National news briefs

N.Y. man accused of starting deadly blaze

NEW YORK (AP) — A drunken man set fire to his apartment by tossing a lighted toilet paper roll soaked in paint thinner into a baby carriage near the front door, touching off a blaze that engulfed the building and killed five people, police said.

Daniel Ignacio, 27, was arrested Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder and arson, said chief police spokesman Paul Browne. Ignacio managed to escape the flames that overtook the three-story apartment on a busy commercial strip in Brooklyn. He was being held pending arraignment and his lawyer's name was not yet on record. Police had been investigating several motives, but it doesn't appear Ignacio meant to burn down the building, though he intentionally set the blaze.

Couple found guilty in death of ill son

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon couple was found guilty Tuesday of criminally negligent homicide for praying over their ill son instead of seeking medical help.

The jury returned the verdict on the second day of deliberations in the trial of Jeff and Marci Beagley, both members of the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City.

The couple is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 18. Because neither has a prior conviction, state sentencing guidelines call for 16 to 18 months in prison.

Mayor 'unrepentant,' prosecutors say

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's comments show she is "unrepentant" and "has lost touch with reality" after her convictions on perjury and embezzlement charges, prosecutors said in court papers filed Tuesday.

Dixon, a Democrat, will step down from office after her sentencing Thursday. Under a plea deal, she will receive probation before judgment, meaning the convictions can ultimately be wiped off her record.

State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh did not ask for a stiffer sentence in a memorandum filed Tuesday, and Judge Dennis M. Sweeney has already bound himself to sentence her under the terms of the plea deal.

Principal suspended over letter to parents

PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona school principal who penned a sarcastic letter that chided parents for children who were either "too lazy or too stupid" to complete their assignments in class was suspended after the missive was mistakenly sent home.