brick from the 1930's is the culprit for this incident. it turns out once upon a time it was a means for training of water by the use of this coverage that went down toward the harbor. the problem is because of the sinkhole, there is also a gas main break. baltimore city police, fire, dpw, and bge is on the scene in the process of trying to shut off the gas main. not allowing in a pedestrian or car traffic in the area. as we get more information we will update you. i am capt. roy taylor. >> matt back to our big story. the mother of orioles hall of famer cal ripken, jr. abducted and held at gunpoint. police are releasing the man believed to be behind vi

ripkin's ordeal. >> one source described this as one of the craziest cases he has seen. for almost 24 hours, she was a kidnapping victim. tied up according to sources and driven all over the place but taken back home unharmed. >> the crime unfolded tuesday morning at the home everyone knows in aberdeen, the home of the ripkins. vi ripkin was in her garage when a man appeared. >> he produced a handgun and forced her into her vehicle at which time he fled the area. >> she was tied up with duct tape. using her car, and 1998 silver lincoln continental, the suspect drove her throughout maryland. someone called not far from i-

95. the caller reported seeing an older woman tied up and gave a description. she was found still bound and in her car not far from her home. >> i saw a white sweater being waived outside the car window. i stopped and rolled down my window. i asked the lady incited she needed help. she informed me she was left there and her feet were bound in she was stuck in the car. >> the suspect used her credit card to get gas but what was the motive? >> we do not know what, if any relationship there was between the perpetrator of this crime and the family. >> was there a ransom demand? >> at this time i can say we know of no ransom demand. >> the suspect is a white male, late 30's to early 40's, with a tall, thin build. he was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and camo

pants. vi ripkin was upset when she was found but not h armed. -- not harmed. what do folks who spoke with her say? >> we spoke with her neighbor who she has been friends with for more than 35 years and he tells us she explained to him the ordeal earlier. we also caught up with a young man who was first to discover her in her car. and got police. >> it was very upsetting. she is such a wonderful person. she does a lot for the community. >> gus has been vi ripken's neighbor since 1910 -- 1975. she shared the details as she began her daily routine. >> she goes to mcdonald's every morning at 7:15 a.m. and that is when he accosted her in the

garage. >> she said the -- she went to get in her car and he had a mask on and gloves. he made her get in the car and tied her up and put a mask on and they took off. >> she said she was treated well, buying her cigarettes and food but did not give any indication that he knew that he was cal ripken's mother. >> he did not know who she was. >> ripken knew she was in trouble when someone approached him and asked why she was tied up. >> he said she was her mother -- his mother and she had alzheimer's. the man became suspicious and

called police. >> she seemed distraught. >> snyder was driving home from work and saw her waving a white towel or sweater. shsaid someone had left her there and her feet were bound and she was stuck in the back of the car. he told her to wait and got police had been freed her. this family -- the family has released the following statement. our mother was abducted at gunpoint from her home yesterday morning. this has been a very trying time for family but we're grateful and relieved that mom is back from us -- with as safe and healthy. we thank all the law enforcement agencies. everyone understands we cannot, -- comment further at this time. we also heard from the boys and girls club. she was involved with that

organization. they are releasing here that she is doing fine this evening. >> they give. we're all relieved for her safety tonight. you can follow the lead bragging updates online and exxonmobil. we will send breaking news to you in when you are away from a tv, watch live special reports on wbaltv.com. >> police are investigating a human skull found by a hiker. it was found to 30 p.m. on tuesday. add to 30 p.m. on tuesday. it will be up to the judge to decide whether prosecutors failed to disclose plans by the family to file a $30 million lawsuit against huguely.

the judge is said to look at the request next week. >> the first victim of the movie theater tragedy was laid to rest today as that community tries to work through the pain and loss in the wake of one of the worst massacres in u.s. history. police uncovered what could be key evidence. we go to jay gray. >> we are learning more about vital evidence in the ongoing murder investigation here. evidence that police say they found at terry tip from the suspect in -- they found through a tip from the suspect. james holmes told them where to find what could be key evidence in the case. the former neuroscience graduate student told investigators about a package he had sent to the university of colorado's medical campus in our work. police found that package and

monday and opened in the mail room. inside they discovered what is described as had written details about killing people. as the investigation continues, so does the morning here. >> i am overwhelmed. it is the tragedy and senselessness of all this. >> people like gordon cowden. he took his two teenage daughters and they survive. he was laid to rest today. after the kassam killing, there are growing questions in this grieving community about what happened to the crime scene. some say it should be torn down and replaced by a memorial. others argue this in a should reopen to show the world the gunman did not win. the building is still locked down by police but could be returned to the owners by the end of the week. looking to provide some strength

and comfort, the star of the movie that will be forever linked to the tragedy traveled to colorado yesterday. christian bale visited the growing memorial and spent time with some of the victims and first responders. >> he was very nice. very sincere. he was not there about himself. he was there to show support and show people cared. >> concern and help this community will need for a long time. >> evidence teams are still inside the theater behind me. police say it will stay locked down to least friday. >> a warm day across the region. humidity levels come down so it feels normal. readings across the area in the 80's for most locations. 89 in downtown baltimore. 81 in parton.

