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sflurchlts now doctors say there's a bitter side. we may be poisoning ourselves even with small amounts of sugar. we break down what really happens when it enters your body. is there a safe amount? our series starts tonight at 11:00 on nbc bay area news with jessica and raj. reporting what matters to you.

good evening. it's about 8:00. thanks for joining us on this wednesday. i'm raj mathia. i'm jessica. we begin tonight with the very whacky weather that's gripping the bay area. there was a little bit of everything today. rain, hail, thunderstorms, and even the threat of tornadoes. we want to show you some video from northern california where a tornado did touch down in uba city. the video was taken by a viewer. luckily, no reports of any damage or injuries, but it is stunning to look at those pictures. let's bring in meteorologist jeffrey neary now. calling this weather unusual really an understatement for this time of year, but it's a little unnerve whenning we see those tornadoes. we don't expect that around here. >> the upper level pattern for this severe weather, the massarotation in the upper

atmosphere. we had a couple of super cell thunderstorms developing from this cold trough of low pressure sitting across california. you can see right now on the radar, it stands around. not finding too much across the bay area. we're dry here from santa rosa to san jose. we're not in the clear yet. we want to get you into where this tornado is reported. no reports of any injuries. however, we're still waiting on ld e damage reports that c be coming in from that tornado that we saw on vhatideo just moments ago. also, traveling to the sierra, expect winter conditions. treacherous up there with possible chain requirements and some very slick roadways. two to four inches of snow as we head throughout tonight. now, we're not done yet. we've been talking about it. another stronger storm system in a very cold one coming your way as we head throughout this weekend with rain, thunderstorms, and snow. there are some of the highlights of what you can expect for this weekend's storm. periods of rain. possible thunderstorms. some hail. maybe reminiscent of what we saw today in some cases, and also

some very cold weather. i'll have if for you coming up in minutes. >> speaking of timeline now, is it january 1st or june 1st? look at the snow shots here. soda springs elindication about 5700 feet, doesn't even qualify it for high country. motorists were just about shocked to see this in june. a snowstorm. be prepared. here's your warning. more is on the way. pack your chains if you are going to the sierra. >> now, i want to show you some amazing video out of massachusetts. a tornado leaving a trail of destruction in downtown springfield. unfortunately, killing four people. you can just see that whole field of debris kicking up the tornado, ripping the roofs off homes and businesses. this is the result. multiple reports of tornadoes touching down in at least two other cities near springfield. you can see trees just yanked out of the ground. this is the first tornado, though, reportedli in massachusetts since july of 2008. now, from weather coverage,

including interactive radar and your five-day forecast, you can always go to nbc bay area.com. jeffrey neri is constantly updating that. >> want just the weather, but there are new twists in the brian stoe beating case. does the lapd have the right man? why are police in nevada getting involved, and what will the lie detector test reveal? patrick healy has new information from our nbc station in los angeles. >> reporter: here he is. our first glimpse of him sense his arrest. jovanni ramirez in the infamous dodger stadium attack that nearly killed giants fan. ramirez brought here to parker center to allow lapd to conduct a poly graph or lie detector exam to attest that he was not at the opening day. >> we think 100% our client is innocent. >> reporter: defense attorneys anthony brookler and jose ramiro reveal that yesterday the polygraph expert they retained conducted his own polygraph exam of ramirez.

this afternoon they were allowed to observe the lapd examination on closed-circuit tv. he said the lapd examiner did not immediately share her conclusion. >> i thought it was a professional examination. she did a fine job, and i was very complimentary of it. that having been said, i don't know what the results of that exam are, but i know what my exam was yesterday. >> reporter: but the attorneys said they are precluded from stating that conclusion by their agreement are lapd and the district attorney's office. ten days after ramirez's arrest, they're still hoping the d.a. will not file formal charges. >> we're at least getting a reject from a d.a.'s office i don't think is hinging on just pass or failure of a polygraph examination. >> reporter: romero said they have been gathering corroborating evidence that he was at his aunt's east hollywood apartment, not at the stadium, and that his appearance then was more like today with his hair grown out, not the shaved head as depicted in his mugshot and in the wanted likeness for

