matter of fact describing that only moment of vitality we heard about the six-month-old. and it was the same as this mother charged with murder described her last 48 hours. >> i just thought she was sick. >> she said she was limp, motionless, unresponsive but ok enough for trips outside their west charlotte motel. >> sleeping. >> she never called the doctor. >> i didn't know what was wrong so i didn't want to take her to the doctor because i did not want dss to get involved. >> and when she testified about finally calling 9-1-1 she and bodrick discussed what to say. >> i told him that her sisters had dropped her off the bed. >> was that the truth? >> no, sir. >> under the cross-examination, the minutes and pauses dragged on reflective of the four years taken to bring this case to trial. and symbolic of inaction those days that the baby was dying in

she tried to explain her thoughts. >> i thought i was in love. >> that is what she said about him not their daughter. >> i think that everybody walked out of the courtroom today just feeling disturbed and upset. you just you don't know what to do. every case of abuse we talk about there is always so many layers to it. the action and the inaction and we see all of that here in a very ugly, ugly way. live outside the courthouse, sharon smith wbtv on your side. >> just horrible thank you. prosecutors say she was not offered any kind of deal for her testimony. her charges are still pending. >> well, today may be the second day of spring but it feels like winter outside. >> all of our area will be under a frost advisory or a fees watch tonight -- freeze watch and that is good news for the ski resorts because

seize son. this is sugar mountain and we saw folks hitting the slopes. why not go for it? here is chief meterologist, eric thomas. >> and since you were talking about the mountains you might be surprised to see they will be the coldest areas yet not under a freeze warning. because the growing season has not gotten underway. but outside of the mountains, foothills, piedmont including greater charlotte this is a freeze warning the expectation is we get down to easy frooing but on the eastern side of i-77 where it is just a frost advisory, if you have tender plants out there it means the same thing. bring them inside and protect them if you can. the cold air is working into the carolinas your hd towercam the clear skies will set the stage for the rapid cooling through the evening hours and we are at 58 at the moment and that is the high on the day.

until we are down to 41 in boone and blowing rock. 47 at 9:00 and 47 at 11:00 and on our way down to freezing tonight. again, be alert. that is the way it looks and the rest of the forecast is coming up. >> thank you. we have breaking news right now an armed robbery in east charlotte right of to alex giles live in the alert center. i know you have details. >> yes, we are getting information now from the police. this is in east charlotte the 5,000 block of central avenue. we think this is a business and a gas station this is police cars on scene. and we are told police do not have a suspect in custody this might be a strong armed robbery where a throat was made and somebody took off and canine units are dispatched to the scene and the police helicopter is now in the area searching for a suspect. we are going to keep sky3 there and as soon as we have information we will bring it to you. >> right now, hanging on to life after this deadly wreck this

the child has two sister and a man was hurt and another man killed. the crash happened while the children were being taken to elementary school. pamela escobar is live from the hospital where the children were taken after the crash. do we know how the children are doing tonight? >> jamie, i'm told the family is still here at carolinas medical center and that the boy that was airlifted here is in critical condition. a teenager waiting for the school bus heard a black pickup truck and minivan crash head on while waiting on old pageland monroe road. his brother called 9-1-1. >> he missed the bus to help them get them out i was proud of him. >> justin williams helped the family. he told wbtv by phone. >> it was trying to get out of the car. and the [inaudible] >> a family was in the van and when they was in the van, the

truck hit the family he ran over and got the girls out and there was a little boy left in there, too and he guess he got him out but somebody was not responsive. >> the boy is hanging on and hoping for a transplant. his two sisters are several broken bones. the driver of the van was their mom's boyfriend and he is expected to make it. 43-year-old richard lewis moss did not make it. he was driving the black pickup truck that crossed the center line. >> the impact was so severe that no one would sufficient vaive that crash. a lot of damage to that vehicle. >> troopers are investigating but they believe alcohol and drugs were not involved and moss may have been distracted because he never hit his brakes. troopers tell me that they plan to look at the computers that were in both vehicles to try to determine how fast they were going at the time of the crash. reporting live here in charlotte. pamela escobar wbtv on your

>> such a violent collision thank you. moss, the driver who died was from charlotte. troopers say they have notified his family. >> investigators need your help identifying a man who held up a bank today in monroe. take a look at your screen. these photos posted on-line by investigators police say this man robbed the first citizens bank on west roosevelt boulevard around 11:30 this morning. that is a clear photograph. police say the suspect has a cross tattooed between his two eyes. if you recognize this man call police. >> a man accused of attempted murder is on the run and police are asking for your help to track him down. charlotte-mecklenburg police say he cutoff his electronic monitor device last known to be in the university city boulevard area. he is wanted for violent crimes including attempted murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. if you see him call 9-1-1.