83 in edgewood. the dew point is running in the low 50's. that is comfortable for this time of year. there's not much moisture in the atmosphere but things are about to change. a little bit of cloud cover overnight and tomorrow morning. that will crank up the heat and humidity. and he'd advisory, triple digit high-temperature apostle. we will talk about that in a few minutes. >> an executive order tonight from gov. martin o'malley demanding and renovation of the state's entire utility infrastructure system. he is pointing to the storms and power outages as a catapult for change. experts will join forces with several key government agencies to look for ways to improve and strengthen maryland's utility system to make it more resilient during strong, powerful weather. the group will report findings back to the governor in 60 days.

>> well practice does not start till tomorrow, the majority of the ravens are in owings mills. one player said he retired during the off-season. for a short time. >> he is taking on the best athletes in the world. michael phelps tells the today show that one of his biggest challenges so far in london and more on that next. >> retailers say now is the time to get the jump on buying back- to-schoo

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>> eight baltimore schools were named persistently dangerous. these are suspensions. >> this is an issue of student and school safety. students were suspended for serious crimes like arsons, weapons, and assault. this middle high-school made the

headlines eight months ago. that is when a 14-year-old boy pulled out a knife and stabbed a classmate in a school stairwell. of two dozen other students got into trouble with the law. baltimore -- this is not the only persistently dangerous school. the state board has reported suspension problems at a rising star academy. garrison middle school, and the maritime industries academy in east baltimore. 16 students were suspended last year at maritime, 4% of the student body. the numbers do not tell the whole story. >> the best is yet to come. there is a career opportunities in maritime and these students will have that opportunity. >> congressman and elijah cummings is the school's board chairman. even though the academy as considered persistently dangerous, there are four other schools in the spotlight.

there are schools of probation. -- on probation. benjamin franklin, and william c . marks mill school. officials will make another report next summer. those at maritime are counting on a turnaround. >> we will succeed in giving all the students a good experience that will allow them to go through life with strong careers. >> that could mean jobs in the maritime industry where trained students -- for trained students out of high school. officials said they are keeping a close watch on the suspension numbers and if needed, they are prepared to make changes. >> the three more medals of

any color, what michael phelps needs to break the world record. he was candid, talking about his top rival in their friendship. what may have been the most surprising revelation, they do not have air-conditioning. >> some of us are lucky enough to have -- everyone on the team has college dorm fans that rotate. >> he described his teammates as the best in the world. he said the swimming competition is no different than any other swim meet. right, michael. >> throw cancer is on the rise and the cause is something you might not expect. a sexually transmitted disease is causing many cancers.

hpv. the most common sexually transmitted disease. doctors say they are linking it to a trend in had, throat, and neck cancer. the good new is is that hpv cancer has a better prognosis than the one related to smoking. they are still quite durable no matter what their stage. results suggest that liposuction could help your heart. stem cells could be used to grow heart vessels. they were planted onto a collagen rembrandt which was rolled into the shape of a blood vessel. one in four maryland children is overweight or obese.

where are contributing to the epidemic. it is called dapples to twinkies 2012 and breaks down how much of the subsidies supports john could. $20 million a year. the tax dollars go into food additives such as corn syrup c, corn oil, an. >> a warm day today but normal for early july. it is dry air out there. the atmosphere is not nearly as monday. temperatures ranged from the mid- to the upper 70's. a beautiful day. upper 70's along the coast. low to mid-80's along the

eastern shore. the dew point is a measure of the amount of moisture. the lower it does, the drier the air. the dew point at 46, it is almost strange for this time of year to have dew point in the 40's and 50's. there is not as much moisture in the atmosphere. humidity has been running in the 20 and 30% range. changes are on the way. these clouds are going toward -- will be developing a warm front. clearly and some clouds. look at the heat the jam. near 100 in chicago on the other side of that warm front. kansas city sweltering again. one of six degrees. -- 106 degrees. i will not be surprised if many locations hit 100 again tomorrow. clear tonight, mostly clear and

clouds arrive with the warm front. southwest wind at 5 miles an hour. blows from the mid-60's to about 75 in downtown baltimore. during the day will be a scorcher. 96 to 101. the record high is 101. hot air coming in and out of the southwest. with the humidity returning, the heat index could top 105. a heated riser has been posted. waves topping up to 3 feet, a small craft advisory for this guests at 20 knots. water temperature in the low 80's. it is more comfortable on the bay. high tide at fort mchenry after midnight. in the mountains, in the 70's. a thunderstorm chance and on friday, thunderstorms are likely.

