News briefs for Nov. 14, 2003

Friday, Nov. 14, 2003 | 9:41 a.m.

Husband arrested in wife's death

Metro homicide detectives arrested the estranged husband of a woman found dead Wednesday in her home in the 5900 block of Glen Eagles Lane, near Jones Boulevard and Washington Avenue.

John Coronado, 33, was arrested Thursday in connection with the strangulation of Cynthia Coronado, 32. Police charged him with murder with a weapon and robbery with a weapon, Lt. Tom Monahan said.

Cynthia Coronado's two elementary-school-age children discovered her dead in her bed early Thursday morning. Paramedics responded to the home and pronounced her dead.

Officer with DUIs will face hearing

The Metro Police officer cited three times for driving under the influence will face a hearing next month to determine whether he will be fired from his job.

Officer Ryan McCulloch, 25, was placed on leave in September after his third DUI incident in 19 months.

McCulloch was not arrested for his first offense in April 2002 but was arrested and jailed after the next two offenses.

McCulloch will face a three-member Pre-Termination Board that includes the department's captain, the deputy captain and a civilian. The board will hear McCulloch's case and make a determination in two days on whether or not he will lose his job.

Assistant Sheriff Ray Flynn said such hearings are rare. Last year the department, with 4,500 employees, convened 12 Pre-Termination Board hearings. Not all of them involved officers, however.

Grant to help post office project

A federal grant of $97,000 is going to the historic Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse that is being converted into a cultural center, state Historic Preservation Officer Ron James said Thursday.

The building, which opened in 1933, is listed on the state and national Register of Historic Places. The money will be used for the installation of exhibit-related equipment.

James also said $97,000 in federal funds will go toward an exhibit of artifacts from Virginia City saloon site excavations.

Warrant issued in lottery scam

An arrest warrant has been issued in Las Vegas for a South Carolina man who authorities said sent postcards to 9,000 Nevadans asking them to send money so they could collect their winnings from a lottery.

Attorney General Brian Sandoval said Thursday that Richard J. Panas mailed the postcards telling the recipients they had won money and to send from $10 to $14.97 to collect the winnings.

Panas operated under the names of "American Direct," "Lottowin," "Leisure International" and "RP Associates," Sandoval said.

Panas, according to Sandoval, used a UPS store in Las Vegas as his personal mail drop. He received an estimated 800 letters a day that were then forwarded to him in South Carolina.

Sandoval said Panas also promised consumers higher payouts if they sent in additional money. One person wired $1,700 to Costa Rica and was then asked to wire an additional $8,750. Another was asked to wire $2,500 to Canada, Sandoval said.

Fire restrictions lifted in mountains

All fire restrictions in the Mount Charleston area are being lifted beginning Saturday because of the colder, wetter weather, officials said.

"People are encouraged to enjoy their public lands, but to do so responsibly," Lee Nelson, fire management officer, said.

Although the current fire danger is not extreme, people still need to extinguish campfires and put out cigarettes, pipes and cigars, Nelson said.

Seat-belt project ready to begin

Police in Nevada and three other states will be stepping up their efforts to ticket drivers who don't buckle up themselves or their children, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday.

During the National Operation ABC Mobilization, which runs from Nov. 17 to 30, officers in Nevada, Arizona, California and Hawaii will be watching for drivers, passengers and children who are not wearing safety restraints.

In 2002 there were 3,432 people killed in those states because they were not properly restrained, the NHTSA said.

Man killed in crash with bus

A 53-year-old Las Vegas man was killed Thursday when he drove his 1974 Ford Torino into the back of a Citizen Area Transit bus on Boulder Highway near Harmon Avenue, Metro Police said.

Kenneth Ray Cross died shortly after arriving at University Medical Center.

The bus, carrying seven passengers, was stopped at a red light when Cross failed to stop and struck the rear of the bus at a high rate of speed shortly after 11 p.m., police said.

One of the bus riders was treated at the scene for minor injuries.