Las Vegas news briefs

Metro Police believe that a fatal accident Saturday morning may have been the result of the victim running a red light in his Ford van.

Michael Bolderson, 39, was traveling north on Rancho Drive when he ran the red light at Sahara Avenue, witnesses said.

Bolderson's van was struck by a pickup and a taxi traveling west on Sahara, police said. The taxi then careened into a sedan before all four cars came to rest in the northwest corner of the intersection.

Bolderson was thrown from the van in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The driver of the taxi and his passenger were treated and released from University Medical Center for moderate injuries. None of the other drivers were injured.

Boys 9 and 12 charged with arson

Two boys have been charged with arson in a fire at a vacant mobile home.

The boys, ages 12 and 9, were booked into the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center Friday on charges of first-degree arson and burglary.

The fire gutted one room in the vacant mobile home Friday afternoon at the Millennium Estates Mobile Home Park, 830 N. Lamb Blvd. An estimated $25,000 in damage was caused.

Witnesses said that they had seen the boys enter the mobile home earlier in the day. Investigators believe the boys skipped school in order to set the fire.

Woman, 80, attacked; 18-year-old arrested

A teenager was booked on charges of rape, kidnapping and robbery in the attack of an elderly woman on Friday.

Metro Police say that Larry Brooks, 18, sexually assaulted an 80-year-old woman in her home near Decatur Boulevard and Russell Road about 1:30 p.m. Friday.

Police said they spotted Brooks driving the woman's car shortly after she called in the assault. Brooks was stopped near Sahara Avenue and Nellis Boulevard, where he was arrested. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

DRI receives grant from power company

The Desert Research Institute has received a $14,000 grant from Sierra Pacific Power Co. to support the Sierra Pacific Fellowship Program for 1999.

The fellowship supports a University of Nevada, Reno, graduate student working in the university's atmospheric sciences, environmental science and health or hydrologic sciences programs. The student works under the direction of institute scientists.

The institute awards the fellowship in conjunction with the university's Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering.

Man gives up after SWAT negotiations

A standoff between Metro Police and a distraught man who had barricaded himself in his northwest Las Vegas home ended peacefully early this morning after SWAT team negotiators convinced the man to surrender.

Police spokesman Steve Meriwether said 36-year-old Nicholas Mancini was taken to University Medical Center for observation and has been charged with domestic violence, battery, three counts of attempted murder of a police officer, resisting arrested and shooting into an occupied structure.

Meriwether said police received a domestic violence call at about 8 p.m. Sunday and when officers arrived at 8129 Shadow Glen Lane, they were met with gunfire.

"They backed off, secured the perimeter and called in SWAT," Meriwether said.

The man's wife, whose name was not immediately available, left the residence before the negotiations began.

Meriwether said Mancini surrendered after 1 a.m.

Boy, 2, dies in family pool

A 2-year-old boy became the county's first drowning victim of the year Sunday, Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

Leinbach said Juan Torres Jr. apparently fell into the swimming pool at his 4712 Teakwood Ave. home while the rest of the family was indoors.

Firefighters were called at about 7 p.m. The child was taken to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

"We've had several close calls this year, but this is the first fatality," Leinbach said.

Thunder's mascot bounced from game

The polar bear mascot for the Las Vegas Thunder ice hockey team apparently did his job of agitating opposing fans too well Saturday night when the Thunder faced off with the Utah Grizzlies.

Boom Boom incited Utah fans, who demanded his removal.

"His normal habits would have been fine, but he got carried away and was asked to leave. He was inciting them to fight him," UNLV Police Sgt. Paul Harris said. "It was getting to the point where even the fans were getting agitated about it."

Ushers ushered Boom Boom, whose real name is John Saccenti, to police who had a talk with him.

"He took a swing at one of the officers, but the officer said look, stop this and we'll let you go," Harris said.

Saccenti agreed and was released without being arrested.

The Grizzlies beat the Thunder 2-1 in the Thunder's last game at the Thomas & Mack Center.

No one injured in crash of small plane

A Carson City pilot and two passengers were uninjured after the small plane they were in lost power and made an emergency landing.

The pilot, Christopher Barbera, 18, and two friends walked away from the incident Sunday a little jittery but otherwise unharmed.

Barbera said he had just taken off from Yerington Field when the Beachcraft Musketeer single-engine plane lost power. He made an emergency landing in a field about 300 yards off the runway.

The plane owned by his father was seriously damaged, authorities said.

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