maybe some severe storms in western maryland with a high of 78. on the eastern shore, it will get him it and muggy. the heat index making it feel worse. thunderstorms, at the -- a 40% chance across the eastern shore. at the coast, muddy tomorrow. hazy sunshine and mid-90's on thursday. we will see a thunderstorm and maybe a thundershower. cloudy and breezy. temperatures warm to the 90's. friday still hot and humid. the possibility of a shower south of us on saturday. temperatures getting back to normal. sunday looks like the best day of the upcoming weekend. >> you may notice the water at the inner harbor took on a slight shade of green. >> do not be worried.

gallons of green dye and why? >> it has been a year since lt. snyder lost his eyes in afghanistan. he will be competing for he will be competing for gr

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>> the water in portions of the inner harbor turned green this morning. >> it is nothing to be concerned about. it was a test conducted by the department of public works. >> at 9:00 a.m. this morning, water this color started showing up in the inner harbor. the green water came from the city. department of public works. it was a digest -- a dye test. you can see the green in the water. it is one of many ways dpw can determine where a pipe or drain is leaking. >> what we were doing is we were evaluating where there may

have been a leak from our sanitary system that is getting into the storm water system. we did it over a large area. this was our ability to cover a larger area in a small amount of time and concentrate our efforts on improving water quality. >> it was introduced into the sanitary system. to determine the location of potential leaks. >> this is one of the methodologies we use in trying to see where there are cracks. a lot of times the cracks are small. >> the dye is not normal -- harmful to humans. >> it is nontoxic and it will not stain. it will go into solution and will not see it. >> it will be some time before the get results.

>> you can really see it from the air. >> if you have flown internationally you know how tough it can be to get through security. >> how did an 11-year-old board a plane to run without a ticket, a passport, or parents? >>

>> live, local, late-breaking. this is wbal tv 11 news at 5:00 p.m. with stan stovall, and donna hamilton. enter insta-weatherplus forecast

was chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer and skyteam 11 covering breaking is where you live. wbal tv news at 5:00 p.m. continues now. >> an exciting time in boeing's owings mills.in >> more about what really happened. >> ed reid is here ready to practice and play. their season begins. he arrived this morning wearing his game face and tossing a baseball. tyrell looks pretty good considering he is 10 weeks from a surgery. when asked how it is going he

replied, a smile says it all. considering some of the roster anxiety, today marks a strong beginning for the quest for a fifth straight trip to the playoffs. the rookies and quarterbacks in camp did practice today. >> a showdown over tax cuts on capitol hill. the senate debated plans for extending the bush era tax cuts that are set to expire in january. sally kidd joins us with the latest. >> the debate has been going on all day in the senate but is likely nothing will get accomplished until after the election. the senate considered rival plans from democrats to -- for a bill that would allow the tax cuts to expire for wealthier

americans but keep them in place for everyone else. >> protect fully 98% of americans from seeing their tax rates go up. >> and from republicans, a plan to extend tax cuts from all income levels. >> a plan that will help us get off this hamster wheel. >> leaders agreed not to block a vote on the measure. >> the potential consequences of inaction are so grave that the american people deserve to know where their elected representatives really stand. >> democrat said the republican bill helps the wealthiest americans at the expense of the middle class. >> an open can show the american people the common sense still prevails. >> the democrats oppose the plan would raise taxes. >> we're off the cliff. we are thelma and louise in this situation. >> tax bills are required to

originate in the house. >> we're talking about messaging boats. both want to set the table for what is being have -- happening in the post election lame duck session. >> the senate voted while ago. it rejected the plan and passed bill by a narrow margin. >> police are still searching for the man who abducted cal ripken, jr.'s mother. she was abducted and left her in her car 24 years -- 24 hours later. she was taken in her silver lincoln continental yesterday morning. she was found this morning bound in shaken up but not harmed. it is not clear whether the kidnapper knew who it was he was objecting. he is described as a tall, thin

