RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A former Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi detainees was acquitted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in a first-of-its-kind federal trial that ended with some of the jurors shaking hands and hugging the defendant and his sobbing mother. The jury took less than six hours to find Jose Luis Nazario Jr. not guilty of charges that he killed or caused others to kill four unarmed detainees on Nov. 9, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq, during some of the fiercest fighting of the war.
Three die in fiery street race crash
An illegal street race Wednesday night killed three people, including a pregnant woman and a 12-year-old girl, and severed limbs from two men after their car slammed into a tree and burst into flames, Los Angeles police said. A 19-year-old man who was driving a Mitsubishi involved in the crash was in custody Thursday morning, an officer said. He was uninjured. Police are searching for another driver they believe was involved in street racing but who fled after the crash, she said.
Judge overules law on taco trucks
The hundreds of taco trucks that dot Los Angeles County and dish out cheap fast-food dishes such as carnitas, quesadillas and carne asada will be allowed to conduct business from set locations, a judge determined, throwing out a law requiring that the trucks move every hour. The judge also dismissed a citation issued to a taco truck driver, who had faced the possibility of a $1,000 fine and six months in jail for violating the ordinance. The law was passed after restaurateurs complained that taco trucks parking on the streets near their businesses were drawing away customers.
Hawaii: Ferry gives farm discount
Qualified farmers and merchants will get a 30 percent discount when shipping locally grown produce on the Hawaii Superferry. The 30 percent discount applies to vehicle fares, and only when qualified farmers and businesses are solely carrying fresh agricultural products grown wholly in Hawaii. The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation says the discount will help Hawaii’s farmers and businesses expand to new markets. The Hawaii Superferry runs daily between Honolulu and Kahului, Maui.
Louisiana: Katrina victims elderly
As New Orleans residents warily track another threatening storm, a new report presents the clearest picture yet of deaths from Katrina in Louisiana. Of the nearly 1,000 who died, almost half were 75 or older, according to researchers. Most died on the day of the storm — August 29, 2005 — and drowning was the leading cause of death. More than one-third died in homes. The results present a tragic portrait of elderly residents who may have thought the warnings were a false alarm.
Colorado: Threats against Obama
A Colorado man who authorities said made racist threats against Barack Obama was charged on state drug and weapons offenses in Arapaho County Court on Thursday. Authorities said police found scoped rifles, wigs, fake IDs and a bulletproof vest in 28-year-old’s Tharin Gartrell’s rented truck after he was pulled over in the Denver area last weekend. The resulting investigation led to the arrest of Gartrell and two other men who authorities said talked about killing Obama.
Ohio: Baby died in microwave
A mother intentionally put her month-old daughter in a microwave oven and cooked the child to death after a fight with her boyfriend, a prosecutor told jurors Thursday. Defendant China Arnold and her boyfriend had argued over whether he was the biological father, a Montgomery County prosecutor said during closing arguments in the woman’s retrial. The argument got so violent that Arnold bit her boyfriend’s lip and he slapped her, the prosecutor said. Arnold, 28, could face the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder.
Iraq: China to develop Iraqi oil
Iraq and China signed a $3 billion deal this week to develop a major Iraqi oil field, the first major commercial oil contract here with a foreign company since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The 20-year agreement calls for the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. to begin producing 25,000 barrels of oil a day, then gradually increase to 125,000 a day, a spokesman for the Iraqi Oil Ministry said. The contract revamps a deal the Chinese company reached with Saddam Hussein in 1997.
Nigeria: Iran offers nuclear advice
An Iranian trade delegation announced an agreement Thursday for Iran to share peaceful nuclear technology with Nigeria, to help Africa’s biggest oil producer bolster its woeful electricity-generation capacity. Officials of both countries said the agreement involves only the peaceful uses of atomic energy. A commerce official leading the Iranian delegation said oil and other fossil fuels will run out one day and it is crucial to develop other energy sources.
From Herald news services
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