tv Eyewitness News ABC February 14, 2016 11:00pm-12:00am EST
11:00 pm
bundled up and living without heat as temperatures drop to record lows. seniors beg new york city for help on the coldest day in 22 years. that story in a minute. we have a developing story in manhattan eliot spitzer is under investigation for allegedly assaulting a woman. >> eye witness news reporters stefan kim has details. >> reporter: it was political trouble that brought down former
11:01 pm
now he may be facing legal trouble after what may have happened at this hotel. former governor spitzer involved in an alleged assault saturday night and it involves a 25-year-old woman. a law enforcement source claims he choked her. the two have had romantic relationship for two years and it appears a stat may have been sparked when she tried to break up with him. eye witness news catching a detective heading into the hotel sunday night. the van parked across the street. the woman sustained no major incidents but she cut her arm. she had second thoughts about pressing charges. any chance you could buzz governor spitzer and see if he would comment?
11:02 pm
trying to reach the governor for comment. his spokesperson released a statement saying there's no truth to the allegation. >> i've disappointed and failed to live up to the standard i expected of myself. >> reporter: it was in 2008 he resigned from office over a hooker scandal. the former governor making headlines again. >> the remorse i feel will always be with me. >> reporter: as for that cut that woman suffered as she was leaving the hotel sources say it was minor and she was treated and released at a hospital and she was on her way out of new york city last night. sefan kim, channel 7 eye witness. now to the bitter cold outside. we hit record lows today and the frigid air will continue into the morning but the good news is that's the end of it. the bad news, snow is on the way. a travel advisory issued for new york city for monday and tuesday. meteorologist jeff smith is tracking it all. he's outside the studio on manhattan's upper west side.
11:03 pm
wind is behind us. even out here with a dead calm wind it is brutally frigid. temperatures in the lower teens and below zero well north and west tonight. check out the lows we had this morning. this was incredible. down to one below in central park and 13 below in monticello. just to give you an idea of how rare it is, that one below zero in central park. it was the coldest valentine's day on record. the first time we've been below zero since january of 1994 just over 22 years ago. 9 in morris town and 2 below in monticello and 14 in the park. temperatures stay steady overnight if not falling a couple more degrees. a really weather advisory is posted for tomorrow. first flakes arriving probably around 1:00 p.m. in new york city and we're looking at a
11:04 pm
to points east. it's not that simple, though. this eventually goes to a wintery mix and then rain. we'll time that out for you in the full accuweather forecast later. >> thank you. you can keep tabs on this with our app and upload pictures of the conditions in your area. imagine enduring this cold with no heat in your apartment. that is what happened to tenants in a six story apartment building in queens. tonight they share just how they managed to stay warm and survive these frigid temperatures. tonight eye witness news was able to help them get action. josh einiger is in flushing with their story. >> reporter: sandra, we're in the lobby of this building and it's a little warmer than outside but not much. this heating grate is ice cold. residents have come and put space heaters here in the lobby.
11:05 pm
she and her neighbors have been inside for warmth because the boiler gave out yesterday and she says the housing authority never came to fix it. >> i called so many times. that's why i have to call you because i couldn't take it anymore. >> reporter: this building, part of the lebat housing is for senior citizens, some of the most vulnerable among us. >> i put this over my head. >> reporter: the boiler is constantly on the frits. >> they'll fix it during the week and when they're not here for us to get in touch with
11:06 pm
>> i've been all day bundled up. >> reporter: 950 boilers, roughly half of their buildings are in need of replacement and promised rapid response teams would react to any no heat complaints. >> 911. >> reporter: these residents go nowhere until they called us. two workers arrived after we called them. for long time tenants it isn't enough. >> we are seniors and we pay our rent. why should we have to go through this? >> reporter: back live, this van belongs to the housing authority. it's been here for two hours and workers are working on the boiler. the heating grate in there was still ice cold. they blame the lack of state and federal funding for the nature of nearly half the boilers that they take care of. they have not explained why it took so long to respond to these people's calls for help. live in flushing, queens, josh
11:07 pm
>> thank you, josh. new at 11, firefighters battled the bitter cold while tackling a fire in brooklyn. flames broke out at 7 on the first two floors of a brown stone. some 100 firefighters responded. they were able to pull residents to safety through the windows. no one was seriously hurt. four family this is temporary housing after fire destroyed their homes. the flames broke out in jersey city with strong winds quickly spreading them to an adjacent building. the wind and the low temperatures presented quite a firefighters. three were injured but they are expected to be okay. no one else was hurt. the red cross is helping those displaced families. in new jersey, investigators are working to identify the victims in a double murder. prosecutors charged 20-year-old ezra simon daniels with two counts of first degree murder. he called 911 from a parked car before 6 saturday morning.
