Nation in brief: Man accused of buying guns in California massacre to be held

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The man accused of buying the assault rifles his longtime friend used in the San Bernardino massacre is a danger to the community and will remain in custody as he faces a terrorism-related charge, a judge ruled Monday.

Enrique Marquez, 24, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Bristow in federal court in Riverside, about 10 miles from the site of the Dec. 2 attack that was carried out by Syed Farook and Farook’s wife, Tashfeen Malik.

Marquez’s court-appointed public defender, Young Kim, asked a judge to release his client on bond, saying he had voluntarily spoken to the FBI over a 10-day period while he was free to leave at any time. Kim said the terrorism charge stemmed from unrealized plans by Marquez and Farook to attack a college and a congested freeway in 2011 and 2012.

“Those attacks never happened,” Kim said. “That terrorism charge has nothing to do with the events in San Bernardino on Dec. 2.”

The judge disagreed.

“The defendant actively conspired with the decedent, Mr. Farook, for purposes of participating in a terrorist act in this nation,” Bristow said.

Former president’s

grandson dies at 28

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. – Jeremy Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, has died near Atlanta. He was 28.

The cause of death was not yet known, Fayette County Coroner C.J. Mowell said Monday.

Jimmy Carter announced the death Sunday to the congregation of his hometown church in Plains. Carter told parishioners his grandson hadn’t been feeling well Saturday and went to take a nap at his family’s home in Peachtree City before he died. Mowell said he was notified of the death early Sunday.

Jeremy Carter is the son of Annette and Jeff Carter, who is Jimmy Carter’s youngest son.

In 2005, Jeremy Carter, then 18, was sentenced to 30 days of house arrest, three years of probation and ordered to undergo drug counseling following his arrest in a Peachtree City home break-in.

Scout leader dragged, attacked by bear

ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. – A Boy Scout leader was pulled into a cave by a bear in northern New Jersey but beat the animal away with a rock hammer while the three Scouts with him called for help, authorities said.

Christopher Petronino and the Scouts were hiking at Split Rock Reservoir on Sunday when he stopped to show the boys a cave. He dipped into a small crevasse leading to it, and the bear grabbed him by the foot and yanked him inside. It began biting his legs and shoulders, and Petronino fought it off.

“Petronino struck the bear twice in the head with a rock hammer. He then pulled his sweatshirt over his head and curled into the fetal position,” said Bob Considine, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection. He yelled to the Scouts, who were outside the cave, to leave and go get help.”

The boys used a cellphone to call authorities, who told them to place any food they had outside the cave to lure the bear away from Petronino. When it emerged, a dog that had come along with the group began barking and the bear ran up a nearby hillside.

The boys from Troop 69 likely saved Petronino when they used food to lure the bear out of the cave and called 911, officials said.