marking the first time an american president has visited the country in more than 80 years. the president met with cuban president raul castro today in havana. both say that while the road toward normalized relations between the cold war adversaries will not be easy it is possible for both countries to work together. >> the more than two million proud cuban-americans in the united states, this is a moment filled with great emotion. ever since we made it easier to travel between our countries more cuban-americans are coming home and for many this is a time of new hope for the future. >> presidents obama and castro praised the work both nations have done so far in resuming normal relations. later this year more regular commercial flights will return to the cuban skies. >> right now a woman is missing from gastonia and police are asking if you can help find her.

this is 49-year-old mchale hill. she was last seen getting into a white car after a doctor's appointment on march 15th. they are concerned because she has medical conditions. if you have seen hill or know where she is call 9-1-1. >> new information in the case of a man found of murders in gaston county. danny hem bring aappeared in court. >> the supreme court ruled too much information about the second murder was allowed into the first trial. hembry was asked for a speedy retrial and it's set for september of 2017. >> and let's check in with tonya rivens to see how the roads look. >> your first alert traffic is sponsored by people's bank. some good news on 277 outbound and the ramp to independence boulevard that accident cleared and you have problems on independence boulevard there is an accident in this area at

congestion here and volume leaving center city as a result of where that accident cleared and monroe road two accidents one at monroe road close to wendover. and the other is monroe at north sharon amity and an accident on independence at north sharon amity creating problems. and there is the volume on independence as a result of that accident. back to you. >> all right thank you. two childrens mouths and hands were duct taped and now police are wanting answers. >> the photo and why the children's family says their mother did it. >> and next, a woman's quest for directions ends with her being robbed and a man chased by deputies. we have the details in this strange case next. eric? >> all right. we have the freeze warning and the frost advisories in effect for the entire wbtv viewing area. outside of the mountains so again, protect those plants if you care about them and your pets, too. all coming up in the seven-day first-alert forecast.

complete after this cat named cooper suffered a broken jaw while microchipped in rowan

found coming up. >> right now, catawba county investigators trying to sort out what happened when a woman says she was robbed. a standoff ensued and two people were arrested in a development west of newton this morning. wbtv's steve ohnesorge was there as everything developed and he has the story for us new at 5:00. >> chelsea says she and her boyfriend were driving through the neighborhood looking for a place to rent and stopped for directionsment a man leaning into the car must have seen it. >> whenever he grabbed the money...

and authorities surrounded the home and waited for someone to come out. emily washington did and after words they cuffed her. >> was just opening the door for you and it was locked. >> as she was taken to a patrol car. >> why are you arresting me? >> deputies went inside and came out with her husband lorenzo washington. chelsea id'd him as the guy who took her money. and lorenzo said no way. >> she stopped deputies from going inside so she could go inside and get medicine for lorenzo. >> i know how the police work. >> authorities say it's all confusing but lorenzo did have outstanding warrants for failure to appear. emily is charged with obstruction. chelsea, well did not get her money back was told to go to the magistrate if she wanted to file charges. investigators are still looking into it trying to figure out everything that happened here.

robbed tells me she is not going to live in this neighborhood. in catawba county, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> thank you. as deputies try to pinpoint what happened one lesson is clear they say never have your wallet or purse in a spot where a stranger can grab it or take what is inside. >> new information in a deadly crash in west charlotte one of the drivers involved is now charged. the crash happened this month at billy graham and boyar street. jessica costa ran a red light and hit a pickup truck killing the driver. costa is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and turned herself into the mecklenberg county sheriffs office over the weekend. let's see if we have trouble spots on the roadways. and i can see there is a backup. tonya rivens has the details. >> independence boulevard that is where we continue to see congestion and problems. your first alert traffic is

this is kind of different by the wal-mart there on independence boulevard and a lot of volume building. we had the problem at actually by pierson and eastway and independence. albemarle road where this exit is off of independence but an accident at regal oaks. idlewild and north sharon amity are great alternate routes and the volume at the intersection of w.t. harris and albemarle. a lot of stop-and-go traffic. as we wrap up that problem at independence by albemarle north sharon amity and another problem on monroe road and north sharon amity as well. back to you. >> thank you. >> let's bring in chief meterologist, eric thomas. one thing about march we can get all kinds of different weather. >> that is the thing about living in the sun belt. crazy. >> the spring rollercoaster. are you ready for a weather swan dive? this is the last seven days. 86 flirting with 90.

yeah! look what happened. we went from a high of 70 to a high of what? 47 ? yes, that is the average of 64 there that line cutting across there. today we did manage to rebound backup to a high temperature of 58 . but it will not help the overnight temperatures. look at this. the freeze warning out. we think we are going to get very close precariously close to 32 into the charlotte area. no freeze warning for the mountains. the growing season is not underway yet. frost advisory is the same you might not hit freezing. but down at ground level you can get that freezing layer there. and that what will form the frost. 57 . it is a pretty evening. metro school in great shape in uptown charlotte looking pretty. and 50s in the region. 41 in boone.

