Skip to main content

tv   Caught on Camera  MSNBC  March 25, 2012 6:00pm-7:00pm PDT

6:00 pm
all of our situations caught on comru. situations that no one would want to confront. what would you do if you came upon a man trapped inside a burning car engulfed in flames? >> i knew eventually the car was probably going to explode. >> or if you watched a woman silently slumped to the floor of an emergency room. >> this was so not violent, but, so violent. >> what if you witnessed a life or death struggle over a gun. >> i never grabbed a gun before, but i knew that i better be the one that had it. >> or if you were part of a crowd patiently waiting for a pizza when all hell breaks loose. >> got the concussion right when
6:01 pm
he hit me the first time. >> what if you witnessed a 78-year-old man smashed to the ground by hit and run drivers. >> just begging, please, come forward. >> or if suddenly, without warning, new york's grand central station came to a bizarre and screeching halt. >> they are not moving. i can't move my cart. in each instance of drama, danger, decision, would you get involved or look away? would you help or merely watch? usually news photographers record a story and don't become part of it. jack klein knew if he didn't quickly become part of the story, a man might burn to death right in front of his eyes.
6:02 pm
the madness, the misery, the mayhem. just another typical day on an l.a. freeway. but then an accident, an inferno and a man trapped inside. his fate left in the hands of bystanders between saving him or saving themselves. what would they do? it's early afternoon on freeway 170, october 16th, 2005, when the drama begins. >> i was traveling on southbound when it stopped drizzling and i was rolling the tape. i was trying to shoot some rain. >> free lns cameraman jack klein is driving with his daughter when he sees something alarming up ahead. >> i noticed the car slip and slided and went sideways towards the left and hit a center divide. i've seen some smoke coming out
6:03 pm
of the car. parked my car and left the camera and ran towards him and shortly after he came to and my foot, my foot. i thought his foot was stuck. >> lapd officers also see the accident. >> once we got on the freeway, we saw that on the other side there was a multi-vehicle collision and vehicles were all over the freeway. so, we pulled up and then we saw smoke and people running around. everybody ran up to us and said there's somebody trapped in the vehicle. >> that somebody is 22-year-old alexis rinosa. >> i advised my partner, jensen, to grab the fire extinguisher and i ran down to see what i could do. he was trapped and there was no way he was going to get out on his own. as jensen got there with the fire extinguisher, i had been working to try to move his legs to a better position to try to extract him from the vehicle. >> it was hot. it was, undescribable. every time we pulled him out, he
6:04 pm
was trying to get his head out of the window and try to get fresh air because the black smoke was building inside the car. >> as the fire burns out of control, the officers jack klein and others frantically try to pry rinoso out of the vehicle. >> he was hit from the side and his door was all squashed in. no way we could get the door open to get him out. >> they tried to ripped open the hood of the car. >> i told them no because more oxygen, more flame. at the same time we were thinking, what if this guy doesn't make it? everything was going fast. >> we held our breath because of the smoke and we just took turns trying to maneuver his legs into a position where we could get him out. as time progressed the vehicle got a lot hotter and then the flames started igniting in the engine block. that's when the sense of urgency really stepped in. >> alexis rinoso is still pinned
6:05 pm
inside and cannot move. >> the gentleman that was filming this whole event, he would film part of the time and then set the camera down and run, get more fire extinguishers for us and then he'd pick the camera back up and start filming, again. he was a really big help. >> but the fire extinguishers are now empty. >> i noticed the flames were getting stronger and there was no fire extinguisher left. i was looking for a truck. a truck or something big might have some bigger extinguishers. >> jack sees a greyhound bus stopped up the road. >> thank god greyhound happens to be there. >> do you have fire exte extinguishers? >> as they try to douse the flames, the situation goes from bad to horrific. >> the flames started spreading. i noticed my feet were extremely hot and i couldn't figure why and when i looked down i saw the
6:06 pm
whole undercarriage of the vehicle was now engulfed in flames. along with the engine compartment, i looked in the vehicle briefly and saw that the flames were starting to come up underneath the dashboard and were just starting to touch mr. rinosa's feet and legs. >> one thing was going through my mind. if we could get this guy out of here as quick as possible, safe way as possible. at the same time, you're thinking, what if? >> looked at my partner and several citizens moved away because they saw how bad it was getting. a couple of the citizens hung in there and i told my partner, we have to get him out or he's going to die. >> time is running out. rescuers are faced with a monumental decision. do you risk your own life to save a stranger's? >> what was driving me was the flames. it was driving me crazy. i had no feelings of anything, just to get this guy out of there alive. >> that's where it got pretty intense.
