this is "nightline." tonight, running while female. the recent in a latest series of attacks against female joggers, this time in an upscale d.c. neighborhood. and another woman's fight for her life. >> i just started beating the side of his head with the side of my hand. >> the steps some women are now taking to protect themselves. plus, salt society. it may look like a winter wonderland but there is an element of surprise. >> that's salty. >> the stunning salt flats in bolivia. more than just an instagram-worthy spot. the underground treasure powering you through your day. and -- >> oh my god! >> getting in my feelings with drake. the latest on this bond with a little girl who danced into our

hearts while she waited for new one. but first, the "nightline" five. >> i'm going to miss you so bad. i wish you didn't have to go. we don't save her ♪ 't save her ♪

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thank you for joining us. running, a stress release for so many, but with the recent rash of attacks on female joggers, the reality of that release now inducing fear. so how can you protect yourself? here's abc's lindsey davis. >> a normal activity, going out for a run, and to be a healthy, meditative experience. but for some women, like 35-year-old wendy martinez, it can be dangerous. >> you have a young woman out here, exercising in a neighborhood. i'd have something like that happen, like i said, it's unsettling. >> reporter: martinez, an avid runner, was murdered while on a recent evening jog in d.c. her death is part of a disturbing and recent trend of women across the country being killed while out alone running. women like molly tibets, alley, and katrina. >> this is an outraged community. this is a woman who should be going to work today. >> reporter: it was just before 8:00 p.m. on tuesday when

martinez, seen here in this video, was jogging in the bustling logan circle neighborhood of d.c. she was suddenly attacked. police say brutally stabbed seven times. suffering from her injuries, she staggered into a chinese takeout restaurant where she collapsed. the restaurant was filled with customers. some people ran out. others rushed to her aid. >> they tried to provide medical assistance to her. unfortunately, she was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. >> reporter: martinez' family now heartbroken. >> my daughter was the most beautiful, special, vibrant young girl. very focused on her career, but above all, she was a warrior. >> reporter: martinez was engaged to be married just last week. >> you're suddenly the happiest man in the world, you're engaged with the love of your life, and suddenly she's -- now she's gone. >> reporter: immediately following martinez' death, d.c.

police began searching for a suspect. they released this surveillance video of a person of interest shown leaving the scene, holding what looks like a knife. with a manhunt under way, residents became concerned about their own safety. >> it makes everyone nervous. >> reporter: then yesterday, a break in the case. thanks to the help of that surveillance video. >> tips from the community helped our homicide detectives establish the identification of this person of interest that was shown in the video. >> reporter: that person of interest, 23-year-old anthony crawford of northwest d.c. he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed. >> we feel very confident that we have in our custody the person responsible for this murder. >> reporter: crawford appeared in court today. he has not yet entered a plea. no motive or reason for this seemingly random attack has been given. martinez is the latest victim to be killed while jogging. 20-year-old molly tibets was

abducted and murdered in july. the man accused of murdering the university of iowa student was indicted this week. runners are dedicating their workouts to molly and highlighting the safety concerns of running while female. in july of 2016, 31-year-old ally bruger was fatally shot in the back four times while out on a jog in rose township, michigan. one month later, this woman was sexually assaulted and strangled. her alleged killer has pled not guilty. but this woman survived. 36-year-old kelly was running when she stopped to use a public bathroom. >> as i was drying my hands, i became aware that something was wrong. >> reporter: that's when police say this man, a 40-year-old sex offender, assaulted her. she says self-defense lessons saved her life. >> i learned put your hard bones in soft, fleshy places, so i just started beating the side of

his head with the side of my hand. >> when a woman goes out running, she makes it a point to cut herself off from the world by using headphones or using a hoodie or something that really makes her run a much more internal experience, but she's actually unaware of what is happening around her. >> reporter: krav maga expert teaches self-defense classes. >> they look at women like the prey. they want the easy targets. you have to know what you're doing and then it naturally comes out. you are less likely to be targeted. >> reporter: for those women who might go running alone, gavish says they need to arm themselves with confidence as he showed this group of high school runners in central park. >> once it gets dark, there are less women out running, and i've been out running, so i sometimes am more cautious than i normally am. >> i run with a friend so i have a buddy so if something happens, there's always someone to be there with me. >> i typically run during the

