good afternoon. i'm dan ashley. >> i'm katie marzullo. residents in a hillsborough neighborhood heard something going on outside their home very early this morning and when they went outside, they found a dead deer. apparently killed by a big cat. >> it happened on el cerrito avenue. abc 7 news reporter vic lee is live with the story. >> reporter: this is the 500 block of el cerrito avenue in hillsborough. the attack happened right over there in those bushes behind the gate. that's where the carcass of the deer was found. we think the mountain lion may have jumped over the roof from the other side of the house and

then possibly on to a tree and then jumped to the ground, where it attacked the deer. >> a little nervous, to put it mildly, at this point. >> reporter: heather and her husband bob were sleeping, their bedroom window faces the yard. >> we heard a very large thump on our roof. never dreaming that it could be anything like a mountain lion. >> then all of a sudden we heard this loud screechy scream, high-pitched screech-scream. very shattering. it was that loud. >> it was a mauling of sorts and we could hear that something was in peril. >> i just screamed back because i knew it was some type of wild animal. >> reporter: it was apparently a mountain lion, on the front yard its dinner. the carcass of a doe. hillsborough police chief marc o'connor. >> it had been attacked and was presenting with injuries consistent with a predator attack. >> reporter: there have been other sightings in urban areas in the bay area in the recent

past. the mountain lion trapped under a car in mountain view. this one jumping on a car. another hiding in a tree, waiting for deer. their backyard faces the san mateo river, its thick foliage inviting to deer. this is their habitat and now their predators', too. neighbors were nervous today, especially those with kids. >> we are not going to let them get outside in the backyard without one of us out there. >> i saw rudolph. >> reporter: vic lee, abc 7 news. a peaceful protest took place in san francisco's union square as shoppers were trying to cash in on post-holiday sales today. >> abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman is live in san francisco with more. >> reporter: well, good evening. happy day after christmas. welcome to union square the day after christmas, where you have a ready-made crowd and everybody ready to take advantage of the ready-made crowd, whether a

violini violinist or the question is were they ready to be convinced on this time and day? merry christmas, everyone. day after christmas, to be more precise. could be you visited union square this afternoon hoping to squeeze a little more joy from the season. >> i need to shop today. >> reporter: then again, according to this small group of demonstrators, you needed to be educated and reminded. >> yeah. yeah. a huge point of this movement is to disrupt. >> because racist violence really bothers me. >> reporter: today another demonstration and reaction to police violence against african-americans. it was peaceful and destructive only of the christmas cheer among those who came here expecting anything other than this. >> i don't think that this is the time for it. christmas should be sacred. >> aren't black lives sacred? >> reporter: it was not a long rally more was it massive but it

was long and massive enough to draw news helicopters, attract police and attention to this national movement. >> there's a genocide happening in this country and it doesn't feel right to celebrate christmas when i know that there are so many black mothers and fathers that don't have their kids with them for christmas this year. >> reporter: message delivered though we must say to a somewhat unreceptive audience. >> can a cause and christmas co-exist? >> not really. >> reporter: from union square in san francisco, wayne freedman, abc 7 news. in oakland, meantime, it is a morning of cleaning up after a christmas night protest turned ugly. >> some in the crowd smashed windows and even attacked holiday displays. >> abc 7 news reporter amy hollyfield has that story. >> reporter: they called the march no time off, saying that even though it was christmas, they were not going to take time off from protesting the deaths of black men at the hands of police officers. the group turned destructive in oakland's jack london square, tearing lights and ornaments off

of the square's christmas tree, tagging the window of a restaurant and breaking windows at a subway restaurant and liquor store. police did not stop the attacks or make any arrests. this morning, work crews are now cleaning up broken glass and boarding up windows. >> hopefully it was a learning experience for the police. >> reporter: the general manager says he lost 23 windows. unsightly boards will now replace them while he waits for windows to be custom made for his store. all of this during the busy champagne season of new year's eve. >> we have a lot of customers that shop, you know, from different areas outside of oakland, our neighbor cities. and this is probably one of the only areas they come to in oakland. so this is not really the look we wanted. >> doesn't look like protest. looks more like vandalism to me. >> reporter: raymond is one of those customers. he drove in this morning to get

ingredients for a special family gathering. he left empty-handed. the store is closed. >> i understand everyone's frustration but i don't know what this proves. i don't know how this helps any of the families. >> reporter: the general manager says when these boards come down, he finally gets his windows, he's thinking about saving them and keeping them in his back room in case he needs them again. amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. a horrible head-on crash killed four people this morning in a sacramento county suburb at 1:30 in the community of fair oaks. the highway patrol says one of the vehicles caught fire. three of the people inside that car burned to death. the driver also died. both occupants of the other vehicle were seriously injured and taken to the hospital. authorities are investigating whether drugs or alcohol were in any way a factor in this crash. a fire that burned two homes in san francisco's portrero hill neighborhood yesterday caused