suspect number one. they're still seeking photographic evidence of this. something else apparent today on ramirez's neck. a tattoo l.a. in the style of the dodgers logo. is this consistent with someone saying he has never ever been to the stadium? romero said that can be explained. >> i know a lot of people personally in the l.a. area that wear l.a. dodger caps and aren't necessarily fans of the dodgers. >> reporter: what the attorney said did not come up on the polygraph exam is a nevada police report implicating ramirez in a january shooting outside los angeles in henderson. police there will say only that the case is open and no warrant has been issued for ramirez. will ramirez be charged here for the dodger attack? >> i would be shocked if they filed it. >> again, that was patrick healy reporting from los angeles. let's turn your attention now to the mysterious disappearance of nursing student michelle lay. tonight authorities are focussing on her cell phone records. the 26-year-old disappeared friday night while on a break from rounds at kaiser hayward,

but her cell phone was used on saturday, and cops are now pinpointing the location where the phone was activated. police have also issued search warrants and interviewed between 15 to 20 relatives and acquaintances. one person was brought in for questioning, but that person was released. there is, by the way, a $20,000 reward being offered for information leading to her safe return. while pg&e says it cannot turnover documents relating to welds until december 31st of 2012, even though those documents are due now in june. in the meantime, some of the victims in the san bruno gas explosion are being victimized again. this time it's by a contractor who left them high and dry. the contractor, it turns out, is going out of business. nbc bay area's ellise kirchner has more on this. >> reporter: for at least five homeowners it's more money and team lost trying to get back into their homes. you take a look here behind me. you can see this is one of the

homes where construction is literally at a stand still after the contractor working on the damaged home shut down operations. >> this orange ball came as high as the one story house is -- two-story house. it was up over the roof. >> reporter: almost neen months after a deadly pipeline explosion levelled pat gillan's san bruno neighborhood, she still has nightmares. >> reporter: now another living nightmare for pat and her neighbors. >> irene around the corner here is stopped now with her house, and it's only half finished. >> reporter: she says half finished homes are getting abandoned by vanderbilt construction. the reason? the general contractor has reportedly had problems paying its subcontractors. their phoneline is disconnected, leaving at least five families in limbo, unable to get their

money back or hire someone else. while others, like pat, whose home is completed, fears she'll still get stuck with the bill. >> vanderbilt did great, but he, you know, hires subcontractors, and hopefully they're paid so that nobody takes it out and does a lien on us. >> reporter: matt silva works for another construction company rebuilding several houses in the neighborhood. he guess vanderbilt may have had a hard time getting paid. >> i think there's maybe a lot of red tape, too, so i think that -- it just depends on each individual homeowner and how they're handling their house or rebuild. >> reporter: whatever the reason, pat says it's especially frustrating because vanderbilt was on a les of authorized contractors she says neighbors received from pg&e, something pg&e denies. >> pg&e has reached out to discuss their unique and individual circumstances surrounding this case. we'll continue to work with them moving forward, and help them recover in rebuilding and get in

their homes as soon as possible. >> and pg&e, again, did meet with the five homeowners so far affected this afternoon to figure out how they can help. we also spoke to another affected homeowner this afternoon who by the phone and they told me they've now hired an attorney to figure out what to do next. live in san bruno, ellise kirchner. former california state treasurer matt fong has died after a battle with skin cancer. he was 57 years old. esis also known for his republican run for senate in 1998. a race that he lost to democrat barbara boxer. fong's mother served 20 years as california's secretary of state and was the first asian elected to a state-wide office. fong died at his home in pasadena. he had previously survived two other bouts with cancer. the grandmother accused of kidnapping her infant granddaughter and then trying to pass the baby off as her own made her first court appearance

