News briefs for July 28, 2003

Monday, July 28, 2003 | 9:54 a.m.

Grandson arrested in man's death

Metro Police arrested the grandson of an 81-year-old man discovered dead at his home in the 1400 block of Strike Jumper Court early Saturday.

Metro officers and a coroner's investigator arrived at the home and at first treated the death as natural, police said.

Detectives then interviewed family members of the victim and other witnesses before arresting Shawn Scott, 18, grandson of Frank Campos. The grandson was living with his grandparents, police said.

Scott was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on one count of murder with the victim over 65 years of age.

Hikers discover dead body of teen

Local residents hiking west of Lone Mountain Road early Sunday morning discovered a dead body of a teenage boy between 14 and 16 years old, Metro Police said.

The body had not been identified this morning and the Clark County coroner's office will conduct an autopsy, police said.

The boy was black, 5-feet-9 and about 130 pounds. He was dressed in a blue T-shirt, red athletic shorts, white anklet socks and a gray baseball cap with a Los Angeles Dodgers logo. He was also wearing a gold necklace with a large cross and a Timex Expedition watch with a black strap, silver case and black bezel on the left wrist, police said.

Anyone with information about the victim or the homicide is urged to call Metro's Homicide Section, 229-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Colorado man dies in crash

A 28-year-old Colorado man suffered fatal injuries in a crash on Boulder Highway early Sunday morning when he swerved to avoid an out-of-control Chevrolet Camaro that had slid into his path.

The victim's GMC pickup truck jumped the curb, hit a tree and flipped over, ejecting him from the driver's seat. He wasn't wearing a seat belt.

The man had not been positively identified, the Clark County coroner's office said this morning.

The driver of the Camaro, 25-year-old Daniel Spoor of Las Vegas, had been traveling in the northbound left-turn lane and changed his mind at the last minute, turning back toward the highway's northbound lanes, police said. The vehicle skidded across the roadway, into the path of the pickup, then went off the road and struck a block wall. Spoor suffered minor injuries.

Two passengers in Spoor's car, Sunshine Woods and Julio Gonzalez of Las Vegas, sustained moderate injuries.

Both drivers may have been under the influence of alcohol, and the cause of the collision appeared to be Spoor's failure to maintain travel lane, police said.

No charges have been filed. Police are investigating.

The accident was the 67th fatal traffic collision this year within Metro Police's jurisdiction.

18-year-old man dies in accident

A 18-year-old Las Vegas man died Saturday after a crash into a concrete barrier near the intersection of Windmill Lane and Rainbow Boulevard.

The crash happened about 1 a.m. The driver, identified this morning by the Clark County coroner's office as Richard Makeley II, was traveling eastbound on Windmill toward a stop sign and applied the brakes but could not stop in time, police said.

Makeley's car, a 1990 Subaru Legacy, slid through the intersection and struck the barrier, flipping over and partially ejecting him. Makeley was not wearing a seat belt.

LV woman, 81, dies from burns

An 81-year-old woman who was severely burned during a fire in her northwest Las Vegas condominium last Tuesday has died from her injuries, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

Floelle Filmer died at 8:40 a.m. Friday at University Medical Center.

Fire investigators believe careless smoking was the cause of the fire, which occurred in a downstairs condo at the two-story Mannetta Lane condominium complex in the 1400 block of North Michael Way.

Filmer's pet cat was found dead on the floor a few feet from her. It appears the cat died of smoke inhalation, Szymanski said.

Man, grandsons die in plane crash

A Nevada man and his three grandsons were killed when a small plane crashed shortly after taking off in southeast Utah, San Juan County sheriff's officials said.

The plane, which had just refueled, crashed around 11 a.m. Saturday, killing all four people on board.

"It barely got off the ground and went right back in," said Corporal Michael Bradford of the San Juan County Sheriff's Department. "It basically exploded on impact."

Wayne Connley of North Las Vegas was flying the plane, the sheriff's office said. The names of his three passengers were not released Sunday, but Bradford said they were Connley's grandsons.

The plane was on its way to Denver and stopped in Blanding for fuel.

Father charged in girl's stabbing

The father who police believe stabbed his 8-year-old daughter and then himself has been charged with one count each of attempted murder with a deadly weapon with substantial bodily harm, first-degree kidnapping and battery with a deadly weapon.

Kenneth Hibbler, 47, was listed in critical condition at University Medical Center.

Deputy constables trying to serve an eviction notice Thursday at a Silverado Ranch apartment complex found the man and his daughter stabbed.

The man's daughter suffered knife slashes on her throat and arms and she is expected to recover, police and a hospital spokesman said.

While constables were talking to the girl, who told them her dad had stabbed her, the father barricaded himself in the bathroom, police said.

Metro Police kicked in the bathroom door. They found the man had apparently slashed his own throat.

The man and his daughter were the only people who lived there, police said.

Temperatures to stay near 105

For the first half of this week, the temperatures will stay near 105 degrees with lower 80s at night along with a chance of thunderstorms afternoons and evenings, National Weather Service meteorologist Kim Runk said.

About Wednesday a Pacific Northwest disturbance is expected to plunge south and that could cool daytime temperatures into the high 90s, Runk said, and nighttime lows into the lower 80s to upper 70s.

"That's a long way off," Runk said. "It's summertime in Las Vegas."

The Las Vegas Valley had a taste of cooler weather Saturday when the high was 95 degrees because of cloud cover.

No measurable rain fell in the valley either Saturday of Sunday, but the chance of thundershowers returns today and stays through the rest of the week.