Artwork celebrates Day of the Dead

Story and photos by Kayla Webley

Elvia Rodriguez of Pros Arts Studio in Pilsen uses artwork dedicated to the Day of the Dead to teach children about the holiday.

In the after-school program run by the art studio, children 6 to 12 craft papier-mâché skeletons, noise makers, gravestones and banners. The students will use the artwork they create as part of the annual parade through the neighborhood on Thursday.

Rodriguez said art gives the students a way to understand the holiday’s traditions firsthand. As the students work on the art projects she tries to insert small lessons about what they are making.

“Death is a less scary thing to talk about if you make it a celebration of life,” Rodriguez said. “This holiday is not about scaring people.”

She tells the students about the Day of the Dead and the importance of honoring the deceased.

“As long as we take time to remember the past, we don’t forget the past,” she said. “I tell them, ‘We are remembering our past and the people who affected our lives. Wouldn’t it be nice if people remembered us when we’re not around?’”

The Day of the Dead celebration, or Dia de los Muertos, culminates with two ceremonies honoring the deceased. Ceremonies on Thursday honor children who have passed away, called little angels, or angelitos. Friday’s celebrations are for adults.

Artwork at the “Dia de los Muertos: A new beginning” exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen, mocks death with brightly decorated sugar skulls, dancing skeletons and life-size papier-mâché skeletons playing cards and drinking Tequila.

The tradition of Dia de los Muertos is rooted in the culture of the ancient Aztecs and Mayans in Central America. In those cultures death was not something to fear.

“How could you fear death? The idea that death is something to be afraid of is a joke,” said Luis Tubens, 26, a tour guide at the museum exhibit. “Most of the artwork here is made to mock death – show that it is not something to be afraid of. If you make a joke of it, then there is no fear.”

Death is represented in the artwork in the form of skeletons, or calaveras.

Some of the calaveras are about the death of ideas and use satire to convey political messages. One skeleton made by artist Raul Lopez Reyes, called “Ecology,” shows the Earth dying as industry is developed. The skeleton is dressed in a suit with money spilling out of its pockets. It holds a skeleton head painted like the Earth, which has industry growing out of the top.

Other paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs focus on the theme of life springing from death. An example of this theme is Arturo Garcia Bustos’ painting called, “Life Emerging from Death.” Bustos depicts a skeleton holding a young child, raising her up from the depths.

“The child is an offering of new life from death,” Tubens said.

As part of the Day of the Dead celebration, families construct altars, or ofrendas, in their homes to honor their family members who have died.

Each altar is a work of art. The museum exhibit showcases different types of altars from the traditional to more contemporary.

Traditional altars must have the four basic elements: earth, wind, water and fire. Water is represented by a glass of water, fire by candles, wind by traditional tissue paper flags known as papel picado and earth is represented by bright flowers, often yellow-orange marigolds, known as cempazuchl.

Altars for adults often include treats such as Tequila and cigarettes, while those for children have toys and candy.

One contemporary altar at the museum, created by students from Big Picture High School in Chicago, is dedicated to 32 Chicago Public School students who were killed in street violence during the 2006-07 school year.

Empty desks are topped with school supplies and snacks as if they were left by the students who died. Framed photos of the murdered students are set throughout the altar. Their names and ages are written with chalk on two blackboards.

In honor of the students, a poem on the back wall of the altar reads:

“Hello, I am the spirit that always walks in the street trying to come to life.
I’m one of the students that died because of violence in the street.
Remember my school, I see my seat empty.
My presence is needed, but I am no longer here.”

Students Bring Newark's Murder Toll to 60 in 2007

By Kayla Webley
NPR


Billboards in Newark, N.J., read, "HELP WANTED: Stop the Killings in Newark Now!"

The new mayor, elected last year, ran on a campaign promise of reducing crime. Still, gun violence has become an all too common part of daily life.

Last weekend, four young adults, friends who were headed to college together in a few days, were shot at close range, killing three and critically wounding the fourth.

The brutal killings, along with another unrelated shooting over the weekend, brought Newark's murder total to 60 in 2007. That is three fewer than for the same period in 2006. The count is lower, but statistics show that 17 people have been killed in the city in the past eight weeks – a rate that, if it continues, would surpass 2006's total of 106 murders for the calendar year.

