complex and residents will decide how to secure their community after two seniors were assaulted. >> it's a story you'll see only on abc7 news. >> reporter: it is a dilemma. residents are willing to shell out $50,000 to install a gate but the city won't allow it, even in the wake of a growing crime problem, including the beating of a senior and threats of violence. this 70-year-old is adamant that mansion park needs an electric gate. super bowl weekend he was attacked by three young men that knocked him down and punched his face. it happened in the park outside of the community. the assailants threatened to return and injure others. >> it could control the entrance for people going in and out. you know? but only people that have a right to be here.

>> reporter: there have been burglaries stolen cars and mail theft, however the planning department says gates are not allowed under a general plan approved in 2011. the idea is to make neighborhoods open and accessible. >> to have someone just be able to randomly walk into my garage and steal things is apalling and frustrating and there has been no follow up on it in two and a half months. >> reporter: gates do exist in other neighborhoods installed before the change. originally it cited traffic, not crime concerns. >> we'll take a look at the individual neighborhoods and balance it against the connectivity issue. this may be a reason to consider gates or other means of preventing crime. >> reporter: in san jose david louie, abc7 news. the bay area is drying out

after the first significant rainfall we have seen in weeks. the storm brought rain, strong winds and thunder and lightning. laura? >> reporter: experts predicted this might happen. a lot of tree failures and now, mix in high winds and heavy rain. the first storm in two weeks put on quite a show around the bay area between the hail and the thunder and lightning. but the wind made it's mark leaving downed trees in its wake. in alamo two cars came down and down the road a birch tree fell across the driveway of this home narrowly missing the structure and in the oakland hills, a pine toppled over snapping off power lines and

damaging a work fan. >> yes. we worry about the tree. the first was coming overhead. >> it could have hit the house but didn't. that is a great thing. but also, it could have happened at 7:30 when everybody is leaving for work and moving around. >> reporter: in walnut creek it was about prevention in this house. crews spent the morning removing this oak tree's limbs, extended over the house below. >> i guess insurance is making the homeowners prune their trees so they don't break them. their house for you know, for safety. >> that is to make sure nothing falls on the house in the next storm. in the east bay, haura anthony, abc7 news. now to our look at pier 15. it looks nice out tonight. sandhya patel is in tonight with the forecast. hi sandhya. >> yes we're getting a nice

break in areas, there are still showers left over. they're in the north bay and i'm going to show you where it is raining now. light to moderate river road seeing that rain right now wet roadways between guerneville and the general area. you'll notice moderate cells around willow creek road so another storm is coming in. this system is just up the coast arriving tomorrow. we're going to use our storm impact scale to rate the storm. dan? a san jose police officer fired was sending out controversial tweets about the black lives matter movement just got his badge back. officer phillip white pleaded if anyone feels they can't breathe or lives matter i'll be at the

movies, off duty, carrying my gun. white appeared the firing and won a ruling today and will be signed to administrative duties. the president of the police officers' association says it's our hope that the offensive comments that were at the center of the action are never repeated. >> the man accused of killing two people and wounding a third was in court today. and now new details. >> reporter: richard contraras bail was set at $5 million. we're learning the suspect didn't know the victims and that the shooting was probably fuelled by alcohol, drugs and a lot of disrespect.

richard cotrarases's attorney says there was no link and there could be unresolved identification issues but a source with knowledge of the probe says investigators believe they have a solid case. the prosecutor told the court he has a long history of carrying weapons in his car and committed a felony in each of the last three years, on monday, we spoke to two people at the area where it occurred. >> their suv the gunman car jacked when he made an escape. contraras was injured monday night. we learned costa and torres told investigators they cannot positively identify contraras'