$2.6 million in damage. the fire burned for several hours on mississippi street and caused the roof to collapse at one of the homes. no one was hurt but two cats died. both buildings have been red-tagged. the cause remains under investigation. let's turn to weather for a few moments. beautiful day on christmas day, much cooler around the bay area today. >> gorgeous, though. spencer christian is off. meteorologist drew tuma is here with an accuweather update. how are things on the roof? >> picture-perfect. you can't see a cloud in the sky and it's just a light wind out here making for a great evening across the bay area. let's go to live doppler 7 hd right now and show you we have no rain to be worried about. the sweep going around won't find any moisture the next 24 hours. what we are tracking in the near term, it will be a cold night in some portions of the bay area. solano county under a frost advisory early tomorrow morning for temperatures dropping into the mid 30s. cover up the sensitive vegetation. we have a freeze warning just to our south that begins just after midnight until tomorrow morning, 8:00 a.m., for temperatures in

these locations dropping to about 32 degrees. you can see we are on our way to a very cold overnight period. live from the rooftop camera, showing you nothing but blue out there, and a great afternoon with temperatures in the 50s from san francisco, oakland, san carlos, san jose, morgan hill and half moon bay. just a light chop on the bay waters and temperatures across the region in the mid to upper 50s. one final stop at sfo, no weather worries. travel looking smooth here. first forecast calls for a chilly evening, cold tomorrow morning and lots of sunshine on the way for saturday. the big question, can we do two for two over the weekend? is sunday equally as nice? we will detail that in the full forecast in just a few minutes. >> drew, thanks very much. retailers today hope your disappointment turns into their gain. stores anticipate $65 billion worth of returns and exchanges. it's expected to be the second busiest shopping day of the year right behind super saturday. a lot of stores opened very

early this morning. >> everything you wanted for christmas? >> absolutely. >> then why were you here this early? >> because you got to get extra goodies. you have to get extra stuff. >> americans purchased $32 billion worth of gift cards this holiday season and if you didn't get the gift card you wanted, walmart has a new program that may help. the retail giant says it will buy up to 97% of the value of gift cards from other stores. delivery drivers are in for a busy few weeks. ups says it expects to handle four million holiday returns by january 11th. the company declared january 6th ups national returns day. the shipping giant expects people to send 800,000 unwanted gifts back to sellers that day alone. this is the sound san francisco officials want to hear in the coming days and weeks. this morning they held a demonstration in front of city hall to remind people to recycle their christmas trees. curbside pickup of christmas

trees begins on january 2nd and goes on for two weeks. it is part of the city's goal to get to zero waste. >> we are getting very close and we need all those trees to stay out of the landfills, get shipped, become mulch, become bioenergy. >> remember to take off the stand and removal ornaments and tinsel before putting it next to the cans on trash day. last year, san francisco recycled more than 539 tons of christmas trees, most turned into biofuel to generate electricity. still ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, new legal problems for the actor best known for playing screech. plus a major boost for the roadster. how far tesla electric car will soon go on a single charge. and new at 4:30, remembering one of the fallen officers killed in an ambush and generous donations for the families of the new york officers. it is a tale of two commute routes out there today on this

friday. take a look live at san francisco skyway. what do you know on a friday, zipping along in both directions. cars coming at you have no problem getting on to the bay bridge but now let's take a look on the other side of the bay bridge. coming the other direction, it's kind of a mess coming into the city. stay with us.

which means it's timeson for the volkswagen sign-then-drive event. for practically just your signature, you could drive home for the holidays in a german-engineered volkswagen. like the sporty, advanced new jetta... and the 2015 motor trend car of the year all-new golf. if you're wishing for a new volkswagen this season... just about all you need is a finely tuned... pen. hurry in to the sign then drive event and get a five-hundred dollar new year's bonus on select new volkswagen models. offer ends january 2nd. saved by the bell star dustin diamond faces weapons charges in wisconsin. he was taken into custody for possession of a switchblade.