today. 58-year-old erica giaga was formally charged with kidnapping and burglary. prosecutors say she snuck into her son's house -- her son and daughter-in-law's home -- and took a 4-month-old baby right out of her bassinet as the girl's parents slept. the baby's family says she has express the no remorse. they say they're glad to see that she's behind bars and hope the charges stick. her son did not attend today's hearing. giago will be back in court next week to enter a plea. he is a convicted sex offender who served his sentence. now is he living in san jose and local cops want to make sure his neighbors know that he is there. wayne page was convicted of rape and kidnapping, crimes he committed in the 1970s in santa clara county. san jose cops think he is likely to reoffend now. today they went door to door in a neighborhood of santa mas expressway where page is living with his sister. they were there to tell people to know what page looks like and ng be aware he could be da

erous. it's information many of his neighbors weren't aware of. we talked with wayne page himself. >> this all happened 35 years ago. i'm not involved or wanting to do any such thing again, and i just want to live my life peacely in the community, and that's all i'm doing. >> police also went around notifying the staff at four local schools that now page is living nearby. still ahead tonight, it's virtual reality with real life lessons. we'll show you the revolutionary approach to helping alcoholics and addicts through technology. and speaking of technology, how talking cars may help you avoid an accident. and the bay area man who turned the tables on a thief. the photographs that helped lead to his arrest. sdmrimplgts good evening. i'm chief meteorologist jeff. a record-setting start to june. the past 48 hours, 39-100th in walnut creek, and winter-like y.weeratures, low to mid 60stoer

tr'll thack we l tr'lk thacat next storm and let you know what the timeline is coming up. there it is. [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. ♪ [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card gives you more ways to earn points. what's your story? citi can help you write it.

welcome back to the primetime edition. the cab driver stole a computer and the computer helped to catch him. he is behind bars tonight. the owner of the mac book was able to track its movements and record shots from its web cam. he even blogged about the theft and posted the photos, which you see here, of the suspect. >> okay. you may drive around like many of us and talk to your car, but soon your car may be able to talk to another car about how it and you are driving together.

>> sometimes you might scream at your car as well. does it sound confusing here? sound like an episode from "the jetson's." there was an experimental ride today to make sense of it all. >> three, two, one. >> reporter: it feels like a roller coaster ride. one we took in the name of the safety. ford working with the department of transportation is testing a new kind of gps where cars talk to each other telling each other when to stop. >> it will set off the alarm to say, okay, the vehicle stopped, and you need to stop because they're going to blow right through that stop sign or light, whatever it may be. >> reporter: repeating the sudden stops may give drivers a sense of vertigo, but it will eventually also give them a sense of safety. cruising with the futuristic wi-fi enabled communication system. >> it's part of our embedded strategy. when you think about all these mobile devices, the car almost

becomes one of those mobile devices, so we've been doing development so that our chips can fit in there. >> it's a safety thing for all kids, adults, everybody to learn that you have to be alert at all times. >> reporter: and if for whatever reason you're less than alert, your car will pick up some of the slack. in san francisco, scott budman, nbc bay area news. gaming technology battling addiction. yes, the virtual world helping real-life alcoholics and drug addicts stay clean. the janice community clinic in santa cruz is using avatar technology to role play with their patients. they learn to virtually express their thoughts. they have their own avatar to play the role of the drug or alcohol, and patients say it helps keep them honest. >> when you are sitting face-to-face with somebody and

being an addict, you are used to lying and manipulating. doing the avatar program, you look at all those things. >> it just taught me to understand, like, my triggers and why i -- like, why i was doing the things i was doing. >> the program's developers use the same technology to help returning soldiers deal with post traumatic stress did hes order. now, in world solutions will present its findings on the drug and alcohol component to the american psychiatric conference in washington come august. >> okay. it is the talk of the town. this june-uary weather we're having. we're in primetime. we need something dynamic out of you. >> i give you something dynamic every night. it's my regular performance. >> good for you, jeff. >> let's take a look. we did have a reported tornado here in california. we're going to zoom in and take you in closer right around 5:30 to 6:30. a strong line of thunderstorms pushed in, producing this

