Sightseeing helicopter crashes in Maui mountains; 7 killed

WAILUKU, Hawaii - A tour helicopter on a sightseeing flight crashed yesterday on the island of Maui, killing all seven people aboard, the company's owner said.

The Blue Hawaiian Helicopters AS355 twin-engine aircraft was reported missing after it failed to return from a 35-minute tour of the rugged West Maui mountains.

The wreckage was found near the chopper's last known radar fix, said Wil Absher of the Coast Guard's Joint Coordination Rescue Center in Honolulu.

"We're crushed, we're devastated, and our hearts go out to the families," said Patti Chevalier, who owns the tour company with her husband, Dave, a former Vietnam scout pilot.

Chevalier declined to identify the passengers but said they were all tourists.

This was Hawaii's third notable aircraft crash in 11 months. On Sept. 25, a tour plane crashed on Mauna Loa on the Big Island, killing all 10 people on board.

On May 10, a private jet slammed into a hillside on Molokai, killing all six people on board.

Death of unarmed black man

results in probe of officer

OMAHA, Neb. - An officer shot a car-theft suspect to death at the end of a high-speed chase, apparently firing at the unarmed black man within seconds of leaving his cruiser, authorities said.

Asked why Officer Jared Kruse, who is white, shot George Bibins early Wednesday, Police Chief Don Carey said, "That's the crux of the investigation.

Bibins, 35, had crashed the stolen Jeep into a telephone pole after an eight-minute chase. He was inside the Jeep when he was shot, Carey said.

DNA evidence frees convict

after 14 years in rape, slaying

INDIANAPOLIS - A man who spent 14 years behind bars for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl was freed by DNA evidence yesterday.

Jerry Watkins, 43, had been in prison since 1986 after being convicted of raping and stabbing to death Margaret "Peggy Sue" Altes, his sister-in-law.

U.S. District Judge David Hamilton overturned the murder conviction in April after the defense submitted DNA tests that it said showed Watkins could not have raped the child. Prosecutors dropped their appeal this week.

Vegas jury recommends death

for gunman in store slayings

LAS VEGAS - A former Marine who prosecutors said was living out his fantasies when he gunned down four supermarket employees should be sentenced to death, a jury said yesterday.

The same jury found Zane Floyd, 24, guilty of four counts of first-degree murder July 13.

He also was convicted of the attempted murder of a fifth supermarket employee and of raping and kidnapping an escort-service dancer just before last year's shootings.

Formal sentencing was scheduled Aug. 31.

California home intruder kills

3 children, adult, police say

PICO RIVERA, Calif. - An intruder apparently slipped into a home while a family was sleeping and stabbed four people to death, three of them children, police said.

A teenager who had been asleep found her mother suffering from stab wounds about 3 a.m. yesterday.

Officers who arrived at the suburban Los Angeles home found the bodies of a 42-year-old man, a 14-year-old girl and two boys, ages 10 and 17, sheriff's Lt. Marilyn Baker said. A 39-year-old woman was hospitalized with stab wounds, and three other girls in the house were unharmed.

2 construction workers pay

for cover-up in Swayze crash

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - Two construction workers pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and were fined $110 each for giving police false information about the crash of a plane piloted by Patrick Swayze.

Brian Nelson and Joshua Angel pleaded guilty to the charges Wednesday. Another worker, Adam Martin, still faces charges.

The workers initially denied seeing the June 1 accident but later said they helped Swayze remove a half-empty, 30-pack of beer and a nearly empty bottle of wine.

Swayze's publicist has denied the actor had alcohol on the plane.

California worker found dead

in 23,000-gallon vat of wine

LODI, Calif. - A California winery worker was found dead after apparently slipping into a 23,000-gallon, stainless-steel vat of red wine, officials said yesterday.

San Joaquin County Deputy Coroner Al Ortiz said the body of Mario Flores, 31, was found Wednesday at the Bear Creek Winery, near Lodi.