IMPERIAL, Calif. — A highway patrol pilot flying to monitor freeway speeders was killed when his aircraft crashed, officials said Saturday. Officer Danny Benavides, 39, was flying solo when his plane went down about 9:30 a.m. Friday in a desert area near Highway 78 and Split Mountain Road in Imperial County, the patrol said. They said the patrol communication center lost contact with the pilot and called for a regional search that involved both military and law enforcement personnel. Wreckage of the aircraft was spotted about 4 p.m. Benavides, a 13-year patrol officer, was pronounced dead at the scene.
New York: Severe turbulence
Turbulence on a Continental Airlines flight from Ohio to New York battered around passengers and crew, injuring four. Two people were hospitalized. A Continental spokeswoman said Flight 2768 from Cleveland experienced severe turbulence as it approached Albany this afternoon. She said the crew of the two-engine regional jet called for medical assistance to meet the plane when it landed at 1:50 p.m. She said two people were treated and released and two others, including a flight attendant, were hospitalized for further evaluation.
D.C.: New leader for SEIU
The nation’s fastest growing labor union elected its first female president Saturday. The Service Employees International Union selected Mary Kay Henry, head of the union’s health care division, to lead the 2.2 million member union. She replaces Andy Stern, who is leaving after 14 years of high profile, and sometimes divisive, leadership. Henry said she hopes to “restore” SEIU’s relationship with other labor unions through a series of “listen and learn discussions.” However, she said, there have been no talks at SEIU about rejoining the AFL-CIO.
New Jersey: Remains of fetus
Prosecutors say the remains of a stillborn fetus have been found inside a trash truck. Authorities initially believed the remains found around 8 a.m. in Middletown were those of a baby who had been born alive. But a Monmouth County prosecutor said preliminary autopsy results showed that was not true, adding that the fetus was about 22 to 24 weeks old. He said the case is no longer being investigated as a possible homicide. Officials said the mother was a juvenile who lived in Middletown, but would not disclose any other information.
Somalia: Pirates seize tanker
Somali pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic guns hijacked a chemical tanker off East Africa with 22 crew members on board, the European Union Naval force said Saturday. An official said there is little chance that military forces can storm the ship because officials don’t believe the crew all made it to a safe room before the pirates boarded. The crew consists of 19 Indians, 2 Bangladeshis and 1 Ukrainian, he said. The ship — the Marida Marguerite — was heading from India to Belgium.
Pakistan: Missiles are tested
Pakistan successfully test-fired two ballistic missiles Saturday capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the military said, as the Islamic nation’s leader urged the world to recognize it as a legitimate nuclear power. The Shaheen-1 missile has a range of about 400 miles, while the second Ghaznavi missile could hit targets at a distance of 180 miles, the army said. Both can carry conventional and nuclear warheads. Pakistan’s missiles are mostly intended for any confrontation with archrival India, and the range of the Shaheen-1 would include the Indian capital of New Delhi.
Jamaica: Casinos are legalized
Jamaica has legalized casinos after a nearly yearlong debate that drew fierce opposition from religious groups. The information minister said the legislation allows the government to create the Casino Gaming Commission to grant licenses. He said Saturday that the island’s deputy governor-general signed the bill this week because Gov. General Sir Patrick Allen was on vacation. The prime minister has said that companies seeking a gambling license need to invest a minimum of $1.5 billion and build a hotel with at least 2,000 rooms.
Mexico: Decapitated bodies
Three headless bodies showing signs of torture were found just outside Acapulco and the bodies of five other men with multiple gunshot wounds were discovered in a car north of the Pacific resort, police said Saturday. Police in the state of Guerrero said the three beheaded men appeared to be in their 20s and 30s, but their identities and a motive had not been determined. They were found on a peninsula a few miles south of Acapulco.
From Herald news services
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