■UNITED STATES
Man threatened Obama
A 47-year-old California man was found guilty of making death threats on the Internet against President Barack Obama during last year’s election campaign. Walter Bagdasarian faces 10 years in jail after Tuesday’s verdict in a federal court in San Diego. He posted a tirade against then-candidate Obama on a Web forum in October saying that Obama would run the US into the ground if elected and should be shot. On election day in November, Bagdasarian also sent e-mails calling for Obama to be shot. US District Court Judge Marilyn Huff called Bagdasarian’s postings a “definite threat” when she found him guilty after the defendant waived his right to a jury trial, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. Bagdasarian’s attorney argued that his client had been drunk when sending the messages. Bagdasarian is free on US$100,000 bail until his Oct. 26 sentencing.
■UNITED STATES
Pet snakes cause car crash
Police say two pet baby snakes escaped from a 20-year-old man’s pants pockets as he was driving, leading to a car crash in Hartford, Connecticut. Police say Angel Rolon lost control of his car on Monday when the snakes slithered near the gas and brake pedals and he and a passenger tried to catch them. Police say the SUV veered into some parked cars and overturned. Rolon was treated at a hospital for injuries. Police say they gave him a summons for reckless driving and other charges. Police are unsure why the snakes were in Rolon’s pockets or what kind of snakes they were. Animal control officers caught the animals.
■UNITED STATES
Coffee maker grounds flight
The electrical smell that caused a Southwest Airlines flight to make an unexpected landing on Sunday was caused by a coffee maker in the back of the aircraft, a company spokesman said on Monday. The coffee maker was at the back of the Boeing 737. The aircraft was examined and put back into service the same day, Southwest said.
■MEXICO
National ID cards planned
President Felipe Calderon said the government would issue nationwide identity cards for citizens starting this year. By 2012, all citizens will have one, he said. The cards will carry the bearer’s photograph. They will also include information on fingerprints and biometric data, including facial and iris scans, on a magnetic strip. Currently voter ID cards are used for identification. They bear a photo, signature and one fingerprint. Interior Secretary Fernando Gomez Mont said on Tuesday the new cards would help in the fight against organized crime and ensure transparency in government aid programs. Drug traffickers frequently use false IDs to evade law enforcement.
■UNITED STATES
Woman killed, fetus gone
Police in central Massachusetts are trying to figure out who killed an expectant mother, removed a fetus from her womb and dumped her body in a closet. The fetus is missing. Darlene Haynes was about eight months pregnant when she was last seen alive. Her body was discovered on Monday after her landlord went to check on a report of a strong odor coming from her apartment in Worcester. Police say the 23-year-old Haynes was found wrapped in bedding. The medical examiner ruled the woman’s death a homicide.
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