Local news briefs for December 28, 2004

Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2004 | 9:17 a.m.

Argument turns into gunfire

An argument erupted into gunfire early this morning in a Las Vegas apartment, and three people were wounded, Metro Police said.

Three people who had been drinking began arguing in an apartment on the 4000 block of South Arville Street near Flamingo Road about 2 a.m., Officer Jose Montoya, a Metro spokesman, said.

A young man, possibly a teenager, left the apartment, got a gun and returned, Montoya said. The person with the gun fired at the two other people in the apartment, hitting one in the face and another in the back. A neighbor was also shot in the leg after a bullet penetrated an adjoining wall, Montoya said.

All three victims were taken to University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, Montoya said.

Names and ages on the victims and alleged shooter were not available from Montoya early this morning.

Pedestrian, 71, killed by car

A 77-year-old Las Vegas man died Monday night at a local hospital after he was struck by a vehicle while crossing Bonanza Road near D Street, Metro Police said.

The man was attempting to cross Bonanza from south to north outside of a crosswalk when he was struck at 4:57 p.m., police said.

He died later at University Medical Center, police said.

It appears that the pedestrian walked into the path of a 1994 Plymouth Sundance driven by 49-year-old Antoinette Daniels of Las Vegas, police said.

The dead man's name was not available this morning. He was the 144th person to die in traffic in Las Vegas or unincorporated Clark County this year, police said.

Nellis resumes flight operations

Nellis Air Force Base resumed flight operations this morning, a day late, after investigators spent Monday continuing to comb through the wreckage of an F/A-22 Raptor on the north end of one of the base's runways, officials said.

All of the Air Force's Raptors, including the seven remaining at Nellis with the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, had been grounded after one of the Raptors crashed shortly after takeoff Dec. 20.

The crash of the $133 million stealth fighter was the first major mishap involving the aircraft. The Raptor is being tested as a replacement for the Air Force's aging F-15 fleet.

Officer identified in fatal shooting

The Metro Police officer who shot a carjacking suspect Sunday morning has been identified as Jon David, 29.

David has been on the department for three years and is assigned to the South Central Area Command, police spokesman Jose Montoya said.

David shot and killed 21-year-old Aquileo Jimenez-Duran after Jimenez-Duran allegedly attacked him with David's baton about 2:15 a.m. Sunday.

Jimenez-Duran, a Las Vegas resident, had no prior arrest record, police said.

Jimenez-Duran had at first fled from David when the officer approached him as Jimenez-Duran was allegedly trying to steal a vehicle in the parking lot of the Fashion Show mall, police said.

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

Jimenez-Duran allegedly gained control of the officer's baton and swung it at the officer, and then the officer fired a handgun at him. Jimenez-Duran was pronounced dead at University Medical Center.

David is on paid administrative leave.

Woman dies from crash injuries

A 33-year-old Las Vegas woman died Friday from multiple injuries she sustained when her vehicle ran into a tree in the Desert Shores area at about 5 p.m. Dec. 21.

Metro police said they were not sure why Rebecca Frey-Handal's car went off the road near Harbor Island and Port Of Call drives.