Monday, Apr. 19, 1993

Light-Footed

SURROUNDED BY COPS ON A VIRGINIA HIGHWAY, ACCUSED DRUG dealer Alfred E. Acree Jr. did what any self-respecting suspect would do: he ran like hell. Diving into a dark wood at night, Acree was no doubt amazed by the swiftness of his apprehension by county sheriff's deputies -- not realizing that he had signaled his presence brilliantly with his brand-new L.A. Gear Light Gear athletic shoes, battery powered so as to illuminate the wearer's every move. Officers say $800 worth of cocaine was found in Acree's pockets. L.A. Gear, naturally, prefers the story of a seven-year-old in Ripley, Tennessee, who disappeared with her three-legged dog Coco, only to be located by police who spotted the constant glow of her sneakers.