11:08 pm
other officers went to his home and found the bodies of a man and a woman. both suffered blunt force trauma to the head. a passenger jet flying to new york was forced back to london after a laser strike today. the plane was just a few minutes into the flight to jfk when a laser lit up the cockpit. a short time later the crew asked to turn around because the co-pilot felt unwell. >> we have a medical issue with one of the pilots. we're going to return. >> in a statement, virgin atlantic called it a precautionary measure. the co-pilot's condition hasn't been released. police in london are investigating. we are learning more tonight about the sudden death of antonin scalia. his remains are being flown to virginia. the 79-year-old was found dead
11:09 pm
a county judge declared that scalia died of natural causes. an autopsy was not ordered because they found no signs of foul play. >> about 9:00 he stood up and said it's been a very long day and i got up early this morning and a long week, i'd like to be excused. he was totally peaceful. he went to sleep and didn't wake up. >> meanwhile the fight surrounding his replacement is well underway. the president will nominate a candidate. republicans are challenging that plan and insisting the next president should decide. >> we should not allow a lame duck president to essentially capture the supreme court in the waning months of his presidency. >> the president may, in fact, choose a candidate respected by republicans until the appointment is made the court will operate with 8 judges. they are scheduled to address issues like abortion and unions. any four to four decisions would be lower court rulings stand.
11:10 pm
11:12 pm
40 feet off the ground. they were riding at a ski resort in new hampshire when it stopped. passengers say they felt a jolt before the two cars came to a halt. they repel today safety and the resort said there was a problem with the brakes. they're now working to fix the problem. a sinkhole swallowed a car but police say it didn't need to be that way. police put pictures of the automobile on the facebook page. the post says the driver went around cones and barriers on saddle river road about 6 saturday morning. a broken water main created the hole. the driver was not hurt but did get a traffic ticket. a developing story we are following right now involving the nassau county executive and sexually explicit text messages allegedly sent from his cell phone number. nassau county police confirmed they're investigating a complaint filed by county
11:13 pm
impersonation. he and a female public relation woman is a victim of spoofing. he said i am outraged at this smear attempt and will take legal action against the sick individual who has sought to assassinate my character and hurt my family. the woman identified by police as karen caro issued a statement saying the conversation never happened. police say their investigation so far has failed to turn up any record of the alleged conversations. >> politics now and happening tomorrow george w. bush will try to help his brother get the job he once had. they'll be in south carolina that holds a republican presidential primary on saturday. president bush's popularity has improved since he left office in 2009. especially among conservatives.
11:14 pm
after a fourth place finish in new hampshire. both democratic candidates were in nevada ahead of that state's caucuses on saturday. former secretary of state hillary clinton met with young people who are children of immigrants. bernie sanders spoke to supporters at a rally. new questions about a crash that claimed three lives. why one family believes snap chat could be the reason the driver was speeding that night. dramatic video as a strong earthquake rattled new zealand and sent part of a cliff into the sea. the cold is coming to an
11:15 pm
jeff smith is tracking i do everything on the internet. but, it's kind of slow. my friends say i should get fios because it's the fastest. i just downloaded 600 photos in 60 seconds. that's seriously better. (husband) we're out of 2%! i wonder what else could be better around here? (husband) i heard that. switching to better internet is now easier than ever. only fios has the fastest internet available, with uploads up to 5x faster than cable. get 100 meg upload and download speeds. plus tv and phone for just $69.99 a month online with no annual contract. switch to better. switch to fios. in new york state, we believe tomorrow starts today. all across the state the economy is growing, with creative new business incentives, the lowest taxes in decades, and university partnerships,
11:16 pm
11:17 pm
not even negative temperatures could keep cupid's arrow from landing at the cross roads of the world this valentine's day. one lucky couple got hitched in the heart of time's square. crystal and elgin brown said i do under the valentine's heart sculpture. >> oh, yes. >> i hope they're going somewhere warm. >> i know. well, actually this will be somewhere warm in a couple of days. >> in a couple of days we're talking temperatures in the mid-50s. between now and then when you get a warm up, there's incline weather to deal with. we're working towards the empire state building lit up in the valentine's day colors. 14 your temperature in central park.
