it's bittersweet. you know, you always hope these things turn out differently than they do. >> next, a break in a case that has haunted the bay area for decades. the d.a. charges a man with murder following the 1988 disappearance of michaela garecht. tonight, what michaela's father has to say as well as the detective who never forgot the day she was taken. also ahead, the coronavirus caseload that continues to soar. now there's talk the governor may extend stay-at-home orders. plus, the dozens of san francisco firefighters testing positive for co-ed and tvid and to get them vaccinated. >> building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news. it was a kidnapping on a seemingly average saturday in hayward. 9-year-old michaela garecht

seemed to vanish from a supermarket parking lot. now her family finally has some answers after waiting years to find out the fate of their little girl. good evening, i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm liz kreutz. thank you for joining us. david misch has been charged with the kidnapping and murder of michaela garecht. misch is already in santa rita jail serving a prior murder conviction and is awaiting trial for a double murder from 1986. we have team coverage on this story tonight, so let's begin with abc7 news reporter medical melanie woodrow. >> police never closed this case despite decades with no arrests. they are hopeful today's announcement provides a measure of peace for michaela's family. just before thanksgiving in 1988, someone kidnapped 9-year-old michaela garecht in hayward. for 32 years there indeed no progress or resolution in the case. >> this is not just another one of those days.

>> alameda county district attorney nancy o'malley announced charges against 59-year-old david misch who was already in custody at santa rita jail. misch faces murder kwharcharges two essential circumstances. he was already convicted of a previous murder. >> the crime shocked not only the local community of hayward and alameda county, but the entire bay area and the nation. it was so brazen, so ruthless, but clearly planned. >> o'malley says misch moved garecht's scooter to the back of the parking lot where she got candy and soda from a friend, therefore isolating her. investigators received new leads this year. >> we had the opportunity to follow those leads patiently, as misch has been in state prison since 1989, convicted of murder. >> misch is also awaiting trial for a double murder committed in fremont in 1986 off two friends. fremont police alerted hayward police they might want to take a look at misch.

he left a partial palm print on garecht's scooter that investigators said had to be compared manually, directly with their own eyes. abc7 news asked hayward's police chief if misch might be connected to other missing girls. >> right now it's wide open, just like we were able to crack this after 32 years, nothing is off the table. >> michaela garecht's body has never been found. the chief says he is hopeful they will find her remains and that it will depend on information they can get from misch. in the newsroom, melanie woodrow, abc7 news. >> melanie, thank you. the police district attorney and fbi held that news conference outside hayward city hall this morning. abc7 news wayne freedman is there now. >> what we heard today doesn't answer all the questions of what happened to michaela garecht, not all of them. but it certainly adds some details. police say they're holding back on some others until they prosecute this case. but certainly it's the most information we've received in 32 years.

>> thank you, everyone, for coming >> a photograph on an eviasel. >> it's bittersweet. i mean, you know, you always hope these things turn out differently than they do. >> rod garecht those that all too well. his daughter would have been a middle aged woman by now. >> i never gave up hope, but what can i say? >> mostly he listened to a few details about a suspect he had never heard of, nor had retired hayward police lieutenant ken gross, and he worked the case initially. >> at that time it was devastation for many, many, many people. and hard to believe something like that could even happen and let alone in your own city. >> but it did, right after and pretty much on every anniversary too. detective gross brought along his wife, linda, today. she says the case he had to

leave unsolved really bothered him. >> horrible. it has never left him. it has always been with him. >> from michaela's mother, sharon mensch, this letter read by the chief. >> i'm glad the kidnapper has been identified. >> it will be closure when he's dead. >> meantime, rod garecht says he may begin that process by watching the arraignment of that suspect tomorrow. live in hayward, wayne freedman, abc7 news. >> wayne, thank you. michaela garecht's mother had a lot more to say. we have her heartbreaking statement in its entirety on our website, abc7news.com. we want to get to developing news now with the coronavirus. california has set more records today. more than 17,000 people are in the hospital due to covid-19 every day since december 9th. we've also seen a new daily high

