MILWAUKEE – An Iraq War veteran told detectives that he stalked his wife for several days while she was patrolling the streets of the Milwaukee suburb where she was a police officer, then ambushed her in the early hours of Christmas Eve and killed her, according to prosecutors.

Ben Gabriel Sebena, 30, was charged Thursday with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his wife, Jennifer Sebena, who was found dead in front of Wauwatosa’s fire station by her fellow officers before dawn on Monday. She had been shot five times in the head.

Ben Sebena made an initial court appearance Thursday, and a court commissioner ordered the decorated Marine Corps veteran held on $1 million cash bond.

Authorities say officers went to check on Jennifer Sebena when she didn’t respond to radio calls.

Bush still battling case of bronchitis

Former President George H.W. Bush, who has been hospitalized for more than a month, is getting excellent medical treatment and would advise people to “put the harps back in the closet,” his longtime Houston chief of staff said Thursday evening.

But Jean Becker also pointed out in her statement that the 88-year-old Bush is sick and likely will be in the hospital for a while after a “terrible case of bronchitis which then triggered a series of complications.”

Bush, the oldest living former president, has been in intensive care since Sunday. He was admitted to Methodist Hospital in Houston on Nov. 23 for treatment of what his spokesman Jim McGrath described as a “stubborn” cough.

She said updates about Bush’s condition have been limited “out of respect for President Bush and the Bush family who, like most of us, prefer to deal with health issues in privacy.”

Ports may close in a matter of days

In just a few days, a walkout by thousands of dock workers could bring commerce to a near standstill at every major port from Boston to Houston, potentially delivering a big blow to retailers and manufacturers still struggling to find their footing in a weak economy.

More than 14,000 longshoremen are threating to go on strike Sunday – a wide-ranging work stoppage that would immediately close cargo ports on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

The 15 ports involved in the labor dispute move more than 100 million tons of goods each year, or about 40 percent of the nation’s containerized cargo traffic.

Losing them to a shutdown, even for a few days, could cost the economy billions of dollars.

Girl’s body may have been found

Police investigating the week-old disappearance of a 10-year-old Las Vegas girl said Thursday they believe they found the child’s body in an undeveloped housing tract in North Las Vegas.

Authorities couldn’t immediately confirm the body was Jade Morris pending positive identification and notification of family members by the Clark County coroner, Las Vegas police homicide Capt. Chris Jones said.

But, “I can tell you that the likelihood is that this is our victim,” Jones said.

Coroner Michael Murphy said he did not expect positive identification until today.

Jade was last seen by her family at about 5 p.m. Dec. 21 when Brenda Stokes picked her up for a shopping outing, police said.