police say diamond stabbed another person at a local bar after an argument. he's facing charges of recklessly endangering safety and carrying a concealed weapon. diamond of course best known as screech powers from the 1990s show. hackers knocked two popular gaming platforms offline this christmas as you may have found out firsthand at your house. it is the second major hack this holiday season after "the interview" was pulled because the security breach at sony. the movie earned more than $1 million in its first day. abc 7 news reporter sergio quintana is live at the elmwood theater in berkeley, where customers are lining up for a second day. >> reporter: yeah, and they are actually going to be going in shortly for the afternoon showing of "the interview." box office here at the elmwood says they had brisk sales yesterday and as you can see, that continues today. meanwhile, as you mentioned, a lot of online gamers were in the dark christmas day and today. this has turned out to be the

holiday of the entertainment hack. on christmas day, playstation and xbox players were met with error messages or blank screens. >> on the playstation that worked you couldn't get on the playstation. it was all blank. >> i thought it was my fault. couldn't figure it out. we had a few people trying, my nephew. >> reporter: a group calling themselves lizard squad has claimed responsibility for the gaming hack. microsoft and sony have not acknowledged the group. by this afternoon, xbox players have been able to log on to the network. sony's playstation customer service twitter feed was packed full of customers who were still offline, with messages like we are aware of this issue and our team is working hard to fix it as soon as possible, thank you for your patience. customers showed up for the second day of screenings of "the interview" here. the motivation to come to watch is pretty clear. >> if it happens to be north korea's state department claims, then it's kind of like in their face. >> reporter: but the reviews are mixed. >> i thought it was going to be

pretty stupid but i don't know, it turned out to be pretty good. >> it was funny but it was stupid and raunchy and there was too much violence. >> reporter: showings are nearly sold out for the second day in a row. sergio quintana, abc 7 news. the stars of "the interview" say they are extremely grateful to the fans who waited in line to see the movie. seth rogan surprised people at a movie theater last night. he and co-star randall park, who plays kim jong-un, passed out teeshirts and water bolts shaped like rockets. rogan thanked fans for demanding the movie's release. tesla roadster owners are getting an unexpected late holiday gift. the first 2500 owners of the sporty electric car will soon receive free upgrades to almost double the battery's range. to 400 miles. tesla plans to test the car's new range by driving it nonstop from san francisco to los angeles early next year. the palo alto based company says

its popular model s will receive the mileage upgrade eventually but no time soon. although christmas day has passed, kwanzaa is just getting started. it was created in 1965 by a ucla professor to honor african-american culture. it begins on december 26th and continues for seven days. observers emphasize a different principle each day. >> starting with unity, which is today's principle, then we will end it with faith and each night we will light a candle, have a feast, entertainment, and bring family and community together. >> this year's celebrations will take place each day at churches and community centers throughout san francisco. it ends on january 1st. spencer christian is off. meteorologist drew tuma here now with an accuweather update. >> just gorgeous outside although a little chilly out there. >> yeah.

but these temperatures, this is how it should feel in december. the first half of the month has been very mild and now we are finally back to reality, temperatures in the 50s in the afternoon. let's go to live doppler 7 hd and show you it is nothing but clear as far as the eye can see. live doppler 7 hd sweeping around trying to find any form of moisture but coming up empty-handed. look at this beautiful picture from a live look at the emeryville camera showing the silhouette of downtown san francisco as the sun is lowering in the sky. sutro tower in the background, really just a perfect evening on tap. the forecast does call for this clear sky, creating frost overnight. it will get cold the next 12 hours. seasonably cool days over the weekend, both saturday and sunday, with high pressure in control that proverbial storm door will stay shut at least for the next seven days. 58 in san francisco, 57 in oakland, 55 in san jose. 55 in san ramon. fairfield also 55 degrees and santa rosa currently 59 degrees. satellite and radar going to show you a lot of high pressure

around us. that means quiet conditions but also cool with a north wind and dry weather the next 48 hours. that high pressure staying right where it is so a quiet pattern will last through the weekend. let's take you into the future tomorrow morning. it will be cool but it will be bright. by 10:00 a.m., temperatures starting out in the 30s and 40s. by the afternoon, just a little bit of cloud cover, some high clouds tomorrow afternoon and temperatures where they were this time today. something cool to show you. after dark tonight, we will have the chance with clear skies to see the international space station cross over the bay area. starting tonight at 6:36 p.m., it will be visible for five minutes and what you want to do, look to the northwestern sky. a bright but quick-moving star will move to the south and east in that five-minute pass. something neat we don't always get to see but clear skies affording that view tonight. overnight lows, cool in the north valley. 33 in napa. 33 santa rosa. inland east bay, 34 in concord,

