In the Nation

CALIFORNIA

Four charged with

killing USC scholar

Four teens were charged Tuesday with murder in the fatal beating of a University of Southern California, Los Angeles, graduate student with a baseball bat and wrench as he walked to his off-campus apartment after meeting with a study group.

Two of the suspects, ages 16 and 17, were charged as adults in the slaying of Xinran Ji, 24, an engineering student from China who was attacked early Thursday. He was able to make his way to his apartment despite being hit on the head with the bat. A roommate discovered him dead hours later.

The defendants - Alberto Ochoa, 17, Alejandra Guerrero, 16, Andrew Garcia, 18, and Jonathan Del Carmen, 19 - were expected to be arraigned on one count of murder with a special circumstance of murder in the course of an attempted robbery, prosecutors said.

- AP

FLORIDA

Girl hit by plane dies

A 9-year-old girl who was struck by a plane that crash-landed on a beach while she vacationed with her family died from her injuries, law enforcement officials said Tuesday. Oceana Irizarry's father also was killed Sunday. The two, of Fort Stewart, Ga., were walking along Caspersen Beach in Venice on Sunday when the 1972 Piper Cherokee plane made an emergency landing after reporting problems. - AP

WASHINGTON

Ferry gets a tow

A Washington state ferry that lost power while carrying hundreds of passengers on the ferry system's busiest route reached dock. Spokeswoman Marta Coursey says the Tacoma was traveling from Seattle to Bainbridge Island when it lost propulsion Tuesday afternoon. It had 405 passengers on board. It dropped anchor to await help and was eventually towed to Bainbridge Island, finally docking about 3 p.m. - AP