News briefs for Oct. 6, 2003

Monday, Oct. 6, 2003 | 11:18 a.m.

Man arrested in fatal accident

A 22-year-old Las Vegas man was arrested after a fatal traffic accident Sunday, North Las Vegas Police said.

Jerry Fitzgerald was taken to the North Las Vegas Detention Center on charges of involuntary manslaughter and possession of a stolen vehicle after a black 1994 Mercedes he was driving was involved in a collision with a green 1998 GMC truck, killing the driver of the GMC.

The GMC, driven by Frederick Cooper, 44, of Las Vegas, a bartender at the Excalibur, was turning from Engelstad Street onto Lake Mead Boulevard when the Mercedes struck the driver's side of the vehicle.

Cooper was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A passenger, Michael Merritt, 21, was taken to University Medical Center and treated for injuries.

Police said that the Mercedes had been stolen, but the owner had not reported the theft, NLV police spokesman Justin Roberts said.

It is also believed that Fitzgerald was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said.

Firefighters find body

Bureau of Land Management firefighters repairing a fence near Bonnie Springs west of Las Vegas discovered a dead body about 3 p.m. Friday, Metro Police said.

The Clark County coroner's office identified the victim as Liberty Divina, 21, home unknown. The cause of death was not finalized, pending laboratory results, but the death was determined to be a homicide by the coroner's office.

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

The state Ethics Commission

has changed the location of its Wednesday meeting for a public hearing on its new regulations. The 9:30 a.m. meeting will be held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Classroom Building Complex, Room B-117. It will be video-conferenced to the University of Nevada, Reno.