Local news briefs for January 8, 2001

Monday, Jan. 8, 2001 | 10:31 a.m.

Coroner probes cause of death

The Clark County coroner's office continues to investigate the cause of death of a man who died Thursday in Metro Police custody.

Phillippe Lemenn, 33, was arrested by Clark County School District police on charges of disturbing the peace and causing a disturbance on school grounds, Metro Police said.

School police took the man to the Clark County Detention Center Thursday afternoon, where he became combative and was put in a cell to calm down, Sgt. Chris Darcy, a Metro spokesman, said.

Detention officers tried to move the man to another area of the jail for a medical evaluation when he again became combative, Darcy said.

The man was restrained, then collapsed, and officers started cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Darcy said.

The man was taken to Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 6 p.m.

Victim came from Mexico

The Clark County coroner has identified a man found dead in a desert area in southern Las Vegas Tuesday as 31-year-old Ramon Preciado-Aldecoa of Mexico.

Preciado-Aldecoa was found Tuesday afternoon by a man walking his dog near South Bermuda Road and Serene Avenue. Preciado-Aldecoa had suffered a blunt head wound and he appeared to have died within 24 hours of being found, Metro Police said.

The victim is further described as having short dark hair and a tattoo on his left shoulder of a female fairy on a quarter moon. He was wearing a black sweater, black pants and shoes, and a black belt with a silver buckle.

Anyone with information on the homicide is asked to call detectives at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Hollywood Blvd. gate is moved

Starting today the Nellis Air Force Base Hollywood Boulevard gate has moved south to the intersection of Hollywood and Cheyenne Avenue.

The gate is open Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., and was moved to improve base security by keeping people off several thousand acres of land that serves as a buffer to a live ordnance loading area, Air Force officials said.