38 in fremont, dropping to 44 in san francisco. 37 the overnight low in san jose. highs for saturday, south bay 57. san jose, 58 cupertino. hello, ferry. 57 half moon bay. 55 pacifica. 58 for redwood city. downtown san francisco getting to 57 degrees tomorrow afternoon. north bay, 56. novato, 57. sonoma, 56. napa and the east bay, upper 50s. 58 in oakland. 58 union city. 57 castro valley. we will see 55 in concord, 57 pleasanton and 56 the high in livermore. the accuweather seven-day forecast. frosty tomorrow morning. tons of sun for sunday. we are seeing lots of 50s on the board, perhaps 60s around the bay. monday, the pattern continues with cold starts but tons of sunshine in the afternoon and seasonable temperatures. tuesday, a dip in the temperatures. inland spots may have a hard time even reaching 50 degrees. new year's eve, it's cold and windy but we are dry so good

news there. as we welcome 2015 on thursday, it's bright and beautiful and seasonable in the mid 50s. friday, just a touch milder with plenty of sunshine, maybe a few high clouds out there and temperatures staying in the upper 50s. remember, 6:36 this evening, look to the west-northwest for a bright but quick-moving star. that's the international space station. enjoy the look. okay? >> that's cool. thanks very much. >> hope we get to see it. up next, filling closets. the success two bay area girls are having in helping low income teenagers. a woman's dramatic delivery on a subway. you will hear from the two officers who helped bring this special holiday gift. a look outside right now at the commute in walnut creek. the 680, another example of friday lights or maybe holiday light at this point. however it is, we will take it. stay

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helped more than 10,000 needy and deserving teenagers. the charity has gathered about $250,000 worth of clothing. laura is now in college and can't run the charity anymore but it will live on thanks to 17-year-old riley glassen of alamo. they believe good clothes can be a driving force behind self-confidence. >> for you to do good in life, it kind of like, you need to have good self-esteem. that's really something that people don't realize affects it. >> part of like giving to these kids that are in need is giving them confidence, especially to go out and get a job and college interview. >> the girls say the biggest needs right now are boys' clothing and larger girls' sizes. you can help out by dropping off bags at the hyatt house in pleasanton. donations are tax-deductible. they have done a fantastic job. way to go. >> very good for them. if you're not doing post-holiday shopping this weekend, there is lots to explore where you live. >> abc 7 news reporter leyla

gulen has more. >> reporter: the bay area can still catch the last few days of the classic tale about an old miser visited by three ghosts of christmas past, present and future. "a christmas carol" will dazzle audiences with gorgeous costumes and music. check your hum-bugs at the door. if you really want to visit the past, say 200 million years ago, walking with dinosaurs is coming to san jose's s.a.p. center starting today through sunday. marvel at 20 life-sized dinosaurs as they come to life walking through the arena. also in san jose, plaza de cesar chavez has turned into a fantasyland. christmas in the park offers 50 musical and animated exhibits, enchanted forest, decorated trees and a photo den just in case you missed santa before the big day. for more information, go to our website at abc7news.com. leyla gulen, abc 7 news.

still ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, final respects. a fallen new york city police officer is remembered today. how his death is changing the debate over police conduct. plus -- >> it was just kind of like a black blur and it was on my back biting me. >> attacked by a bear. a florida girl talks for the first time about barely escaping with her life. what she did right. later, it is more than a restaurant. why the closing of this nearly six decade old institution is such a huge loss for palo alto.

