IN BRIEF

GROUP OF HIKERS

Two drown in flood in Utah slot canyon

The bodies of a California couple who drowned after being caught in a flash flood while hiking in a Utah slot canyon have been recovered, the Garfield County sheriff's office said Thursday.

Gordon and Kathy Chapple of Walnut Creek, Calif., were hiking Wednesday afternoon in a Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument canyon known locally as Egypt Three or Egypt Slot Number Three, when it started to rain. Within minutes the water was rising extremely fast, pushing the group of eight hikers farther down the canyon.

Garfield County spokeswoman Becki Bronson said the couple's hiking guides, Elizabeth Kleiman and Cody Clapp, told sheriff's deputies that the Chapples, both 60, were swept away when the flood hit.

The six others in the group -- including the couple's son Chris and daughter Katie -- were able to cling to canyon walls and climb out.

Searchers found the Chapples' bodies in a downstream drainage.

Escalante-based guide Rick Green, who helped with the search, said hikers who enter the Egypt slot are essentially stuck. It takes about three hours of hiking through the canyon before reaching a place to exit safely.

INFORMATION SOUGHT

Body of woman found in trash bin in valley

The body of a black woman in her late 20s or early 30s was found Wednesday in a 30-gallon trash bin, Las Vegas police said.

The body was discovered by a person going through the garbage at 6:45 p.m. at 200 S. Eighth Street, Las Vegas police said.

Authorities initially had difficulty distinguishing the race and gender of the body, Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Jose Montoya said.

The identity of the woman and details about the condition of the body were not released Thursday afternoon.

Police are reviewing footage from nearby security cameras as they investigate the case.

Anyone with information about the case can call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

LACK OF EVIDENCE

No charges expected in sausage attack case

A Sanger, Calif., man suspected of breaking into a home, rubbing spices into the face of one man and hitting another with an 8-inch sausage has been set free.

Prosecutors said they do not have enough evidence to file criminal charges against 21-year-old Antonio Vasquez, who was released from Fresno County Jail on Tuesday.

Sheriff's Lt. Ian Burrimond said Vasquez was found hiding in a field wearing a T-shirt, boxers and socks after the Saturday attack. He said deputies arrested Vasquez after finding a wallet containing his ID in the house.

Vazquez is also accused of stealing $900 from the home.

Prosecutors have returned the case to sheriff's investigators and said charges still could be filed if more evidence is presented.