6:07 pm
once i saw the flames, i knew every car has a gas tank and i knew the flames were covering the gas tank. i knew eventually the car was probably going to explode. i ensured him that we would not leave him. i ensured him that we would get him out and i wasn't going to go back on my word. if that meant we stayed there until the car blew up, we stayed there until the car blew up. but we weren't going to give up. >> knowing the car could explode at any moment and with firefighters held up in the snarled traffic with all their lives on the line, they give it one last potentially bone breaking heave. >> come on, you're coming out! >> they gave one final valiant effort. >> go, go, go! >> and were able to extract him right when the car exploded. >> i was so happy that he made it out. it seemed like i was just reborn.
6:08 pm
that's what i had the feeling when we got the guy out alive. >> you'll be fine, buddy. you'll be fine. good job, guys. >> once we got him out of the vehicle and my partner and citizens got him to safety, i looked back that car and that's when i really realized, boy, we came really close on this one. and it really doesn't hit you until that point when you look back at it and you think, wow, that was really close. >> alexis rinosa suffers three fractures to his pelvis but escapes with his life. >> it was part luck and definitely wouldn't have the same outcome if the citizens wouldn't have helped us. without their help, i don't think the outcome would have been the same. luckily those good citizens were there and helped us, otherwise it would have been a different outcome. they made the difference, absolutely. >> made me a better person to think about life. how important life is. >> you'll be fine, buddy. you'll be fine. coming up next, what would
6:09 pm
you do if you saw a woman lying face down on an emergency room floor? >> a security guard wheels himself in on a chair, round the corner of the wall, looks at her and wheels himself right back out. and later, a life or death fight in a parking lot over a loaded gun. >> i didn't have time to think about my own safety. i didn't have time. ♪ when your chain of supply goes from here to shanghai, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ chips from here, boards from there track it all through the air, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ clearing customs like that hurry up no time flat that's logistics. ♪ ♪ all new technology ups brings to me, that's logistics. ♪ energy in america. we've got to protect the environment.
6:10 pm
the economists make some good points. we need safer energy. [announcer:] who's right? they all are. visit powerincooperation.com. [ male announcer ] aggressive new styling. a more fuel-efficient turbocharged engine. and a completely redesigned interior. ♪ the new c-class with over 2,000 refinements. it's amazing...inside and out. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. a, the appearance. amber. [ jim ] b, balance. sam adams has malt sweetness, hoppy bitterness. [ jim ] c, complexity. pine notes, grapefruit notes. only believe your own pallet. go taste them. chocolate lemonade ? susie's lemonade... the movie.
6:11 pm
or... we make it pink ! with these 4g lte tablets, you can do business at lightning-fast speeds. we'll take all the strawberries, dave. you got it, kid. we have a winner. we're definitely gonna need another one. small businesses that want to grow use 4g lte technology from verizon. i wonder how she does it. that's why she's the boss. because the small business with the best technology rules. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006.
