Monday, June 9, 2003 | 11:12 a.m.
Driver killed in downtown crash
A driver was killed in a traffic accident downtown about 10 this morning, Metro Police said.
The crash occurred at Ogden Avenue and Ninth Street when a four-door sedan hit the driver's side of a Nissan Stanza in the intersection. The driver of the Nissan was killed.
Police were still investigating the crash this morning.
Pedestrian's death probed in NLV
North Las Vegas Police are investigating the death of a 44-year-old woman who was hit by a car while walking along Las Vegas Boulevard North about 10 p.m. Saturday.
Juana Pena of North Las Vegas was holding a child and walking with her husband when she was struck by a red 1993 Pontiac Sunbird driven by a 41-year-old woman headed northbound, police said.
Pena, who was not walking in a crosswalk, entered the path of the car and was struck on her right side, knocking her down, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The child was taken to University Medical Center's Trauma Unit with non-life threatening injuries and was listed in stable condition, police said.
Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call North Las Vegas Police Department Traffic Division investigators at 633-2207 or the North Las Vegas Police Department at 633-1390.
Body parts found; victim is identified
A man whose arms, legs and torso were found in two different suitcases about a block apart on Saturday has been identified as Allan Nifidder, 48, of Las Vegas.
The first discovery was made about 4 p.m. Saturday by a resident of the 3500 block of South Maryland Parkway. The man noticed a suitcase in the trash bin and thought it looked too new to be thrown out, Lt. Tom Monahan said.
He examined it more closely and saw what he believed to be an arm inside the suitcase, then called police. The victim's other arm and both legs were also in the suitcase, Monahan said.
About 11 p.m. Saturday, a person rummaging through a trash bin behind a strip mall at Desert Inn Road and Rome Street found another suitcase containing a torso, Monahan said. The torso is believed to be Nidiffer's, he said.
Nidiffer's car, a 1977 blue Ford Mustang bearing Nevada license plates 589RSB is also missing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or the homicide unit at 229-3521.
On April 18, the body of Julio Martinez-Ramirez was found in a suitcase next to a garbage bin in the 1400 block of East Desert Inn Road, which is near where Nifidder's body parts were found. Police arrested a Las Vegas man for Martinez-Ramirez's murder two weeks later.
Two area fires ruled accidental
Two fires at opposite ends of the Las Vegas Valley on Friday were ruled accidental by local fire investigators.
About 3:10 p.m. Henderson Fire Department trucks went to a fire at the Camden Greens apartments at 2001 Ramrod Avenue, near Sunset Road and Green Valley Parkway.
Two apartments were damaged by fire and water. There were no injuries. The damage was estimated at $50,000, Battalion Chief Robert Maroney said.
Roofers using a propane torch to melt tar while repairing a roof on a northwest Las Vegas house caused a fire about 5:45 p.m. Friday, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.
A slight breeze helped fan the flames and at one point the fire was too intense for firefighters to enter the house for fear of the roof collapsing, Szymanski said.
The owner, his wife and their pet dog left the home as it began to fill with smoke, Szymanski said. No one was injured.
The fire destroyed nearly half the roof and caused extensive damage to the interior of the house. The damage was estimated at $125,000.
Dynamite found in Laughlin hotel room
The Las Vegas Bomb Squad removed three sticks of dynamite from a Laughlin hotel room Thursday after Metro Police searched the room for evidence of narcotics sales.
While searching the room, officers found three sticks of dynamite taped together. The hotel was partially evacuated before the bomb squad removed the dynamite and detonated it in a remote desert area, Sgt. Dennis Burgess said.
Brian A. Mahoney, 31, and Shannon Allen, 27, were arrested, Burgess said.
Mahoney was charged as an ex-felon in possession of explosive devices, an ex-felon in possession of a sawed-off shotgun, an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and possessing narcotic paraphernalia, police said.
Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas,
returned to the Senate Saturday night after spending Friday night in the hospital due to chest pains and shortness of breath. He arrived back in the Senate Saturday night in time for a crucial vote on the tax plan that failed.
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