NewsOctober 31, 2003

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Eric Velleca didn't even have to don his Halloween costume to garner some explosive attention. His getup stashed in a trunk tripped an explosives detector during a baggage screening at Palm Beach International Airport. Velleca, 28, was pulled off his United Airlines flight to Chicago and questioned by investigators on Wednesday while a bomb squad inspected the trunk carrying three costumes patterned after the outfits worn in the film "Ghostbusters."...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Eric Velleca didn't even have to don his Halloween costume to garner some explosive attention.

His getup stashed in a trunk tripped an explosives detector during a baggage screening at Palm Beach International Airport.

Velleca, 28, was pulled off his United Airlines flight to Chicago and questioned by investigators on Wednesday while a bomb squad inspected the trunk carrying three costumes patterned after the outfits worn in the film "Ghostbusters."

The trunk contained PVC pipes, radios, cell phones, batteries with wires attached and car distributor caps to be used to assemble the "proton packs" for costumes he and two friends were planning to wear for a party today.

Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!

"It wasn't my idea," he said of the costumes. "I don't even really like the Ghostbusters."

Rosie, publisher fight over defunct journal

NEW YORK -- Lawyers for Rosie O'Donnell and the publisher of her now-defunct magazine, Rosie, squared off in court Thursday, each charging the other with destroying the publication by seeking complete control.

"Ms. O'Donnell walked away from the magazine, causing it to shut down in its second year of publication and causing hundreds of people to lose jobs and Gruner + Jahr to lose millions of dollars," Martin Hyman, attorney for publisher Gruner Jahr USA, said in opening court statements.

-- From wire reports

Story Tags

Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:

For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.

Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!