Nation briefs 07/15/03

Police investigating girl's assault at W.Va. store

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Police searched for a man Monday who allegedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl at knifepoint at a Target store, shuffling her from aisle to aisle to avoid being seen by shoppers.

The alleged assault was captured by a surveillance camera at the suburban Charleston department store, beginning when the suspect started stalking the girl in the toy section, police said. He then assaulted the girl in the garden and men's clothing departments before she was freed, police said. At the time, her mother was shopping in another area.

"He started watching her real close in the toy section," said South Charleston Police Sgt. Stan Miller. "He was following her around the rest of the store."

Police Lt. H.S. Leishman said the suspect posed as a security guard Saturday night, told the girl he saw her steal something and ordered her to follow him. Then he pulled a knife and forced her into the garden department where he assaulted her. When too many shoppers walked into the area, he led her into the men's clothing department where he assaulted her again, Leishman said.

Government releases new rollover, crash ratings

WASHINGTON -- Just 17 of 52 sedans, compact cars and other vehicles tested received the government's highest rating for their ability to avoid rollovers, according to results released Monday.

The 2003 Toyota Tacoma pickup with an extended cab got the worst rollover rating of the vehicles tested, earning two stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's five-star scale.

The Audi TT, Buick LeSabre, Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid, Ford Mustang and Mercedes-Benz E320 were among those earning five stars. Most vehicles received four stars, including the Acura RL, the Buick Century and Park Avenue, the Chevrolet Cavalier, the Honda Accord and Civic and the Volkswagen New Beetle.

Taller vehicles are more likely to get poor rollover ratings, since NHTSA predicts rollover propensity based on vehicle width and height. Five stars means a vehicle's rollover propensity is less than 10 percent. Two stars means its rollover propensity is between 30 percent and 40 percent.

D.C. Council wants dietary info on fast-food menus

WASHINGTON -- People ordering burgers at fast-food restaurants in the nation's capital ought to know a lot more about what they're eating, some local legislators say.

The District of Columbia Council is considering a measure that would require much more detail on menus at chain restaurants.

"We have some very simple requirements for information on fat content, calorie content, sodium content," says Councilman Phil Mendelson, a sponsor of the bill, which supporters believe will help consumers make more healthful choices.

The measure would exempt restaurant operators with fewer than ten outlets, but supporters say they expect many restaurants to voluntarily embrace the policy as consumers become better informed about ingredients.

Woman injured on free-fall ride at county fair

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Authorities shut down a county fair ride called the Adrenaline Drop after a woman was injured during its 110-foot free-fall.

The 30-year-old woman landed harder than usual into the ride's safety nets Sunday, said Barry Schaible, the Orange County Fair's ride safety consultant. She was conscious when she was taken to a hospital and had no broken bones, he said.

Schaible said the woman never hit the ground, but some witnesses disputed that.

Rick Martinez was working in a booth by the ride and said he noticed the net looked crooked. "Then I saw her hit the ground. I walked over there and she wasn't moving. I did that ride last year, but now I'll never do it again."

Adrenaline Drop riders pay $35 to be hoisted to a platform 130 feet up and dropped 110 feet into nets. The ground is covered in 5 inches of padding.

-- From wire reports