Across the southeast

Officer dies after being shot in head

MONTGOMERY, ALA. - A 30-year-old Montgomery police officer shot in the head during a traffic stop died late Saturday, hours after a suspect in the slaying was returned to Alabama from Georgia.

Officer Keith E. Houts had been in critical condition at Montgomery's Jackson Hospital since he was shot Thursday during a traffic stop. Police Capt. Huey Thornton said Officer Houts died at 9:53 p.m.

Police said attempted murder charges against the suspect, Mario Woodward, 32, of Montgomery, were upgraded to capital murder. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

Mr. Woodward, whose criminal record goes back to his teen years and includes prison terms for manslaughter and drug possession, was returned to Montgomery from Georgia on Saturday morning. He was tracked down and captured at a gas station in McDonough, Ga., on Friday.

Officer Houts had stopped Mr. Woodward's vehicle on a Montgomery street for a traffic offense when he was shot.

Five men are rescued after fishing mishap

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. - A man who decided to swim to safety after the boat he was on capsized about 15 miles offshore was rescued Sunday after spending 24 hours in the Atlantic Ocean, the U.S. Coast Guard said. His four fishing companions also were rescued.

Clinton Daughtry, 27, was pulled from the water by an Air Force helicopter shortly after noon about 5 miles east of Mayport, Coast Guard Petty Officer Donnie Brzuska said.

The man, who was wearing a life jacket, had hypothermia and was flown to a Jacksonville hospital, Officer Brzuska said. He is expected to survive.

"Everyone is in good condition and reunited with their families," he said.

The five men were fishing in a 17-foot pleasure boat when it began taking on water and capsized at about 11 a.m. Saturday, Officer Brzuska said.

Mr. Daughtry; Mike Vitko, 27; John Hodgkiss, 22; and Travis Britt, 22, put on life jackets and swam for shore. Chip Bloomer, 40, stayed with the capsized boat and was rescued by another boater at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday.

The men who swam for shore were separated overnight. A Coast Guard rescue crew picked up Mr. Hodgkiss and Mr. Britt together about six miles from shore at about 8:20 a.m. Sunday, Officer Brzuska said. Ten minutes later, a Navy helicopter spotted Mr. Vitko about three miles offshore and guided a rescue boat in to pick him up.

Rescuers redefined their search grid based on the position of the three swimmers and spotted Mr. Daughtry about four hours later. A total of six helicopters, a Navy search plane and two rescue boats participated in the search.

Teen prodigy dies in motorcycle accident

BOCA RATON, FLA. - A teen engineering prodigy who gained national attention in 2002 when he and his family received identification chip implants on live television was killed in a motorcycle accident, authorities said.

Derek Jacobs, 18, lost control of his motorcycle early Saturday and crashed into a guardrail and a pole, the Palm Beach County sheriff's office said. He was wearing a helmet.

"It was just a crazy accident of a bump or something, and he was catapulted," said his mother, Leslie Jacobs. "He had, of course, potential, because he was brilliant, and he was just a wonderful son. He wanted to make a difference in the world."

Derek was set to get his engineering degree this year after only two years at Florida International University. He wanted to be a neurosurgeon, his mother said.

At age 12, Derek became certified by Microsoft as a systems engineer. He was qualified to run corporate computer networks.