Man charged in death of nanny
Minneapolis
The 19-year-old suspect in the killing of a woman who was answering an ad for a nanny on Craigslist.org shot his victim in the back, and bloodstains were found in his family’s Savage, Minn., home, authorities alleged in a second-degree murder charge filed Tuesday in Scott County.
Police found a .357-caliber Magnum handgun and a shell casing in Michael John Anderson’s bedroom, along with blood on the walls and mattress, according to the charges in the death of Katherine Ann Olson, 24.
Bloodstains and drag marks were found on the stairs from the upper level to the lower level of the split-level home, the complaint said.
Anderson’s attorneys had no comment.
Gainesville, Fla.
Tasered student strikes a deal
The University of Florida student stunned by a police Taser and arrested after his videotaped outburst at a Sen. John Kerry event won’t go to court if he stays out of trouble during 18 months of probation, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Andrew Meyer’s shout of “Don’t Tase me, bro!” was ignored by campus police but helped video clips of the 21-year-old being dragged from a microphone become an Internet sensation.
The telecommunications major wrote apologies to the Gainesville school; its president, Bernie Machen; and the campus police department, defense attorney Robert Griscti said.
Santa Ana, Calif.
California sheriff accused of bribery
Orange County’s sheriff has been charged with accepting bribes in exchange for political favors and pressing a witness to lie as authorities investigated whether he used his office to enrich himself.
The case against Michael Carona purportedly involves more than $350,000 in cash and gifts, and a “get-out-of-jail free card” for a wealthy appointee whose son was arrested twice, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Also named in the indictment were Carona’s wife and a woman identified as his longtime mistress.
Carona, 52, denied the allegations and said he would not step down.
Santa Clarita, Calif.
Playing boy is wildfire suspect
A boy playing with matches started a fire in north Los Angeles County that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week, authorities said Tuesday.
The boy, whose name and age were not released, was interviewed a day after the Buckweed Fire was sparked Oct. 21, said sheriff’s Sgt. Diane Hecht.
He was released to his parents, and the case will be presented to the district attorney, Hecht said.
Seattle Times news services