Three killed in valley in weekend violence

Monday, Dec. 27, 2004 | 11:14 a.m.

Violence over the holiday weekend, including an officer-involved shooting, left three people dead and two others in serious condition, authorities reported.

Two young men were found dead late Sunday night in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 1849 Harding Street in what North Las Vegas police believe was a murder-suicide.

The victim, 24-year-old Julio Cesar Achutigui-Sandoval, lived in the complex near Tonopah Avenue and North Las Vegas Boulevard with his brother, Officer Sean Walker, North Las Vegas police spokesman, said.

Achutigui-Sandoval apparently knew the shooter, who has not yet been identified, but police do not know what may have led to the shootings, Walker said.

Achutigui-Sandoval received a phone call right before the 11:15 p.m. shooting, his brother told police. A few minutes later, the brother heard gun shots and heard someone moaning in pain out in the parking lot.

Both the victim and the shooter died at the scene, Walker said.

Early Sunday morning a Metro Police officer shot and killed 21-year-old Aquileo Jimenez-Duran of Las Vegas. after Jimenez-Duran allegedly attacked the officer with the officer's baton following a failed attempt to steal a vehicle from the Fashion Show Mall parking lot, authorities said.

The victim of the attempted carjacking pointed out Jimenez-Duran to police at about 2:15 a.m. near the mall, which faces the Strip at Spring Mountain Road, police said.

Jimenez-Duran at first fled from the officer, then turned and challenged the officer, police said. The officer used his baton to try to take Jimenez-Duran into custody, then used his Taser stun gun, but both instruments failed to stop Jimenez-Duran, police said.

The suspect gained control of the officer's baton and swung it at the officer, so the officer fired a handgun at him, police said.

Jimenez-Duran was pronounced dead at University Medical Center's Trauma Unit.

The name of the officer who killed him was not released this morning. The officer's name was being withheld for 48 hours in accordance with department policy, police said. The officer is was placed on paid administrative leave, as is the policy for all Metro officers who shoot suspects.

In another shooting, a young female party-goer was hit by three bullets this morning near Lake Mead and Hollywood boulevards.

The unidentified woman was walking with a man at about 2:39 a.m. near the corner of Radwick Drive and Solaron Avenue when they had an argument with another party-goer, police said. The incident may be gang-related, police said.

The woman was taken to UMC.

A little earlier, at 1:10 a.m. today, a woman suffering from multiple stab wounds in the parking lot of the Mark Twain Apartments at 905 E. Twain Avenue, police said.

The woman had been stabbed in her face, neck and body and was taken to UMC Trauma.

She was in serious condition this morning, police said.

There is no information yet on her attacker or the possible reason for the stabbing. The person who called police said a 29-year-old woman was in the parking lot screaming.