REGIONAL HEADLINES

CITY LIFEGUARD UNDER ARREST

DAYTON - Police arrested a city lifeguard Monday after a 12-year-old girl said he fondled her Friday at the Linden Pool, 334 NorwoodAve., police said.

Detectives will confer with prosecutors today about chargesagainst the 62-year-old lifeguard, who has worked at most of thecity's public swimming pools in recent years, Lt. John Huber said.

A relative of the girl called police Friday afternoon. Policebrought the lifeguard in for questioning Monday morning, arrested himabout 11 a.m. and booked him into the Montgomery County Jail, Hubersaid.

TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO MURDER SUSPECT

WEST ALEXANDRIA - A 21-year-old Indiana man charged with murder inAlabama is in the Preble County Jail awaiting extradition after hewas arrested Friday in West Alexandria.

Clistopher L. Thomas was pulled over at 9:54 p.m. when WestAlexandria police Assistant Chief Thomas Smith noticed a car on WestDayton Street with its taillights dark.

After asking the driver and passenger to show identification,Smith, assisted by off-duty Clay Twp. Officer John Vangundy, askedfor additional backup from Perry Twp. and its K-9 unit, according tothe incident report.

Smith searched the driver, then the passenger, later identified asThomas, who was found to have escaped from Greene County, Ala. Themotorist was released with a warning for the taillights. Thomas wasjailed.

FLEEING DRIVER DIES IN CRASH

URBANA - The Champaign County Sheriff's Office is trying todetermine whether alcohol and high speed contributed to the death ofa motorist killed in a crash Saturday on South Elm Tree Road, west ofSt. Paris.

Kevin L. Jester, 44, of 321 S. Elm Tree Road, Conover, was founddead in his car at 9:27 p.m. He had been driving under suspension andhad a prior violation for driving under the influence, Sheriff DavidDeskins said.

The sheriff's office also is investigating Deputy Matt Larmee'sactions to determine if he followed pursuit procedure, which callsfor pursuits to end based on conditions such as weather, speed,traffic or road conditions.

Jester fled, after Larmee stopped him for speeding, and drovesouth on Ohio 235 at speeds up to 100 mph. Larmee canceled thepursuit after about five minutes because of the speed, wet roads andbecause Jester was weaving, Deskins said.

Jester turned west onto U.S. 36 and the deputy lost sight of himat 9:25 p.m. At 9:27 p.m., the deputy reported that he found Jester'scar in Johnson Twp., about eight miles from the stop. Jester's 1991Dodge Dynasty left the road, rolled and hit a tree on the driver'sside, according to a sheriff's report. The county coroner pronouncedJester dead after workers removed him from the wreckage.

MAN INDICTED IN RELATIVE'S RAPE

LEBANON - A Springboro man accused of raping a young relativeafter giving her painkillers and marijuana in May was indictedMonday.

A Warren County grand jury indicted Charles Robinson Jr., 37, 8455Red Lion-Five Points Road, on charges of rape, domestic violence,sexual battery and corrupting another with drugs.

He is accused of attempting to choke the girl May 8 and raping herMay 23 after giving her drugs, acting county Prosecutor Rachel Hutzelsaid.

DAYTON MAN HELD IN HIT-AND-RUN

DAYTON - A Dayton man was charged Monday with aggravated vehicularassault in a hit-and-run accident that left a 10-year-old boycritically injured.

Magnum Daniel Napier-Scott of Dayton remained in Children'sMedical Center. He was struck from behind at 10:27 p.m. Sunday as heand his father were pushing their disabled car in the 4500 block ofFree Pike, Dayton police said.

The car was found later at 2367 Alpine Way, the residence of EricD. Cook, 40. Police said they obtained a search warrant after no oneanswered the door. Cook was arrested and evidence was recovered afterofficers entered the home about 1:20 a.m., police said.

Cook told police he dropped a cigarette and was reaching down topick it up when he hit the boy, Lt. John Huber said. Witnesses toldpolice Cook was speeding and passing other vehicles before the boywas struck, Huber said.

A Municipal Court judge set bond at $10,000.

FEB. 11 INJURIES KILL SIDNEY WOMAN

DAYTON - A Sidney woman in a three-vehicle crash Feb. 11 in ShelbyCounty died of her injuries Monday at Miami Valley Hospital.

Patricia Boerger, 54, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by herhusband, Dennis, who is at Miami Valley in good condition.

Their vehicle was northbound on County Road 25A, north of Sidney,when it collided head-on with a pickup driven by Anthony Helman, 20,of Sidney. Another northbound vehicle, driven by Robert Hughes, 48,of Botkins, rear-ended the Boergers' vehicle.

Neither Helman nor Hughes had to go to a hospital. Helman wascited on suspicion of failure to control. Hughes was cited onsuspicion of failure to assure a clear distance.

MAN CHARGED IN HORSE THEFT

LEBANON - An Internet site for missing horses helped police trackdown a Lebanon man charged Monday with stealing two Tennessee Walkinghorses from a farm in Warren County.

A county grand jury indicted Steven Hall, 26, 3907 SpringboroRoad, on theft charges. He was arrested after Blackjack, a 4-year-old stolen from a farm in Wayne Twp., was matched with a flierdistributed by the NetPosse Web site set up by North Carolina-basedStolen Horse International.

In December, Helge and Holly Buflod reported Blackjack andMidnight, another Tennessee Walker, stolen from their farm. Thehorses, along with two stolen from a Clermont County farm inNovember, were recovered in December after Blackjack was spotted atan auction near Fort Wayne, Ind. All four horses have been recovered,authorities said.

Witnesses at the auction identified Hall from a lineup, actingcounty Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said. Hall was in the Clermont CountyJail, court records said.

2 PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO DRUG ABUSE

SPRINGFIELD - A Springfield man and woman pleaded not guiltyMonday after their arrest by Clark County sheriff's detectives fortrying to have eight pounds of marijuana delivered to their home.

Ronald L. Souders Jr., 22, and Jennifer L. Ward, 20, of 3454 FolkReam Road, Lot 231, were arrested Saturday and each charged with onecount of felony drug abuse. Bond was set at $7,500 for Souders,$5,000 for Ward.

The Dayton Airport Drug Interdiction Team contacted the sheriff'snarcotics unit Friday about a package containing narcotics shipped toa residence in Clark County, sheriff's Lt. Russell Garman said.

Authorities arranged for delivery Saturday. Detectives and GermanTwp. police, using a search warrant, raided the residence andrecovered the drugs and drug paraphernalia.