6:12 pm
when you think about awful things happening, you expect violence. and this was so not violent. but so violent. >> a 49-year-old woman collapses on a psychiatric emergency room floor. surveillance video captures the moments when others decide to intervene or not. and their decisions have dire
6:13 pm
consequences. >> she was a really beautiful person. in and out. she loved children, she loved them with a passion. >> esmond green comes to new york city in 1995, hoping to find work that will allow her to send money home to her six children in jamaica. >> she was, by all accounts, heartbroken to be separated from her family for so many years. >> i think maybe one of the reasons why she clung to other people's children it is because she had left her six children in jamaica and been with other children filled that void. >> esmond finds a second home with jesus is lord ministries and works at day care centers in
6:14 pm
the area. >> she was in very good communication with children. a teacher, a counselor, whatever. and she would always do a good job. >> but esmond also has to contend with her own demons. she has psychological problems. at times, showing dangerous signs of agitation and psychosis. in june 2008, esmond loses her job and evicted from her apartment. in the early hours of june 18th, she breaks. >> everything just changed. she changed from one personality into the next, just agitated. >> esmond green is out of control and pastor marilyn johnson calls 911. emergency medical technicians arrive. esmond is admitted involuntarily to the psychiatric emergency
6:15 pm
room of the kings county medical center in brooklyn. >> one thing about the psychiatric emergency room, it's not like an ordinary emergency room. once you're taken in, they won't let you out without permission from a doctor. so, if something's going wrong in there, you're a prisoner and you're totally at the mercy of the hospital staff. >> it's june 19th, 5:32 in the morning. and esmond green who has been waiting for a bed for nearly 24 hours slumps to the floor. none of the patients move to help her. >> some people have asked, why didn't anybody who is in the waiting room do anything? but chances are they were all medicated and out of it. >> esmond lies unattended for 20 minutes and then at 5:52 -- >> what happens to her is
6:16 pm
nothing except for that a security guard comes by and sees her on the floor. and doesn't do anything. doesn't go near her. doesn't do anything that would indicate any concern about the well being of this individual who has come to the hospital for treatment. >> the security guard looks in and then, apparently, walks away. ten minutes later, esmond is in distress, kicking her legs and moving back and forth. another eight minutes go by and then -- >> a security guard wheels himself in on a chair, rounds the corner of the wall, looks at her and wheels himself right back out. he couldn't be bothered to get up. he didn't go over to her. and, once again, nothing was done. nothing was done. >> at 6:33, a doctor ambles by,
6:17 pm
looks at esmond and apparently walks away. at 6:35 a nurse enters the room and she kicks esmond to see if she responds. >> you know, i'm no expert on medical practice, but common sense tells me that medical people ought to have some other tools at their disposal besides kicking somebody who's lying on the floor to find out whether they're dead. >> after being admitted the day before, esmond has been unattended by the hospital staff for nearly 24 hours. now, the nurse alerts others who finally come to check on her, but esmond is dead. according to the medical examiner, esmond green is killed
6:18 pm
by blood clots that can be caused by long periods of physical inactivity. >> we have to keep asking our selves, why didn't anybody help? and i'm not sure we'll ever know why. we may find out what went on in each individual's mind, you know, each the security guards, the nurses, the doctor. but, you know, nobody should check their conscious at the door. >> the hospital's also been accused of falsifying green's medical records. they record that at 6:00 a.m., esmond got up and went to the bathroom. and then at 6:20 she was sitting quietly in the waiting room. but the camera doesn't lie. it bears witness to what was really happening and how the silent decisions not to act may have led to esmond green's death.
6:19 pm
since the incident, seven employees have been fired or suspended. in a press release the new york city health and hospital corporation, which oversees kings county hospital says they "failed esmin green." they also sue the new york health and hospitals organization for negligence and awarded $2 million in a settlement in 2009. esmin's death has prompted the hospital to institute changes to prevent it from happening, again. staff increased and waiting times significantly reduced. >> esmin green's death is a needless death but she didn't die in vain because her death has sparked the reform of conditions at kings county hospital. and hopefully, as a result of her death, nobody will ever be treated this way. >> we miss her spirit at our church. something is missing. we really miss her.
6:20 pm
up next, what's it like to try to wrestle a loaded gun from a bad guy? >> i saw the gun, i never grabbed a gun before, but i knew i better be the one who had it. and later, a plastering punchout at a pizza parlor. >> got the concussion right when he hit me the first time. [ male announcer ] this is genco services -- mcallen, texas. in here, heavy rental equipment in the middle of nowhere, is always headed somewhere. to give it a sense of direction, at&t created a mobile asset solution to protect and track everything. so every piece of equipment knows where it is, how it's doing or where it goes next. ♪ this is the bell on the cat. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ helping you do what you do... even better. but not for your eyes. they're still so tired-looking. with olay, challenge that with regenerist anti-aging eye roller.