11:18 pm
it's calm in central park. what a difference from last night when we have the similar temperatures or even colder than this at this time with the winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour. it does feel better tonight. it's frigid out there. the low down to one below zero and two was the record back in 1916. we beat that. snow will develop tomorrow afternoon and early evening. it'll transition over to ice tomorrow night especially areas north and west of the city causing slick and dangerous travel. it transitions to rain at night and some heavier downpours during the day on tuesday. localized flooding is possible in poor drainage and low lying areas. 9 in morris town and 4 below at monticello. temperatures have pretty much plateaued and they'll remain at the levels through the night because clouds are increasing and will stop the temperatures from falling. we head to the south and west and snow beginning near
11:19 pm
headway to the north and east and it'll be around here at midday. mainly cloudy skies and 14 in the park. single numbers north and west. similar to what we have right now. 10 in the morning flakes could fly and areas south of new york city and it gets going during the early part of the afternoon. temperatures cold enough for the snowfall to accumulate on roads and sidewalks and can cause slippery travel for the monday evening commute. steadier snow in the area. you're already starting to transition over rain and sleet. south shore of long island. that line rapidly moves to the north tomorrow night. by 10:00 p.m. we're rainy in the city and still freezing rain areas north and west. you have to head up to the cat skills and poconos to get rain. transitions by late tomorrow night and during the day tuesday heavy downpours are moving in. before the transition a coating to an inch of snow possible.
11:20 pm
very cold out there and a high overcast moving in. down to 12 in midtown and below zero in the colder spots. it's cloudy and calm and cold at sunrise. a little snow developing in the afternoon accumulating a coating to an inch and up to 36 and rising temperatures later tomorrow night. the wintery mix transitioning to periods of rain and that could be heavy enough to cause ponding of water on tuesday and 55 for a high, though. mainly cloudy wednesday and maybe a rain or snow shower lingering. 48 and closer to normal thursday and friday and back to the 50s by saturday and no big arctic blast in sight for a change. >> that's good news. laura behnke up next with sports. >> the last time the rangers played the flyers they lost their captain to a concussion. you bet they were looking for revenge. of course a win is always the best way to do that. we'll head to the garden.
11:23 pm
you knew the gloves were coming off at some point during the game tonight. >> rarely there's a dull moment when the rangers and flyers meet. last weekend they lost ryan mcdunna to a concussion when he was sucker punched by simmonds. guess what? two fights could break out in the first minute of the game. first simmonds and glass. the box was starting to get full. as for scoring that happened, too. the back hand pass to stefan to make it 2-0. stefan going top shelf and 3-1 the rangers do, in deed, get the revenge with the win. >> we had a little talk. not too many nice words were said but it just so happened that the first shift he obliged and the rest was history.
11:24 pm
it was electric after the first few minutes. i haven't had one of those in a while. it made for an intense night. >> earlier this afternoon the devils hosting the kings at the rock. this one was all about luck. first period the faceoff and it's 1-0. 28 saves as he frustrated los angeles all afternoon. he also got to mount from the post. under two to go, that would be the tieing shot but it deflects out. 1-0 the devils with the shutout. the best of the nba were wanted tonight. defense need not apply as the all star game tipped off with everybody ready to put on a show. that included carmelo anthony. his only representative as the east met the west. wade to lebron james who throws it down. kobe bryant gets the friendly roll and second quarter there's melo. he hits the 3. he had 11 points but nobody had more fun than russell westbrook.
11:25 pm
bit of a dance. 196-173. you're seeing that right. that's the most points ever in wins. some players are participating in the first all star weekend and for kobe bryant, it was his last. his introduction was held until the end. fest. >> when i first started playing most of them were my kids' age now. it feels so good to be able to speak to them about the game and share the knowledge throughout my career to them to carry on the tradition of the nba and hopefully play 20 years themselves. >> we have much more ahead in sports. a hint of spring just days away and we have baseball to thank. spring training begins week.