mug shot because it was dark and happened quickly. sources tell us other credible witnesses did point him out as the killer but he is apparently not a validated gang member. >> there is nothing in the complaint alleging any kind of gang enhancement or charge. >> reporter: sources tell us he is known to hang out with gang members in richmond and those sources say he and two others drove up to twin peaks and were drinking and contraras was allegedly high on drugs. words were exchanged with the shooting victims. our sources say he pulled out a gun and shot the three. his two friends quickly drove off, leaving him at the scene. that is why our sources say he had to car jack fresno couple's car, to escape. fbi agents are going through

dozens of items seized from the brother of san bernardino shooter sayed farook. they carried out computers, equipment and folders and went through the cars parked outside. they didn't make arrests. his fajther was detained for his own safety, we're told. >> hopefully, if rahil knows something, he can help out. i'm just hoping they're in the part of it. they seem like a nice normal family. >> the search comes as fbi agents continue to urge apple to hack into the locked iphone a state budge ordered access to the phone but apple plans to appeal, citing privacy concerns. law enforcement officials say iphone encryption can cripple an investigation. bill bratton says unlocking is important to public safety. >> much of the attention has

been focused appropriately and necessity on the terrorism aspects of this the impact on the day-to-day lives of americans on their safety and our ability to solve and prevent crime is more significant. microsoft and google weighed in saying there should be no government back doors into peoples' devices. former state senator leland yee is getting ready for sentencing on federal corruption charges. today we have insight into how much prison time prosecutors want. >> reporter: if my hand are sentencing documentation, each side argues why the senators should get a heavy or light sentence. the 57-year-old yee faces up to 20 years in prison. in july, pleading guilty to federal felony charges including bribery, money laundering and arms trafficking. agents raided his office and home and arrested him in 2014 as

part of a racketeering investigation into chinatown crime boss raymond shrimp boy chow convicted last month. prosecutors say yee resorted to corruption to try to pay off a debt for a failed run for mayor in 2011 and 2014 campaign for secretary of state. now, in the attorney memos u.s. prosecutors are asking that yee be sentenced to eight years in prison with three years of release and a fine of $25,000 saying it would serve as a warning to other lawmakers tempted to break the law. but yee's attorneys argue he should get no more than five years and three months saying he was hooked by agents and he needs to care for his wife who is fighting cancer. yee will be sentenced in federal court in u.s. district court in san francisco next wednesday. dan and ama? >> thank you very much. another man picked up in the fbi investigation raymond shrimp boy chow is faces

prosecution. >> see photos that led to his conviction and hear his version of what happened. >> this is something that hurts badly. a live update on the controversial tree cutting happening in santa rosa today. tired of your career? how you can q four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth-- [train horn blares] to the continent -- ... a new nation. announcer: presidents day may be over but the savings go on at sleep train. through sunday at sleep train's presidents day sale save up to $300 on beautyrest and posturepedic get three years interest-free financing on tempur-pedic, plus same-day delivery

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bulldozers brought down a building hanging on the edge of

a cliff in pacifica. sky 7 hd was overhead as crews demolished the building. >> chris nguyen is live now with the details, chris? >> reporter: it was a moment many people didn't want to miss. >> i called my husband, i can see it from the balcony. he goes run down, take pictures of it. >> reporter: neighbors came out to see the demolition of the 330 esplanade apartments. >> look at the ocean. how many times will have you an opportunity to wake up in the morning and have the pacific ocean just crashing at your feet? >> reporter: all that is left are piles of wood, plastic and

appliances. a battle with a building that lost to nature. >> they used to have 30-40 more feet of cliff. every year i've seen it go more and more. >> reporter: the building was red tagged six years ago because of the erosion of the cliffs. but today it was torn down. pacifica city officials say they granted the demolition permit of a raktor cleared the building of asbestos. the work is being paid for by the property owner. however, questions remain about what will happen next to two of the adjacent properties managed by a different owner who recently declared bankruptcy. the city does have approval to take emergency action necessary. 310 esplanade is also teetering on the edge. some are hopeful it won't be another six years. >> i tell my friends we're clinging to the edge of the