6:21 pm
its hydrating formula with caffeine-conditioning complex perks up the look of eyes. it works in the blink of an eye.
6:22 pm
nature valley trail mix bars are made with real ingredients you can see. like whole roasted nuts, chewy granola, and real fruit. nature valley trail mix bars. 100% natural. 100% delicious. i care about my car because... i think it's a cool car. i think it's stylish and it makes a statement at the same time. and i've never had a car like that. people don't totally understand how the volt works. when the battery runs down the gas engine operates. i don't ever worry about running out of battery power... because it just switches over to my gas engine. i very rarely put gas in my chevy volt. i love my chevy volt and i've never loved a car. ♪
6:23 pm
what makes someone a hero? >> i saw the gun, i never grabbed a gun before, but i knew that i better be the one that had it. >> is it it timing? luck? guts? >> the man had already had a -- >> for sharon gillespie and lisa recture, it was all of that and perhaps a bit more. linden, texas, mother's day, may 11th, 2003.
6:24 pm
assistant chief of police sharon gillespie makes a routine traffic stop at a convenience store parking lot. it's all caught on the dashboard camera in her police car. >> she's a very good officer and she's a smart, real smart person. and a real caring-type person. >> after being stopped, the driver immediately exits the vehicle and, surprisingly, begins walking away. gillespie calls him back asking for some identification. >> and when sharon stopped him, she didn't know for sure who he was and she asked for his i.d. and he said he didn't have any i.d. >> he tells her his last name is gray. gillespie realizes he fits the description of police wanted for assaulting his wife. she asks gray to put his hands on the trunk of the car.
6:25 pm
>> she took her handcuffs out and she grabbed him by the shirt and said, you don't want to do this. you're going to get yourself in a bunch of trouble. >> gillespie grabs gray by the shirt, but gray decides to make what could be a life or death move. he tears off gillespie vest microphone and goes for her gun. >> he just reached and grabbed the gun as soon as he did that she tried to grab a hold of him. >> the glun is a 40 caliber gloc, if gray gains control of it, he can shoot her. gray seems to have trouble finding the safety on the gun, hoping to release it. while gillespie desperately holds on for dear life. >> he has the pistol in his hand and he's trying to put it in her face because she's got a vest on and she got a hold of the barrel, but the only reason the gun couldn't go off is because she had a hold of the barrel and trying to push it back and get
6:26 pm
out of her face and when you push back it won't fire until it's locked in place. but the minute it locks in place with him pulling on the trigger, it would have gone off. >> now gray has the advantage. gillespie is off balance, bloodied, the gun is pointed directly at her face. >> i could feel god moving my hands and feet. i've told people this before. some of them think i was crazy. it was too perfect. i was there at the exact perfect second to do what i did. >> patrick dennis a former monk and the right man at the right place at the right time. >> when i pulled into the parking lot i could see that the officer had pulled over a man and was checking his i.d. i didn't think anything about it. when i got to the front door, just as i was going in, i saw that he was slapping at her and grabbing for her gun.
6:27 pm
>> that's when he makes a decision that could have deadly consequences. >> as soon as i got out there, i saw that they were struggling and any man who's struggling with a woman, i'm going to go help the woman, especially if he's two feet taller than she is. whatever was going to happen was going to happen. >> he deliberately walks into the line of fire calmly and almost serenely he wrestles the gun out of gray's hands. >> he would have killed her. he would have killed her for sure. he pulled the trigger in her face, twice. the only thing that saved her was the slide on the gloc was back just a little bit. >> he grabbed the gun with both hands and twisted it. as soon as he twisted he got it loose from gray and then told him to get down to the ground. >> but the fight is far from over. gillespie and gray are still struggling, that's when lisa appears. >> well, i had taken my four
6:28 pm
kids grocery shopping and a man came in and said a lady needed help. i kicked my flip-flops off and went outside and there was ms. gillespie in bad trouble. she isn't in a particularly good mood this morning. >> earlier that morning my husband got me a birthday card and it was mother's day, that isn't my birthday. i was already upset and i had to take the four kids to buy groceries in my little car and i wasn't in a good mood already. >> her mood is about to get worse. >> my children said, get her, mama, get her. >> that's when she turn a free for all into a tie and gray is finally subdued. what would you do if you came upon a struggle like the one pat and alicia encounter?
