Alycia Lane takes early vacation

CBS3's Alycia Lane, accused of slugging a New York City plainclothes police officer early Sunday, will be off the air for the foreseeable future.

The station and the anchorwoman agreed that she would start vacation today, a station spokeswoman said. She previously had been scheduled to start two weeks' vacation next Monday.

Her return date has not been determined. Station management is taking a wait-and-see approach.

The arrest raised several dicey dilemmas for management, including whether to air Tuesday's holiday special, which she and coanchor Larry Mendte taped last week.

No decision has been made, the spokeswoman said.

The crop of sunny news promos showing her and Mendte as the public faces of the station has not been seen since Sunday.

Arrests of TV anchors - for offenses ranging from driving under the influence to retail theft - are not new. In most cases, the offenders take a few days off and settle the case. A Boston anchor resigned in 1999 after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend.

Complicating matters in Lane's case are the nature of the charge against her - assault in the second degree, a felony - and the identity of the alleged victim, a plainclothes police officer.

All-news KYW (1060), also a CBS station, led its morning newcasts with the report. CBS3 plans to cover the arrest in its newscasts.

Archrival NBC10, and its MyPHL 17 news, covered it Sunday. Fox29 reported the incident this morning. Action News on 6ABC did not mention it and a spokeswoman did not return a call asking for an explanation.