse Galvez and his cousin were walking by the apartments in the 5400 block of South Maryland Parkway about 1:30 p.m. Thursday when a woman yelled for them to help her.

Adriana Gonzalez dropped her daughter as Galvez's cousin tried to reach the girl. The girl was caught and was not hurt.

"She was going to jump too, but I went up to the apartment and got her out," Galvez said. "We just happen to be there."

Clark County firefighters came to the apartment and found there was no fire, just a lot of smoke from a cooking pot left on the stove, officials said.

There were no injuries and there was no damage to the apartment.

Unborn baby keeps court on toes

A normally hectic morning got a little more hectic Thursday when a defendant appearing before District Judge John McGroarty went into labor.

Court Bailiff Bill Merren said cases were moving right along when a woman came up and informed him that her niece, Tomika Jane Thomas, 18, was having contractions seven minutes a part.

Merren said he informed the robbery suspect's attorney of the situation and she managed to get Thomas' name moved up on the list of defendants to be called.

Thomas got her sentencing postponed, an ambulance was called and she was rushed to University Medical Center, Merren said.

"That was a first," Merren said.

Deputy Public Defender Elizabeth Quillin, who was standing in for Thomas' attorney, agreed.

"I think Bill Merren was becoming very concerned she was going to have that baby right there in the courtroom," Quillin said. "It made for an interesting morning."

UMC had no record of Thomas' admission Thursday.

Woman acquitted by federal jury

A former girlfriend of a man federal authorities have tried to convict twice on drug charges was acquitted Thursday of money laundering and drug related counts.

A federal jury deliberated two hours before deciding that JoAnne Campbell, 41, was not guilty of possession of intent to distribute drugs, conspiracy to launder money and money laundering.

Authorities tried to persuade jurors that Campbell was part of a group of people who sold cocaine over a seven-year period.

Prosecutors have twice tried to convict Campbell's former boyfriend, Andre McGee, on drug and money laundering counts, but jurors in both trials couldn't reach a decision.

Woman hits Henderson branch

A Henderson bank was robbed Thursday by a woman who told a clerk she had a gun, and then escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

The robbery occurred at 12:20 p.m. at the Silver State Bank, 65 W. Lake Mead Drive, Henderson Police said.

The woman was described as white, 5 feet 5 inches tall and with a medium build. She was last seen wearing baggy jeans and a dark colored baggy jacket or sweat shirt. She left the bank in a red convertible with a brown top, police said.