white man with glasses wearing camouflage clothing. more on the still developing story at 6. police have evacuated a blocked because of a sinkhole. skyteam 11 was over the scene this afternoon. blocking off men demonstrate. traffic.re diverting police a a brick culvert had eroded. >> massive drug shortages have forced doctors to postpone surgery and chemotherapy and have been blamed for some deaths. >> the local congressman is looking for ways to stop the shortages. >> we heard from penn state alumni, trustees, and students following the sanctions but football players reveal their

plans for next season. >> here is a live look outside. tom tasselmyer will have your complete 11 insta-#f#f#f#f#f#f#f

rex congressman's allies said -- congressman elijan cummings is taking on fake receipts. he is pushing lawmakers to deter price gouging and make the drug supply chain saver. he has been looking into which drugs are in short supply and what can be done to stop it. >> and the man who investigators say gave dozens of people hepatitis c has waived his right to a detention hearing in federal court. he made a court appearance in new hampshire. he is a serial infector who used

his position as a medical technician to pass on hepatitis c. he worked for hospitals in eight states. he injected himself with painkillers meant for patience and refilled the syringes with saline which were used on patients. >> there's not many -- no telling how many people who have been affected. i am not excluding anyone. all individuals and entities are still being looked at very closely. >> he is facing two charges but the u.s. attorney says there may be more. >> 30 penn state university football players say they are going to stay put despite devastating sanctions leveled against the school by the n.c.a.a.. although jerry sandusky was not mentioned by name, one player says the program will not be torn down by one man. there are charges that juppe

turner helped cover up the sex scandal. -- joe paterno help cover the sex scandal. >> real concern in northern england after authorities say an 11-year-old manage to catch a flight to rome. >> the kid did this all along. no passport or a ticket. how did he do that? security officials have some explaining to do. that is next. >> a wounded soldier is not letting his disability stop him from competing in the apparel olympics in

>> the ripkens are attracting a lot of attention but not for a good reason. the objection of cal ripken, jr.'s mother. the committee is trying to get back on its feet. an executive order from gov. martin o'malley. what he wants done to improve the state does the infrastruc

>> a naval explosives expert wounded in afghanistan is taking another challenge. he is getting ready to go for the gold in london. jennifer franciotti has the story. >> watching him drink, you never

know that the tenant -- lt. snyder is blind. it is not where he thought he would be going last year. he served in afghanistan when an ied exploded, costing him both his eyes. >> the detonation occurred a few feet in front of me, largely saving the majority of my body. >> he made a quick recovery and recently moved to baltimore for an internship with the software company that supports veterans. he has to end up with the swim coach and has been coaching -- he has been coaching para athletes. >> he swam seven events and in two of them he has been ranked no. 1 in the world. >> lt. snyder will compete for team usa in over half a dozen events. >> being able to be in the

team usa uniform goes a long way toward making me feel relevant again. >> the 400 meter freestyle on september 7. it is the one-year anniversary of the explosion that took his eyes. >> regardless of the outcome this will be awesome to compete on that day. in my mind it goes a long way to say that it effectively conquered my disability. >> his attitude made an impression on first lady michelle obama who used his story to motivate graduates at oregon state university. >> of his service he said this. "i am not going to let my blindness build a brick wall around. -- around me. i would give my eyes 100 times to do what i have done.

>> he is truly a hero. serving his country and having this accident happened in this situation is inspirational to many. >> now, your 11 insta- weatherplus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> a bit of a break from this 2011.ing hot summer of triple digit heat possible again. the national weather service has issued a heat advisory for central and southern eastern maryland. the temperature and humidity combined to produce heat indices topping 105. enjoy it while you can. 89 downtown. 82 in westminster. in pennsylvania, temperatures in the low 80's.

on the coast, not bad. ocean city at 79. warmer at salisbury but dave dew point is unusually low for this time of year. normally this time, 60's, 70's. even some 40's around college park. around baltimore, the e temperatures are more tolerable. a bit of cloud cover toward the thursday morning. the first sign of warmth from making its way through our region. it does dramatically change the temperatures. 87 in cleveland. 98 in chicago. 106 in kansas city. that he will be surging east tomorrow. some cloud cover in the morning. starting this evening with mostly clear skies and picking up as the front approaches. when-5 miles per hour. 65 to 75 tomorrow.

the record high 101. we will see if we get there. the last time it was hot in 1940. mostly sunny skies and a brisk southwest wind, the record will be threatened to mar. with the wind on the bay will be strong enough for small craft advisory. waves at 3 feet. a beautiful day today in the mountains. 70's 4 isam 50's furloughs. maybe a thunderstorm and possibly severe weather in the mountains on friday. the muggy weather returns on the eastern shore. near 100 tomorrow. some strong thunderstorms crossing the shore on friday. a lot summer day tomorrow and some thunderstorms on friday. maybe ashore or thunderstorm into the first part of the weekend. tomorrow is our transition day as the as temperatures rise again. hazy, hot, and humid through the afternoon.

