Indians’ Mesa Arrested for Misconduct

Cleveland Indian relief pitcher Jose Mesa and another man have been arrested on felony charges of fondling two 26-year-old women in a motel room in Lakewood, Ohio, on Dec. 22.

Police said both Mesa, 30, and David Blanco, 34, had loaded 9-millimeter handguns in their vehicles when they were arrested, so they were also charged with carrying concealed weapons.

After arrest warrants were issued Friday, police late that night arrested Mesa in the Flats, an area of Cleveland known for its restaurants and night clubs. Later, when Blanco went to the Lakewood jail to bail out Mesa, he also was taken into custody.

Both men were charged with gross sexual imposition and released on $5,000 bond. They were scheduled to appear in Lakewood Municipal Court on Jan. 7.

The women told police that after meeting the two men in the Flats, Mesa took a purse belonging to one of the women, put it around his neck and then drove off with the woman, while Blanco and the other woman followed in separate vehicles.

When they arrived at the motel room, the woman who owned the purse said she entered the room with the intention of getting her purse back and leaving. Once inside, Mesa and Blanco allegedly started fondling the women, who resisted. The men then left.

In November, the Indians exercised their 1998 option on Mesa for about $1.95 million plus whatever bonuses he earns next season. Last season, Mesa was 2-7 with a 3.73 earned-run average and 39 saves in 44 chances after an outstanding 1995 season, when had 46 saves in 48 chances and a 1.13 ERA.

Winter Sports

Sweden’s Pernilla Wiberg skied fastest on both runs to win a women’s World Cup slalom at Semmering, Austria, and take the lead in the overall standings.

Wiberg, skiing first on the opening run, had a total time of 1 minute 42.76 seconds to finish 1.12 seconds ahead of Deborah Compagnoni of Italy. Austria’s Anita Wachter was third at 1:43.94, her best slalom result since 1993.

Austrian Werner Franz had the best time in the final training run for today’s World Cup downhill at Bormio, Italy. He completed the 3,270-meter long course in 2:01.80. American AJ Kitt was 1.38 seconds slower than Franz.

A men’s World Cup super giant slalom, originally scheduled for Dec. 8 at Whistler Mountain in Canada, has been rescheduled for Jan. 10 at Chamonix, France, by the International Ski Federation. The Whistler Mountain race was postponed because of heavy snows.

Hockey

B.J. Young gave the United States a 4-3 lead with a back-handed goal at 15:44 of the third period, but Canada’s Peter Schaefer scored with 3:06 remaining and the teams skated to a 4-4 tie at the world junior hockey championships at Geneva.

Christian Dube, on loan from the New York Rangers, scored twice for the Canadians in the first period.

There is no overtime in the preliminary round of the 10-country competition.

The United States, Canada and the Czech Republic are tied for first in Group A at 1-0-1. The United States and the Czech Republic play today. Canada meets host Switzerland on Monday.

Tennis

Justin Gimelstob, 19, flew from Florida to Perth, Australia, after replacing Richie Reneberg on the United States’ mixed-doubles Hopman Cup team. Reneberg withdrew to stay home with his wife, Margot, who is two weeks overdue with the couple’s first child.

Steffi Graf, suffering from a virus, also withdrew and was replaced by Petra Begerow on the German team.

Gimelstob will team with Chanda Rubin in trying to give the United States its first victory in the Hopman Cup, one of a series of events leading up to the Australian Open, to be played in Melbourne from Jan. 13-26.