continent by our finger tips. >> reporter: chris nguyen abc7 news. >> the worst gas leak in california history is now sealed. porter ranch is now plugged with cement. since the break many people got sick and 1800 homes had to be evacuated. the air quality will continue to be monitored. >> the city of santa rosa began removing 91 trees including six redwoods and it's been a controversial topic. wayne freedman joins us live with the story. wayne? >> reporter: good evening, am ma. the question is a redwood tree any less valuable if it was planted in the 1960s by men? that is the question they're mulling over tonight. if this day had gone according to plan brandon rhodes would have sat below his beloved trees

one more time. i found a chain link fence, it wasn't to be. >> this is just something that hurts very badly. >> reporter: as the city sees it will help, and be good. >> we're excited about the project. >> reporter: jason runs santa rosa department of transportation and public works and this is his baby. the city began clearing trees for a more unified old court house square in this same place where until 1966 the old court house used to be. but it includes six redwood trees, and that has been controversial. >> it's just sad and unnecessary. >> . >> reporter: that is a world renowned tree photographer. an advocate for cutting down trees. >> it is simple to offer a plan for the architect to say leave the big trees alone. >> reporter: it will eliminate santa rosa avenue where it

bisects the area. >> it will create a community for people to enjoy the shops and night life in the area. >> reporter: didn't you have that already? >> we have had bits and pieces of it. >> reporter: these days, change doesn't come easily. in santa rosa, abc7 news. an avalanche near alpine meadows struck a bus this morning, partially burying two vehicles from alpine meadows road. alpine meadow resort closed because of risk. check out this video

from kirkwood mountain. 1 to 2 feet of snow at the resorts and they're going to be seeing more tomorrow. here is a look at radar. we're seeing wet roadways in the north bay. around jenner, you're seeing wet roadways between the guerneville and heelsburg area. you can see yellows here indicating that rain. so how much rain last two days? under that in santa rosa. picked up a third inch in oaklandland.

and temperatures now in the 50s and there are clouds gathering. light rain for most areas. we do have a high surf advisory through 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, large breakers, and watch out for the big waves. storm coming in is light rain for friday less than a quarter inch and will be breezy in spots. sprinkles around the area and most of the rain holds up. in the north bay, light to moderate. yellow indicating moderate pockets. then that is when the system crosses the central bay. east bay and san francisco and

notice it doesn't move a lot at 3:00 p.m. and we're not expecting much out of this by 5:00 p.m. and nothing like what we have seen in the last 24-48 hours are expecting about a tenth of an inch. and most areas will be between a tenth to two tenths of an inch. mid-40s to low 50s and a few spots dropping down to low 40s and it will be like a winter feeling for morning. and some low 50s to mid-60s for friday and you will have some wet roadways for a friday get away. and this is one, and it's going to dry out. warm up, into the weekend and beyond, next week, temperatures

mid-70s for warmest spots so waiting for another storm. >> excellent. >> thank you. >> still ahead, a holy war of words between pope francis and donald trump. >> stay with us.

fremont is hoping to find a new home for baby valentine.

the police department posted these pictures and he just loves his stuffed animal taking a rest there. his owner signed over custody to the city. we've been following his progress ever since. for more video pictures and how to help go to abc7news.com. the pope questions trump's case because of his immigration stance then trump escalated to a new level. >> a person who thinks only about building walls wherever they may be located and not building bridges is not a christian. >> if and when the vatican is attacked by isis, which is everyone knows is isis's ultimate trophy, i can promise you the pope would have only wished and prayed that donald trump would have been president. >> abc7 political analyst says

trump needs to tread carefully. >> he wants to get into a holy war with the pope he may learn about politics. this isn't a two-bit politician. this is a man that leads 1.2 billion people world wide. well, abc7 news sat down for a jail house interview with a notorious gangster. >> i did not take the money. i received the money yes. >> hear our conversation with a convicted killer that agrees to answer our questions. >> here is a look at live doppler 7 hd. sandhya patel will join us for

