News briefs for June 24, 2004

Thursday, June 24, 2004 | 9:37 a.m.

Murder-suicide victims found

A 54-year-old man apparently killed a 41-year-old woman Wednesday before committing suicide in an apartment Carey Avenue near Donna Street, North Las Vegas Police said.

Arghter M. Dunmore of Las Vegas was confirmed dead this morning by the Clark County coroner's office. The man had not been positively identified this morning.

Police received a call shortly before noon from the man's relative saying he was suicidal. Moments later a neighbor called to report the sound of gunfire coming from an apartment at the Desert Palms North complex, police said.

When officers arrived at the apartment, they couldn't get anyone inside to responde to their knocks on the door, Officer Tim Bedwell said.

The officers kicked in the door and found both people with gunshot wounds in their heads. The woman is believed to have been the man's girlfriend, Bedwell said.

Police could find no reports of domestic violence involving the couple, he said.

Heart attack killed driver in collision

An Arizona man who died Tuesday morning after he suffered a heart attack while driving and collided with a pickup truck has been identified as 59-year-old Richard Freese.

Freese was driving a 1991 Dodge van northbound on Rainbow Boulevard near Silverstream Avenue about 11:30 a.m. when he suffered a heart attack and drifted to the right side of the road, police said. The van collided with a 2003 Chevrolet pickup truck, driven by 41-year-old Ian Simon of Las Vegas, who was stopped at a red traffic light at the intersection.

Freese was taken to MountainView Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, police said. The man died from the heart attack and not from injuries sustained from the collision, the Clark County coroner's office said Wednesday.

Simon was not injured, police said.

L.A. fugitive arrested in LV

A 22-year-old man wanted in connection with a gang-related killing in Los Angeles was arrested Monday in Las Vegas, authorities said.

Authorities allege John Charles Macias stabbed a rival gang member to death in May. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office obtained a warrant for Macias in connection with the homicide and learned he had fled to Las Vegas.

Members of the Criminal Apprehension Team, made up of investigators from Metro and Henderson Police and the FBI, arrested Macias at Karen Avenue and Mountain Vista Street about 4:45 p.m. Monday.

Macias had been living in the 4800 block of Vegas Valley Road, police said.

New interchange to close tonight

A key interchange linking Henderson with downtown Las Vegas will be closed tonight as Nevada Transportation Department crews work to replace girders near the planned "Henderson Spaghetti Bowl."

The interchange, which will connect Interstate 215 and U.S. 95, will close today at 9 p.m. and reopen Friday morning at 5. Drivers are urged to use exits at Auto Show or Horizon drives to access U.S. 95.

A second closure is planned for Tuesday, when the interchange will be closed from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Wednesday to continue the girder replacement. Through traffic to Lake Mead Parkway will be routed through Gibson Road and Boulder Highway.