criminal negligence. and that the fire was, to put it simply a tragic accident. the stretch limo scene burst into flames the night of may 4th, killing five women. four others survived. >> we have concluded the fire was accidental in nature. >> there will not be criminal charges. >> prime!6i, catalyst in this tragedy was catastrophic failure of the rear suspension system allowing the vehicle's drive shaft to come into contact with the floor hahn pan. a critical component are air shocks. our sources say it's likely the air suspension failed because air shocks ruptured by investigators say they cannot definitely point to that because the shocks were destroyed in the fire.

the chp wanted to see if anyone was criminally negligent focusing on the driver and the owner. saying the chp conclude there'd was no evidence to press criminal charges against the men but brown's estranged wife told reporters the two argued shortly before the fire. >> if the driver had been on the phone there would be a basis for phone shall criminal charge autos investigators confirnl that had they cleared brown of wrong doing. >> chp and district attorney investigators determined mr. brown was not on his phone at the time of the tragedy. >> the investigation went through six years of the limo maintenance records a'zp found no irregularities. the right suspension system

was replaced just years ago. the state p.u.c. says it will find the -- fine the limo owner $7500 for violating occupancy permit. >> a general citation will be issued for failure to operate safely and having two more passengers than there were seat belts. >> investigators say they'll never know if the two extra passengers contributed to the failure of the suspension system. vic lee abc 7 news. >> dramatic 911 calls made after that fire showed panic as victims tried to get out of there. we're not going to air parts of the recording. here are edited portions of three calls from a survivor, a patrol officer and a driver that helps paint a picture of what happened that night.

>> well, the driver is expressing relieve today he will not be facing criminal charges. brown had to endure months of public scrutiny about action that's night. investigators made it clear today in exam nation showed brown was not on the phone just before the accident as claimed by his estranged wife. he says he is suffering as a result of the deadly fire and

wants victim families to know how badly he feels, too. >> i am hurting and i feel sorry that this thing happened just a sad situation. >> brown and his family plan to sponsor a series of concerts at san francisco castro theater and donate proceeds to the victims. >> we have breaking news in san francisco. two people have been shot at visitation valley. sky 7 was at the scene to give you a frame of rever yens. -- reference. officers have not provided any descriptions of the people or people who shot them. the investigation is causing delays on the light rail line. >> san francisco fire

department defending it's response to pictures of the asiana airlines crash taken by a battalion chief usingly a helmet cam. photos appear in the san francisco chronicle showing the aftermath of the crash around the time a survivor was run over. the chief sent a memo reminding firefighters of a 4-year-old policy prohibiting the use of recording devices. the fire department says it's a privacy issue. >> you're in a medical crisis. would you want people coming into your home filming everything?o+w&t and phone shallly posting it on facebook? >> the fire department says the pictures have been useful and the department will consider making changes to the policy. >> funeral services held today for the 49-year-old woman magda gonzales, killed last week when struck about a

tractor at san jose city college. this cut shorlt a mother's dream of helping others like herself. >> hardest thing for her family is to see a life not yet fulfilled. they flew from as far as arizona and texas to remember the 49-year-old san jose resident who was killed while struck by a construction tractor. she'd gone there to register for fall class autos she wanted to become a social worker. and try to help teen-age pregnant women get back on their feet and go in the right direction. as well as work with alcoholics and drug addict autos she was a straight a student she didn't go to college. instead she cleaned houses and worked cash registers to support five children as a single parent. as she struggled to raise a daughter and four sons relatives say she was able to

laugh. they drib described her as energetic and now she wanted to guide others. after services the family gathered at home to celebrate a life that had meaning. >> we did come together because of her and come together because of her spirit. because of her humor. just the joy for life. >> the death of a loved one can lead to bitterness, however her brother says the owner of preston pipeline has been in contact offering help and support. éc acciden. that is the way we look at it. no ill feelings. we pray that the operateors is able to pull through this difficult time. they see tragedies every day. and this hit home. >> gonzales didn't fulfill her dream perhaps her life will inspire others to follow in a former concord

