now at 11:00, on her way home, we are waiting on britney greiner to touchdown after being held for nearly a year in

russia. also, a local family looking for answers and help after their family member was kidnapped in mexico. a good evening, i'm sara donchey. that local family says monica de leon, who from san mateo, was kidnapped when in mexico. we have more on what is being done to try to bring her back. >> reporter: monica de leon was working in mexico at a family production company at the time of the abduction. family members tell me she was walking to the gym when she was forced into a van. family members and friends have created this massive social media efforts to bring attention to this case, but, they realized they need help. >> it is shocking. i mean, i have read things like this in the news, but i have never obviously experienced it firsthand. it's terrifying. it is honestly terrifying. >> reporter: they were more

than just coworkers but monica was a dear friend and attended breanna's wedding last october. >> monica is the type of person that, you can't help. >> before leaving for mexico a few months ago. >> friends say it was hard to capture photos of monica since she would usually be behind the camera, they say she had a strong personality, incredibly driven, talented, and smart. >> i was so drawn to her. we did not always see eye to eye, but she had a very attractive personality. >> reporter: she worked at a starbucks, or monica was described as a latte artist.

she cannot shake off the feeling that something is very wrong with her dear friend. >> i am very concerned that she is in the grasp of something very harmful. >> reporter: family members did not want to talk on camera, but monica's brother, gustavo, is pleading with the u.s. government to get involved. congresswoman jackie spear did send us a statement, saying, i am actively engaged in the case, and in daily contact with the family, and various federal agencies. it is imperative that we do everything possible to find monica. gustavo de leon knows the mexican government has to get involved, as well. he says, we would ask mexican officials to also place the importance that this case merits into finding my sister who was abducted in plain daylight, blocks away from a national guard station. those who know monica are praying the efforts pay off, and she will be home soon. >> we are honestly sick over

being terrified for her, and cannot even imagine what her family is going through. >> reporter: andria nakano, kpix 5. now to britney greiner, who is on her way to the u.s. tonight, as you saw, as part of a secret deal negotiated between russia and the u.s. , which led to this, a prisoner swap in the united arab emirates. this coming nearly 10 months after she was detained in russia for having cannabis oil in her luggage. the handoff and greiner's return have gotten attention from around the world, of course. president biden and greiner's wife made the announcement from the oval office. >> she is safe, after being unjustly detained in russia, held under intolerable circumstances. >> reporter: while the white house says greiner celebrate it, some question why the u.s. was not able to see to free oth russia right now, and, if the u.s. has set a dangerous precedent. >> reporter: video from russian state media shows britney

greiner leaving a russian penal colony, on her way back to america. the wnba star was part of a prisoner swap for international arms dealer viktor bid, known as the merchant of death. this is video of the exact moment of the handoff in abu dhabi. greiner's wife thanked president biden at the white house. >> this is a happy day for me and my family, so i will smile right now. >> reporter: left out of the deal was marine veteran paul whelen, imprisoned in russia since 2018 on espionage charges >> for legitimate reasons, russia is treating paul's case differently than britney. >> reporter: u.s. officials say the russians were just not willing to include whelen in the trade, but they said they would keep trying to bring him home. >> this was not the case of bringing one home were both. the choice was one or none. >> reporter: critics of the president to say the u.s.

should have gotten a better deal for him. >> there are answers that i need to receive, before i can applaud the biden ad ministration on this. >> reporter: whelen's brother said the ad ministration did the right thing, but that the family is devastating that he is stuck in russia. >> the math will not work out for him coming home anytime soon. >> reporter: this is resident biden's second prisoner exchange with april. russia. in april, reid was traded for a russian drug smuggler. the stanford women's basketball coach, kera vanderveer said we have prayed and fought for this day to happen, and hope that britney can heal and resume her normal life soon. we will not stop focusing our attention on paul whelen, and every wrongfully detained american, in the hopes for their safe return as soon as possible. also, the president of sentences pride said this, members of the lgbtq plus community know far too well how utterly terrifying it is to be separated from their partners and loved ones in hospital