day. the few times that i have run, like, kind of towards sunset, i do think i felt a little less sort of secure in my surroundings. >> if you have that feeling, that creepy feeling about a person, a location, a situation, you want to believe that feeling. and then, what should your action be? >> get away. >> get out of there. when we're dealing with bad guys, we make three assumptions, right? one, they're going to be bigger, two, they're going to be stronger and three, they feel no pain. >> reporter: part of that confidence can mean knowing when and how to pack a punch. >> you want to close your fist properly. first set of knuckles, second set of knuckles, thumb over the middle finger right here. protect your own soft spots. weak leg forward, strong leg back. throw this kick, back and pop. >> i think what i learned is that definitely sprinting, like don't be afraid, if you feel that somebody is sort of on your tail, don't be afraid to sprint and don't be afraid to let them

know that you're aware. >> i didn't have, prior to this, any idea whatsoever of things i could do, so this has been helpful. >> reporter: back in d.c. tonight -- ♪ amazing grace >> reporter: a vigil to remember wendy martinez. >> i forgive and i let god do what he has to do. >> reporter: her fiance, daniel, with one final message. >> wendy, i love you, and i know that you're in a better place and i know that you're looking up on us. ♪ >> martinez' mother says they plan to bury her in the gown she just purchased for her wedding. next, switching gears, the money-making element in bolivia that's energizing the future.

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from cell phones to electric cars, lithium providing power for our day-to-day lives. the element found beneath the surface of the massive salt flats in bolivia. how this popular tourist spot is elevating the economy. here's abc's victor okinda. ♪ >> reporter: the salar de uyuni.

nothing but salt for 4,500 square miles. it is so bright out here that you have to wear sunglasses and be covered from head to toe at all times. we are in bolivia near the crest of the andes, at the largest salt flat in the world. it looks like a show-covered wonderland but these crystals leave a bitter taste. 100% salt. that's salty. add some water to this setting, and watch heaven meet earth. but beneath this surface is a major moneymaker. lithium. the metal element that powers our batteries, electric cars, and phones, so much of our lives today, and bolivia, one of the poorest countries in south america, hopes it will revolutionize its economy by becoming the saudi arabia of

lithium but we'll get to that in a moment. these reflecting pools have made the salar an international tourist destination. the reason why this spot in particular is so popular, just take a look down. it's wet down here. you've got some puddles and you can clearly see your reflection. it makes for a great photo. at an elevation of almost 12,000 feet, the salar was once several prehistoric lakes that dried out, creating these pentagons. but beyond its beauty, the flats provide the base material used to create everything from this art to local five-star hotels where everything is made of salt, the walls, the floors, even the furniture. providing a livelihood for some of the locals. each day, the chambi brothers hop in their truck and navigate the barren landscape to work, to

this slice of the salar, their work site. they're known as saleros or salt miners. chopping, sawing, and stacking each block of salt for sale. [ speaking foreign language ] this small part of the salar is known as the blocks. take a look from above. this family has been mining all of these blocks of salt for five generations. [ speaking foreign language ] just a generation ago, their business was steady with consumers across bolivia seeking it out. these days, it mostly goes to cattle and construction, but that too is dwindling. each brick sells for about 50 cents. it won't make them wealthy, but it's enough to support their young families.