elementary schoolteacher could face more child molestation charges facing 92 counts of sex abuse against 11 former students. today prosecutors told a judge they are adding 17 more molestation charges against martin involving two additional victims. all former students from martin's 5th grade class. >> moving on to weather and into the bay area, high fire danger signs up for the east bay. there is a possibility of dry lightning. firefighters have been sent to battle wildfires in northern, and southern california. sandhya patel is here now with the latest on what makes this so dangerous. >> we're talking about dry winter combining with numerous lightning strikes and dry lightning could touch off

fires. you'll seat intensity of the storm here. it's off the coastline still, you'll see how far away it is from san francisco. we're still about 65 miles away. those strikes and as i take you in closer last half an hour 665 lightning strikes. you can see the stuff moving westward around an area of low pressure. and there is still a threat of red flag thunderstorms, east bay hills santa cruz mountains and we have a red flag warning for the north bay mountains and interior valley that's will remain in effect until wednesday at 5:00 p.m. i'll be back to let you know what changes you can expect. cheryl? >> thank you. fire is already taking a toll outside of the bay area. cal fire lists nine major active fires burning now across the state.

they're most concerned about one in butte county. the fire burned about 2000 acres since breaking out friday. flames destroyed a home and he vac orders are still in effect for homes still in the path. the fire only about 45% contained. >> an endangered fin whale wash add shore this morning second in size tonl its massive cousin, the blue whale. the whale immediately of course attracted attention but just too late to save it. wayne freedman is live with the story. >> not only large whale buzz laif lang time. average whale lives more than 100 years but not this one, behind us. you can see the whale to the left. there are veterinarians doing

a necropsy. to the right a large pile they've dug a hole intending to bury that whale here. stintson is a world famous beach not far from what sir francis drake supposedly first landed. >> people are curious bit. they want to take a look at it. >> a final act of nature. >> i just saw people and first thing my mom said is there a whale. >> the whale was clearly in distress. >> still alive at 7:00 when i got here and died about quarter to 10:00. attempts to haul it out of the area failed by then the rescue had become disposal.

>> if you take it back out to the water it's just going to wash up to be someone else's problem. >> researchers from marin county opened up the whale and looked at everything. >> if it's human related we want to find that money. we want to better understand. >> because along pacific coast only 3200 fin whales remain, they're big creatures on a narrow margin. now there is one fewer than yesterday. still a mystery on an otherwise perfect summer day at the beach. >> we're hoping to see a happy sendoff. >> instead, this and the waves. >> new span of the bay bridge supposed to open in a little more than two weeks now reaching another milestone what. crews did to make it ready for traffic.

>> it's back to school day for a lot of bay area kids. we're going to take a look at new safety measures in place to protect those young people. >> later on, back to school

the support system that will allow the new bay bridge to open is in place. crews successfully installed a new shim over the weekend. interest there is a picture of the shims. they're steel plates. engineers say they are what is

making everybody confident. the new bay bridge is safe enough to open in just 15 days. abc 7 news reporter joins us closer look. heather. >> never before has there been a new bay bridge. the closures have only been for four this, will be a momentous and final closure indeed. the shims are in. the new bridge is ready but are you? >> hopefully stays up. >> faster commute. better view. >> before that better view, a final five day full bridge closure will likely mean congestion on the alternate route. >> we normally go over san

francisco bridge now we're going to have to go around. >> do you have an idea how much time goitsing to add? >> another hour to the commute. >> choke points over the 2007 and 2009 closures included sir francis drake. either end at 880 and 101, 92 interchanged and 19th avenue clogged with people using golden gate bridge. here is the expert advice. >> if you're not already a fast track customer hyvee pick up a fast track. >> over the closure, 30,000 tennessee football fans descended on the area, caltrans warned tennessee this year it's northwest yempblt planners just called to warn that program today.

>> i am not certain that the northwestern fans will travel in the numbers that tennessee volunteer fans did some years ago. >> headaches should be worth it it in the end. not everyone is sure. >> hopefully i won't be one of the first but will be a copy you don't want to be one of the snirs. >> not one of the first. >> caltrans insists the new bridge is safer. >> not too much of a chance. we're just now 15 days from the opening. the closure starts wednesday august 28th lasting up to five days over the long labor day weekend reopening by tuesday, september 3. >> so talking about the weather. >> sandhya patel is in for spencer. >> it is indeed.