6:29 pm
what does it take to be a hero? >> i didn't have time to think about my own safety. i didn't have time, it was too important. >> i don't feel like a hero. when you have five kids, when you get through each day, it's heroic. >> andrew lee gray was convicted, given two life sentences for attempted murder and aggravated assault. though the encounter has been hard on sharon gillespie, she exhibited astounding courage and resolve throughout the blood-chilling fight. >> she's alive, she's well and she's doing good for herself. ms. gillespie's an awesome woman herself. she has a big heart, too. >> the kind of generous heart shared, but for alicia, getting involved might just have been all in a day's work. >> she somehow got him turned over and i just got control of
6:30 pm
the man and helped to handcuff him and then i went about finishing checking out my groceries. next up on "cotton camera," what would you do? a knockout punch in a pizza joint has everyone looking, away. >> if one person would have stood up, things could have turn out a bit differently. later, a horrible hit and run in broad daylight. >> fighting for his life. i would just like the public right now to help us. uhh!
6:31 pm
[ alyson ] just keep walking... ♪ oh, come on! ♪ ugh, again! [ sniffs ] that's what i'm talkin' about. [ female announcer ] up to 100% flake-free, flirty hair. new head & shoulders green apple. diarrhea, gas or bloating? get ahead of it! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. are you guys okay? yeah. ♪ [ man ] i had a great time. thank you, it was really fun. ♪
6:32 pm
[ crash ] i'm going to write down my number, but don't use it. [ laughing ] ♪ [ engine turns over ] [ male announcer ] the all-new subaru impreza®. experience love that lasts. ♪ fight both fast with new tums freshers! and freshens breath. new tums freshers. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ [ male announcer ] fast relief, fresh breath, all in a pocket sized pack.
6:33 pm
i'm melissa rehberger. a 7.2 earthquake hit central chile. no fatalities and chilean authorities say the quake was not the type to produce a tsunami. in the u.s., people are lining up for a three-day hearing on obama care that starts tomorrow. the justices will determine
6:34 pm
whether to strike down part of president obama's health care reform law. now back to "caught on camera. " welcome back to "caught on camera." i'm contessa brewer. so far we've seen everyday people risk their own lives to save a stranger. in our next story, people at a pizza parlor are unexpectedly faced with another daunting decision. to test their willingness to step up when they see something bad going down. it is perhaps one of the most unexpected and brutal punches ever caught on camera, outside a boxing ring. >> got the concussion right when he hit me the first time. >> what is even more shocking may be what happens next. july 31st, 2004.
