IN BRIEF

FAMILY COURT JOB SHIFT

Hardcastle to switch to divorce cases

After more than a decade of hearing child abuse and neglect cases, Family Court Judge Gerald Hardcastle soon will switch to divorce cases.

"I've been doing it for 12 years, and it's time to go," said Hardcastle, who has served as a judge in the district court system for 15 years.

For the lion's share of those years, he has heard "dependency" cases in which a parent's legal custody of a child is at issue. "Of all the assignments in the district, it's the best," he said. "But it can be emotionally draining."

His last day on dependency cases is to be July 27. Judges Steven Jones and Cynthia Dianne Steel then will begin hearing such cases, Hardcastle said.

NORTH LAS VEGAS BLAZE

Garage destroyed by early morning fire

A house fire destroyed a garage early Monday.

The fire started about 1 a.m. at 5516 Los Lobos St., near Ann Road and Camino Al Norte, North Las Vegas fire Capt. Cedric Williams said.

A neighbor was awakened after hearing what sounded like an explosion and ran over to wake up the people in the burning home, Williams said.

A father escaped with one child, then broke a window to pull another child from the house, he said. The cause and how much damage was caused was undetermined.

FRIDAY MORNING SLAYING

Police identify shooting victim

A man shot to death early Friday near Fremont Street was identified as Alvaro Ballesteros-Arias.

The 37-year-old Las Vegas man was killed about 6:40 a.m. in the 1700 block of Palm Street, south of Charleston Boulevard, police said.

Police responded to the apartment complex for reports of gunfire and found Ballesteros-Arias dead from multiple gunshot wounds to his stomach and chest.

Tips on the case can be left anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or with detectives at 828-3521.

ACCIDENT SOUTH OF MOAPA

Driver in fatal crash on I-15 identified

A driver who died after his car flipped early Friday on Interstate 15 was identified as Jorge Omar Porras, 56.

The Pomona, Calif., man was driving a southbound 1995 Infinity sedan when it veered into the dirt median 13 miles south of Moapa and overturned about 12:30 a.m., the Nevada Highway Patrol said. Porras died at the scene.

Four passengers were taken to University Medical Center; conditions were not available.