good afternoon once again. here are your headlines at 4:30. a resident in hillsborough spotted a mountain lion early this morning just a few hours before police found a deer carcass. the big cat was on el cerrito avenue little more than a block from south school. animal control and wildlife officials have been contacted to deal with it. protesters marched through union square in san francisco today with signs reading black and brown lives matter. abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman tweeted this picture this afternoon. it says now marching through the post-christmas revelers. wayne will be live at 5:00 with the rest of the march and the response from those trying to enjoy the holiday. meantime, in new york today,

a sea of blue as members of the police department paid their final respects to rafael ramos, one of two officers killed in the line of duty last weekend. ramos' wake comes as tensions remain very high between police and the community. abc news reporter susan solney has more. >> reporter: a police honor guard carried officer rafael ramos' casket into a queens church for his wake and thousands lined up outside to get a chance to pay their respects. officer ramos was one of two policemen ambushed and executed in brooklyn last weekend by a troubled man with a grudge against the police. funeral arrangements for the other slain officer, wenjian liu, will be finalized once his family arrives from china. the killings ramped up emotions in the tense debate over police conduct. new york city police are investigating what appears to be a disturbing new trend, a wave of serious threats against police officers. authorities are looking into at least 40 cases of people threatening even more violence.

there has already been at least seven arrests. in one case, a man was overheard at a bank saying they should have killed two white cops, not a hispanic cop and an asian. he allegedly was overheard saying he would kill a white cop before christmas. at his home, police removed two guns and a set of brass knuckles. ed mullins is with the sergeants union. >> i have 33 years in the nypd, born and raised in the city of new york. i have never experienced an atmosphere like we are experiencing now. >> reporter: with the family of wenjian liu behind him, former mayor rudy giuliani asked for donations to a foundation started after 9/11 that will pay off the mortgages of the two police officers. giuliani said he spoke with liu's father who explained the son was the family's sole provider. >> you and i can go to bed, our children can go to bed, our parents can go to bed safe because this family and the ramos family sacrificed their

son, their husband, the breadwinner of the family. >> reporter: police officers are arriving from all over the country to attend officer ramos' funeral tomorrow. vice president joe biden is also expected to attend. abc news, washington. san francisco police are paying tribute to officer ramos. eight officers from sfpd left town this morning to head to new york to attend ramos' funeral tomorrow. the chief has ordered those traveling to the funeral to be on high alert. today marks ten years since a devastating tsunami left more than a quarter million people dead in southeast asia. crying onlookers took part in memorials and religious services across the region today. in indonesia, the country's vice president led a prayer service. the disaster happened after a powerful 9.1 magnitude earthquake roughly 20 minutes later, the quake destroyed homes and a massive wall of water, up to 100 feet high, came ashore. more than 170,000 people died in

indonesia alone. in thailand, the government held services remembering the more than 5,000 people killed. half of the victims were tourists celebrating the holiday season. foreigners from 38 nations died, including ten americans. in sri lanka, this was one of the few people to survive when the wave slammed into the ocean queen train. the train took a special journey today to commemorate all the victims of the tsunami. every year the train stops at the exact same spot to commemorate the victim. the 49ers are gearing up for the last game of what has been a disappointing season. the team hosts the arizona cardinals at levi's stadium sunday afternoon. the first year the new stadium has really been a letdown. the niners have three home wins this season. niners coach jim harbaugh this afternoon stressed the importance of sunday's game in terms of next year's roster spots. >> never know. so it's a great opportunity to

go out there and show and prove that yes, do yyou do have anoth year of football in you to be played. >> for harbaugh, maybe not with the 49ers. his status is very much up in the air. he has one year on his deal left but jay glazer of fox sports reported the team will fire harbaugh 24 to 48 hours after sunday's game. harbaugh's alma mater, michigan, have reportedly offered him a six year, $48 million contract. harbaugh did not address his future today. he will have many nfl opportunities as well, most likely. tomorrow on abc 7 you can watch miami and south carolina in the duck commander independence bowl live from shreveport, louisiana tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 right here on abc 7. the teenaged girl attacked by a bear earlier this week speaks out about the terrifying ordeal for the first time. >> on the ground, it was on my back biting me. >> leah was walking her dog

while listening to music sunday in east point florida when out of nowhere, a bear attacked. what she did next likely saved her life. >> in school they always told you to play dead. and it worked, because it stopped biting me as soon as i stopped screaming. i realized that nobody was going to come. nobody could hear me. >> amazingly, the 15-year-old's 25 pound springer spaniel ralph scared away the 200 pound bear. the teen then walked to her father's house and her parents called 911. leah is still recovering from wounds to the neck, head, back and arms. she was able to enjoy christmas dinner with her family last night. >> good for her. imagine how hard that would be to play dead when a bear is attacking you. a blind sacramento dog miraculously survived a 15-story fall. workers heard' giant splash this past monday and saw sam, the 13-year-old boston terrier, paddling in a hot tub. his owner assumed sam had died after the fall from the balcony of his 15 story condo.

