News briefs for May 21, 2001

Monday, May 21, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

Homeless man charged in attack

A homeless man has been charged with murder after another homeless man was found burned to death early Saturday morning.

Metro Police say a witness reported seeing Ronald J. Mulder, 45, pour a liquid on the victim and light him on fire.

When police and paramedics arrived at the Casual Labor Complex at Washington Avenue and A Street, the 51-year-old man had suffered severe burns over 80 percent of his body. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died about 7 a.m., police said.

Mulder was sharing the same sleeping area with the victim, and it appears the two were having a dispute over a bottle of whiskey, police said.

Man dies during gang fighting

Metro Police are investigating the stabbing death of a 20-year-old man involved in a gang fight near Flamingo and Paradise roads late Saturday night.

Police received several calls about 10 p.m. reporting a group of about 20 men fighting with bottles near the 500 block of McKeller Circle. Police found the victim stabbed to death in an alley between McKeller and Calcaterra Circle.

Police say that a confrontation between gangs led to a fight with fists, bottles and knives. As police arrived, the fighters scattered, and although some were later located no one has been arrested because of lack of witnesses who could identify the responsible parties, Sgt. Kevin Manning said.

Police have not ruled out that the death may have been in self-defense, Manning said.

Anyone with information in the killing is asked to call police at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Two boys nearly drown in pool

Two boys under 2 years old were hospitalized after nearly drowning in a pool after sneaking away from a day care center Saturday.

The boys, whom authorities said squeezed through a hole in a fence, were taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center where one was upgraded from critical to good condition today. The other boys was released from the hospital.

They were found about 4:30 p.m. in a pool next door to Adventures in Learning, 3338 Oneida Way, near Maryland Parkway and Desert Inn Road, a spokesman for the Clark County Fire Department said.

Rewards for lifejackets planned

The Nevada Division of Wildlife is sponsoring a summer-long promotion to encourage boaters to wear lifejackets.

Authorities will be stopping boats to check for life jackets from May 25 to Sept. 3, and as part of the promotion, boaters who are complying with safety standards will be rewarded with coupons good for food or merchandise or up to $1,000 in cash.

Residents oppose ban on dogs

Dog owners are mounting a petition drive to keep a north Lake Tahoe beach open to their pets.

Kings Beach, Calif., resident Sheri Leorna launched the campaign after the North Tahoe Public Utility District board last month effectively banned the animals from the area's last dog-friendly beach.

She said she has so far gathered the signatures of 800 residents opposing the ban at the beach near the Coon Street boat ramp here.

"We will in no way accept this decision," she said. "As miserable as the dog beach is, we still don't want it taken away."

At a meeting last week, board members forwarded the issue to the district's Parks and Recreation Commission for review. The panel will consider the ban at a meeting Wednesday.

Commission member Bob Barrow said he thinks the district board overstepped its boundary by imposing the ban.

The ban was imposed after a series of complaints from residents and business owners about dogs drifting onto adjoining beach stretches and relieving themselves.

Motorists traveling on Washington Avenue

near Las Vegas Boulevard will face lane restrictions and delays through Friday as work continues on a flood control project. Washington has been narrowed to one travel lane in each direction between Veterans Memorial Drive and Las Vegas Boulevard for the duration of the construction.