when talking about thundershowers and thunderstorms this happen. luckily it's been off the coastline. but can't rule it out. look at our live doppler 7 you can see the lightning strikes just off the coast this moisture has been moving off shofr, hundreds of strikes off the coastline around the state so far 4700 lightning strikes. area of low pressure spinning here coming up moisture. some resulting in rain in sierra nevada here in the bay area dry lightning is a concern and could spark fires.

we're watching the fog. we do have fog out there along the coast. 62 degrees in san francisco. from our tgo camera you can see build ups like that earlier starting to collapse a little bit here. 81 in santa rosa now. 86 in novato. temperatures 104 in livermore only 62 in pacifica. the bridge socked n watch out for fog and possibility of thunderstorms through wednesday. it's going to get cooler, area of low pressure responsible for unstable weather continuing to pull up the moisture and we'll see waves

of instability. the low lifts north and by wednesday evening drier air will spread north. so we'll stabilize here. tomorrow morning there will be fog around near the coast f you've got to take your doidz school give yourself plenty of time. it will be a mild start. so tuesday afternoon 8234 san jose in south bay.x 87 loss gat yots, partly cloudy skies on the peninsula. downtown san francisco, south city low 70s and north bay you're going to see 78 in santa rosa. 78 san rafael. 70s to low 80s in the east accu-weather forecast isolated thunder threat possible then

drying out warming it a little bit cooler for the weekend. >> thank you. >> still ahead why it was a disappointing day for people who came out to watch the america's cup. >> weather and mechanical problems plaguing the races.

another america's cup race. the first race continued. italians started strong but were forced to withdraw after breaking a control arm on the wing of the boat. the second race of the day was supposed to start 30 minutes later however, 22 miles per hour winds exceeded limits for safety, forcing organizers to postpone the race. >> summer came to a screeching halt today for thousands of bay area sturd yents as school opened in many kplunts today. teachers and staff say students will notice a focus on 21 century skills, one young man shared his enthusiasm for learning. >> really excited. going to get new home work. >> you're excited about home work, huh? >> i really like school.

>> police made sure students arrived safely. >> well there is more ahead tonight the unusual trial of an accused serial killer acting as his own attorney. goits to the jury but not everyone, not before, rather another unexpected detour. >> former vice president visits like tahoe with high praise. plans he said could be a

the jury in a marin county serial killer case began deliberations this afternoon. the defendant joe naso acted as his own attorney. >> he then had a letter slipped to dan noyes. ,úu explained it was an attempt to draw attention to

other suspects. >> with his life on the line in the death penalty case joe naso pushed limits in this closing argument trying to introducev0fw% new evidence sayg the prosecution cannot prove i am capable of lifting more than 30 pounds due to a bad back. naso finished by saying i ask you now to find me not guilty on all counts. his rambling closing argue gums that took a day and a half did not seem to sway observer autos they were just repetitive and didn't really say anything. i don't believe he sold his case. >> there are things he hasn't explained the list he's never explain that had list. and he's not adequately explained dna. >> during rebuttal the prosecution honed in on that list nound a search of naso's

home what investigators labeled a dump list of the bodies. naso's dna was found on two victims. naso kept obituaries in a save deposit box. he had a letter hand delivered to the i team discovering other suspects in the death of roxine rogash. >> mr. roachel was known to force prostitutes in the trunk of the car. >> jury members are not supposed to view media reports or discuss the case. closing arguments were delayed because of rogas hcht's brother. >> i'm not going to let it drop. >> larry parked a car near the courtroom entrance and wrote on it joe naso being charged for murder of my sister. he asked for money to help i

him stay in san rafael, raising a concern jurors may have seen the truck. >> the judge said he'd rather you not do this because you may have impact on the jury. jury ought to be deciding on evidence. >> ruling no injuries should be dismissed ruling only one sought truck today but didn't bother to read the writing. for the i team dan noyes abc 7 news. >> and update on an issue uncovered by our i team. the governor signed a bill into law protecting the rights of people under a conservativeship. you may remember an investigation that uncovered cases where the santa clara county public guardian was restricting access to conserve tees.

