dna evidence takes center stage as more witnesses testify against a man charged in a gang rape at a popular skating rink. wjz is live at the courthouse in towson. weijia jiang is following the trial for us. weijia? >> reporter: mary, the state rested its case just a short time ago, as expected. all of the testimony was extremely graphic. just a warning to some of our viewers, the language used to describe that may be difficult to hear. >> reporter: in court, 26-year- old davon perry turned and smiled at his father, after the jury that will decide his fate, heard critical testimony that could help his case. perry is one of three men accused of gang-raping a 13- year-old girl inside skateworks. a woodlawn roller skating rink. >> this is the doorway, where the victim alleges that three young men took her. >> reporter: the child testified that in august, 2010, the men dragged her to a storage room, then took turns, forcing her to have oral sex and intercourse. on the witness stand, two police officers who were working security that night,

told jurors the girl was completely covered in semen. >> reporter: on thursday, a forensic scientist said there was not a single trace of perry's dna on or inside the victim. after processing several pieces of her clothing, a standard rape kid and swabs of her body. but the expert also said a lack of dna in sexual assault cases does not clear a suspect and said he may have not ejaculated or he used a condom. he might not have viable sperm or had a vassectomy. it simply didn't show up. the victim's lawyer is fiberring back. tracy henkins also admitted to having sex with the girl. his dna showed up, too. prosecutors relied heavily on surveillance video to show perry was at the scene. a jury will decide if it was enough to convict him. >> reporter: and the jury was released for the day. they'll be back first thing in the morning.

then the defense will start its case. we're live, weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news. >> since the arrest in this case, skate works shut down. >> we're following breaking news out of anne arundel county. a 64-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital with life- threatening injuries. two others were also hurt. it is unclear how that fire started. another fire in east baltimore claims the life of an elderly woman. firefighters found the woman in the 2700 block of east biddle street. neighbors say the woman is a retired person. investigators say they're looking into the cause. a man is robbed at gunpoint and abducted outside his home in the bolton hills section of baltimore. denise is in the newsroom with more on the search. >> the victim had just parked his car outside his home on jordan street, when two men approached him, displaying a handgun. the men forced him into the back seat of his car, and ordered him to lie down, while they drove to several banks and

attempted to withdraw money from the man's bank account. after three hours, the men were dumped into some bushes in west baltimore. the thief then took the men's car, wallet, cell phone and ipad. anyone with information is asked to call police. >> the december 30th attack was just made public after someone posted it on a community internet board. no criminal charges will be filed in a fight involving baltimore clerk of courts frank conaway. police say conaway displayed a handgun. officers also witnessed meister trying to kick conaway outside his home. both men face potential charges. but a prosecutor has determined the state couldn't prove a case. the public will have a chance to pay tribute to iconic radio show host ron smith. he died from pancreatic cancer last month. now, a memorial service is planned for anyone who would like to attend. it will be held january 17th, at goucher college.

there will be no admission charge. but donations will be collected for cancer research. two maryland politicians will battle for the second district congressional seat, which covers a large part of baltimore and harford counties. and nancy jacobs is counting on an anti-incumbent mood to sweep her into office. mike has more on her showdown with dutch ruppersberger. >> reporter: analysts say this is certainly an uphill battle for her. she believes she can tap into that anger with washington. >> i don't think i have to tell you guys that washington is a mess. >> reporter: republican nancy jacobs is counting on the dissatisfaction with d.c. to give her a seat in congress. a conservative, she served in maryland's general assembly since 1994. and before that, was a teacher, a broadcaster, and a realtor. she hopes to be holding democrat dutch ruppersberger's seat next year. >> maryland is a heavily

democratic state. you always run into that challenge. how do you get over that? >> i think number 1, i'm going to have to raise an awful lot of money. so i can get the word out. >> look where i am. >> but ruppersberger beat his challengers by margins of more than 2-1 in the last two elections. and the district, which snakes through baltimore and harford counties, still favors democrats. >> it's very, very hard to beat an incumbent. and i think it's going to be very hard for anyone, nancy jacobs or whomever, to beat dutch ruppersberger. >> i think it's more of an anti- incumbensy mood than anti- washington mood. >> but this is her first ad, making her one of the most recognizable republicans. she promises to make the race competitive. >> this is the time, if there ever was a time to change washington, this is the time to do it. >> reporter: and mr.