>> i want to tell the world i'm not lying. that is raymond shrimp boy

chou awaiting sentencing after a jury sentenced him last month. and we have a live jail house interview. >> reporter: he agreed to answer all of my questions. this were no ground rules, his lawyer was in the room with us and we spoke uninterrupted for an hour. here is part of the interview. >> it is on record. he took money from an under cover agent. >> i did not take the money. i received the money yes. >> raymond shrimp boy chou faces prison after an investigation that netted 29 people including leland yee. an under cover fbi testified he

gave chou cash for arranging illegal activity. >> he gave it to me. i never asked him. i not even asked. >> jordan introduced himself as a wealth management investor wining and dined chou at fancy restaurants. these photos show him with a female under cover agent. jordan paid chou about $60,000. >> then, he thought oh that is for the love and respect. a brother, you know? you know? cool. in our culture we do that all the time. i mean you know? son of the under world

introducing jordan to friends for laundering money. >> i feel that is not possible for me to be there. that is why i don't need to hear that. i walk out. >> every time you said i don't want a part of this, you knew they were doing something wrong. >> i don't know what they do. i feel they're doing something. i don't look into their pockets, what you got? >> agents arrested one of chou's friends, he testified he was in the room when chou ordered the murder. at the time, le young was the head of chinatown's

glotou. >> through the government they need them. >> his attorney would not let him speak to us. chou plans to appeal the conviction and attorneys are claiming outrageous misconduct by the fbi and prosecution. >> they wanted to force me back in the corner. i refused to. >> he spent a decade in prison for a host of crimes he committed in the 70s and 80s by prosecutors have argued that chow simply couldn't resist getting back in the game. and one side note. when interviewing chou, i confronted him with my police source information about his movements which he did not deny. at that time he said he wasn't surprised he was being followed but in jail told me he had no inkling an under cover agent penetrated his inner circle. chou is scheduled to be

sentenced march 23rd. a public viewing begins in an hour for gus vegas in vallejo. he was shot and killed a week ago, tomorrow, a memorial will be held at the richland memorial auditorium at 10:00 a.m. the public is invited. a law enforcement profession will escort the family. be aware of traffic delays starting at 9:00 a.m. the family is expected to return around noon, which may cause delays on eastbound 780 and 80. the death of an innocent man may be tied to poor decisions by front desk deputies at the main jail in san jose. >> it's the latest controversy to hit the santa clara county sheriff's office. dan noyes is live with the report tonight at 11:00. >> reporter: family hearts are broken and a close friend is furious. he says he spent hours in court and at the main jail making sure a man was safe when

released. the inmate was not capable of taking care of himself. the jail released him and refused to give information to a family friend. >> i was mad and angry. i don't know. i was asking my questions and how can this happen? >> reporter: from our sources the court case file and 911 calls, i have been able to piece together how the man died. you'll hear how the reaction to this case in a special report tonight on abc7 news at 11:00. >> thank you. >> well, today president obama signed the reid act providing millions of dollars for research into learning disorder dyslexia. as many as eight and a half million american school children may have .

and watch this sunday at 4:30 p.m. on "beyond the headlines" with cheryl jennings. >> nasa got a nod of confidence in a recent budget. >> the head of nasa visited the local bay area and met with a congressman that helped secure the funding. coming up, see some of the research supported by the money. and... >> it was a new journey and chapter. and you know i wanted to embrace change. >> how a 12 week training program helped this man land a job in one of t

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abc7 news was at pier 54 for a look at the floats for the chinese new year parade. 2016 is the year of the monkey. the festivities last 15 days and the parade is sked yumed for saturday. if you're in a rut at your job there is an industry here looking for new recruits. >> yes. michael finney talks to a man who chucked his career for something more lucrative. >> how did he do it? >> wait until you see this.

