Man pleads guilty in DUI-related death of bicyclist
Thursday, July 22, 2010 | 5:04 p.m.
A Las Vegas man charged with being under the influence of drugs at the time he lost control of his SUV and ran over and killed a bicyclist last summer, will be sentenced next month in Clark County District Court.
Charley A. Matanza, 51, pleaded guilty Thursday to a charge of driving under the influence of controlled substances, causing death and/or substantial bodily harm, at his felony arraignment before Arraignment Court Hearing Master Melisa de la Garza.
Matanza was charged in the 2009 death of Gary John Lommason, 43, of Las Vegas. Lammason, a retired Army sergeant, had worked for 15 years on the security team at Boulder Station.
Two other charges, both for driving under the influence of a controlled substance, were dismissed.
De la Garza set sentencing for 9 a.m. Sept. 27 in district court before District Judge Jennifer Togliatti. The charge carries a possible sentence of between five and 15 years.
Matanza is awaiting sentencing in the Clark County Detention Center.
According to Metro Police, Matanza's 1990 GMC SUV was westbound on Desert Inn Road on June 29, 2009, when it ran up onto the north sidewalk, striking the rear of Lommason's bicycle. The GMC continued traveling on the sidewalk for a short distance, with the bicyclist trapped beneath it, police said.
Matanza failed a field sobriety test, police said. Neither Matanza, nor his passenger, 57-year-old Ramon Matanza, Las Vegas, were injured in the collision, police said.
In his plea agreement, Matanza admitted to being under the influence of methamphetamine, marijuana and/or alprazolam at the time he was driving.
Boulder Station, which has the look of a traditional western train station, is on Las Vegas' "Boulder Strip," or Boulder Highway, adjacent to Interstate 515/U.S. Highway 95. It offers 300 rooms that were all renovated in 2011, dining options, a 75,000-square-foot casino and a special area just for kids.
The casino provides offers more than 1,400 slots and video poker machines, 33 tables for roulette, blackjack, mini-baccarat, progressive pai gow, craps, and three card poker, a 300-seat sports book, a 452-seat bingo hall, and a poker room offering such games as Omaha, Limit/No Limit Hold’em, or 7-Card Stud.
Surrounding the casino floor is an array of dinning options, with choices ranging from quick eats at the food court to fine steaks at The Broiler to fresh dishes at the Feast Buffet, Cabo and Pasta Cucina.
Guests can head over to the 750-seat Railhead Lounge to listen to blues, jazz, country and rock, to Kixx, a bar featuring free lounge acts and karaoke, or bring the family to catch a flick at the Regal Cinemas.