ruppersberger issued a statement today, saying that he is looking forward to a fair campaign with all of the candidates. mary, back to you. >> all right, mike. thank you. and before redistricting, several prominent republicans held that seat, including bob ehrlich and helen bentley. >> the anticipation keeps building, less than two weeks, until the ravens continue their push toward the super bowl. wjz is your place for complete coverage. jessica kartalija explains how the play-offs are boosting local businesses. first, sports director mark viviano spoke with quarterback joe flacco today. >> joe flacco because of his position, is always the center of attention, especially at play-off time. and he told me today that he is well aware of the high stakes and high pressure of what's ahead. >> he's been called joe cool for his calm demeanor. but joe flacco knows the heat gets turned up in january. he's going to the play-offs for

the fourth time. and he knows this is his time to shine. >> yes, play-offs are a big part of what makes great players. but you know, in order -- if we were to think of, you know, what would happen if we lose, what would happen if we won, then it would make me, it would make our team go out there and play more tentative. >> reporter: critics say flacco has been more tentative at play- off time, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in his post game career. and he tol tells -- he tells me, it is different. >> it feels from the fans' aspect and all of that, you know what's on the line. you know if you don't win, you're going home. >> reporter: flacco and the ravens have gone home, the last three years short of the super bowl. but according to his teammates, in joe they trust. >> we're only going to go as far as he takes us. and i don't think there is no gray area in that. we're going to ride joe all the way to indie. >> the super bowl in indianapolis. the ravens broke practice today

and headed off on a three-day break. they will head off to prepare for their play-off assignment. back to you. >> complete coverage continues live at city hall. jessica kartalija explains, ravens fever means big business for baltimore. hi, jessica. >> hello, mary and hello, everyone. the mayor again urging all marylanders to get involved and get their purple pride going. light up your homes. dress up. get into the spirit of things. for many of us who aren't going to be at the game, people will be coming down from the city, watching games and restaurants and bars. and of course, that means big bucks for baltimore. >> reporter: purple pride means big business for baltimore. >> not only can people come down for the restaurants and the bars, but they spend money in the local retail establishments. they want the play-off gear. >> reporter: at model's. >> we just got into the division ts which is popular. >> even ravens coasters are

going fast. >> it's fantastic. we have customers coming in every day. we're getting new merchandise every single day. people are excited. it's a great atmosphere. >> reporter: marylanders, getting into the ravens' spirit, are pouring thousands of dollars into baltimore city's economy. >> a ravens home play-off game is big news for baltimore, both for community and excitement. but it also brings people downtown. and as people come downtown, they spend money. >> reporter: people love riley's oyster, where they're adding new ravens items to their menu. size. >> reporter: pork tenderloin, battered and fried. add a few poached oysters and you have a yondawitch. >> we are doing this to honor marshall. we're honoring his probowl slengz. >> reporter: a sandwich straight out of yonda's iowa. it's the hottest in town. >> this is the yonda sandwich.

>> and the yonda witch will be available saturday, starting at lunchtime. and will be a permanent fixture on the riley's menu. we're live, jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. >> just right at dinnertime. looks delicious. although you and i would have to split it. >> we definitely. will all -- all fat-free, though, mary. ravens will host either houston, denver or pittsburgh at 1:00. and you can only see that game here on wjz 13. speaking of the steelers if we have to, they'll take to the field this weekend. pittsburgh battles the broncos in denver this sunday, at 4:30, live here on wjz. >> you are my partner, but i couldn't split that sandwich with you. >> it's all yours. the sunshine returns today with the mild weather. it's calm and clear outside right now. look at that sunset, folks. very nice these days. and the frigid temperatures are gone.

meteorologist tim williams with the wonderful coat on. and bob turk, attracting your updated conditions. hi, bob. >> yes, it is. take a look at radar. nothing here at all around the region. just a few high clouds in the west. 41. we dropped a little bit. but last hour, look at the temperatures. just an hour ago, we were up to 45. 48 in washington. and compared to yesterday, 15 degrees warmer at the same time. so it really did warm up tomorrow. maybe another 8 or 10, maybe even 12 degrees warmer than it was this afternoon, believe it or not. tim has a look at that friday forecast. >> well, bob talked about the warmer air moving into the region. we are looking at just incredible temperatures, heading into the second week now of january. because this trend really shows no sign of faultering any -- faltering any time soon. the mild air stays with us. and as bob mentioned, we could be challenging 60 degrees. 60 degrees for january is just really incredible.

