Louisiana

Seventh-grader abducts classmate

A 14-year-old boy brought a semiautomatic pistol to school on Wednesday, robbed his teacher of his car keys and took a classmate hostage before leading deputies on a high-speed chase.

Police said the SUV with both boys inside was stopped without incident within 20 minutes, after a chase through northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas reaching speeds up to 90 mph.

The teen, whose name was not released, was arrested in Arkansas, where he was being detained until Louisiana authorities could question him.

Police and school officials at Marion High said the seventh-grader brought the gun into class in a backpack, and apparently hadn’t had any earlier problems with the teacher or 12-year-old boy he abducted.

The boy faces felony fleeing charges in Arkansas, but a warrant in Louisiana lists aggravated kidnapping and armed robbery.

Chicago

Building owners settle in porch collapse

The owners and managers of a building where a porch collapsed during the summer and killed 13 people reached a settlement with the city about alleged building code violations.

The owners must pay $108,500 to settle claims against the property where the porch collapsed, and $4,200 to resolve code violations at 21 other properties, said Joseph Carini, attorney for LG Properties.

A judge approved the settlement Wednesday. Those named in the complaints included LG Properties; Philip Pappas, president of LG Properties; and Restoration Specialists LLC.

A judgment of $25,000 also was entered against George Koutroumbis, the contractor who built the porch, the city said.

The judge permanently barred Koutroumbis from building or modifying any buildings in Chicago, according to a statement released by the city.