A month ago, Newark's mayor, Cory Booker, announced that crime in the city had fallen by 20 percent in the first six months of 2007, compared with the year before. The number of rapes, aggravated assaults and robberies has fallen. But shootings continue unabated. The murder rate is up 50 percent since 1998.

"This shows that we still have a problem," Booker said. "We're working to push it down and encouraged that we are going to deal with this. We're going to come together."

Booker said the father of one of the victims said he wanted his son's death to be a spark that will pull people together to fix the city's problems.

"We all have to be cognizant that there are things we could be doing to change the way we go about fighting crime, but more importantly preventing crime," Booker told NPR. "This is something we really have to face, gun violence in our country."

Some residents say Booker needs to do more.

"He doesn't deserve another day, another second, while our children are at stake," said Donna Jackson, president of the Take Back Our Streets organization. "Anyone who has children in the city is in panic mode. It takes something like this for people to open up their eyes and understand that not every person killed in Newark is a drug dealer."

Booker, in return, called for unity, saying this is "not a time to play politics and divide our city."

He said the community shows many signs of progress, and that residents, activists and clergy members are helping to turn the city around. Under Booker's watch, a specialized narcotics bureau was established. He has put more police officers on the streets, and the fugitive apprehension team has been successful at bringing in known criminals with outstanding warrants. The city is working on its prisoner re-entry program, helping former inmates reintegrate into society.

"We know Newark is heading in the right direction. We're really turning a corner by every measure," Booker said. "Newark was really doing a lot to challenge the stereotypes that people have often of our great city."

Looking for Clues

Killed in the apparent robbery attempt were Terrance Aeriel, 18, Iofemi Hightower, 20, and Dashon Harvey, 20. Aeriel's sister, Natasha, 19, is listed in fair condition at Newark's University Hospital after being shot in the head.

The friends were hanging out together outside an elementary school in a middle-class neighborhood, less than one mile from the campus of Seton Hall University. They liked to go there and listen to music.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine said the crime was "beyond comprehension," and "cold-hearted and cowardly."

Terrance Aeriel, Hightower and Harvey were forced to kneel against a wall behind the school and were shot at close range. Natasha Aeriel was found about 30 feet away, slumped near some bleachers.

Police are piecing together details of the crime from witnesses, including Natasha Aeriel, and are analyzing graffiti at the school. Security cameras were mounted at the school, but most were not working at the time. City officials said Wednesday the cameras may have been tampered with in the 24 hours prior to the shootings. Investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward and are offering a reward of more than $50,000.

Booker's office said Wednesday that after struggling to find clues, they are now close to identifying at least one suspect. They have not made an arrest.

'Good Kids with Bright Futures'

The four victims were all set to return to Delaware State University this fall. They played music together, and stayed away from drugs, alcohol, gangs and violence. None had criminal records.

"They were good kids," said Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow.

Friends since elementary school, Hightower and the Aeriels had played together in the West Side High School marching band. Terrence Aeriel took Hightower to prom in 2006, chauffeured by his sister. The three met Harvey at Delaware State. Harvey planned to graduate from Delaware State with a degree in psychology in 2009.

Terrence Aeriel was studying business management in college. He wasn't enrolled last spring but had re-enrolled for fall semester. He played the baritone saxophone and attended Delaware State's band camp last summer. He also worked with kids at a teen center.

His sister, Natasha, is a junior, majoring in biology. She played the alto saxophone in the Delaware State marching band.

In addition to school, Hightower held two jobs. One was at an assisted-living center where her mother also works.

"I'm very angry because they were good kids with bright futures," said Hightower's mother, Shalga. "They didn't deserve it. My daughter was a very sweet, loving young lady who would help anybody in need."

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and The Associated Press.

Read the story on NPR's Web site.

List of Problem Chinese Imports Grows

by Kayla Webley

NPR.org, July 2, 2007 ·

Contaminated foods and other dangerous items continue to build an ever-growing list of unsafe products imported from China by the United States.

Chinese-made products have accounted for 60 percent of recalls this year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

For the most part, the businesses responsible for the faulty products and bad food have denied the problems, saying their products are safe.

In an effort to quell international fears over tainted and defective exports, Chinese officials have insisted that the safety of the country's products is "guaranteed." Chinese officials aim to downplay the safety and health problems before the 2008 summer Olympics, to be held in Beijing.