you can find a link on abc 7 news.com. >> and annual celebration of lake tahoe came with an undercurrent of debate about its future that. was the scene today as state leaders convened. at issue here an agreement on tahoe's oversight. some environmentalists say is a sellout. al gore took a receipt tore cal plunge 16 years after he and then president bill clinton held the first of the water side summit autos the shore line would be urbanized. >> there is a political chill of sorts this year over the lake's future. >> lots of pavement and big buildings. that doesn't protect the lake. >> that is the criticism of the deal struck, a renewal of

the tahoe regional governing plan but with changes requiring nick needs be taken into account. every lawmaker on hand for this summit says it's a good compromise. >>s/i÷trying to be perfect means you don't get anything done. >> both through a lawsuit and legislation that ratifies the plan still under consideration at the capitol. >> i think we're going to get better than what we have. and so we're moving forward. >> there is less than a month left. the governor believes he can get that bill moving forward. if it does not it could throw a monkey wrench into california-nevada relationship  lake.nia-nevada relationship

>>. apps and web sites th

if you're buying school supplies right now you may feel the pinch. >> prices jumped 7.3% averaging $1200 for a high school student. >> this week michael finney is helping you save money and get ready for back to school. >> yes. michael is here with the first report tonight. >> we're not kidding about this. we've found real ways you can safe. key is finding lowest price was out driving around for every sale. we've discovered how to use high technology with the least amount of has yes. this and this works. >> it's that time of the year again. >> he's tell neeg dial it back and safe money. >> just go owing into the store i want everything. >> it isn't just paiper and pencils kids want.

>> shoes. >> shoes. >> vans. they're expensive. >> he he wants to update his wardrobe to try to impress the girl autos so jim burness and his son plan to shop for impressive clothes but limit spending too $200. and we found that might be possible. >> i think apps are handy looking for a particular thing. >> this is jody. she says indeed shopping apps ask web sites with help you find bargains. >> you can use, say a price grabber. find out who is selling it for the lowest price. >> this free app looks for items. the app finds a huge price range.q>1í$ same shoes, differ stories.

next looking up samsung tab blet from $368 to $399. jody recommends an app called retail me not letting you type in the name of the store and find coupons offered there. >> these students found coupons on their phones. >> up to 80% off, hey! that is so good. >> next we tried a browser called price blink. >> price blink is very cool. it kind of auto mates deal finding for you. >> you shop online, price blink finds td lowest price for your item. >> this will pop up when shopping online and tell you there is a cheaper price on that item. >> we looked for a mac book air case.

apple store has it for $39.99. price blink the same case on ebay for $16.95. and this calculator, found cheaper on ebay. however, did not find lower prices for every item. jody warns before you buy check costs and policies. >> if you pay for shipping not a great deal f you're ordering online and they have a restrictive return policy it's not a best buy. >> we go anywhere and buy things at whatever prices. >> yes. it s these are the tools you can find there are other free apps that can steer you to the bargain.

i posted information on our web site just go to abc 7 news.com and watch us. i have strategy autos we can work this. >> thank you. >> love it. >> just ahead here cheryl takes you inside of a free summer camp for children. >> how they're learning to manage their illnesses.

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a lot of people may not know thousands of children suffer with arthritis. i had a chance to learn more about this illness thanks to the tailor family foundation which hosted a camp for children with this disorder you'll see it's where they can tlorn manage the disease. this music they area pay pi is a new way to help these children owe who live with a life long disease they have a form of arj rightsis a

shocking diagnosis. >> i thought it's only for old people for some reason. but now that i have it, now, i see these kids that have arthritis. so it's kind of like changing my mind. >> my arthritis was really bad when i was young but it's gotten a lot better. >> we found out it was lupus. it's a version of arthritis. >> i would say arthritis is just inflammation of the joints. that can include swelling that, can include redness. >> these youngsters are among growing number of children finding their way to this free camp in livermore, each camp designed for children's special needs. >> we work closely with doctors nurses and counselor we meet and talk about what does the camp look like for the best exkbreerns? >> the name of the camp is

valagras, spanish for miracles, designed for children 8-13 with juvenile arthritis and related disorders. the motto is kids get arthritis, too. a lot of us don't know that. but numbers are staggering. 3,000 kids in the bay area, 38,000 in california and nearly 300,000 across the country. those are just kids they know about it. >> girls are affected more than boys. >> i don't think they know why yet. no. we're still looking for a cause and for a cure. >> in basketball when i jump hurts my knees. and sometimes my elbows hurt he started limping as he got older and finally diagnosed two years ago by a specialist. >> my fingers do get swoler. >> 13-year-old lindsay