6:35 pm
davinci's pizza parlor, akron, ohio. it's 2:00 in the morning and joseph scarpino, the man in the striped shirt, is about to have a really bad day. it begins slowly when ms. simms enters and abruptly cuts in line. >> when ms. simms entered the pizzeria she went to the front. >> joseph gets a call from his wife waiting in the car outside. >> my wife was asking how much longer? i said just a little bit longer. she goes, who just jumped in front of the line? i said the lady who just walked in wearing camouflage pants. >> ms. simms is in an extremely nasty mood. when she hears joseph's comment, she decides to make a scene, a very big scene. >> what are you saying? say what you're saying
6:36 pm
[ bleep ]. >> she immediately got enraged and got in the victim's face and using foul language and hitting him, poking at him and just screaming like a lunatic at him. >> joseph tries to ignore him. >> come here and tell this [ bleep ] -- >> then the manager gets involved. >> she was loud and swearing and out of control when the person working at the pizza shop just started saying get out of here. >> hey, you need to go! >> you need to leave. get out of my, you know, out of my restaurant. she then just got real hostile with him. >> and to put an exclamation point on her argument, she spits in his face. the manager asks her to leave but she's on a roll. that's when mark jones, her boyfriend enters. mr. jones stands 6'4" and weighs
6:37 pm
in at about 295 pounds. he also happens to be an ex-con. meanwhile, joseph scarpino is still on the phone with his wife. >> my wife tells me she's coming in. i said, no, stay in the car. at that point she punched me in the face. >> as christina simms is using her foul language and acting out of control, you see a number of other men who are also custom s customers, they're just standing there. >> everyone seems oblivious, not one of the men in the crowd says a word. not one gets involved. almost everyone's eyes are averted. as she continues to poke and provoke joseph scarpino -- >> i switched the hands on my phone and i slap the counter. i said, what's wrong with you? what's your problem? just get your pizza and get out of here and mark jones
6:38 pm
approaches me. and while mark jones approaches me, my phone rings but then it hangs up. i go to redial the phone and he's like, what's the problem? i'm not really paying attention much to what he's doing. >> that's when mr. jones unloads a wicked roundhouse blind siding killer sucker punch that fractures joseph's teeth and immediately gives him a cerebral concussion. jones continues to pulverize his victim. >> got the concussion right when he hit me the first time and i was like falling out the door and i came back in and i had no idea what was going on. it's a little bit disheartening to see people stand around and do nulthiothing. >> the video clearly shows at least six other men who are just standing around as the victims is just being brutalized and there's not a lot of reaction. you could see them all just kind
6:39 pm
of looking. i think maybe in shock, not quite knowing what was going on or what to do. >> still, no one lifts a finger to help joseph scarpino. >> mark jones, after violently punching the victim, probably seven or eight times until the victim is down on the ground just stops. the victim is laying there, unconscious, i believe. he then is in search of his cell phone and he takes the victim who must be blocking his path to get out of the pizza shop and just drags his body out of the way and then exits the pizza shop. >> as soon as they exit the store, police are there to arrest them. >> christina simms was convicted of an assault, a misdemeanor assault and then later indicted by the grand jury and convicted
6:40 pm
of a felony assault. >> she served six months in jail and then put on probation. mark jones was convicted of felonious assault and sentenced to four years and nine months in prison. >> within a month of his release, he broke in to her home and attacked her. >> at his trial, a jury found mark jones guilty of aggravated assault and domestic violence. he was sentenced, again, this ti joseph scarpino recovered from the physical scars of the incident, but he remains bewildered and stunned by the lack of help he received that night. >> anybody who watches this video probably is thinking the same thing. i think it's our human reaction is, here are a group of men, not women, but a group of men and they're not doing anything. >> but what would you do?
6:41 pm
confronted with an out of control thug, mercilessly beating someone right in front of your eyes? would you call the cops? tell them to stop or look at the wall, as if it wasn't happening? >> if one person would have stood up, one person crosses that line, one person would have stood up, i think, you know, things could have turned out a bit different. coming up, a horrifying hit and run leaves a 78-year-old man paralyzed and waiting for someone to help him. >> he was hitten on the back of the head and all over the place. and, later, what would you do if everyone around you suddenly froze in place. >> they stopped what they were doing and just stood like frozen. ok, guys-- what's next ? chocolate lemonade ? susie's lemonade... the movie. or... we make it pink ! with these 4g lte tablets,
6:42 pm