At the same time, officials in Beijing are attempting to clean up the problems. Earlier this week, inspectors announced they had closed 180 food factories in China in the first half of this year, and that they seized tons of candy, pickles, crackers and seafood tainted with formaldehyde, illegal dyes and industrial wax.

Here's a rundown of the items that have been found hazardous since the massive recall of pet foods in early March:

Fish

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has placed a hold on five types of farmed fish and seafood containing traces of antifungal and antibiotic drugs that are potentially harmful to humans. Federal officials said that repeated tests on shrimp, catfish, eel, basa and dace imported from China revealed the presence of drugs not approved in the United States for use in farmed seafood.

The hold means the FDA is not allowing the import of these types of Chinese farmed seafood until the importers can prove the seafood is free from harmful contaminants. The FDA stopped short of ordering an outright ban because there is no immediate health risk.

The FDA said tests on some Chinese imported fish between October 2006 and May 2007 repeatedly found traces of the antibiotics nitrofuran and fluoroquinolones, as well as antifungals malachite green and gentian violet. The fluoroquinolones are of particular concern. These drugs are part of a family of widely used human antibiotics that the FDA forbids in seafood, in part to prevent bacteria from developing resistance to the drugs. The best known example is ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic sold under the name Cipro that is used to treat a variety of infections. The drug made headlines as a treatment option during the 2001 anthrax attacks.

China is one of the top exporters of seafood to the United States . More than half of its global seafood exports are farmed, yet the FDA only inspects about 5 percent of farmed Chinese fish.

Toothpaste

The FDA increased inspection of toothpaste made in China because of reports that some of the products may contain an ingredient used in antifreeze.

The ingredient, diethylene glycol, is a thickening agent not normally used in toothpaste. The chemical has been used as a low-cost, but sometimes deadly substitute for glycerin – a sweetener commonly used in drugs.

Diethylene glycol was found in three products manufactured by Goldcredit International Trading in China: Cooldent Fluoride, Cooldent Spearmint and Cooldent ICE. The FDA also found the chemical in Shir Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste, which is manufactured by Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemical Co.

The FDA is not aware of any poisonings from toothpaste, but has found that the toothpaste was distributed in some U.S. bargain retail stores, including a Dollar Plus in Miami and a Todo A Peso in Puerto Rico. The toothpaste also was shipped to prisons in North Carolina and Georgia and hospitals in Florida and Georgia.

The chemical found in the toothpaste was blamed for the deaths of 51 people in Panama after they took tainted cough medicine. China has admitted it was the source of the deadly chemical but insists it was originally labeled as for industrial use only.

Drugs

Officials in Beijing banned 10 types of drugs for their exaggerated effectiveness and false claims.

The drugs were genuine, but the results they claimed to produce in fighting high blood pressure, diabetes and other ailments could not be supported in clinical testing. Stores in the city have been told to stop selling them, and media outlets that carried their advertising were told to print retractions.

It is unclear whether the drugs have been exported.

Ceramic Heaters and Toy Grills

Some 1.2 million ceramic heaters made in China and distributed by Lasko Products Incorporated, of West Chester, Pa., were recalled in June because of safety concerns. The heaters were recalled because of a possible fire hazard caused by the heater's cord, which can overheat where it enters the base of the unit.

Lasko received 28 reports of failed power cords, including six reports of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported. The recall only affects models manufactured in 2005. The heaters were sold at major retailers, home centers and discount department stores nationwide from September 2005 through April 2006 and cost $20 to $50.

The Play Wonder Toy Grill, also recalled due to safety concerns, is made in China and distributed by Schylling Associates Incorporated, of Rowley, Mass. The 2,300 products recalled posed a danger of laceration.

The circular ash tray attached to the stainless steel legs of the grill could contain sharp edges. No injuries have been reported.

The toys were sold in Target Stores nationwide from December 2006 to February 2007 for about $20.

Toy Trains

The popular Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway toys were voluntarily recalled in early June because lead was used in some of the surface paints. This recall was particularly troubling for parents whose children have been playing – and chewing – on the toys for years.

Two dozen items were affected by the recall, which amounts to about 1.5 million toys. The toys were imported from China and distributed in the United States by RC2 Corporation of Oak Brook, Ill. The contaminated toys were sold nationwide at toy stores and various retailers from January 2005 to June 2007. They retail from $10 to $70.

Yellow and red surface paint on the recalled products contain lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health and developmental effects, including long-term neurological problems affecting learning and behavior. No incidents of lead poisoning connected to the trains have been reported yet.

