Kilpatrick charged with more felonies

For anyone keeping score, the leader of the nation’s 11th-largest city now faces 10 felony charges in two separate cases.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was charged Friday with assaulting two investigators who were trying to deliver a subpoena to the mayor’s friend last month. The two felony counts carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of $2,000.

Kilpatrick spent Thursday night in jail after violating bond conditions in the other case against him. He is accused along with a former top aide of perjury and other charges over their testimony in a lawsuit.

The city charter says a felony conviction evicts him from office. The City Council already wants to bounce Kilpatrick on other grounds. And Gov. Jennifer Granholm, acting under a little-used state law, has scheduled a hearing for Sept. 3 that could lead to his removal for misconduct.

“The charges against the mayor are very serious, and the state of affairs is clearly hurting the business of our community,” said U.S. Rep. John Dingell, a Democrat representing suburban Detroit and the dean of the state’s congressional delegation.

Dressed in a custom suit, Kilpatrick was arraigned Friday in the Wayne County jail via closed-circuit television. A magistrate entered a not guilty plea and ordered the mayor to pay 10 percent of a $25,000 bond.

Defense attorney Jim Thomas said the mayor will fight the new charges.

St. Paul, Minn.

Trail of crumbs leads to suspects

An orange trail of Cheetos led St. Paul police to three teenagers suspected of burglarizing a vending machine.

Officers were called to the Arlington Recreation Center on July 29, where they found a vending machine’s glass had been broken with a chair. Most of the candy and chips were missing, according to a criminal complaint.

The officers followed a trail of snack debris from the rec center, around the side of the building and to a nearby home. Inside, they found numerous vending-size bags of Cheetos and other snacks.

Police arrested three males aged 17, 18 and 19 who soon arrived at the home by car. The two adults are charged with third-degree burglary; the 17-year-old is charged with criminal damage to property.

All three denied being involved, the complaint says.