News briefs for May 17, 2005

Tuesday, May 17, 2005 | 9:41 a.m.

Jaywalker killed crossing Sahara

A jaywalker crossing Sahara Avenue just west of Las Vegas Boulevard was hit by a pickup truck and killed about 7:10 a.m. Monday, Metro Police said.

The 1992 GMC pickup driven by 47-year-old Ralph Martinez of Las Vegas was heading east on Sahara about 135 feet from Las Vegas Boulevard when he spotted Alan R. Shapiro, 50, of Larchmont, New York, crossing the street outside of a crosswalk, Detective Bob Holland said.

He told police he swerved, but Shapiro ran into the side of his truck, Holland said. Shapiro was taken to University Medical Center where he died.

It appears pedestrian error was the cause of the collision, Holland said.

Man arrested in fatal stabbing

North Las Vegas Police on Monday arrested a man in connection with the fatal stabbing of a construction worker Saturday in North Las Vegas.

Christopher Lipscomb, 24, of California was booked into the North Las Vegas Detention Center on a murder charge in connection with the death of Danette Dewinter Johnson III, 27, of Las Vegas.

The two men fought in the parking lot of a Walgreens at 4771 W. Craig Road and moments later Johnson had collapsed with a single stab wound in the chest, police said.

Man killed by police identified

The man shot and killed by a Metro Police officer after allegedly beating the officer with his own baton outside a market in northeast Las Vegas Sunday night has been identified as 24-year-old Leopoldo Tijerina Jr. of Las Vegas.

The shooting occurred at the Liborio Market near Lamb Boulevard and Washington Avenue.

The officer's name will be released 48 hours after the incident, according to department policy. He has been placed on paid leave. A coroner's inquest has not yet been scheduled.

Pot left cooking on stove sparks blaze

A fire that destroyed a downtown apartment early this morning left one person injured after a pot left cooking on a stove sparked the blaze.

Las Vegas firefighters responded to the Sunflower Apartments on East Fremont Street at about 1:20 a.m. They found heavy flames blowing out the window and door of a first floor apartment of the 3-story apartment building.

The occupant of the apartment, whose name has not been released, apparently had fallen asleep but awoke to high heat and the kitchen area of his unit on fire.

Firefighters contained the fire to just one unit, and damage was estimated at $70,000.

Man dies in motorcycle crash

A 19-year-old man died Sunday when his motorcycle drifted off the road, hit a raised median and crashed into a light pole in Henderson, police said.

The collision occurred at Magic Way and Greyhound Lane about 1:20 a.m. The victim, James Pangonis of Henderson, was taken to UMC where he died.

Cause of garage fire still unknown

Fire investigators still were looking into what caused a garage fire late Monday at a Las Vegas home.

Firefighters responded to calls that flames were visible from a home in the 2000 block of Weslund Drive at about 11:45 p.m. Monday night. They were able to extinguish the fire in about five minutes. It had burned through two holes in the front portion of the house.

Investigators believe the fire may have smoldered for a period of time before bursting into flames. It appeared to have started on a shelf of stored items in the garage, but the exact cause has not been determined.

No one was home at the time of the fire, though firefighters temporarily evacuated five large birds and a dog . Damage was estimated at $30,000.