you don't have to go back to a four year degree. the coding academy may be a good alternative. sam tran is one year into his new career. just 18 months ago he worked in human resources. >> i would say that life as a software engineer is awesome fantastic and well worth the effort. >> sam quit his job because he found life at hr to be unfill fulling. he had dabbled in coding and decided to pursue it. he enrolled in flat iron coding academy in new york. >> it was a new chapter. i wanted to embrace change. >> the 12 week program cost $15,000. online classes are available for $500 to $1500 per month. at the end of 12 weeks he had no problem getting interviews and offers. the vice president at rms in

newark. a four-year degree is more expensive, he says you can get more than just coding from a college education. >> you can probably wait a four year degree but if you can code you can code. >> academies are intense 60 to 80 hours a week in class time and home work. >> i have friends who asked what should i do? go back to school? i said tryout one of the programs. >> he said you'll leave school with a strong foundation. within three weeks sam had three job offers. >> i would call it me fulfilling demand. >> salaries range from $60,000 to $200,000 and the demand is high and jobs are plentiful now. he says no particular skill set is required as long as you have a passion for it. >> you just show them you can

code. >> flat iron suggests picking up a book and trying some basic coding first to see if it interests you before enrolling in an academy. so see my reports go to abc7news.com and click on the sections tab. does it look like it's for you now? >> thank you michael. >> nasa traveled to the moon and mars and plays a role in travel on earth. >> next at 6:00 how they're improving the airplane expe

♪ these little guys? they represent blood cells. and if you have afib - an irregular heartbeat that may put you at five times greater risk of stroke - they can pool together in the heart, forming a clot that can break free and travel upstream to the brain where it can block blood flow and cause a stroke. but if you have afib that's not caused by a heart valve problem, pradaxa can help stop clots from forming. pradaxa was even proven superior to warfarin at reducing the risk of stroke in a clinical trial - without the need for regular blood tests. and, in the rare event of an emergency, pradaxa is the only oral blood thinner other than warfarin with a specific reversal treatment to help your body clot normally again. pradaxa is not for people who have had a heart valve replacement. don't stop taking pradaxa without talking to your doctor. stopping increases your risk of stroke or blood clots. ask your doctor if you need to stop pradaxa before any planned medical or dental procedure. pradaxa can cause serious, and sometimes, fatal bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding. and seek immediate medical care for

unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have kidney problems, stomach ulcers, a bleeding condition, or take certain medicines. side effects with pradaxa can include indigestion, stomach pain, upset or burning. don't just go with the flow. go with pradaxa, the only blood thinner that lowers your risk of stroke better than warfarin and has a specific reversal treatment. talk to your doctor about pradaxa today. (scal): good day, m'lady! i am sir-can-a-lot, here to save you from another breakfast bore. wake up those eggs with glorious spam! see what spam can! do... at spam.com

in, new video shows a possible suspect in what is now three sexual assaults in berkeley. take a look now. he runs in and out of the shadows. investigators are hoping someone will recognize this guy. in each case, the man appears to be targeting asian women. >> more efficient planes and jet engines are two advances nasa is working on. that is for airplanes used for domestic flights. jonathan bloom shows how else

nasa is changing the future of air travel. >> reporter: days after giving his state of nasa address, the state agency's top dog stepped into this airliner. this is continued by 50%. >> the administrator stood beside mike honda. about $790 million will go to research, what they're doing here. >> increased funding will allow us to partner to build a series of experimental aircraft or x planes. >> researchers showed designs for electric jet engines and modelled testing for planes that could break the sound barrier quietly. >> we measured the sonic boom sound signature on the wall. >> this research he says

taxpayers can feel the payoff. >> the future where people can travel to most cities in the world and six hours or less. in an airplane that can fly faster than the speed of sound over land on bio fuels. >> the research can apply to space. >> i'm sure you recognize this. >> the shuttle was tested here now, vehicles could take humans to mars but by the time that happens, the number of people using commercial air travel will have doubled. he says that means greener airplanes will be a necessity. >> investments are investments in childrens' tomorrow our grandchildrens' tomorrow and country's tomorrow. and our planet's tomorrow. >> at nasa ames, abc7 news. >> viewers helped us keep an eye on the weather today. >> these are some of the pictures posted online. thank you for sharing these with us. we appreciate the shots. >> let's get back to sandhya patel with update on the forecast.