they thought i had bone tumors and leukemia. >> the kids share information about medications, injections and sad stories from outside camp because they can't keep up with school activities because they look different. >> what happens if you don't take medicine. >> my joints hurt a little bit. my. >> so scared they might make fun of me. >> what do you want kids to know know about this disease? >> it's hard and shouldn't make fun of people that have it. >> here, kids get to run and jump if they're able. they also get to share something special. making friends who understand

them. >> great camp. there is a fund-raiser coming up sunday august 25th. we have more information for you on our web site abc 7 news.com under see it on tv. >> come join us. >> what they do is amazing at the camp. let's talk about the forecast. >> activity is increasing lightning strikes showing up just 20 miles away. so we're keeping the thunderstorm threat in the forecast. until 11:00 a.m. for east bay hills and santa cruz mountains until 5:00 p.m. wednesday. as you check out highs partly cloudy, temperatures low 90s inland. we're still looking at isolated thunderstorms tomorrow and threat will taper

into wednesday evening. warmer thursday, friday in 90s inland cooling off to 80s inland and a more stable atmosphere by then. >> thank you. >> let's talk football. >> collin rush is here with sports. >> something had to give. 49ers decided to cut their losses aj jenkins sent to kansas city leaving san francisco with the same amount of catches' arrived with.

aj jenkins and jonathan baldwin have a lot of things in common. talent is one. 49ers and chiefs traded the former first round picks today. he never caught a regular season pass from niners this play against denver summed up his team, nice move, so then, he fumbles. catching with a rap on jenkins. now, baldwin was the 29th pick

in 2011. a change of screenry may be the best thing for both. >> fresh start for both young men. hopefully will be a positive there. is no reason that both of these guys can't end up having a great career. >> the raiders haven't given up on jacobbyford on the practice field today for the first time since august 7th. he's been hobled with a hamstring injury after an explosive rookie seasonford had numerous injury issues playing just eight games in 102011 and hopes to play on friday. >> i have to be able to transfer weight to my foot. just watching the ball and getting back into the groove of things, getting feet back

underneath knee. -- me. >> many giants fans circled the series on the schedule to start the season. boston has done their part. 20 games over 500. giants playing for pride these days. 13 games under 500. >> your job is to come out and win every game we're not trying to make our season by being a spoiler. >> harrison barns and ed lee on a basketball court let's face it, it's a mismatch. playing field leveled yesterday in chinatown. mayor lee and barns involved in ping pong. and barns was promoting upcoming games in china.

larry beil is in new york for those unaware his secondary career is that of cliff diver, not really. this is a world champion cliff diver 75 feet above the hudson river. this abc 7 sports report brought to you by orchard supply hardware. >> not larry. >> we've encouraged larry to try that. >> join me tonight at 9:00 coming up identified arrested and charged. the shooting of four people and tonight police get their man. then dry conditions and possible lightning strikes increasing fire danger what. firefighters are telling homeowners right now. >> that is going to do it for

us. >> from all of us here thanks for watching. we appreciate your time.

what i like about the teen tournament. well, it's simple. these kids are very bright, they're fun, and they're full of surprises. this season's tournament is a perfect example, right down to the very last moment. this is the "jeopardy!" teen tournament! let's meet today's contestants -- an 8th grader from houston, texas... ...a junior from macon, georgia... ...and a junior from minnetonka, minnesota... and now here is the host of "jeopardy!" -- alex trebek! thanks, johnny. thank you, ladies and gentlemen. and welcome to our annual teen tournament. good times for the next two weeks, featuring some very bright contestants ranging in age from 13 to 17,

and as you just heard in the introduction, one student who is in grade 8, irene. welcome, young players, and good luck to you. let's go to work now in the first round of play, which is the jeopardy! round. one daily double coming up in one of these categories. you identify the state for us, please. ...one of these days. alex: lila, you get to go first. i'll take i am your leader for $200, please, alex. irene. what is leader of the free world? you're right. i'll have i am your leader for $400, please. i'm ayatollah ali khamenei, and i like being called supreme leader of this country. lila. what is iran? correct. i'll take i am your leader for $600, please.