Parents can have a simple blood test performed to check the level of lead in their child's body. The company has not yet said whether they will reimburse parents for the costs associated with the blood tests and any further treatment needed. The company has said it will pay for the shipping of recalled products and for a free replacement.

Tires

U.S. regulators have ordered tire importer Foreign Tire Sales, based in Union, N.J., to recall as many as 450,000 tires. The company reported that the treads on light-truck radials manufactured by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. in Hangzhou, China, might separate.

Foreign Tire Sales said many of the tires are missing a safety feature called a gum strip, which helps bind the belts of the tire to each other. The gum strip prevents tread separation, which can cause a tire to blow, possibly making a driver lose control of the vehicle and crash.

The Chinese-made tires were sold under at least four brand names: Westlake, Compass, Telluride and YKS. The tires, which were sold for use on vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups, have been linked to at least two deaths from tread separation.

Since the Chinese manufacturer does not have an office in the United States, the importer is responsible for anything that happens. But Foreign Tire Sales has said it does not have enough money to fund a recall. The small, family-owned importer is suing the Chinese manufacturer – the second largest tire maker in China – saying it should pay for the recall.

Foreign Tire Sales would have to pay for advertisements announcing the recall, hundreds of thousands of replacement tires and the environmentally safe recycling of all recalled tires. The cost of the recall could be upward of $60 million.

Pet Food

Wheat gluten imported from China was linked to the deaths of pets nationwide earlier this year. The FDA blocked the import of wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company in China, saying it suspected the gluten was contaminated with melamine, a chemical used to make plastic products.

The tainted food caused kidney failure in dogs and cats across North America. Distributors of the contaminated food recalled several varieties, following the deaths.

Menu Foods of Canada recalled nearly 95 brands of "Cuts and Gravy" pet food. Other companies including Nestle Purina Pet Care, Del Monte Pet Products and Hill's Pet Nutrition also recalled some varieties of their food products in the United States.

Many pet owners resorted to cooking homemade meals for their pets as a result of uncertainty as to which products in the market were contaminated.

Associated Press and NPR reports contributed to this piece.

Bald Eagle Leaves Endangered Species List

NPR.org, June 28, 2007 · The Interior Department said Thursday that it is removing the American bald eagle from protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The announcement by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne caps a four-decade struggle to help the national symbol recover.

Once almost wiped out by hunters and DDT poisoning, the eagle not only has survived but is thriving.

Government biologists have counted nearly 10,000 mating pairs of bald eagles, with at least one pair in each of the lower 48 states.

"The rescue of the bald eagle … ranks among the greatest victories of American conservation," said John Flicker, president of the National Audubon Society.

The eagle population hit rock bottom in 1963, when only 417 mating pairs could be documented in the 48 states and the survival of the species was in question. It was one of the first species to be declared endangered.

DDT, a synthetic pesticide, was to blame for much of the species depletion. The pesticide was widely used in the 1940s to control mosquitoes; it seeped into lakes and streams and into fish, the eagle's favorite food, harming adult birds and their eggs.

Eagles also were targeted by hunters for their feathers. They were shot from airplanes, poisoned in some states and fed to hogs in others, until Congress passed a law in 1940 that made killing a bald eagle illegal.

The eagle has been the nation's symbol since 1782, when Congress chose its image for the country's official seal — over the loud protests of Benjamin Franklin, who preferred the wild turkey and called the bald eagle a "bird of bad moral character."

The interior department had been considering what to do about the bald eagle since 1999, when government biologists concluded its recovery was a success.

Earlier this year, a federal court directed the Interior Department to make a decision on the bird's status by June 29. The push for a decision came amid a lawsuit by a Minnesota developer who said the government's delays were keeping him from developing seven acres of land where an eagle had nested.

Damien Schiff, attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation that represents the developer, said the delisting is a victory for property owners. But he worries that a proposed eagle protection plan using another law — the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 — will be too restrictive.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act would make it illegal to kill or disturb the bird.

The Fish and Wildlife Department determined what activities are disturbing to eagles — and one of those is building a house where bald eagles are nesting.

Some groups say the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act will restrict development, and they may go to court. Parcels of land that are desired both by developers and by bald eagles likely will lead to isolated disputes.

The bird is admired by some people, and viewed as a nuisance or a dangerous predator by others.

