LI NEWS BRIEFS

COPIAGUE / Cabbie found behind wheel, shot to death

A cabdriver was found shot to death in Copiague on Sunday afternoon, police said.

Juan Rosario, 19, was found around 5:30 p.m., slumped over his steering wheel after going to 42nd Street to pick up a fare.

Rosario, of 33rd Street in Copiague, worked for 5 Star Taxi Services in Copiague and was found in an unmarked silver Chrysler minivan, police said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by an official from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical examiner.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting can call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

- NICK SPANGLER

MINEOLA / LIRR rider injured in eye after argument on platform

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority police are investigating an incident at the Mineola Long Island Rail Road station that left a man hospitalized with an eye injury.

The incident occurred at 4:15 a.m. Sunday after two men departed a train and one of them bumped into another man who was standing on the platform, an MTA spokesman said.

An argument ensued, and a group of four unidentified men surrounded the two men who had just exited the train, the spokesman said.

During a fracas, one of the two men from the train fell and hit his right eye, the spokesman said.

He was sent to a nearby hospital for head wounds and facial lacerations that are not considered life-threatening, the spokesman said.

Police are investigating the incident, the MTA spokesman said.

The spokesman could not provide names for any of the people involved. There were no arrests.

- PATRICK WHITTLE

QUEENS / Smoky odor forces return of flight leaving Kennedy

An Israel-bound Delta flight that took off from Kennedy Airport returned to the airport because of a smoky odor near one of the galleys, the airline said.

Delta spokesman Paul Skrbec said that 20 minutes after Flight 268 took off Saturday night for Tel Aviv, the odor became noticeable and the captain decided to return the Boeing 747-400 to JFK in an "abundance of caution. There was no actual fire onboard the aircraft."

After jettisoning fuel, the plane carrying 390 passengers and an 18-member crew made a "normal landing," although emergency equipment had been mobilized and was standing by, Skrbec said.

The passengers were provided overnight accommodations, Skrbec said, and the flight was rescheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday.

- BILL BLEYER

BABYLON / Skeletal remains found near Cedar, Gilgo beaches

The skeletal remains of an unidentified body have been found on the side of Ocean Parkway between Cedar and Gilgo beaches, police officials said.

Homicide detectives are investigating after the remains were found Saturday about 2:45 p.m., when canine officer John Mallia and his dog, Blue, were doing a routine training exercise in the area.

A police spokeswoman said detectives could not immediately identify whether the remains are of a man or a woman and what was found is being brought to the medical examiner for analysis.

Detectives ask anyone with information to contact the homicide squad at 631-852-6392 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

- RICK BRAND