11:27 pm
11:28 pm
11:29 pm
tanaka threw the first mound session for him since october. he threw 20 pitchers and reporting no issues with the elbow. he's expected to have another mound session in the next couple of days. the syracuse men are coming on strong now with the chance to win the eighth game in ten tries. syracuse just 3 of 13 from 3 in the first half. the second half was a different story. richardson with the triple and the orange hit eight 3's and liden had 20. 75-61. uconn women's basketball team shows that it's a matter of them and everybody else. they took care of temple 80-65. their 61st straight win and 101st straight over an unranked opponent. this is the third longest streak
11:30 pm
finally in honor of valentine's day we got a monster performance by denzel valentine. he went off to the tune of 30 points and held off indiana today. he needs to start scheduling more games on valentine's day. if you're ever going to be inspired that's the day. >> thank you, laura. details revealed in court about the unthinkable murder of a mother and two children. what the suspects' attorney said about the dreadful crime. pope frances celebrates mass in front of hundreds and thousands. we'll show you his shining
11:32 pm
we're following breaking news right now in brooklyn. this video just in of a three alarm fire in green point. the three story building is fully engulfed in flames. the fire broke out within the last hour on diamond street. flames have jumped down to adjoining buildings. no reports of any injuries or how the fire started. it is a story we'll keep a close eye on overnight and have complete details for you on eye witness news in the morning. a developing story in manhattan. eliot spitzer is being investigated for an alleged assault on a woman at the plaza hotel. police sources say the incident
11:33 pm
the 25-year-old woman claimed that spitzer choked her. a spokeswoman for mr. spitzer says tonight there is no truth to the allegation. we've learned new details about a grizzly triple murder on a hotel room on staten island. >> the suspect michael psychs appeared in court. he fatally stabbed his girlfriend and two of her children. >> mallory hoff has the story. >> reporter: michael psychs entered a courtroom and his hands shackled and he was arraigned on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. he didn't speak. >> he denies the allegations as set forth by the district attorney and i impose a plea of
11:34 pm
>> reporter: throughout the aaronment he stared blankly. >> the defendant went to the hotel room where rebecca cutler was staying with her three baby girls. he viciously stabbed rebecca over 40 times and stabbed the little two girls and malia two times. >> reporter: the only survivor on staten island, a 2-year-old for stab wounds. yesterday he was seen being precinct. investigators picked him up in queens after a four day man hunt. detectives had been tracking his possible whereabouts since the attack. bail. >> this defendant has never been involved with the criminal justice system. this is his first arrest. i'm going to ask the court to set some sort of bail instead of keeping the defendant. >> reporter: the judge said he
11:35 pm
says because of the nature of this crime, it is a top priority. the defendant is due back in court on tuesday. in the st. george section mallory hoff channel 7 eye witness news. a major step in the peace process in syria. president obama today called russian president putin. both leaders expressed support for the cease fire. putin stressed the need to build a solid working relationship between the defense ministries of both the u.s. and russia while to fight terrorism. chris christie is preparing to give his first major speech since suspending his campaign for the republican presidential nomination. he'll deliver his second to last budget address on tuesday and may address the issue of funding state worker pension plans. the new jersey legislature is controlled by democrats. christie's term in office runs through 2017.
11:36 pm
start of a fair housing enforcement program to crack down on discrimination. >> landlords cannot discrimination and brokers cannot discriminate and if people believe that they've been a vehicle, a victim of discrimination, they should come forward. >> the program will ensure the most vulnerable of new yorkers get a fair chance at housing. the move comes on the heals of the state successfully resolving more than 120 housing discrimination complaints. a renewed push tonight to update connecticut's liquor laws. governor dan malloy is proposing a bill that would eliminate bottle pricing. it generally prohibits retailers from selling alcohol beverages below a minimum price. the legislation could lead to the closing of more than half of the state's liquor stores. a new report shows widespread plastic pollution
11:37 pm
surrounding new york city. the group nynj bait keeper collected water samples from several rivers last year. the study estimates there are 165 million plastic particles floating in the harbor at any given time. pope frances continued his trip through mexico today. he said mass in front of half a million people. once again speaking out against the drug trade. then tonight a visit the pope likely cherished. an appearance at a children's hospital. >> reporter: tonight here in mexico city, the most emotional moments of the pope's visit so far surrounded by children who are ill. the pope with the gentle touch of a pastor spending time with sick children at the children's hospital blessing some, kissing others, embracing, smiling. at one point surrounded by
11:38 pm
remain seated with the pope in their presence and then stopped by a girl who sang for the pope. earlier today we stood with those lining the pope route and we found 9-year-old bosto. she really knows how to work a crowd. p the pope doesn't disappoint those who have waited to see him. it's a lifetime memory for these women. >> the pope passed by and i was in shock. i still kind of am right now. >> my heart is beating so fast. >> that was the best three seconds of my life, to be honest. i don't know. like she said, we're in shock.
