News briefs for August 15, 2005

Monday, Aug. 15, 2005 | 11:29 a.m.

line LAS VEGAS SUN

Man killed in bed during robbery

A 53-year-old man was shot and killed on Saturday morning in his bed at his home in the 7000 block of Junction Village near Craig Road and Rainbow Boulevard, Metro Police said.

The Clark County Coroner this morning identified the victim as Howard Wilcox.

Wilcox's wife told Metro that two male intruders shot her husband around 4 a.m. as they were sleeping, but she was unable to provide a description of the suspects or their vehicle, police said.

Metro Homicide Lt. Tom Monahan said there were no obvious signs of forced entry, so it appeared to be a burglary that turned violent.

He said murders that occur during burglaries are "very rare."

Wilcox was transported to UMC Trauma, where he was pronounced dead.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or Metro at 229-3521.

Man arrested in arson case

Fire officials arrested and charged a man with first-degree arson and burglary for allegedly setting fire to his parent's home in Summerlin on Friday.

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue investigators arrested Matthew Matonovich on Friday, one day after his 23rd birthday, according to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue.

Neighbors reportedly saw a vehicle that was identified as Matonovich's near fire scene on Friday, officials said.

"I haven't seen anything like that where family members were involved in allegedly burning their own parent's house down," said Greg Gammon, deputy chief of operations for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue.

Matonovich allegedly set fire to his parent's house on the 2300 block of Delina Drive, near Lake Mead Boulevard and Rampart Boulevard. His parents, Ken and Mimi Matonovich, were on vacation in Hawaii at the time of the fire.

Gammon said he didn't know what Matonovich's alleged motive was, but neighbors had told reporter that Matonovich's parents had recently kicked him out of the house.

The fire, which started at around 3 a.m. on Friday, destroyed much of the second floor of the family's home.

Pahrump woman killed in Red Rock

A 23-year-old Pahrump woman was killed on Sunday morning when her vehicle rolled over on State Route 159 in the Red Rock recreation area, authorities said.

The roll-over occurred on Mile Marker 1 in the Red Rock area at about 7:30 a.m., said Nevada Highway Patrol. Trooper Robert Honea, but more information about the incident was not available this morning.

The County Coroner's office this morning identified the dead woman as Lacey Irene Pentin.

Man critical after collision with bus

A 28-year-old Las Vegas man suffered critical injuries Friday when he allegedly failed to stop his 1999 Toyota Camry at a traffic signal and traveled into the path of a CAT bus on Decatur Boulevard and University Avenue, according to Metro Police.

The injured man, Fasika Abebe, was taken to UMC and remained in the intermediate care unit this morning, a UMC spokesperson said.

Abebe was eastbound on University Avenue and failed to stop for an eastbound red traffic signal, traveling into the path of the bus that was going northbound on Decatur Boulevard about 8 p.m., police said.

Neither the driver of the bus, 29-year-old Jennifer Downing, nor any of her passengers were injured, police said.