Hearing set in mauling of girl
A hearing was to be held today to determine whether charges should be brought against the owner of four large dogs in District Heights that attacked a 7-year-old girl, leaving her critically injured.
Prince George's County police said that the girl underwent surgery Saturday after being attacked about 4:30 p.m. by three Rottweilers and another large dog.
The police department said yesterday it did not know who would conduct the hearing or where it would take place. A dispatcher said the hearing will determine what action, if any, authorities will take against the owner and whether the dogs should be destroyed.
The girl was playing with three children in the back yard of a relative's home when she went into a neighboring yard to retrieve a ball, said county police Lt. Alphonso Hawkins.
The dogs then escaped from another yard through a fence that was not secured at the bottom and began attacking the girl, Lieutenant Hawkins said.
Relatives and neighbors were unable to stop the attack until a small dog distracted three of the attacking dogs, he said. Then adults freed the girl, who was flown to Children's Hospital.
The Maryland Lotto winner on Wednesday -- if there is one -- will be eligible for a $4 million jackpot, a spokeswoman for the Lottery Agency said today.
Spokeswoman Donna Williams said there were no winners in Saturday's drawing of 1-7-17-32-41-42.
She said 37 players had five out of six numbers, eaching winning $1,364.
Also, 2,305 players picked four numbers for a prize of $37 each.
Baltimore City:
A 50-year-old northeast Baltimore woman was killed Saturday when a smoky fire filled the basement and first floor of her home, city fire investigators said.
Nena Butz of the 4400 block of Harcourt Road apparently died of smoke inhalation. Her body was found in the basement.
About 25 firefighters needed 20 minutes to bring the single-alarm fire under control. The fire, which investigators said began about 3:30 p.m., was confined to the basement and first floor of Ms. Butz's single-family home. Damage was estimated at $55,000.
Investigators think careless smoking caused the fire.
Anne Arundel County:
A 38-year-old Harundale woman was raped yesterday afternoon by a man who had come to her house a week ago soliciting money for an organization, Anne Arundel County police said.
The woman, who also reported being hit in the face and cut several times with a knife, was listed in good condition at North Arundel Hospital.
Police said the assailant entered her home in the Towering Oaks community about 1:45 p.m. through an unlocked door and attacked her.
The woman ran to a neighbor's house when the intruder became distracted by a ringing phone.
Carroll County:
Although the pro football player's talk was billed as a program on drug and alcohol abuse, former Seattle Seahawk and Detroit Lion Herman Weaver's presentations this month focused on how finding Jesus gave him the strength to resist alcohol, many county students say.
And that presentation offended them, their parents and some faculty members.
"Most of us were kind of in shock, like, 'Why is he talking about this?' I was deeply offended," says South Carroll High senior Jason Douros.
The student says he believes in God, but does not practice any organized religion.
Mr. Weaver's appearance was sponsored by some local businessmen, five county Christian churches and Campus Life, a Christian youth organization.
The programs were at Liberty, South Carroll and Francis Scott Key high schools, and at East, West and North Carroll middle schools the first week of March.
School board member Joseph D. Mish Jr. and board President Cheryl A. McFalls defended the program, saying that Mr. Weaver didn't preach Christianity or force it on his audience.
Harford County:
Steven R. Hankins, one of Harford's leading commercial developers in the 1980s, has been sentenced to six months in jail on charges that he cashed a forged $68,700 mechanic's lien for one of his subcontractors.
Hankins, a Bel Air resident who lives on a 283-acre farm, was sentenced Friday in Circuit Court after filing a plea agreement in the case, which involves work on a 162-room Days Inn built in Ocean City three years ago.
"The message must be sent out that this won't be tolerated," Circuit Judge William O. Carr said while issuing his sentence.
Judge Carr suspended the balance of a five-year sentence for Hankins, 38, and ordered him to complete 100 hours of community service and four years of probation after the jail term is over.
After a 17-month investigation by Bel Air police, Mr. Hankins was indicted in January 1991 on two counts of theft and one count each of forging and cashing a counterfeit document.
Howard County:
The Philippine armed forces chief said today in Manila that there was a good chance that Muslim gunmen holding an Ellicott City woman and other hostages would free them within three days.
Gen. Lisandro Abadia said talks being conducted by local Muslim leaders with the kidnappers were proceeding smoothly.
"We have received positive developments in the area and there is a very good chance that the hostages will be released in three days," he told reporters.
The kidnappers earlier demanded $77,000 and four Armalite automatic rifles in exchange for their captives but later reduced their ransom demand, a church official said.
Tracy Rectanus, a missionary school teacher from Ellicott City; Lynette Cook, wife of an Australian missionary; her daughter Cheree, 6; another daughter, 3; and American missionary school teacher Carol Allen were kidnapped last Tuesday while sightseeing on Jolo island, 590 miles south of Manila.
Baltimore County:
John F. Thanos, who has coolly admitted killing an Eastern Shore man with three bullets to the head, is to address the judge today in St. Mary's County Circuit Court.
Prosecutors have asked Circuit Judge Marvin S. Kaminetz to sentence Thanos to death for killing Gregory A. Taylor Jr., 18, of Hebron. Defense attorneys want Thanos to be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Thanos also faces the death penalty for murdering Billy Winebrenner, 16, and Melody Pistorio, 14, both of Middle River, during a Labor Day 1990 robbery at the Big Red Mini Mart in Middle River. He was convicted in January, but has not yet been sentenced.