systems and environments. the news is as big for the sports world as it is for politics. athletes like steph curry have been trying to call attention to greiner's imprisonment. charlie walter got to talk to some of these teammates about the news tonight. charlie? >> reporter: during the war years ring ceremony, staff wished greiner a happy birthday and it looks like he will see her soon. >> i think the one thing we all hate in life is uncertainty. you are always trying to do what you can to not be in an uncertain circumstance. >> nobody knows what she has been through, and i am happy that this is the outcome. there are many other americans that are wrongfully detained abroad that need the same outcome as britney. >> it just seems to get worse and worse, and it was -- i'm sure, terrifying for her. so, i am thrilled, as we all

are, that she is coming home. >> i am looking forward to watching bg become bg again. you can only imagine what one has gone through, you can only think that she will possibly be a shell of herself. but, one of the strongest people i have ever been around, she has dealt with pain her entire life, i have no doubt that she will bounce through this just like she has bounced through everything else. >> steph curry, was awarded sports illustrated sports a person of the year for the second time. >> charlie, thank you so much. still ahead, this is not the holiday we were hoping for, as co-cases are surging across the country yet again, including it again in the bay area. a beloved community activist in san jose loses her life in yet another fatal pedestrian crash on city streets. the rains made a mess of the evening commute, pushing further and further out into

the bay area. winding down entirely over the next few hours. details are coming up.

really sad news to share tonight, another pedestrian has died in san jose. a beloved community activist, marissa marcello was killed while trying to protect other members from across the street. the 47-year-old is the 61st

person to die in a traffic crash in san jose this year. 31 of those deaths have been pedestrian. the highest number in 25 years. >> maria marcello, as local residents remember her for improving the lives of hundreds of people in this community, right here at this health center she helped create. >> a brilliant leader. it is hard to describe -- >> reporter: be willing remembered in san jose, a force in her community, brett describes maria as one of his best friends. >> just devastating. somebody that you love a lot, i have heard a lot of people say she is a second mom to me. if that is the case, she had probably a couple hundred kids. it's devastating to lose

someone who is such a vibrant part of our community. >> reporter: he worked alongside her at the healing growth health center. a place for growth beyond the typical doctor's office. >> she was the go to person when anybody had a problem, or had struggles or there is a death in the community, when someone needed counseling, when someone experienced domestic violence but she is really the core organizer of the community. >> reporter: on wednesday evening, maria was leaving for a traditional christmas pilgrimage popular in her hometown, when she was struck and killed by a car in the intersection on little orchard street. she was with a group of roughly 200 others, even one holding a long large stop sign ignored by the driver. >> there are other variables as well. we are in an area of distracted driving. a lot of people were on their phones. not that any of that was a factor in this collision.

all of the information that i have received this morning as the driver of the vehicle who i will ask ad cooperated with the instigation. there is no alcohol or drug influence driving at normal speeds. >> the incident marked the 31st pedestrian fatality and the 61st traffic that in san jose this year. officials warned drivers and pedestrians to exercise caution on busy streets. >> eight change in driver behavior would go a long way towards improving safety on our streets. >> tributes have poured in from the greater community, honoring her work in spirits, including mayor sam accardo who raised her work. maria is leaving behind issues that can only be filled by the entire community working together. >> he built a network that is not about her, it was about us. and, the beautiful thing is that she spent the last 22 years in the community building

leadership and that is what she will leave behind. that is a vibrant network of leadership among people living in poverty. >> maria was working to expand the operating hours and activities provided at a nearby youth center. once it is up and running, they plan to name it in maria's memory. lauren tom, kpix 5. a live look at the capital where the house of representatives passed the respect for marriage act. it is now ready for president biden's signature. the act requires the government to recognize the legitimacy of same-sex and interracial marriages. >> one of the final bills i signed as a speaker the first time around, december 2010 was the repeal of don't ask don't tell. you can imagine how exciting it is at this point in the term as a speaker to be signing the respect for marriage act. >> no word yet on exactly when the president plans to sign the

