Authorities seek prisoner who escaped at Ohio rest stop

Authorities seek prisoner who escaped at Ohio rest stop

COLUMBUS

Authorities in Ohio are continuing their search for a prisoner who escaped at an interstate rest stop while he was being moved by a private inmate transport company.

The State Highway Patrol says Affordable Extradition Service was transporting the inmate, Said Ali El-Khatib, from the New York Police Department to the Allen County Sheriff in Indiana.

The patrol said the prisoner escaped Friday after asking to use the restroom at the stop along the southbound lanes of I-71.

Troopers and sheriffs’ deputies searched unsuccessfully late Friday and resumed their search Saturday.

The patrol said the inmate was handcuffed, had shackles around his waist and an ankle, and is violent.

Cut melon linked to US salmonella outbreak recalled

INDIANAPOLIS

An Indianapolis-based company has issued a recall for melon products sold in 16 states after being linked to a salmonella outbreak.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday that the recall includes cut watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe produced by Caito Foods LLC. The fruit has been sold under various brands or labels at Kroger, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Target and Whole Foods.

The affected states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Health officials advise consumers to check packaging to determine if the melon was distributed by Caito Foods, and if so, not to eat it. They advise stores to pull the products from shelves.

Authorities say 93 people have been sickened, 23 of whom were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Associated Press