for the 18th straight day. the state has set a record for the number of people in icu. today's count is more than 3,600. there are more than 37,000 newly diagnosed cases of coronavirus in the state, which is below the daily average for the past week. now, as cases continue to rise and icu capacity declines, governor newsom says it's very likely some regions could have their stay-at-home orders extended. with just four days until christmas, california's covid-19 crisis remains as dire as ever. governor newsom today said the state's 14-day test positivity rate is now 12%. two weeks ago it was 8.7%. hospitalizations also continue to rise with more than 3,600 people currently in icu. >> 51% increase in admissions as well over a 14-day period. >> the death rate is also climbing. right now on average 233 people are dying every day in california from the virus.

>> sober, sober reminder of how deadly this disease is and how tragic the loss of every life is, particularly those lives lost during the holiday seasons. >> statewide, the icu capacity is just 2.5%. there's still 0% capacity in southern california and san joaquin valley regions. now the state says it's likely the stay-at-home orders there will be extended. they currently expire at the end of the month. >> at the moment our projections don't show any of the regions that could first exit the regional stay-at-home order will likely do that. >> newsom also addressed the new strain of covid-19 believed to be spreading in the u.k. he says the state is considering strategies to prevent it from spreading in california, including quarantines for people traveling from britain. >> i wish the federal government takes action in this space. in the absence of that, we'll be pursuing different strategies on testing and quarantine.

>> newsom himself is back in quarantine them to after a staffer tested positive for the virus. >> i'll be here for the next couple of days and hopefully we'll keep testing negative. >> the good news comes from the vaccine. the state administered more than 70,000 doses of the pfizer vaccine last week. he says more than 100,000 doses of the moderna vaccine have just arrived. >> so moderna vaccine has arrived and that is indeed good news. >> and now to more coronavirus headlines. the house and is that the are set to vote tonight on the $900 billion pandemic relief bill. president-elect joe biden received his first dose of the covid-19 vaccine this morning. police agencies around the country expect to get the vaccine by january. that's according to a new survey. 72% of the agencies will not require vaccinations, but police leaders do expect members will get the vaccine. san francisco firefighters are wondering when they will get vaccinated, especially since alameda county began vaccinating its 911 first responders last

friday. luz peña has the story. >> on a daily basis, san francisco firefighters are seeing on a increase of covid-19 response calls according to their union. >> 60 members that are positive with covid, 29 in quarantine, and one right now in the hospital. >> a daunting reality the san francisco local 798 says is concerning many of their 1,700 firefighters. now, according to the san francisco firefighters union, this year they responded to 145,000 emergency calls. on friday alameda county became one of the first counties to begin vaccinating their first responders. >> i really admire what alameda county is doing for their people. >> in a statement, the san francisco covid command center confirmed that they began sending vaccination invitations to emts and paramedics today and also added, we have more than 80,000 health care workers in san francisco.

following the state's prioritization plan, we're doing our best to ensure that those health care workers that are most at risk of contracting covid-19 are prioritized, including frontline emts and paramedics. today marin county and contra costa county confirmed they begin injecting first responders. >> beginning tomorrow they will start to get vaccinated. >> the public health officer says they're projecting to vaccinate 1,500 first responders this week. he says receiving the first batch of the moderna vaccine made the process faster because there's more supply and moderna's vaccine doesn't need a special freezer. >> for our first responders and health care workers in the hospitals, as well as skilled nursing facility, long-term care facility staff, we're all in tier 1. >> luz peña abc7 news. two giants in a rare double feature.