you can do business at lightning-fast speeds. we'll take all the strawberries, dave. you got it, kid. we have a winner. we're definitely gonna need another one. small businesses that want to grow use 4g lte technology from verizon. i wonder how she does it. that's why she's the boss. because the small business with the best technology rules. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006. ♪ when your chain of supply goes from here to shanghai, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ chips from here, boards from there track it all through the air, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ clearing customs like that hurry up no time flat that's logistics. ♪ ♪ all new technology ups brings to me, that's logistics. ♪ [ male announcer ] it was the kind of weekend that your friends are always going to remember... [ cellphone ringing ]
6:43 pm
and your neighbors... [ ringing continues ] ...would rather forget. [ ringing continues ] ♪ woman: what do you mean, homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods? [ heart rate increases ] man: a few inches of water caused all this? [ heart rate increases ] woman #2: but i don't even live near the water. what you don't know about flood insurance may shock you -- including the fact that a preferred risk policy starts as low as $129 a year. for an agent, call the number that appears on your screen. crispy granola, layered with creamy peanut butter or rich dark chocolate flavor. 90 calories. 100% natural. and nature...approves. granola thins. from nature valley. nature at its most delicious. ♪ [ male announcer ] the dodge journey was made to explore the real world. it has under-seat storage to bring everything,
6:44 pm
available seating for up to seven people to take everyone, and the grip of available all-wheel drive to go everywhere. think of it as a search engine helping you browse the real world. this march, get no extra charge third-row seating plus 0% financing on dodge journey. would float on the top of that head? uhhhh... -i don't. -no. ♪ oh, that's cool, like i said. sweet mamasita. [ koch ] a good head on a beer tells you that beer was made with a lot of malted barley. and that's going to deliver a lot of flavor. [ cannon ] a good thick rocky head -- that's really releasing a lot of the hop aroma. you taste the barley, you taste the hops, feels bold. good head on a beer shows that you did your job right and it's going to add to the enjoyment of boston lager.
6:45 pm
friday, may 30th, 2008. 5:49 in the evening. 33 park street. hartford, connecticut. in broad daylight on a busy street, a brazen hit and run. the entire horrific incident recorded by surveillance cameras. but it may be what doesn't happen after the accident that is most shocking of all. the man left for dead is 78-year-old anhil torres. >> he was bleeding on the back of the head and bleeding through his mouth and all over the place. >> immediately after the accident, anhil's son appeals for help. >> my father is fighting for his life. i would just like the public
6:46 pm
right now to help us. if the guy is out there listening, please, you know, turn yourself in. >> known in the community as ponsa for his hometown in puerto rico, he is a retired fork lift operator, a huge yankees' fan, a fisherman and a wizard at dominos. >> he was one of my best friends, to me, was a good man. he and i get together almost every day. we played dominos. he helps everybody. if you need help, he's there for you. he never say no. never backed out. he was there. >> my father is the man that i always want to be and the man that i pretend to be. could not have asked for bater father. >> anhil is an active member of the community, someone who looks out for others. >> seven years we used to go
6:47 pm
down and pick up clothes and stuff for the poorest people and bring it back to the city and help other people in the city. >> his world and that of his family is changed forever. put on a ventilator and confined to a hospital bed for the rest of his life. he's paralyzed from the neck down. >> we can communicate with him. he talks, but we have to read his lips. he doesn't have a voice. he's still paralyzed from the neck down. get very, very confused at times. now we're going to the hospital and we can't even hold conversations with him like we used to. it's tough. >> for the family of this man who helped others, this tragedy's made worse by the circumstances surrounding it. the two speeding vehicles had run a red light and then traveling against traffic
6:48 pm
crossed the center line. after anhil is hit, the drivers didn't stop, they didn't even hesitate and, even more devastating, they are still at large. but the drivers aren't the only indifferent participants in this shocking story. watch what happens immediately after the impact. onlookers gather to watch, but no one tries to help anhil torres. >> he is paralyzed now from the neck down and no one appeared to come to his aid. >> seven seconds after he is run down, the first of eight cars slows and eventually drives by. 32 seconds after the impact, a man stops to talk to another driver, but neither does anything about the victim lying at their feet. >> the individual was clearly, clearly struck in broad
6:49 pm