low 40s about 10 off into the high country. and the cooling down will be down to 44 at 11:00 p.m. tonight. now, overnight, clear, cold. look at this. 31 below freezing in the high country. again, at least your plants are not blooming up that way yet but chilly for us. 36 as we warm-up by 8:00 a.m. we'll show you the map. i will pull it all the way out. look at this. you have to head up to chicago to get into a cloud. with that sunny tomorrow 57 and nice at noon and take you to 67 at 4:00 p.m. again we will advance this into wednesday and except for a snowstorm up there in the upper midwest it is just another sunny day for us. and also rebounding temperatures. how about this? back into the mid-70s wednesday. 74 on thursday. and a system in the middle of the country does sweep through here with a few showers thursday late and into friday and a break

rain into here sunday and monday of next week. we will not be contending with the freezing temperatures in the foreseeable future. back to the studio. >> thank you. next at 5:00 p.m. we are hearing from a man who lost his father on a road known as dead man's curve. tonight there is a push to make changes here. what the latest victim's family has to say about that. >> and next at 5:00 p.m.... >> these are human beings. >> outrage and anger after police say a mother posted this photo on social media of her kids duct taped. why the woman's family claims she did it next. >> and new at 6:00 p.m.... >> the charlotte city council wants to know who has been leaking information to us? tonight we look at the balance between the public's right to know and sensitive documents.

on wbtv news is sponsored by... (scal): good day, m'lady! i am sir-can-a-lot, here to save you from another breakfast bore. wake up those eggs with glorious spam!

new information now on a cat named cooper who suffered a broken jaw while being microchipped at an animal shelter. the investigation is complete. the injuries happened at the rowan county animal shell their this month. state investigators determined cooper's injury was an accident and that the animal shelter did not violate the animal welfare act. cooper is recovering and is expected to be ok. >> a mother's facebook photo has gone viral and authorities are investigating. you may have seen this picture on-line. so disturbing. it shows the two young children with duct tape over their hands and mouths. the older child had tears in her

a woman with the screen name... posted this picture of the two young children in a vehicle in memphis, tennessee. the caption on the photo reads quote kids for sale 45% off because they bad. >> just is wrong. it's wrong. bottom line. that is nothing that -- that is no joke. nothing to play with. i find it offensive. >> i could not breathe. it took my breath away. caused extreme emotional distress. these are children. these are human beings. >> a cousin of the children's mother says it was all just a joke. taken out of context. and tonight, memphis police are investigating. >> right now four people are without a home after a fire in north charlotte. this was the scene here on he will board avenue. le board avenue. two people were inside but crawled out a window.

las and that may have saved the family. >> next on wbtv news at 5:00... >> the principal at this magnet school has one wish: to have a waiting list and why the wish is not coming true and what the district is doing to help introducing longhorn's big, bold, steaks. our new 10 ounce filet. our 16 ounce t-bone.

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>> announcer: wbtv on your side. wbtv news starts right now. >> now, at 5:00, two people die in a crash on this curved road in two weeks. >> we are looking at somewhere 90-100-mile-per-hour impact like hitting a brick wall going that fast. >> a push for a change here

his dad says he thinks. and spring may have started yesterday. and temperatures are about to take a dip. some of you are under a freeze warning tonight and i'm starting in the weathercenter good evening and thank you for joining us i'm molly grantham with meteorologist leigh brock. and we have seen the late freezes before but you say temperatures could drop tonight. >> they could. we should not be planning until after the first week of april we can have frost but we have been spoiled temperatures in the 80s and 70s. you do not think we still have to worry about it but we do. most areas close to freezing. right now it looks gorgeous. we only have temperatures in the 50s. we only topped out at 57 . but it looks nice. and better than yesterday. here are the current numbers 58 in charlotte. it's gone up. 55 in salisbury. 56 rock hill. and 58 in wadesboro and 55 morganton.

these counties that you see in blue have a freeze warning in effect until 9:00 a.m. these counties farther to the south a frost advisory until 9:00 a.m. whichever case you fall under you need to take care of the plants this is the night to do it. after tonight we have a good warm-up we will talk about that in a little bit. >> thank you. tonight's freeze is a concern for farmers in the mountains. you will maybe recall late march of last year, a freeze caused damage to peach crops? the problem is there is little that can be done to protect the peaches from the cold weather. we spoke with farmers who say this may not be a killer freeze but it could cause damage. >> i do not think it will be that cold and stay cold that long but if it gets below 28 for over four hours we could have significant damage. >> the strawberry plants have been covered and are ready for frost and freezing temperatures they should be ok. they hope to pick the