News briefs for November 18, 2002

Monday, Nov. 18, 2002 | 10:14 a.m.

Police search for victim's truck

Henderson Police are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose decomposing body was discovered Friday in his home at 124 Metropolitan St.

Officers checked the man's home about 11:30 a.m. on Friday after receiving a call from a friend concerned about his welfare.

When officers entered the home, they discovered the body in the house, which had been ransacked. Police said robbery may have been a motive in the death.

An autopsy was to be performed at the Clark County coroner's office to determine the cause of death.

Police said a red 1991 Ford F-150 extended cab pickup truck is missing from the residence. The truck bears several stickers, including the words, "Lil' Red Truck" on both sides of the vehicle and an American flag decal on the hood, just above the front grill.

The Ford truck also has a tonneau cover on the bed and has license plate 667 MSH.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Henderson Police Department at 565-8933 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Men arrested after body dumped

Metro Police arrested two men about 1:15 a.m. Friday after an officer on a routine patrol spotted them dumping a body from a car in the desert near Hollywood Boulevard and Vegas Valley Drive.

Jose Aguilar, 22, and Sergio Juarez, 17, were booked into the Clark County Detention Center on murder charges, police said.

Metro Homicide Sgt. Rocky Alby said the patrol officer saw two men outside a blue Ford Taurus and, after investigating, concluded they had just dumped the body of Jose Delatorre, 27, from the car's trunk.

Homicide detectives arrived and interviewed the men and a woman in the car. Investigators determined Delatorre had been killed in an apartment near Vegas Valley and Lamb Boulevard, Alby said.

Details of how Delatorre died were not released. The woman was not charged.

Red Rock climber killed in fall

A 23-year-old man died Sunday after falling 90 feet while climbing at Red Rock Canyon, Metro Police said.

The victim, identified this morning by the Clark County cononer's office as Christian Badcock, died on the way to University Medical Center.

Sgt. Clint Bassett of Metro's Search and Rescue section said about 3 p.m., Badcock had climbed 90 feet to the top of a rock wall at Fletcher Canyon, behind Calico Basin, and called down to his partner that he had reached the top.

Badcock apparently unclipped the rope and fell.

"No one actually saw what happened," Bassett said. "Something went awry."

Man gives up after standoff

North Las Vegas Police arrested a man suspected of being an ex-felon with a firearm, obstructing with a weapon and aiming and pointing a gun after he barricaded himself inside an apartment about 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Ramon Jaramillo-Rodriguez, 26, surrendered to police and SWAT team members without incident after a three-hour standoff at an apartment in the 2500 block of Ellis Street. Officers recovered two weapons.

A woman who escaped from the apartment through a window said she did not know the man, but that he had a handgun and was bleeding from his head and had possibly injured one of his arms.

The man was taken to University Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Driver killed as vehicles collide

A 31-year-old man was killed in a two-vehicle a crash this morning at Rampart and Del Webb boulevards, Metro Police said.

The crash occurred about 12:45 a.m. A 1997 Ford Explorer was headed north on Rampart Boulevard and made left turn onto Del Webb Boulevard in the path of a 2002 Dodge pickup truck, police said.

The driver of the pickup truck, John Wilson, 36, was unable to stop and the vehicles collided.

The driver of the Explorer was taken to University Medical Center, where he died. His name is being withheld pending family notification.

Wilson suffered minor injuries. His passenger, Alexandria Payne, 35, suffered moderate injuries. They were treated at UMC and released, police said.

This is the 120th fatal crash handled by Metro Police this year.