daylight. there were several witnesses, there were cars actually driving by him as he was on the ground. >> 40 seconds after the accident, a moped driver circles anhil and drives on. as a crowd edges closer, but does nothing. >> got a guy on a scooter that goes around my father and, you know, just keep going. didn't go around the corner to the fire station. >> but some onlookers did do something to help, calls to 911 are recorded. >> there was somebody who was hit in a hit and run and bleeding severely from his head. >> bleeding hard. >> what kind of car was it? >> i didn't see it. >> still, more crucial seconds go by until a police cruiser, that just happens to be in the area, stops and takes charge. the police release the video of the hit and run, they're looking to find a tan older model toyota
6:50 pm
being chased by a blue or black older model honda. the police and anhil's son they appeal to the public for help, and for those hit-and-run drivers to turn themselves in. >> i was just begging please, come forward. it will take a little less suffering from this family. >> he spends nearly a year on life support, but he dies on monday, may 11th, 2009. police make an arrest that friday, may 15th, the same day he is laid to rest by his family. >> we asked my father to help us out. help us with justice. we bury him today, we didn't know he could work that fast. >> the driver is 33-year-olds,
6:51 pm
he is arrested, and he pleads guilty. sentencing is set for may 3rd. but what would you have done as he lay alone, he deserved someone to stop traffic, to perhaps hold his hand, and respond the way he most certainly would have. >> he always helped people. and nobody there was in his time of need. >> next, new york's grand central station comes to a shocking stand still. >> how long has this been happening? >> when caught on camera, what would you do, continues. ♪
6:52 pm
[ male announcer ] aggressive new styling. a more fuel-efficient turbocharged engine. and a completely redesigned interior. ♪ the new c-class with over 2,000 refinements. it's amazing...inside and out. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. [ facilitator ] what do you smell? takes me outdoors. sort of a crisp, fresh feeling. [ facilitator ] go ahead and take your blindfold off. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] the febreze set & refresh. breathe happy for 30 days, guaranteed. in here, the landscaping business grows with snow.
6:53 pm
to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪
6:54 pm
>> not everything caught on camera is dramatic, sad, frightening, or heroic. some things are just plain
6:55 pm
weird. like what if you were walking through new york's grand central station, and nearly everyone around you suddenly froze in place. >> they stopped what they were doing and just stood like frozen. >> that's exactly what happens here on february 27th. grand central station comes to a halt. >> i don't know either. >> were you here from the beginning? >> no. >> do you know what they're doing? >> no. >> opened in 1871, grand central is the largest train station in the world. nearly a million people rush through the concourse. it seems to symbolize new york city itself. there are tourist, but mostly
6:56 pm
it's commuters who are running to catch their train. >> the fun is when 207 agents freeze in place at the exact same moment. what the heck is going on here. >> we do pranks, but we do a type of prank that rather than embarrassing or humiliating someone, it gives them a awesome story to tell. >> it's the brain child of charlie todd. creating scenes in public places is there thing. >> we create situations that are magical and hilarious and awesome and seem to come from nowhere and disappear back into nowhere when they're over. >> since 2001, improv everywhere has executed 70 missions. froze in grand central is one of
6:57 pm
the most bizarre. >> really excited that you're all here. we have a really exciting mission we're doing today. >> we all met at brian park and matched our watches, and then we agreed that we would go in grand central station, and we would freeze for five minutes, and act like nothing unusual happened. >> how did the people walking by react? some seemed completely oblivious. others find it humorous. some seem baffled. yet amazingly, people just keep on walking. most not even fazed by the strange folks oldly in place in
6:58 pm
the station. all the while, hidden cameras record the action. >> the people that came out to participate are always very creative people, and i'm always amazing the different things that people come up with. one girl froze eating a banana, ago as she was going to take a bite of yogurt. another guy right before spilled like 30 minutes from his briefcase. so he is picking up his papers for five minutes. whards the end of the freeze, there was a guy on a motorized vehicle working for grand central that was trying to get across but could not move because there were frozen people in front of his cart. he could not figure out what was going on, and he radioed for help from someone. but right when he was trying to get someone to help him out, we
6:59 pm
all fun froze. so his reaction was like, never mind, and continued to drive on. >> the actors break out of character, and then seem to fade back into the everyday world. an everyday word that improv makes more whimsical, and a lot more fun. >> hopefully our stories made you think about how you would react. and you never know when a camera may be watching. if you have a video you would like to send to us at caughtoncamera@msnbc.com. that's it for this edition of "caught on camera."

560 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on