11:39 pm
we didn't know we were going to be front row. >> reporter: an estimated half million people joined with the pope filling a large field outside of mexico city. during this mass, pope frances called catholics here to be on the front lines to make mexico a land of opportunities where they'll be no need to immigrate in order to dream and a land that won't have to mourn men and women, young people and children destroyed at the hands of the dealers of death. some appropriate words for that area that's seen more than its share of kidnapping and violence. the pope moves down throughout mexico. that final stop is a political fire storm when it comes to the immigration debate in america. is social media to blame for a fiery crash that killed three young women? while one family says the app
11:40 pm
11:43 pm
some big tremers in new zealand. video captures the moment when the earthquake hit christ church. no major damage was reported but the quake caused a sinkhole on one neighborhood street and sent a portion of some coastal cliffs crumbling into the sea. that earthquake rattled nerves as well. next week marks five years since a major quake in christ church killed 185 people and levelled buildings a fire turned a landmark general store to rubble. the rabbit hash general store in kentucky was on the national register of historic places. it survived landslides and the depression but it could not surprise flames. the society that owns the store says while the history can't be replaced they can maintain its spirit. the cause of the fire is under investigation. new questions tonight about a feature on one of the most popular social media apps and
11:44 pm
role in a deadly crash. that feature on snap chat allows users to record speed in cars and some say it encourages speeding. now one family wants to know if that's what happened the night their loved one died. >> reporter: three young women slamming into a tractor trailer bursting into flames. the driver and two passengers killed. philadelphia police blaming speed. video is showing the girls speeding by moments before the crash. investigators are looking into weather the popular app snap chat played a role. gia was a passenger and her uncle believes it did. >> one of her friends told me she was snap chatting throughout the night and they were showing their speed, how fast they were driving and what they were doing. >> reporter: his niece was using
11:45 pm
that snaps or records their speed. a popular trend he believes encourages people to drive fast and share with friends online. >> the fact that that part of the app is on there seems irresponsible at some point. >> if it happened that help today kill my daughter. >> reporter: a snap chat spokesperson says they take distracted driving seriously including a do not snap and accessed. gia's family is warning others. >> i'm not blaming this for the death of my niece but i hope someone gets something out of it. >> reporter: their family is planning to subpoena the final snaps in hope that it helps them find closure. a helicopter team lifted a hiker to safety after he fell down the side of a mountain. three people were hiking yesterday morning in california when they came across the 69-year-old man who was badly injured. they called for help and wrapped
11:46 pm
with him until rescuers got there and hoisted him up into a helicopter. >> the two deputies had just land and had they had just gotten to this gentleman. we just started doing whatever we could to help out. we carried a little rescue blankets with us and we started wrapping him up. >> he was air lifted to a trauma center with a possible broken leg. an elephant has a bad valentine's day and takes it out on everybody else. after losing out on a court ship battle to another elephant at a nature preserve, the elephant apparently went rogue. he wondered through the parking lot and damaged more than a dozen vehicles. fortunately no people were hurt here. the elephant, we're told, finally wandered back and we'll assume he went onto try and find new love. >> there's other fish in the sea.
