News briefs for August 16, 2002

Friday, Aug. 16, 2002 | 10:02 a.m.

Shootings remain under investigation

North Las Vegas Police officers are investigating the slaying of a 41-year-old man and the wounding of another man Thursday.

Officers were called to a home about 2:45 p.m. on the report a man had been shot. Officers found a 47-year-old man had been shot in the head three times. He was taken to University Medical Center and was listed in critical condition this morning.

The investigation led the officers to a home in the 400 block of Montessa Avenue near Centennial Parkway were they found Herbert Rozo dead from a gunshot wound to the chest, police said.

No arrests have been made and no other information about the shooting or the slaying were available this morning.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call North Las Vegas Police at 633-9111 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Wounded officer's name released

An officer wounded in a struggle with rapper Snoop Dogg's brother-in-law this week was identified as 31-year-old Metro Police Officer Brian Briggs.

Briggs encountered 29-year-old Germaine E. Fuller Monday about 11:20 p.m. near Maryland Parkway and Reno Avenue after reports of a man firing a gun. Briggs and Fuller started to struggle and Fuller allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Briggs twice, police said.

Briggs was shot in the chest, but his bullet-resistant vest stopped the shot. Brigs was also shot in the head getting a deep graze wound starting at his temple, police said. He was treated at University Medical Center and released.

Officer Garth Baker, 33, pulled up to the area and saw Briggs on the ground. Fuller is then accused of firing a shot at Baker. The bullet when through a window of the police car and along the top of Baker's shoulder, shredding his uniform but not injuring him, police said.

Fuller then fled the area and broke into a nearby apartment taking two residents hostage. The two male residents were able to escape unharmed about 12:20 a.m. Tuesday and alerted police. An 11-hour standoff ensued until police entered the apartment and found Fuller dead.

Police believe Fuller died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the standoff.

"When we went in to process the scene, the decedent had a handgun in his right hand and there was a gunshot wound to the right temple," Metro Homicide Lt. Tom Monahan said.

Fuller's sister is married to rapper Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus. Broadus was contacted by police and recorded a message played to Fuller during the standoff urging him to surrender.

Teen's body found; suspect arrested

Metro Police arrested a Las Vegas man and charged him as a murder suspect after the body of a 17-year-old girl was found Thursday stuffed inside a small box heaped with clothes inside a closet.

James Schoebel, 38, the apartment's resident, was arrested and charged with murder, Metro Homicide Lt. Tom Monahan said.

Police said Jenna S. Cameros had a history of running away and had gone to the apartment for the purpose of prostitution.

Officers had originally gone to the apartment on Aug. 9 after a woman reported that her friend had been killed there. Police did not find a body or evidence of a killing, Monahan said.

The girl's mother reported her missing the next day.

After police conducted more interviews on Wednesday, they decided to return to the apartment.

The body was found about 10 a.m. Thursday near 28th Street and Bonanza Avenue.

Temperature ties record

The high temperature in Las Vegas tied a record again Thursday.

The thermometer hit 111 degrees, tying the temperature set on Aug. 15, 1994, National Weather Service meteorologist Charlie Schlott said.

It was the second day in a row that Southern Nevada tied the record temperature.

Death Valley also tied a record temp of 124 degrees set in 1994, Schlott said.

Today's temperature is supposed to reach 109 degrees. There is not much relief in sight and no rain the forecast, Schlott said.