But conservationists say the eagle's recovery shows that the 1973 Endangered Species Act works. The Act has been under attack from property rights and business groups, and it is the subject of an internal review in the Interior Department.

Environmentalists worry that changes will weaken the law, making it harder to keep plants and animals from disappearing, especially those lacking the symbolism of the bald eagle.

"No other species has that advantage," said Michael Bean, an endangered species expert at Environmental Defense. "It's the national symbol."

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and The Associated Press.

Recall of Chinese-Made Tires Faces Complications

Morning Edition, June 27, 2007 · A Chinese tire maker accused of exporting faulty tires to the United States denied the claims Wednesday.

U.S. regulators have ordered tire importer Foreign Tire Sales, based in Union, N.J., to recall as many as 450,000 tires after the company reported that the treads on light-truck radials manufactured by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. in Hangzhou, China, might separate.

Hangzhou Zhongce replied in a written statement that it has not found fault in the tires. It said the tires met U.S. safety standards and the importer's specifications.

But Foreign Tire Sales said many of the tires are missing a safety feature called a gum strip, which helps bind the belts of the tire to each other. The gum strip prevents tread separation, which can cause a tire to blow, possibly making a driver lose control of the vehicle and crash.

The Chinese-made tires were sold under at least four brand names: Westlake, Compass, Telluride and YKS. The tires, which were sold for use on vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups, have been linked to at least two deaths after tread separation.

Tread separation is the problem that led Firestone to recall millions of tires in 2000.

Tire treads separate thousands of times each year, and usually nobody is hurt. But in August of 2006, two carpenters were on their way home from work in a cargo van when the tread separated on a rear tire.

The loose tread wrapped around the axle and locked up one of the rear wheels, causing the van to flip over, and both men were killed, said Sean Kane, a safety researcher hired by a lawyer for the men's families.

The lawyer found that those tires were made by Hangzhou Zhongce and imported by Foreign Tire Sales.

The tires have passed several U.S. safety tests, experts said, so it's possible the fatal accident was the result of a nail in the road, under-inflation or something else.

Because the manufacturer does not have an office in the U.S., the importer is responsible for the quality of the tires.

But Foreign Tire Sales has said it does not have enough money to fund a recall. The small, family owned importer is suing the Chinese manufacturer – the second largest tire maker in China – saying it should pay for the recall.

Foreign Tire Sales would have to pay for advertisements announcing the recall, hundreds of thousands of replacement tires and the environmentally safe recycling of all recalled tires.

Larry Lavigne, a lawyer representing Foreign Tire Sales, said the company would go bankrupt.

"We're thinking that the recall will cost in excess of $200 per tire," he said. "So you're looking at $60 million."

Foreign Tire Sales asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help pay for a recall, but the agency refused. For now, drivers who want to get rid of the tires will have to pay for replacements themselves.

"If you have some of these tires on your vehicles, you're probably going to want to remove them," Kane, the safety researcher, said. "I mean, they could pose a serious danger."

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and The Associated Press.

Police Seek Help Picking Killers from a Texas Crowd

by Deborah Tedford and Kayla Webley
NPR.org

June 21, 2007 · Austin, Texas, police and minority leaders appealed for community help in finding three to four people who beat a Hispanic man to death following an accident in a crowded parking lot.

David Rivas Morales, 40, died Tuesday night after being beaten outside the housing project where he lived, police said. The murder has sparked outrage because it was witnessed by more than a dozen people, none of whom has come forward to identify the killers.

Police said the incident happened shortly before 9:30 p.m., when a co-worker gave Morales a ride home after work. The co-worker was leaving the parking lot when his car "bumped" a 2-year-old child, a city official said.

Assistant Police Chief David Carter said the child was not seriously injured, but the incident enraged three or four people, who started beating the driver. When Morales tried to intervene, the men started beating him. Carter said Morales' co-worker drove away without knowing that his friend was being beaten. Police said there were 15 to 20 witnesses to the attack.

Carter urged the witnesses to come forward. "We need the public's help," Carter said. "We want to bring justice to the Morales family, as (well as) to the community."

"My family is taking it pretty hard," said Elizabeth Morales, the victim's sister. "I'm worried about my mother. He's my younger brother. He was a loving and caring person."

Assistant Chief Cathy Ellison said the department will leave no stone unturned in trying to find the killers.

"This poor guy was just trying to help a friend," she said. "We're grieving along with the Morales family."