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ask your doctor about kisqali, the only treatment in its class proven to help women live longer in 2 clinical trials. happening now, a celestial event so rare it hasn't been seen in 400 years. saturn and jupiter, the two largest planets in our solar system are about to look as of they have merged into a single source of light. this is a live look at what's happening at the virtual telescope viewing at chabot space and science center in oakland. you can see jupiter on the bottom left of your screen. saturn is a little more feint. it's northeast. let's get to abc7 news reporter chris reyez with more on what scientists call the great conjunction. hi, chris.

>> good evening, it sounds like a movie title for 2020, doesn't it? a lot of people finding meaning in this close encounter between jupiter and saturn, calling it a bright spot in what has been a very dark year. you probably have a better view than i do. i can't see it right now, but this might just be the perfect sky conditions for it. i'll be watching for it westward just above the sunset. now, of course i gathered more facts how you can catch this great phenomenon. i talked to some sky experts earlier today. >> the only thing that saves the year 2020 was the comet we had last spring and the conjunction that we have tonight. >> so what is a conjunction? it means anytime two celestial objects line up in the jupiter and saturn appear like one bright star. >> you will see what looks like a funny star. tlool it looks like a star that's

slightly elongated with your naked eye. it'll be about 20 degrees above the southwest horizon. >> jupiter is the brightest planet by far. that's what you will see. and then as you look a little bit more, you'll see saturn. maybe it's quite a bit feinter. >> when you spot this, you'll share an experience with ancient times. rarely they pass this close at night on the winter solstice. >> last time it was this close, the date i remember beginni . >> it's happening close to christmas and this is very unusual. the last time it was close to christmas was in the year 1166. >> this close, of course, still means about 455 million miles apart. each planet in their own lane in

our great solar system. do you need a telescope to see it? >> it's bright enough to see with the naked eye, if if you want to see there's two objects, you should use a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. >> it's nice to think about the fact that 800 years later we are still here to see this. so remember, southwest, just look up and enjoy. live in san jose, kris reyes for abc7 news. >> that is so cool. we need good news right now. the question is, is the weather cooperating so we can all see it? abc7 news meteorologist sandhya patel is here with an answer. hi, sandhya. >> hi, there. yeah, liz, most areas other than the few spots that have fog near the coast and around the inland east bay you should be able to see it. the rare conjunction is very exciting. 45 minutes after sunset will be the best viewing. 15 degrees above the horizon. now, as i mentioned, we will have the combination of some fog

and high clouds. it is nicknamed the christmas star. upper 40s to the mid-50s for most areas. here's a live view from our emeryville camera. passing clouds shouldn't interfere for the most part. 52 in san francisco. 57 in oakland. today those high temperatures were in the 40s. high temperatures for the coldest spots where the fog sat around all day long. we did see low 60s in the warmest areas. 54 right now in san jose. you will notice from our golden gate bridge camera we have a gentle breeze. 54 in santa rosa. 48 in napa. 53 in livermore. we have some passing clouds and some fog on the radar here of we're watching this system pushing into the pacific northwest. it's really just going to throw some more clouds our way overnight tonight. so do expect it. a stunning view right now from our san jose camera post-sunset view. high clouds and patchy fog

overnight tonight. dry christmas eve and then we will see a return of rainy weather beginning on christmas, continuing through early next week. we need the rain, as you know. air quality not so great. moderate to poor tomorrow. another spare the air alert has been issued for wednesday, thursday, and friday. expecting moderate air quality. 11:00 p.m. tonight we will see that front passing through. a couple of sprinkles not out of the question around mendocino county. it's just the combination of clouds and fog tomorrow morning. as we head into tomorrow afternoon, i think it is going to be brighter than it was today, some areas were sucked in the fog for all of the afternoon as well. temperatures in the morning, mid-30s to the mid-40s. as far as the afternoon highs go, anywhere from the mid-50s to the low 60s, about where you should be for the time of year. it is going to be a nice day. and then we introduce a welcome change, a level 1 system for christmas. rain will spread north to south. most areas will see light to moderate rain and it will be breezy.

