Court news briefs for October 6, 2000

Friday, Oct. 6, 2000 | 11:27 a.m.

Suspect in 1996 killing enters plea

A December trial date has been scheduled for the second of two brothers accused in a 1996 slaying case.

District Judge John McGroarty scheduled Carlos Torres' Dec. 11 trial after Torres pleaded not guilty in the Dec. 30, 1996, death of Alfonso Lazaro.

Authorities believe Carlos Torres, 28, and his brother, Geovanny Torres, shot Lazaro to death in the parking lot of a bar because of an ongoing dispute dating back to when all three lived in Cuba.

Geovanny Torres was convicted in late June, but his sentencing has been put on hold while defense attorneys seek a new trial.

The attorneys have been told by a Clark County Detention Center inmate that a key prosecution witness told him he lied to jurors about what happened the night of the slaying.

Driver enters guilty plea

Nicholas Nava, 20, on Thursday pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, causing death, with the understanding that the district attorney's office would recommend a three- to seven-year prison sentence.

Ordinarily the crime is punishable by a two- to 20-year sentence.

According to authorities, Nava was driving between 60 and 80 mph in a 35 mph zone when he missed a curve, ran off the road and hit a North Las Vegas light pole in the 4700 block of Mitchell Street on July 29.

Nava's passenger, Cesar Fernandez, 26, died and Nava was found at a nearby shopping center with cuts and scrapes.

Blood tests showed he had alcohol levels of 0.16 and 0.14 shortly after the accident.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure is scheduled to sentence Nava Nov. 8.

Hearing delayed until next week

The preliminary hearing of a Henderson man accused of sexually assaulting and killing a 16-year-old high school student will pick up again Oct. 12.

Because of scheduling conflicts, prosecutors were able to question only one witness Thursday during the preliminary hearing of Stephen Finnegan.

Defense attorneys will cross-examine that witness, a crime scene analyst, on Oct. 17, but in the meantime other witnesses will take the stand Oct. 12, Deputy District Attorney Michael O'Callaghan said.

Jessica Heaney's body was discovered in the women's bathroom of the Arbor Court condominiums clubhouse on March 7, 1998.

Police allege palm and fingerprints found in the bathroom and sauna match Finnegan's.

Trial set for one suspect

A Dec. 11 trial date has been set for one of two men arrested in connection with last month's shooting of a Harrah's hotel patron.

District Judge Hardcastle set Stephen Mullen Jr.'s trial date Thursday after he pleaded not guilty to 21 counts stemming from the Sept. 8 death of Heather Vitarelli, 29.

Mullen, 32, is accused of shooting Vitarelli in the back while struggling with Harrah's security guards who confronted him about a series of alleged thefts at the casino.

A second man, Stephen Frimmel, 31, was also arrested in connection with the incident. He is fighting extradition to Nevada from New Jersey.