News briefs for March 18, 2005

Friday, March 18, 2005 | 11:10 a.m.

Supreme Court upholds conviction

The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the voluntary manslaughter conviction of Christopher Hernandez, who gunned down another man during a fight at a Las Vegas convenience store in October 2002.

The court agreed that at least one error was made in the trial by District Judge Donald Mosley, but that if the error had not been made, it would not have changed the jury's verdict.

Mosley improperly restricted Hernandez's lawyers' cross-examination of prosecution witness Metro Police Detective Robert Wilson about the violent background of the victim Gabriel Alspaugh, the state's high court ruled. When a defendant claims self-defense, he or she should always be permitted to pursue evidence regarding the violent background of the victim.

Hernandez is serving a 20-year prison term for the conviction.

Man found beaten to death

Metro Police called to the parking lot of an apartment complex at 3850 S. Mountain Vista St. about 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday found a man's body.

The man, 32-year-old Raymond Koterba, apparently died from a beating, police said.

Koterba was walking on a sidewalk when several suspects started fighting with him, police said. He was beaten and robbed, detectives said.

Anyone with information about the death is asked to call Metro's homicide section at 229-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Man, 19, dies after shooting

Police are investigating the shooting death of a 19-year-old man Thursday night.

About 5:35 p.m., Metro Police were sent to the 1000 block of Sierra Vista Street regarding reports of gunfire. The found the victim there, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

He was taken to the Sunrise Hospital Trauma Unit where he was pronounced dead. His name was not released this morning.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call police at 229-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 386-5555.

Meeting held on medical center

Officials from the University of Nevada School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center met Thursday at Las Vegas City Hall for what Mayor Oscar Goodman said was part of the ongoing process of investigating whether the schools will be involved with an academic medical center preliminarily planned for 61 acres of vacant downtown land the city owns.

Early versions of the development plan for the property include dedicating space on the 61 acres for an academic medical center, new City Hall, domed baseball stadium, and residential and commercial high-rises, the mayor has said.

Goodman said the academic medical center, which would be a teaching hospital, should be paid for with public funds, but said no decision has been made on exactly how a center would be paid for.