Local news briefs for April 15, 2003

Tuesday, April 15, 2003 | 11:41 a.m.

Post offices open until 10 for taxes

Five Las Vegas post office locations will remain open until 10 tonight for procrastinators to mail out those last-minute tax returns.

Collectors will pick up income tax returns up to 10 p.m. at the Henderson station, 404 S. Boulder Highway; the Meadow Mesa station at 4904 Camino Al Norte in North Las Vegas; the Red Rock Vista station at 2449 N. Tenaya Way; the Winterwood Station at 5070 Vegas Valley Drive; and the Spring Valley station at 3375 S. Rainbow Blvd.

Tax returns also can be dropped off in front of Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef exhibit until 10 p.m. Those who drop off their returns at the hotel will get two free entrances to Shark Reef to use anytime.

For those who need help with their returns, a volunteer from the Internal Revenue Service will be at the Main Post Office, 1001 E. Sunset Road, until midnight to answer any questions.

Shooting suspect surrenders to police

Henderson Police said a suspect wanted on attempted murder charges turned himself in about 2:15 p.m. Monday.

Matthew Aspatore, 19, was booked into the Henderson Detention Center on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, firing a gun in an occupied building and firing a gun where others are endangered, Henderson detectives said.

Aspatore is being held without bail in the shooting of Reynaldo Martin, 19, who was struck once by a bullet fired from a handgun late Saturday.

Martin was taken to University Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries and treated and released.

Aspatore has been scheduled to make his first court appearance at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

More delays seen in nuke payments

People suffering from cancer and other illnesses as a result of work on Cold War-era nuclear weapons projects may have compensation payments delayed by budget shortfalls, a report to Congress said Monday.

Based on figures from the Congressional Budget Office, the Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act program is expected to run a deficit of $101 million for the 2003-2007 budget years, said the General Accounting Office, which conducts investigations for Congress.

The Justice Department projected a smaller shortfall but agreed the money provided is inadequate, the GAO said.

The last time the funding ran dry was May 2000, when for more than 18 months the Justice Department sent IOUs to former uranium miners, millers and "downwinders" -- people exposed to fallout from nuclear weapons tests in Southern Nevada -- suffering from cancer and other illnesses as a result of their exposure.

Many died awaiting payments.

Woman's body found in alley

Metro Police are investigating an apparent homicide this morning after a woman's body was discovered in the alley behind apartments in the 800 block of S. third Street about 4:30 a.m.

The woman appears to have been stabbed to death, police said, noting it appeared had not been in the alley long.

The victim appears Asian and was in her early 20s. The woman was 5 feet tall and weighed about 100 pounds, police said.

She also had three tattoos on the fingers of her right hand that appear to be Asian characters. Her long black hair was secured by a red tie. She was wearing a black tank top with spaghetti straps, a multicolored print shirt and blue jeans. She wore white Nike running shoes, police said.

Anyone with information regarding the woman's identity can call Metro's homicide section at 229-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.