bill. statewide and nationwide, coronavirus cases are spiking. we have been talking about this a lot but this is a look at the latest data in california, and nearly 12% test positivity rate is about 7800 cases, and a daily average of 13 deaths. as for hospitalizations in the state, currently, there are close to 4400 cove it patients in the hospital. this is a 1.5% increase in icu bed availability, and has increased nearly 5%. in the north bay, marin county hospitals are taking a hit amid the triple threat of, flu, and rsv cases. officials are asking to stay up- to-date, masks are also recommended in indoor settings. we have been talking about the rain headed our way. some of it already, right? >> the timing of the rain, it was not very intense, but it was right around the evening commute and made a mess of

roads. the weekend rain is going to be quiet. here we go. >> let's take a look at what is left out there right now. just a bit of struggling shower activity, some of the higher elevations in the foothills and east. that is going to wind down over the next several hours, not talking about much in terms of additional rain on top of what we already picked up, we will talk about those numbers, almost a half interest in the rosa, in the santa cruz mountains you will have a bit more, for most of us, it was in a few hundredths of an inch, to a 10th of an inch, just enough to whet the ground and make a mess of the evening commute. barely a trace of rainfall in san jose. the next storm system is already lining up, that will be diving down towards us already tomorrow. let's switch over to future caste, and track the next round of rain associated with atmospheric rivers. this will be 81 or a two, that

means mostly beneficial rain but also quite a bit of wind. the rain holds off to our north, maybe a passing shower in the north bay tomorrow evening but substantial rain starts moving into the north bay before the sun comes up on saturday. this first wave of heavy rain will sweep across the bay area saturday morning and will be substantially heavier than what we had today, adding up to a quarter inch or half an inch just with this first wave of rain. there will be more waves of rain to follow it up. another wave of rain by saturday evening. that is way to another wave of rain to start the day on sunday. hit or miss showers starting most of the day on sunday, but than another round of rain to the coast, that will make its way on short late into sunday evening. adding up the rain through 4:00 p.m. on sunday evening. significant rainfall amounts, not enough to cause widespread flooding, but when the heaviest rain is falling, watch out for water on the sides of roads, flooded intersections, and inch or two of rain for most of us, but over two inches of rain are possible in some of the higher elevations including the santa cruz mountains and northbay mountains as well. the wind will be gusty, a wind advisory most of saturday, the

wind is really picking up saturday morning. 30 to 40 mile-per-hour gust, widespread, and a strong enough to knock down tree branches, and cause power outages, and push you around on wet and slick roads. challenging on saturday, and possible in this year aware the winter storm warning will be in effect, monday, with 2 to 5 feet of snow and wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour. right now, it is the calm before the next storm. temperatures hovering around 50 degrees. tonight we drop into the 40s with 30s in the north bay, highest tomorrow before the rain arrives top out in the middle 50s which is still 3 to 4 degrees below normal for this time of year.-pitchers on saturday will be normal with strong southerly wind. nasty overall. link rain showers on sunday into early monday. a dry break monday, tuesday, and wednesday. as we get into the dry break, temperatures will still be on the chilly side, even for winter. sarah?

next in sports, the raiders always find a way to lose in the most devastating way possible. plus, steph curry wins again. we caught up with the two-time sports illustrated sports person of the i'm jayson. i'm living with hiv and i'm on cabenuva. it helps keep me undetectable. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete, long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. cabenuva is two injections, given by my healthcare provider, every other month. it's really nice not to have to rush home and take a daily hiv pill. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or if you taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away.

tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection-site reactions, fever, and tiredness. if you switch to cabenuva, attend all treatment appointments. ready to treat your hiv in a different way? ask your doctor about every-other-month cabenuva. every other month, and i'm good to go. wendy's new italian mozz is fried mozzarella, every other month, garlic knot bun, marinar - you know what? you're just gonna want to eat it. (all): ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh choose wisely. choose wendy's new italian mozzarella chicken sandwich.

