News briefs for April 20, 2004

Tuesday, April 20, 2004 | 11:12 a.m.

Man walking on beltway killed

A man in his 30s was struck and killed as he walked along the Las Vegas Beltway near Flamingo Road Monday night.

A Nevada Highway Patrol dispatcher received a call about 8:10 p.m. that a person was walking along the darkened beltway in the southbound lanes and sent a trooper to check on the pedestrian.

An older model Honda Civic apparently struck the man with such force that he was thrown through the windshield on the passenger's side, troopers said.

The man's name was not released this morning.

The driver of the car was taken to University Medical Center with cuts from the flying glass, but the injuries were non-life threatening. No charges are expected to be filed because troopers believe it was pedestrian error.

California fugitive arrested in LV

Metro Police arrested a 21-year-old California fugitive holed up in a home near Robindale Road and Rainbow Boulevard shortly after 11 p.m. Monday.

Brian Sanchez was wanted on a felony warrant issued in California, police said.

A girlfriend called police and reported that a man had pistol-whipped her, police said. When officers arrived, they did not know if the man was still inside the home, police said.

After a SWAT team arrived, the man came out of the home, police said.

Sanchez was taken to Clark County Detention Center and charged with battery with a deadly weapon.

Centofanti waives penalty phase

Alfred "Chip" Centofanti will waive the penalty phase of his murder trial, Centofanti's lawyer said Monday.

The lawyer, Allen Bloom of California, said his client will be sentenced by District Judge Donald Mosley on May 28.

A jury on Friday convicted Centofanti of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon for the Dec. 20, 2000, shooting death of his ex-wife, Virginia "Gina" Centofanti.

The minimum sentence Centofanti could receive would be two consecutive terms of 20 to 50 years, or life with the possibility of parole after 40 years, prosecutors said.

"I was surprised and very, very disappointed (by the verdict)," Bloom said.

Another lawyer will likely appeal Centofanti's conviction, Bloom said.

State park permits are available

Beginning May 3, passport and senior citizen permits for state parks in the Las Vegas area will be available from the regional headquarters at 4747 Vegas Drive and four other Nevada Division of State Parks offices around the state.

Currently permits and passports are available only at parks such as the Valley of Fire and Spring Mountain Ranch.

State park visitors will be able to get an annual permit for one year from the month of sale. Current permits run from January through December each year. Up to two vehicle license plates can be registered on one permit.

Other offices where boating, entrance, permits and passports are available are the main office in Carson City, the Fallon/Elko region office at Lahontan Dam, the Panaca region office in Cathedral Gorge State Park and the Carson/Tahoe region office, beginning June 1.

Man killed on construction site

A man was killed shortly before 10 a.m. today at the Arlington Ranch master-planned community construction project at Rainbow Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road, Metro Police said.

A large wood pallet fell on a man's head, police said. The Clark County Fire Department's heavy rescue team was called to the scene to help recover the man's body, fire officials said.