temperatures close to the record high and that will take a stir- fry with storms and hot, humid weather. saturday cools off. bashar south of town. partly cloudy skies on sunday. -- a shower south of town. >> public works officials say anyone who taps into the water system will have a much simpler time dealing with billing issues than they have in recent months. this after an audit discovered thousands have been overcharged on their bills among other widespread problems. officials revealed their working to add more water meter readers and reduce wait time for callers with questions. by hiring additional customer service representatives and changing the way it collects on pay bills, the plan insures more accurate bills. customers who were overcharged have been refunded. it is one of the best weeks in the year for foodies.

restaurateur week has begun. -- restaurant weekend begaeek h. >> we are kicking it off with course challenge. they're serving an appetizer that there will have on the menu. >> the judges voted on certain categories for best dishes. sheldon says his favorite was the tartare concoction. another big winner, the food market. they got top spot for their pineapple salsa. for more information and publications, go to our website, wbaltv.com. some big news for anyone who shops at the mall in columbia. plans are in the works for a major open-air plaza surrounded

by restaurants and stores for shoppers to enjoy. the plaza is called a life style centered taking the place occupied by the l.l. bean store. it will have 75,000 square feet to work with. negotiations are in the work of the l.l. bean store. american airlines says it will be the first u.s. airline to install lying flat seats on transcontinental flights. there will be put on flights between new york and california in november 2013. there will be along the aisle and 20 more in business class. the seats will be installed in airbus a321 aircraft. the seats are already offered on international flights. >> air travel especially international is almost always a

long process involving multiple security checks. listen to this story out of great britain. and 11-year-old boy was able to pass through all security checks and board a flight to rome alone and he had no tickets or passport. he ran away from his mother and mingled with passengers going through security checks but was never asked to show any documentation. >> we are not proud of what happened and that is why we on the airline are doing an investigation. if you think about what security is like at this time of year, there is lots of families traveling. and 11-year-old boy was confident and presented himself. we should have realized he did not have a boarding pass. >> passengers and security officials say they are concerned about airline security as we approach the olympic games. as for the boy, he is reunited at home with his parents and is reported to be fine.

i will bet he is grounded. 74-ce say cal ripken, jr.'s year-old mother was found in the back seat of her car bond after being kidnapped at gunpoint. jane miller will be live in harford county as the search continues for the suspect. >> time to get this back to school supplies. that story's next.

>> parents will shell out an average of $689 for school supplies. that is up recently. that includes clothing, shoes, and school supplies. >> many parents are trying to spread out their spending for shopping earlier. >> it is not even august but she does not want to wait for the last minute. the experience of a stressful enough. >> so much money to spend, we have two kids so it is a lot of money on all this stuff and a lot of it runs out and you have to get more in the middle of the year. >> she has her daughter molly take an inventory of what she has. >> i had her go through the list and see which already has given the she wants everything new. we're going to use some things we used last year. >> i have a binder and pencils

and a lot of other things. >> people are looking for value and be more thoughtful about where they spend their money. and what they spend it on. back-to-school shopping is starting earlier. >> the surveys show people will begin shopping probably a couple of weeks to one month earlier than they have in the past. >> want to be ahead of the curve in the back-to-school season. that is why we set up many weeks in advance. >> it is not just parents getting an early start. cheryl shuster is shopping. >> they do not need anything fancy. just basic stuff. then the other kids get jealous. so bring the basics. >> the national retail federation says the average person with children in gay -- grades k-12 will spend $95 on the basic school supplies.

what is all not list this year? backpacks. thehey're focused around new movie releases. >> molly wanted a new backpack but her mom said know. her bill was $75. >> she is a smart shopper. >> the biggest amount of spending goes to clothing followed by electronics, shoes, and school supplies. >> rare lead tax-free week is coming up. during that week, there is no tax on clothing or footwear that costs $100 or less. another way to save some money. that is all 4 s at 5:00 p.m. -- for us on 5:00 p.m. >> what is the motive?

the team coverage on the kidnapping of cal ripken's mother. >> we will hear from the first man to find vi ripken. stage.rice's smile on we hear from ray straight ahead. live, local, late-breaking. this is wbal tv 11 news at 6:00 p.m. >> the mother of cal ripken, jr. is found said after reportedly being abducted by an unknown, armed individual. violet ripken was kidnapped and debenture maryland. >> our team coverage includes melzer.ell