>> it's just ridiculous luck. there's no other way about it. the dog actually when he goes into the hot tub, hits it almost dead center and then starts swimming immediately in the hot tub the try to find his way out. he got his way to the steps and then pulled himself out. >> the boston terrier did suffer five broken ribs and several fractures to his pelvis. he is currently recovering at an animal hospital. he says his dog enjoys catching sun on the balcony but he will have to stay inside for now. how about that. he survived. >> i don't think he will take much convincing to stay inside. wow. coming up on abc 7 news at 4:00, a son's surprise. wait until you see the parents' reaction when they find out what's inside that envelope. i'm abc 7 meteorologist drew tuma. beautiful silhouette of downtown san francisco. a chilly night on the way. frost advisories are up. i'll explain with the accuweather forecast. let's take you live outside

to the richmond toll plaza. wouldn't you like to be driving there about now? that's moving along beautifully. no trouble at all. if you're looking for something to do on new year's eve, check out abc7news.com. we have a list of fireworks shows and other events as well as information on how to get to

you know, some gifts on christmas are truly unforgettable. >> watch as a young man

surprises his parents by paying off their mortgage. >> here is my gift for you. >> for both? >> for both of you. >> only me and your daddy? it have to be a nice one because this is special. what? >> isn't that the sweetest thing? an emotional moment for the parents. the young man is the founder of the popular video editing app video shop. >> he shared this video on youtube. it's his parents' reaction to the gift. i love how he sits there so casually like it's no big thing. here's a photo of what was in the envelope. >> your house is paid off.

merry christmas, joe. >> that gives me chills. >> me, too. that is really sweet. imagine his pride being able to do that for his parents. >> awesome. let's talk once again about the weather forecast. nice outside. >> gorgeous. spencer christian is off. we have meteorologist drew tuma on the roof with an accuweather update. >> that really tugs at the heartstrings. huge smile. let's talk about the weather. it's putting a smile on a lot of people's faces. live doppler 7 hd will show you no moisture to be found but we are tracking cool temperatures, especially in solano county. we have a frost advisory in effect early tomorrow morning. that includes vallejo and fare field for temperatures falling into the 30s in this area. if you have plants outside, take them in or cover them up. it could destroy sensitive vegetation. we have a cold front slicing through the midwest. chicago, st. louis, down to dallas and new orleans tracking some showers. the midsection of america, lots of sunshine into the four corners, even new england,

tracking quiet conditions. here in california, tomorrow we will see temperatures in a wide range. 41 in tahoe. 56 in fresno. l.a., a high of 62 degrees. palm springs, 63. c chico, 53. in the bay area, plenty of sunshine, seasonably cool, in the mid to upper 50s. coming up on the news at 5:00, i will let you know how sunday is shaping up and the new year's eve forecast in the full accuweather seven day. dan? >> drew, thanks so much. still ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, the way you sleep may be giving you back and neck pain. and the simple fixes you can make to wake up pain-free. subway riders witness a surprise christmas birth. hear from the first responders

cell phone video captures a raging christmas night fire at a hotel near downtown los angeles. six people were hurt, two of them have critical burns. several people who live there had to make a harrowing escape from the upper floors. >> some were using tied bed sheets to lower themselves. other individuals were working as teams and standing on each other's shoulders, kind of like a human ladder. >> when we opened the door there

was so much smoke. i got scared and panicked. i closed the door to go back in and tried to open a window and she kept yelling at me. >> investigators say the fire started near a stove in one of the motel room's kitchens. it appears to be accidental. if you are waking up with back or neck pain like i did this morning, your sleep position may be to blame, especially if you share your bed. experts say some simple adjustments could let you sleep pain-free. abc 7 morning news anchor eric thomas. >> reporter: when it comes to sleeping, jamie says she likes to take over most of the bed while her fiance chris sleeps on the edge on his stomach. problem is, both were waking up with aches and pains. >> yeah. >> definitely. >> definitely. he would complain of neck pain and i would have lower back pain. >> reporter: their chiropractor says this is a common problem. >> if you're waking up achy, sore, not rested, something's wrong. >> reporter: doctors say there

