Associated Press
Authorities Say Death at Burning Man Festival ‘suspicious’
RENO — A man’s death at the Burning Man festival is being ruled as suspicious.
The Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office on Friday identified the man found dead in a medical tent as Shane Billingham.
Pershing County sheriff’s officials did not release a cause of death, age or hometown.
According to deputies, they responded to reports of a death at the festival north of Reno.
Doctors already on site had pronounced him dead.
The music and art festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is going on through Sept. 2.
The event typically draws tens of thousands of people.
Nevada Rescue Team Deploying to Florida to Help With Dorian
LAS VEGAS — A southern Nevada water-rescue team has been activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is deploying to Florida to be in position to respond to Hurricane Dorian.
Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa says the team’s 16 members are Nevada Task Force One and trained in swift-water rescues.
Pappa said the team left Friday night and is driving to a staging area in Jacksonville, Florida. He said it’s unclear whether the team will remain in Jacksonville or how long it will stay in that region.
Dorian on Saturday was moving toward the Bahamas and the U.S. Southeast Coast.
Dorian is expected to near the Florida coast late Monday.
College Student Arrested for Rifle, Ammo in Vehicle
HENDERSON — A student at a Las Vegas-area community college is facing a weapon charge after police found a rifle and about 2,000 bullets in his vehicle parked on campus.
College of Southern Nevada President Federico Zaragoza said in an internet post the man told police following his 6 p.m. arrest Wednesday that he forgot he had the weapon in his vehicle.
Campus spokesman Richard Lake identifies him as 27-year-old associate of science student Shayn David Striegel of Las Vegas.
Zaragoza says passers-by at the school’s Henderson campus called police after seeing ammunition magazines in the vehicle.
Striegel was jailed on $2,000 bail pending a court appearance. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could comment on the allegation.
Public records show that Striegel has a hunting license.
2 Suspects Arrested in Reno House Party Shooting
RENO — Reno police have arrested two suspects in a shooting at a house party during a confrontation with uninvited guests.
Police said Thursday 20-year-old Elijah Gage and 19-year-old Brendan Garner both have been booked on suspicion of attempted murder and coercion with a deadly weapon.
Gage also was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and Garner with battery. It’s not clear if they have lawyers.
Police say the party-crashers got in a confrontation with a host at a west Reno residence at about 11 p.m. Aug. 10 before Gage shot a 20-year-old man with a .45 caliber handgun. The victim is still recovering.
Police say it’s the latest of several incidents in the area recently where uninvited guests start confrontations after learning about house parties posted on social media. They’re urging the public to use caution when publicizing private gatherings.
Vegas Airport Reports 2nd-Highest Monthly Passenger Volume
LAS VEGAS — Officials say that for the second time in three months, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas passed the 4.5 million passenger mark in July.
The Clark County Department of Aviation said Wednesday the total was a new record for July and reflected a 2% increase from the 4.4 million arriving and departing travelers in July 2018.
The airport tallied 4.6 million passengers in May.
McCarran handled a record high 49.7 million passengers in 2018, and is one of the 10 busiest airports in the U.S. based on passenger count.
The airport has tallied nearly 29.8 passengers this year, keeping it on pace to surpass 50 million for the year.
McCarran handled a record 49.7 million passengers in 2018.
Southwest Airlines was the busiest carrier in July, followed by Delta, American, Spirit and United.
Rapper Arrested After Alleged Assault of Employee
LAS VEGAS — Police in Las Vegas say rapper Fetty Wap was arrested after allegedly assaulting three employees at a hotel.
Police say the 28-year-old whose real name is Willie Maxwell was arrested Sunday morning on three counts of battery.
Local news reports say he hit a parking attendant after getting into an argument. Police originally said Wap hit an employee but later said he “committed a battery” on three.
Fetty Wap performed at the MTV Video Music Awards last week. He was arrested in November 2017 and charged with DUI after policy say he was caught drag racing another car on a New York City highway.
Suspect in Elderly Mother’s Kidnapping Returned to Reno
RENO— A Reno man who was arrested in California as a suspect in the kidnapping of his 80-year-old mother from a nursing home has been returned to Nevada to face criminal charges.
Police apprehended 52-year-old Roger Hillygus Aug. 16 after a standoff with a SWAT team in suburban Los Angeles.
He was extradited back to Reno Wednesday on charges of kidnapping a person over 60 years old and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Hillygus was being held Thursday in the Washoe County Jail on $50,000 bail.
Reno police say he took his mother, Sue Hillygus, from a Reno facility home month. They say she suffers from dementia and he’s not her legal guardian.
It’s not clear if Roger Hillygus has a lawyer or will be appointed one at a pending court appearance.
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