11:47 pm
because he cares and because he noticed. tom belzana takes pride on knowing the people he serves on his mail route. one man didn't follow the normal routine and his mail stacked up. he contacted police. >> he'd always come out on the 10th of every month to get a social security check and when he didn't come out i got concerned. it didn't seem right. i look out for these people. i think every mailman did. >> firefighters got in the house and found the 67-year-old man unconscious but alive. the man may have been there three days. he's now recovering at the hospital. thanks to that man. the frigid temperatures coming to an end. >> but snow is on the way. meteorologist jeff smith is back with details on (group chatter) dude, dude, dude. this is bad. i think we're stuck. we're going to have to talk to each other or something. nooo. i don't like this elevator. (group surprised and laughter)
11:48 pm
11:49 pm
11:50 pm
there could be flooding but yeah, 55 degrees by tuesday when you consider how cold it is. we head outside right now and the wind has calmed down. i mean compared to last night. last night the camera was being shaken around and it's perfectly still over towards midtown. 14 right now and the clouds have increased. those are clouds ahead of the next weather maker during the day tomorrow. the wind is calm. temperatures overnight going to be staying steady right around 1 or 13 degrees. 13 by 6 in the morning. clouds are lowering and thickening. just to recap how rare it was to see the cold we had this morning and today. the low was down to one below zero. the old record was 2 set a hundred years ago and the first time below zero in 22 years.
11:51 pm
in monticello. you're 10 on the island at islip. 12 down the shore at belmar. all eyes on the next weather maker tomorrow. we have winter weather advisories. out on the western long island and all areas north of the area through midnight tomorrow night. the start times for the snowfall, i'm thinking around 10:00 a.m. first flakes over central and southern new jersey. probably takes until 1:00 p.m. to get the snow here into new york city and parts of the lower hudson valley. 4:00 p.m. on the east end of the island. basically right around midday is when the snow arrives and it becomes steady enough by the evening commute we have this much on the ground. a coating to an inch on roads included. there could be slick spots. it's one to three inches. areas just north and west of the city gets into the one to three inch band and then we go over to
11:52 pm
it's a complex weather set up. here's the accuweather forecast. very cold and a high overcast moving in. we're down to 12-degree this is central park and below zero in spots nort and west of the city. cloudy, calm and cold when the sun comes up and temperatures around 14 degrees. as we head into the day snow developing. again over central new jersey, mid to late morning in the city around midday accumulating a coating to an inch by dark. temperatures 36 in the early evening hours and temperatures rise tomorrow night. it's a wintery mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain during the early evening tomorrow. there could be treacherous travel north and west of the city where you have a prolonged period of ice and periods of rain late as the temperatures actually rice in the 40s after midnight. check this out on tuesday. it's breezy, it's rainy, 55 degrees. some of the rain could be heavy enough for ponding of water.
11:53 pm
cloudy skies and maybe a lingering rain or snow shower and back into the sunshine thursday. near normal temperatures around 41 and 42 on friday and 53 by next saturday. bill evans has update starting at 4:30 a.m.. >> you get some rest. >> my voice just made it. >> i hope you're in bed at that time. thanks, jeff. thank you for staying up with us. i'm sandra bookman. >> i'm joe torres. eye witness news returns tomorrow morning at 4:30. make it a great night, everyone. oh-oh, oh-oh oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-ooh, oh hearts are made for sharing. spread some sweetness with dunkin' donuts' cookie dough and brownie batter donuts. heart-shaped happiness too sweet not to share.
11:54 pm
11:55 pm
11:56 pm
there are two kinds of folks who sit around thinking about how to kill people--psychopaths and mystery writers. i'm the kind that pays better. who am i? i'm rick castle. castle. castle. i really am ruggedly handsome, aren't i? every writer needs inspiration, and i've found mine. detective kate beckett. beckett. beckett. nikki heat? the character he's basing on you. and thanks to my friendship with the mayor, i get to be on her case. i would be happy to let you spank me. and together, we catch killers. we make a pretty good team, you know? like starsky and hutch, turner and hooch. you do remind me a little of hooch. (men) oh-a-oh-oh oh-a-oh-oh i have to laugh at her jokes. she's my boss. do you have to stare at her boobs, too? i wasn't. she had a stain. and you were trying to memorize the shape? what? no. i swear. if i'm lying, my god strike me down-- oh! aah!
93 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
WABC (ABC)Uploaded by TV Archive on
![](http://athena.archive.org/0.gif?kind=track_js&track_js_case=control&cache_bust=1552969440)