is an organized way for couples to get a good night's rest and protect their backs. >> have to figure out are you a back sleeper or side sleeper, then figure out which side of the bed is more appropriate for this couple. >> reporter: chris is a stomach sleeper which is an absolute no-no. >> that's the worst position for the neck and head, also the low back. >> reporter: these days, chris and jamie sleep on their side and back. if you are alone, he says use a pillow between your knees to align your hips and spine. but couples can use each other for alignment. >> he's on his side and i'm on my side and he's not snoring. >> reporter: he says couples who both sleep on the same side can spoon or sleep back-to-back or in a position lee calls the protector. >> so usually man's here, woman's right here. using the man's shoulder as her pillow. she's side sleeping and he's on his back. >> by the end of the night we wake up in a position called the tangle. >> reporter: they say since they have changed their sleep positions, they wind up much happier.

eric thomas, abc 7 news. in marin, the endangered salmon population is in trouble. in late november and early december, the rain brought more than 100 fish to the creek from the ocean and since then, their numbers have leveled off. we are at the midpoint of the salmon season and recent egg counts predict the fish population will be below average. experts say the salmon are on the verge of extinction. listen to this. missouri is the first state in five years to have its state-wide gas price drop below $2 a gallon. aaa reports the average there today is $1.98. it was almost $3 a gallon there this time last year. the cost of gas across the nation has dropped 12 cents this week and 50 cents in the last month. >> it's $1.99. amazing. >> i had to stop and get gas. luckily i needed some. can't pass that up. >> can't get any better than this in terms of gift giving.

low gas prices. >> the national average for a gallon of gas is $2.32. now, here in california, the state average is $2.69, a little higher. bay area prices, a bit higher than that. the average gallon of gas costs $2.87 in san francisco, $2.72 in oakland and $2.71 in san jose. still, that's a far cry from over four bucks where it was not too long ago. >> hard to forget. now to a very special holiday delivery and a big surprise for subway riders. >> a big surprise. first responders stepped in to deliver a baby on a philadelphia train on christmas night. >> abc news reporter t.j. holmes has the story. >> we have a female in labor. avoid train car 1166. >> reporter: it was a christmas delivery that caught everybody by surprise. >> hearing her say my water broke, my water broke. >> reporter: an expectant mom

going into labor while riding this philadelphia subway car. >> a baby on christmas on the el. couldn't believe it. >> i rushed downstairs. >> reporter: this transit officer was first on the scene. meeting the train as it arrived at the station. >> i was like hey, guys, get your gloves on. he had his gloves ready. i said you, come on. >> reporter: he and his partner quickly turning the train car into a delivery room. >> i have three kids. my wife's pregnant again. it was just get in there and help. that's what we do. >> reporter: fellow strap hangers whipping out their smartphones to capture the moment. >> the umbilical cord was wrapped around the neck. other than that, healthy baby boy. >> reporter: the delivery, a success. the little bundle of joy seen on the train's surveillance camera before he and mom were taken to the hospital. >> it's such a joy just to see a baby born on a train like you're not expecting that. >> reporter: this morning, mom and her surprise gift are doing well. grateful for those two officers who now have an unforgettable christmas memory of their own. >> we delivered a baby for her

so it's like her christmas present but it's also like a blessing and present for myself. >> that's t.j. holmes reporting. today, those two transit officers visited the new mom and her healthy baby boy in the hospital, bearing gifts. all smiles. they brought the baby a teeshirt with the agency's logo and a stuffed train car. the mom recognized them immediately, saying i remember you as the officers walked into the room. what a sweet story. very nice of them to go back and say hi like that. >> i would venture she will never forget them. >> true. coming up on abc 7 news at 4:00, a peninsula institution serving its final meals this weekend. the rich history of ming's restaurant and how it changed customers' lives. then new at 5:00 -- >> bigger fish, smaller fish. it benefits the entire lake ecosystem. >> the christmas tradition that helps fish, fishermen and local lakes. at least it did until now. plus president obama's recent visit to san francisco. how it's stirring new secur