>> take a look at live doppler 7 hd. where it is raining in the north bay, it's what is left of our system coming through last night and into this morning. speaking of winter weather tomorrow morning 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., snow, 4 to 10 inches above 5,000 feet and breezy conditions if you're heading to the mountains. 39 in tahoe. 54 chico. monterey 62. in southern california nothing but sunshine. and 67 in l.a. in the bay area, late morning in the north bay and temperatures mid-50s to mid-60s accu-weather forecast ranks a one is going to be dry for the weekend. warmer next week. >> thank you. >> larry beil is off. >> that is right.

and sports tonight. >> so talking baseball and hoops tonight. coming up, warriors prepare to resume a pursuit of the nba season record for victories and holding workouts today you'll hear f

today's nba trade deadline proved to be no big deal. his team is a nba best 48 and 4. golden state resumes with just 40 games left, warriors are still on pace to break the bulls record of 72 wins set during 1995-96 season. >> we have heard where our railroaded needs to be over 30 games to what the 6 game road trip means and keeping up with the chase. but still, still premature i think. >> it is. but we're focused on the roa d trip. we have to play positions.

and 24 at home. >> on saturday, the warriors take on clippers in l.a. you can watch that contest on abc7 with a pregame starting at 5:00. be sure to join hairy beal with guests nate thurman mike shumann will be live with reaction. it's an even number year. you know you know you know giants fans are counting other another title. and johnny qato with those two joining the rotation may be the best it's been. >> i can't think i think we're this solid. and that is saying a lot. we had two guys like this, you

know, they make it better. >> time to play hockey. and great goal keeping dominating this contest in the second but panthers goalie makes a stop there. florida breaks through in the third. and it's 1-1. charles woodson isn't going too far from football today hired with espn working on sunday and monday nfl countdown shows. he has been a go to reporter and now can put his opinions and talents on display. the 39-year-old played 18 seasons and was a three-time all

pro. another long time player is jared allen allen born in texas and raised in morgan hill said goodbye his way. >> i just want to say thank you for an amazing career. and this is where i was going to ride into the sunset. there is no sunset i'm just going to ride off. >> happy trails to you. and this abc7 sports report has been brought to you by bank of the west. >> way to go out. >> that is cool. >> join us tonight at 9:00 for the man who invented virus protection makes an offer to the fbi. why he says he can crack

encryption on an iphone. >> a san jose police officer who lost his badge is back on the course. >> and here is a look at what is ahead tonight on this thursday great line up. >> at 11:35 it's jimmy kimmel live. >> good stuff. >> look for breaking news on twitter and we appreciate your time. from the entire abc7 news team thanks for joining us. have a great evening.

this is "jeopardy!" introducing today's contestants -- an educator from arlington massachusetts... a computer programmer from lewisville, texas... and our returning champion a data conversion manager from ogden, utah... whose 1-day cash winnings total... and now here is the host of "jeopardy!" -- alex trebek! [ applause ] thanks, johnny. yeah, you heard right, folks -- $46,599 for one appearance on "jeopardy!" what's gonna happen today? brian and

shana, you'll have something to say about that. good luck. here we go. let's take a look at the categories, shall we? oh, archie celebrating 75 years. great. i-q in quotations marks. we deal with... tim. let's start with shakespearean geography for $200. shana. what is london? that's the city. shakespearean geography, $400. brian. what is verona? good. let's do shakespearean geography for $600, please. shana. what is elsinore? right. shakespearean geography, $800. you picked the right category