Metro News In Brief

Now dad is charged in girl's death First her mother was charged,now the father of a 5-year-old girl beaten to death has been chargedin the killing. Carlos Beltran, 31, of Maine Township, has beencharged with first-degree murder in the March 14 death of hisdaughter, Melanie. The girl's mother, Mila Petrov, 29, initially wascharged in the slaying -- the culmination of months of abuse,prosecutors allege. Petrov allegedly struck the girl, whose headwent through a wall. She then called her husband and the two cleanedup before authorities were alerted, officials said.

Alternate jurors are selected Lawyers finished picking alternatejurors Monday for the trial of Juan Luna, charged with killing sevenpeople during a 1993 robbery of Brown's Chicken in Palatine. Openingstatements are scheduled for Friday.

14,000 pairs of fake Nikes seized Nearly 14,000 pairs ofcounterfeit Nike shoes were seized during a weekend raid on a SouthSide storefront that landed the man suspected of distributing theshoes in jail. Harrison District tactical officers working on theWest Side got a tip about the fake shoes and obtained a searchwarrant for a store in the 9000 block of South Commercial. OnSaturday, officers found 13,725 pairs of fake Nikes there.Chukwuemeka Ebelchukwu, 27, who was born in Nigeria and lives inChicago, was charged with one count of violating trademark laws. Hehad been selling the shoes to retail businesses for $40 to $70 apair, police said.

School chief aims to raise $2 billion University of IllinoisPresident Joseph White will start a campaign to raise $2 billion inJune, months after the school scrapped its controversial AmericanIndian mascot and the arrests of several athletes.