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a lineup for you tonight on prime time on abc. last man standing at 8:00 followed by cristela, shark tank and 20/20 at 10:00. then join us for abc 7 news at s 11:00. if you got a new smartphone over the holidays, abc 7 has a gift for you. download our app for free for updates on breaking news, weather and sports. get information in your app store or at abc7news.com/apps. finally, nothing lasts forever, of course. on the peninsula, a restaurant that has been a family favorite for over a half century is about to close. >> it's getting mobbed by last minute fans who want to reminisce and taste some of their favorite dishes one last time. >> abc 7 news reporter david louie is live at ming's on embarcadero road in palo alto tonight. a shame to see it go. >> reporter: it really is. ming's soon will be history. a new hotel will take its place in a couple years or so, although ming's will come back

in a smaller format inside the hotel. still for many, special memories will be gone forever. people are descending on ming's because it evokes so many memories. this 500 seat restaurant has been a palo alto mainstay for 58 years. >> this was the place for upscale chinese meals, period. we had a lot of mom and pop places but this was the place. >> reporter: sandy and her husband norman came back just to snap some photos. they had their pre-wedding dinner here 35 years ago and norman would hold many a business dinner here when he was an executive at sun microsystems. there is one dish, ming's signature chinese chicken salad, that he will miss the most. >> this dressing has like a special kind of mustard with some trace of like wasabe taste and that unique taste, i have never seen it in the rest of the bay area. >> reporter: the restaurant will lay off 49 employees while construction begins on an extended stay hotel.

ming's will reopen a smaller restaurant in the hotel. >> they will take a rest. they will take the rest for a short time and when the restaurant reopens, i hope many of them would come back to work for me. >> reporter: vincent lee is the head dim sum chef. ming's provided work for him as an immigrant. martha was a waitress to help pay her husband's way through medical school. >> it was the first time ming's had ever done a wedding reception. i should would you be willing to do it. they said they would give it a try. it started a bunch of wedding veep receptions. >> back when my wife was a waitress they wore very short skirts. there were a lot of businessmen here. i'm sure it was the food but it could have been the waitresses also. >> reporter: the building will be demolished. david louie, abc 7 news. >> too bad. that is this edition of abc 7 news at 4:00.

abc 7 news at 5:00 begins right now. i don't think it's the right place to demonstrate. >> that's exactly why demonstrators love it. coming up, the frustration over combining convictions with christmas. a peninsula neighborhood worried that a mountain lion could pounce on their pets or even their kids. the evidence that gives them good reason to be concerned. plus -- >> it makes a huge difference. >> on the shores of the lake, an underwater recycling program and why it is temporarily sinking. also, bad santas. all the holiday returns and the number one present under the tree this year. it was an aggravating day of cleanup in oakland after a christmas night black lives matter protest took a destructive turn. >> some demonstrators smashed windows, set a dumpster on fire and even ruined a holiday display. now we are getting late word from the mayor-elect of oakland.

good evening, i'm katie marzullo in for cheryl jennings. >> i'm dan ashley. the mayor-elect says trashing oakland's christmas tree represents a new low. she says quote, i'm disgusted that this small group of anarchests continue to vandalize businesses and continue to hijack the legitimate protest around racism and the legitimacy of our justice system. she says she plans to hold the protesters accountable for what happened. meanwhile, a better outcome at an anti-police protest in san francisco today. abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman is live with more on that. wayne? >> reporter: good evening, dan. after what happened in oakland last night, san francisco police were worried about what might happen here. turns out the protest today was non-violent and very peaceful. as to what did happen, however, we are stillompletely certain. no, that was not a sleigh hovering above union square this day after christmas.

nor were these elves. but if you were among those who did come here expecting reindeer and residual cheer -- [ chanting ] >> reporter: -- you got a bonus of sorts. >> racism is a disease that perpetuates our institutions and our minds and our communities. trying to get a disease out isn't always a pleasant process. >> reporter: to date, that process utilized free speech in a public arena. zealous demonstrators protesting police violence against african americans to a ready-made crowd. but was this ready-made crowd ready for this? here, today? >> i only have a few days off out of the year. this is one of my days off. so i think i would rather not have a demonstration. christmas should be sacred. >> every 28 hours a black person is killed by a police officer. is that sacred? >> i think it should be sacred. i don't think we should have demonstrations today. >> reporter: a wish is not a command. we should note that as demonstrations go, this one remained orderly and respectful. the only destruction, if