Louisiana
Ex-New Orleans mayor reports to federal prison
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has reported to a federal prison in Texarkana, Texas, to begin serving a 10-year sentence.
Nagin arrived at the facility shortly before noon Monday. New Orleans television stations showed images of Nagin hugging family members in a parking lot before he entered the lockup.
The Bureau of Prisons operates a low-security prison there with an adjacent minimum security camp. Bureau spokesman Chris Burke said Nagin reported to the minimum security camp.
Meanwhile, a public defender in New Orleans is pursuing an appeal of Nagin's February conviction on charges including bribery and money-laundering. The charges stemmed from the Democrat's two terms as mayor from 2002-2010.
Kansas
2 men arrested in fatal shooting of police officer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Authorities have arrested two men in connection with the fatal shooting of a Kansas police officer.
Topeka Police Cpl. Jason Harwood was killed Sunday during a car stop in east Topeka.
The Shawnee County Sheriff's Office says a 30-year-old man taken into custody on Sunday has acknowledged some involvement in the shooting of the 40-year-old decorated law enforcement officer.
The sheriff's office, which is handling the investigation into Harwood's death, says a second man whom they believe might have information on the shooting was booked into the county jail Monday.
Gov. Sam Brownback ordered flags in Shawnee County to be flown at half-staff Monday and Tuesday to honor Harwood, a 15-year police veteran who leaves behind a wife and two children.
Delaware
Teens arrested for assaulting disabled man
NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) - Two Delaware teens were arrested and charged with assaulting a mentally disabled man after they complained to police about being harassed when a video of the victim being attacked was posted to social media, authorities said.
The teens' personal contact information was shared online with the video. The Newark teens, 13 and 14, were arrested Saturday after they and their parents went to police headquarters to complain about threatening phone calls, New Castle Officer Tracey Duffy said Monday.
The two boys were charged with offensive touching, assault of a vulnerable adult, and conspiracy. They were released on bonds of $2,500 after being arraigned. Their names were not released.
Duffy said their complaints triggered an investigation that led to police finding and viewing the video, which shows a 26-year-old mentally disabled man being body-slammed to the ground, stomped on and repeatedly punched in the head.
Duffy said she didn't know whether the suspects were cooperating with authorities investigating the attacks.
Sixteen-year-old Angeliz Marrero, of New Castle County, told WPVI-TV in Philadelphia that she reposted the video to her Instagram followers after she first spotted it.
"I was so mad, but at the same time the first thing I thought was, 'I have to do something about this,'" Marrero said.
After she posted it, Marrero said her followers went from 2,000 to 20,000 in less than 24 hours.
"It spread so fast, and I'm just so grateful for everybody that's helping me out. Because if it weren't for everybody helping, supporting and everything, this wouldn't even go viral, and that man really deserves justice," Marrero said.
Duffy said investigators believe the victim was assaulted on more than one occasion. Authorities are still trying to determine how many incidents occurred and how many people were involved, she said.
"They're still trying to pinpoint the actual number of assaults and the number of people," she said.
Investigators believe the first attack happened sometime in July, with the most recent a couple of weeks ago. Duffy said the victim was treated for a non-life-threatening injury after one of the attacks, but she declined to provide details.
The relationship between the victim and the attackers was unknown. Duffy said the victim lived in the same apartment complex as one of the juveniles arrested Saturday.
Maryland
Police: Mom used plastic bags to suffocate kids
CHEVERLY, Md. (AP) - Police say a 24-year-old woman used a plastic bag to suffocate her two young children at their Cheverly home.
Prince George's County police also revealed Monday that Cheverly police officers had escorted Sonya Spoon to a medical facility for a psychiatric evaluation about a week ago. Police did not detail what led to the call or what treatment Spoon received.
Police say Spoon acknowledged suffocating her children early Sunday morning. They were identified Monday as 3-year-old Kayla Thompson and 1-year-old Ayden Spoon. Investigators are still working to determine a motive for the slayings.
Spoon is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond. Online court records do not list an attorney for her.
Missouri
Missouri, Texas plan executions Wednesday
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Two of the nation's most active death penalty states are planning executions on Wednesday, as attorneys for the inmates continue efforts to save them.
Earl Ringo Jr. is scheduled to die at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday in Missouri for killing two people during a robbery at a Columbia, Missouri, restaurant in 1998. Hours later, Texas plans to execute Willie Trottie for fatally shooting his common-law wife and her brother in Houston in 1993.
The executions would be the eighth this year in each state. Florida also has performed seven executions in 2014. All other states have combined for six executions.
A court appeal on Ringo's behalf raised concerns about Missouri's use of a pre-execution sedative and what impact it has on the execution. Trottie's lawyers said he had inadequate legal representation at trial.