big night for steph curry tonight. >> dell curry was there, his father, and i asked him, if you would have been here 10 years ago, do you think this could have happened? he said no. sports illustrated person of the year again for steph curry. he joins tiger woods and lebron james is the only two-time winners of this event. here was korea's event when i let him know. >> that's insane to think about. the journey that i've been on. the first time in 2018, getting back to another championship this year. >> the names you're speaking of, it is no surprise that he is in that group. for him, 34, soon to be 35 years old, remain at the top of

not only basketball, but at the top of sports, as we know, you don't just win this award for being a good player. it is every thing that goes into it. >> i'm not surprised. nothing that stuff does, or colleges surprises me anymore. he is an incredible athlete and human being, and is an amazing honor, but just another in a long list for him. >> jason garrett reportedly emerged as a finalist to become the next football coach in stanford. turns out the former cowboys coach is not coming to the bay area. garrett announced he is seeking a current role at nbc. nfl, raiders taking on the rams on thursday night football. a do or die game, raiders need to win, first possession of the game, derek carr first devonte adams, that is a one-handed snack, defensive pass interference, didn't matter. that led to this.

a one yard touchdown run from josh jacobs, and the raiders looks like they would cruise, led by double digits most of the game. baker mayfield, signed as a free agent earlier this week, played most of the game. the final two minutes, mayfield appears to get picked off here by harmon, but hold on. baker says, penalty. and official confirms it, first down rams. 15 seconds to go, rams at the raiders 23, baker, and then, jefferson comes down with it, and the raiders cannot believe it. one last chance for car to try to get into field-goal range. looking, and he finds a blue jersey. ballgame. raiders drop a heartbreaker 17- 16, they drop 5-8 on the season. >> we left some plays out there. and some points out there, at the end of the game, i don't think we finished it, i think we could have finished it to

win the game, and not even put the defense out there or anything like that, we just didn't execute. >> the best the raiders can do is 9-8. raiders fans, you can go to the standings and check scenario right now but it will be tough to find that wildcard spot. >> not great news there. >> raiders do it again. >> thank you. a lot of fun events looking ahead to the weekend, and we are all looking ahead to the weekend. from a family-friendly street festival, and all that comes with it, everything you need to know, on the way.

love it or hate it, santas are back in the city this weekend. thousands of people descend on san francisco in their santa costumes, of course. their holiday cheer always made that much more spirited, with the help of a couple of actual spirits. the exact details of the walking route and bar crawl i kept secret until the day of the event. we do know it will kickoff, like every year. union square around 11:30. this time, it will also have a toy drive in partnership with the san francisco fire department, before taking off through downtown, nobhill, north beach, the marina, and even parts of the mission and castro. lots of drunk santas out there this weekend. the bay area filipino community is hosting their lantern festival in person for the first time this saturday at 3:00 8:00 p.m. the traditional filipino food, gallery, parade, live music and a lantern lighting ceremony are all on offer. thursday will be the chinatown

lantern lighting ceremony, where blocks are taken over by community members, there will be speakers, free toys for kids, and festivities. this included from last year's event which are reeling from the pandemic and was blessed by a lively salvation. after the break, a unique gift for anyone on your list that cannot make the holiday get together this year.

former first lady michelle obama was on tour. her book hit shelves this week. the six city tour will be making a stop in san francisco, december 9th, 10th, and 11th at the masonic. this includes david letterman, tyler perry and tracy ellis shaw. if you have to spend the holidays on your own this year for whatever reason. jim being, none other than jim being has a solution for all those lonely nights pics but i bet they do. >> a couple of solutions, and a couple of problems, too. the bourbon maker has released special pjs they say mimic a hug. they wrap around you and give you a nice squeeze. ready yo

knowe resale icyou could buy ji >> you could buy a boa constrictor and take your chances. >> that's true. we all need a hug this time of year, don't we? >> my wife does that for our side of the family. the late show with stephen colbert is coming up next, and the news continues streaming on cbs news bay area. have a great night. (upbeat music) - hi everyone, and welcome to legal help center. this is where we have professionals standing by to answer your questions regarding personal injury. so if you've been injured in an accident