Elizabeth Morales said she is angry that it took so long for her brother to be transported to the hospital.

"They took 30 to 40 minutes. My brother was choking and gasping for air," she said.

Richard Herrington, director of Austin's Emergency Medical Services, said traffic from the Juneteenth festival and incorrect information given in an anonymous 911 call contributed to the delay.

Juneteenth commemorates the day it was announced in Texas that slavery had been abolished.

Hispanic activist Rita Gonzales-Garza said the suspects are all believed to be black men, but she said she does not believe the killing was racially motivated.

Richard Franklin, president of the Black Austin Democrats, said the killing was a despicable act of violence that had nothing to do with race. "This is an animal that needs to be caged. We must police ourselves and take them out of our midst," he said.

Community leaders are concerned the death could spark tension between Hispanics and blacks in the normally quiet central Texas town. Franklin said Hispanic and black leaders are planning a series of community meetings to talk about underlying issues that plague the minority community.

Hispanic leaders said Austin has relatively few racial problems, although minorities have a history of problems with the police.

Gonzales-Garza said the Justice Department's Community Relations Service began trying to conciliate racial problems between the Austin Police Department and the minority community earlier this month.

And Ellison said the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has begun an inquiry that will focus on the department's use of force against minorities.

Ellison, who was acting police chief until Thursday, said the department is cooperating with the inquiry.

Gonzales-Garza said she is hopeful that the Justice Department and the city's new, Hispanic police chief will be able to improve the relationship between the police and the minority community. The Austin City Council confirmed Art Acevedo as the police chief on Thursday.

Gonzales-Garza, who is central Texas district director for the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the Justice Department's involvement stems from civil rights complaints made by minority groups after the shooting death of 18-year-old Daniel Rocha, who was shot in the back by a former Austin police officer in 2005.

However, Ellison said the inquiry stems from a complaint filed by the NAACP in 2004.

Susana Almanza, co-director of the civil rights group PODER, said her group was among three organizations that filed a complaint asking for a Justice Department inquiry.

"With Mr. Rocha's death, he was the 14th victim to die of deadly force by police from 1997 to 2005," Almanza said. All but one of the victims were black or Hispanic, and they were all poor, she said.

Investigation Launched in Dolphin Deaths

Morning Edition, June 19, 2007 ·

Four dolphins with fatal gun shot wounds have washed ashore in the San Diego area in recent weeks, and federal investigators are offering a reward for information about the deaths.

The long-beaked, common dolphins were all discovered between May 29 and June 5 between Carlsbad State Beach and Oceanside Harbor. Their normally sleek, gray skin was mottled and stained with blood from the bullet wounds.

A fifth carcass was found without bullet wounds, but there were lacerations on its pectoral fin.

"It's a horrendous thing that happened," said Mark Oswell, spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. "That someone would go out there and shoot four dolphins."

Necropsies, autopsies performed on animals, revealed that the dolphins were all healthy with fish in their bellies. They may have been shot at the same time with the same gun. Four had between one and three bullets of the same caliber in the same part of their heads.

NOAA is charged with the federal investigation and has offered a reward of $2,500 for any information relating to the deaths.

"We're hoping that a witness will answer their conscience that this is a wrong and illegal thing that's been done and call us and provide us with information that will lead to an arrest and hopefully a conviction," said NOAA investigator Michelle Zetwo.

Zetwo said it is likely the dolphins may have gotten caught in some fishing lines and the fisherman got angry. She said it could also be that someone was doing target practice on the water. Lacerations on the fifth, dead dolphin's fin appear to have been caused by a fishing line, she added.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Zetwo said.

NOAA investigators hope an eye witness will come forward. Otherwise, they will work with the U.S. Coast Guard to track the dolphins' course from where they were shot to where they landed on the beach using the tides.

The last time San Diego reported such a death was five years ago. Prior to that there hadn't been one in the area since the 1960s. Nationwide, federal officials say they usually get one report a year of a dolphin shooting.

"It's very uncommon," Zetwo said. "I've been an agent with NOAA here in San Diego for approximately nine years, and I've never heard of an occurrence like this. It's very unusual."

If caught, the perpetrator could face civil penalties of up to $12,000 or a criminal fine of up to $20,000, as well as jail time.

Harassing or killing dolphins is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, a federal law that protects seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales and other marine mammals.

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and the Associated Press.