reported tornado. no damages or injuries at this point, but we do want to show you this video. it is unbelievable. yet again after seven tornadoes last week, what you are looking at is a super cell thunderstorm with some mass scale rotation as that wall cloud starts to drop. we're getting the funnel forming right there in the center of your screen, and that is that yuba city tornado that we have all been hearing about. all right. let's take you back to the maps. it's been wild here lately in california. if you are traveling to the sierra, watch out. winter conditions here up across highway 50. tonight snow level very low, which is rare and strong storm. right now that snow level sitting at 5,000 feet. 55 in san mateo, and 58 in livermore. it's going to be a cold night with a lot of 40s coming back. possibly some recordsetting lows. a slight chance of a shower tonight. nothing major or big for tomorrow, even if we see a few showers. it's all about the weekend at this point with another storm with more rain, more cold temperatures, and, yes, even

sierra snow. it's still about 1,000 miles out here in the pacific. it's just going to continue to march here as we head throughout tomorrow. now as we look at the next 48 hours, just scattered showers here in the forecast with conditions in the 60s, and throughout friday we're watching this developing storm system mainly off shore for a lot of the day. let's get a look at the timing. as we head into tomorrow morning, mainly cloud cover. then as we head through the midday hours, you see spotty showers here right across the north bay. nothing big here, but then as we head throughout friday evening, that's when that next storm starts to lean up. if you have plans for friday night, watch out because that rain will start to get a little bit more moderate and possibly heavy by friday evening, and that's going to be pushing right into our weekend. 46 in san jose. 47 in fremont. 46 in concorde, and possible record-setting lows, yes, on june 1st right into santa rosa with low 40s. as for tomorrow, low to mid 60s across the bay area. 20 degrees off the mark for most of our inland locations. only 65 in san jose, and 63 in

los gados. let's take a look at the seven-day forecast. tomorrow maybe an isolated shower. by friday the rain starts to move in late with this next system, and here's the thing. it's going to sit off the coastline and be somewhat stationary. saturday and sunday, a chance of rain both days with temperatures in the mid 60s. what we'll see for saturday and sunday is periods of rain, periods of sun, and then periods of rain again. as that system just kind of sits and spins out there. find a good movie. maybe get a nice book. do some house cleaning. >> no barbecue basically. >> don't wash your car, because i'll hear about it. >> you new ed to do some vacuuming. >> she's looking at me. >> all right. thanks, jeff. we're in primetime, just in case you didn't know because of the stanley cup finals. tonight we saw "thriller" the same team that beat the shar t i again. >> equally as dramatic, the

giants game in st. louis tonight with timmy pitching on the

mound. lawrence scott joins us next. the giants continuing their series against the cardinals in st. louis tonight. tim linsicum gives up the first three runs, but his teammates get him off the hook. three runs in the hook. top seven with a solo blast, and the giants are have a 4-3 lead. linsicum had a good feeling, and that feeling goes away rather quickly. the pinch hitter alan craig getting a home run, and that gives the cards the lead back, while scoring san carlos native daniel, but the giants rallied to tie the game just minutes ago and right now they've just entered the tenth inning tied 5-5. the as trying to beat the yankees for the first time in ten meetings. bottom one, down one. josh gives oak last night the lead about this team-leading tenth home run making it 2-1, but a former oakland outfielder would get the last laugh off

gonzalez. top four. nick swisher, that would be the game winner. the as have now lost ten straight to the yankees, swept at home after the 4-2 loss today. the warriors coaching search continues. one name emerging as a serious candidate is spurs assistant mike budenholser. meanwhile, a san antonio native called it quits today. >> we did it. 19 years, baby. i want to thank you very much. that's why i'm telling you first. i'm about to retire. love you. talk to you soon. >> yeah, shaq letting the world know first via san francisco based social media outfit tout. they handled the video captured by phone. he gave us years of memories and drama at the free-throw line and four championships. the game that just finished. canucks -- what really bites for the boston bruins is the rafi-torres goal with just seconds on the clock to break a scoreless tie 1-0.

the canucks take game one. now taking a 1-0 leaducks

here in boston. it was a fun game. >> those canucks.