News briefs for June 10, 2002

Monday, June 10, 2002 | 10:03 a.m.

Ballot practice not unconstitutional

U.S. District Judge Philip Pro ruled Friday that the state's policy to alphabetically list candidates on ballots is not unconstitutional.

Pro denied denied public administrator candidate Michael Schaefer's motion for a injunction against the Sept. 3 primary election. Last month Schaefer filed a lawsuit against Clark County, claiming candidates whose last names start with letters higher up in the alphabet receive an unfair advantage.

To be placed at top of the list of candidates is not a constitutional right, Pro said. The state does not have to change its ballot position policy if officials can offer a rational reason as to why names are listed alphabetically.

Clark County Deputy District Attorney Mary-Anne Miller said the rational reason is because alphabetical listing allows voters to locate their candidate's name easier.

Beating victim's name released

The name of a 72-year-old man killed in a motel was released this morning as Robert O. McEwen of Los Angeles.

Metro Police were called to a motel in the 3500 block of Paradise Road June 1 about 1:30 p.m. for a body found. Police arrested McEwen's 49-year-old roommate Stephen Smythe and booked him into the Clark County jail on a murder charge.

An autopsy determined McEwen died as a result of a beating, Clark County coroner's office officials said.

Smythe and McEwen apparently were roommates in Los Angeles and were visiting Las Vegas and staying at the motel together, police said.

Officials: Nuclear test a success

After a couple of delays due to technical problems, the National Nuclear Security Administration said the Oboe 9 subcritical experiment to test the nuclear weapons stockpile was a success.

Scientists triggered the experiment underground about 85 miles northwest of Las Vegas at 2:46 p.m. on Friday, administration spokesman Kevin Rohrer said.

Scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California managed the nation's 17th subcritical test since the program began July 2, 1997.

By detonating small amounts of plutonium, scientists are able to understand how nuclear warheads are aging without a full-scale nuclear test.

The administration, a branch of the Department of Energy, reported that monitoring instruments confirmed that the test was subcritical, meaning no self-sustained nuclear chain reaction took place.

Man arrested in kidnapping case

Metro's sexual assault unit and downtown officers rescued a teenage girl Saturday and arrested a man and charged him with seduction, first-degree kidnapping, attempted burglary, attempted home invasion and coercion with force.

Carlos Andres Matute, 27, was taken into custody without incident about 9 a.m. in a back bedroom of a home in the 2600 block of Howard Street.

Matute was booked into the Clark County Detention Center. Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Douglas Smith did not allow bail.

The alleged crimes carry a potential life sentence.

Someone tipped Metro Police to the girl's whereabouts six days after her parents reported her missing June 2.

Also arrested were Elias Irianda, 24, and Jorge Gordillo, 26, both residents of the address where the arrest was made. They were charged with harboring a fugitive, a felony punishable by one to five years in prison and fines.

Apartment blaze under investigation

Clark County fire investigators are trying to determine what caused a three-alarm fire in a vacant apartment complex late Sunday.

Firefighters were called to the vacant Jolley Manor Apartments on Paradise Road near Desert Inn Road about 11:15 p.m. Sunday. The fire quickly went to three alarms with about 70 firefighters from the city and county departments along with 21 fire trucks battling the blaze, fire officials said.

The fire, which destroyed several vacant buildings, was under control in about 45 minutes to an hour.

No one was injured in the fire. No damage estimate was available this morning.