Death of man, 62, a homicide

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2002 | 9:32 a.m.

Metro Police are investigating whether anyone should face charges in a 62-year-old man's death last November, investigators said.

Jorge Aviles of Las Vegas apparently got into an argument in a men's room of the Sands Expo and Convention Center on Nov. 1 and fell to the ground injuring himself. Aviles was taken to University Medical Center where he died Nov. 13.

The Clark County coroner's office ruled Aviles died as a result of a fractured hip, and on Feb. 7 the manner of death was ruled as homicide, Coroner Ron Flud said. He said the homicide ruling means that the death was caused by another person and doesn't indicate there are any criminal charges to follow.

Metro Police detectives are investigating Aviles' death as a possible murder, said Lt. Tom Monahan of Metro's homicide unit. The question is whether someone pushed him to the ground and caused the injuries that resulted in his death.

"We know there was some kind of pushing and shoving going on in the men's room and there were some witnesses in the area, but police were not initially called," Monahan said.

Monahan said there are homicides that are not considered murder -- a determination that someone was criminally responsible to another's death. He pointed out that killing someone in self-defense is a homicide, but not a murder.

Monahan said detectives are trying to track down those who might have been around at the time of the incident in the men's room to determine if criminal charges should be files and to determine who else was involved.

Anyone with information in Aviles' death is asked to call Metro's homicide unit at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.