just an hour away, still out in the salar, another entity is making money from the land, the government. this is bolivia's secretive pilot lithium plant, 155 square miles have been set aside to house its expanding facilities. the first thing that hits you is the size of this place. we've been driving for maybe 45 minutes, and we still haven't reached the main offices. like many national treasures, its vast length protected by the military. and this is what's so closely guarded. lithium carbonate. it's like white gold the plant exports for about $25,000 a ton to countries like the u.s., russia, and japan. is that the end or the beginning? >> the beginning. >> reporter: marco, head of implementation and engineering, is our guide to each step of the

production process. almost 100 feet deep, there are dozens of wells on the site just like this tapping into that salty water. the brine gets extract from the that well right there, goes up through the pipes and gets fed all the way to one of their many pools. for the next step, the brine stays in these pools for six months, give or take, where the hot sun and constant wind help separate the lithium from the salt and other impurities through evaporation. >> one of the first things you notice out here after the color of the brine is the smell. it's kind of like rotten eggs almost. >> reporter: each step is miles away from one another. his driver shuttles us around. the ground can be a little dangerous here to drive on for certain cars. finally, the most important stage. hard hats back on. lithium is processed here as well as potassium, another brine by-product, which they always sell. the process starts up top,

slowly trickles down, goes through the conveyor belt and it feeds the machine. in 2018, this factory is expected to process 200 tons of lithium, but that number will explode to 15,000 tons once a larger neighboring plant is finished next year. that's an increase of 750%. people are concerned that you might expand in the future if this is a huge success and maybe one day take up the entire salar. will that ever happen? [ speaking foreign language ] every step in this operation is meticulously monitored for quality control. this desert-like location is inaccessible enough that the plant had to become home to its employees. they live here for two weeks at a time, and then they get a break for seven days. the plant is self-contained from meals to exercise, there's even

a clinic. and then there's downtime. condoreti shows us his quarters. so, three people sharing this small space. but it's enough to hang out. take a look. playstation 4. there are all the games. there's the controller. fifa 2018. guess what? you're not going to believe it. another soccer game. the plant is clearly playing to win with the recently announced $1.3 billion deal with the german company to expand production, adding credibility to bolivia's gamble, lithium could lift its economy. you think it's the future of bolivia, the lithium plant? could they have a future here? [ speaking foreign language ] and as our global demand for lithium-powered lives increases, the future here does indeed seem brighter. and next, the latest on the

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finally, tonight, we can't get enough of this story. remember the 1 1 -year-old girl who wished for a new heart and the chance to meet drake? >> reporter: it's the now viral video of one of the tiniest dancers to do drake's "in my feelings" challenge with a special wish to meet her favorite singer. >> i was hoping that you could come and cheer me up for my birthday. >> reporter: drake granted sofia sanchez' wish. >> oh my god! >> reporter: all while sofia was waiting for a priceless gift, a new heart. >> i froze. i was like, is thisdream? or is this not a dream? i was like, oh my god. and look who came to surprise me. >> reporter: it had been weeks of mysterious symptoms to the point where the fifth grader couldn't even walk. >> we knew she was sick.

i was carrying her around for six weeks from doctor to doctor. >> reporter: finally, the answer from doctors at chicago's luri children's hospital. sofia had cardiomyopathy. her heart was too big. the only cure, a transplant. >> it's horrible. it's just a waiting game. you just have to wait. >> reporter: just one week later, mom delivers a surprise. >> guess what? it happened today. you're getting a heart. congratulations! >> i'm getting a heart! >> it's amazing. >> yes, baby. >> oh my god. >> i know. i love you. >> reporter: sofia's nine-hour heart transplant operation, a success. ha there's bout when whose heart is inside of you now? >> that's important for everybody to donate their good organs to other people to give them a second chance at life, because even though a tragedy happened, something good comes out of it. >> she has a lot of spunk.

>> yes, she does. >> reporter: did that help in her recovery? >> i think it helps a lot. >> reporter: visits to the hospital now are for friends still waiting for their wish. you could say she's paying it forward. after her special visit from drake and the song she's still dancing to. i hear there's a rumor that he gave you his phone number, his personal phone number. >> yeah. i can't give it away. >> reporter: you can't give it away? >> no, i made a promise and it's his personal phone number. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm adrian in chicago. and we wish her godspeed. thank you for watching thank you for watching "nightline" and thanks