as you take a look at the hour by hour forecast, christmas afternoon we get the rain in the north bay. by nightfall, snow will be mixing in the mountains and the sierra. another wave of rain coming through into monday. spare the air day tomorrow, chilly followed by sunshine, more cold weather wednesday morning, and then increasing clouds. level 1 system friday, saturday, subpoenae sunday, and monday. winter is here and it should look like this. ama and liz, we'll be seeing rain in the days ahead, but not immediately. >> we need the rain. >> yes. thank you, sandhya. some would-be santas make a pit stop in

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paraglider. it was call awl going fine until he hit some power lines. >> it's a sight no one wants to see. santa tangled up, no sleigh and no snow. this santa was parasailing when he hit a power pole. >> this is the the biggest news we got here. >> blown away by the man who typically comes down chimneys this time of year. >> we saw him flying around all the time, kind of go kart with a parachute on top of. he was flying over here to drop off some candy canes for the kids and that's what he experienced. i guess he could make it to the airport but didn't happen. >> this santa hoping to bring early christmas spirit is going to be okay. >> a big relief he's going to be able to get the presents everywhere, so it's a good day. [ cheers ] >> that was ryan hill reporting. in the east bay, many

children will be getting extra presents under the christmas tree this year. berkeley police rolled up with garbage bags filled with brand-new toys for kids in need. the department held a toy drive last week for boss, a nonprofit that helps the homeless and formerly incarcerated. still, they knew they wanted to do something for the community. >> some of the officers in our community services bureau, we came up with this holiday toy drive. we didn't know how good it might turn out, but we said we had to try, and the outpouring of support from the community has been terrific. >> some of the donations included brand-new bicycles and scooters. who won courtside seats to watch the warriors? co

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a bay area company is behind that effort. plus, 7 on your side introduces you to a father who proves that perseverance pays off. after almost two years of unemployment, he just got a new job. that's all coming up in the next half hour on abc7 news at 6:00. the warriors' new season starts tomorrow on the road. >> yes, abc7 news sports director larry beil is at the warriors home court at chase center. hi, larry. >> how are you doing, ama? we have the building to ourselves now. the warriors are in brooklyn. they'll case kevin durant and the nets tomorrow. tall order there. they said i could work from their home at chase. since i am in their home, we're the first to see the warriors' brand-new sideline virtual setup. huge video boards along the court where fans can check out the game from home, just like they had in the nba bubble in orlando. earlier this afternoon we caught up with warriors president rick welts who gave us the details.

>> you do it on your laptop, 120 fans per game. you see 90 of them there. we also have a great setup in the player tunnel. when steph curry comes out on the court, we could have aiesha, his wife and kids waving to him as he goes on the court. it's a combination of fans and our season ticket members. we're going to add community groups in here. all people have to do is go to warriors.com, not quite yet, we're not ready to sign people up yet, but before our home opener on january 1. >> warriors, the only nba team with this bubble-style setup. also in order to do the interview with rick, we both had to take covid tests beforehand. we were negative. as you can see masks are mandatory for everybody in the building. the warriors have a new lab rapid testing site on property. lots of changes at chase. we'll see them all january 1st. >> all right. keeping it safe as always. thank you, larry. we appreciate it.

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tonight, breaking news at this hour. congress racing to pass a stimulus deal. how soon will help arrive? and tonight, that growing concern over a new coronavirus variant. what we know so far. lawmakers set to vote on the $900 billion covid relief package, as millions of americans wait for help. those images of long lines at food banks. 885,000 new unemployment claims just last week. tonight, new reporting, the $600 direct payment and what a family of four can expect. jon karl standing by with late reporting tonight. also this evening, that alarming new covid mutation noticed in the uk. by some estimates, could this new variant spread as much as 70% more easily than what we've been seeing? many scientists tonight urging caution, saying more study is needed. but tonight, more than 40 countries have already banned