especially when you consider that 42 is our average high for this date. well, we'll continue to follow this bit of a wallup, i guess, call it -- warmup, i guess, call it a heat wave. and bob will have more inside. >> we'll call it a heat wave. casey anthony resurfaces. >> my first video diary. just a little surreal how much things have changed since july. >> after months in hiding, she is spotted on you tube. her message in this video diary and how it ended up online. i'm mike schuh. why would anyone shoot this adorable puppy three times? that's what the owner and authorities in frederick county want to know. their story next. i'm alex demetrick. coming up, as maryland prepares to take on the issue of same- sex marriage, supporters have a new and potentially powerful ally. that story as eyewitness news continues. back to normal. the freezing air moves out.

bob has more on the warmer weather moving our way in his updated forecast. ,,,,,,,,

i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract.

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frederick county sheriff's deputies are looking for leads in a deadly animal cruelty case. a family's search for their lost puppy ended up in heartbreak. >> it happened 10 miles west of frederick in a rural area in middletown. this is being raised by heidi. yesterday afternoon, she couldn't find heidi. then 300 yards from her home, she found the puppy's body. heidi had been shot three times. >> if she had been hit by a

car, i could understand it. but this is totally beyond my comp comprehension. >> heidi said she objects her dog was shot and killed by someone at close range. >> the head of animal control tells me that right now, they're trying to recover forensics from the animals' body and that they have two credible leads. i'm mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. back to you on tv hill. >> anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call animal control in frederick. >> so sad. well, if you were waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check in on the roads with kristy breslin. >> reporter: hi, everyone. a lot to talk about. traveling on the south side inner loop, we have an accident there at richie highway, beginning to back things up. 70 westbound, the delay there has stretched. it's now from southwestern boulevard to liberty road. and the top side of the inner loop, up to 20 minutes there from charles street to perring parkway. as far as the outer loop goes, that's spinning out just a bit. we're down to 15 minutes there.

and the harrisburg expressway, definitely slowing down in the northbound direction. plenty of brake lights there, from shawan road past belfast. as far as accidents go, stevenson lane at york road in the towson area. harford county, emerson bypass. and we're still working on cleanup for the accident. north point boulevard at eastern avenue. let's now take a live look. as you can see, not a bad drive at all. 95 north at the tydings memorial bridge. and our camera is out there. you can see some activity there at 32. this traffic report is brought to you by subway. introducing the new hot pastrami melt. it's pickles, mustard, pastrami, cheese to satisfy even the biggest appetite. >> kristy, thank you. supporters of same-sex marriage in maryland have a new ally. it is a potentially powerful one. organized labor says it will do whatever it can to get same sex marriage passed into law.

>> with this ring... >> with this ring. >> i thee wed. >> reporter: when same-sex marriage was legalized in new york, supporters felt it could happen here. and today in baltimore, the afl/cio announced it would fight for it. >> we expect the full support of all of our affiliates to make sure that it becomes law in the state of maryland. >> reporter: that support will put pressure on state legislatures in the session. but it is also driving a wedge into some who normally back issues. >> i'm very supportive, every step of the way. and i will continue to do so, except on this issue. >> reporter: strong opposition is a given. but labor's backing is generating optimism. same sex marriage is the law. >> i think it demonstrates the momentum we have topaz -- to

pass marriage equality in 2012. >> and in a number of maryland homes, the outcome couldn't be more personal. >> yes, because i am in a personal relationship. we have children. we both go to work. and she wants to have the same rights rights to be able to take care of my daughters like i want to take care of hers. >> we will defeat this bill in the house. but if not, we certainly will defeat it in referendum. >> reporter: meaning even with big labor support, same-sex wedding invitations in maryland remain on hold. alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. >> when the legislative session opens later this month, governor o'malley will introduce a same-sex marriage bill for debate and a vote. >> no debate about the weather. it's a lot nicer, warmer, depending on perspective. it's awfully warm, compared to what we saw yesterday. 41 now. west winds at 5. barometer on the way back up. we're looking at an even warmer end to the week right after this. ,,

i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] start saving now. move up to fios for our best price online -- $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years and get $300 back with a two-year contract.

or ask us about the option of no annual contract. is change good? in this case, change is very good. [ male announcer ] visit verizon.com/greatprice. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead. okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste?

honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? we had a quick shot of arctic air that left the region today. just a few high clouds in the west. beautiful clear skies for the most part. take a look at temperatures. they're at 41 now. yesterday at this time, we were

already around 30, well below freezing all day long yesterday. 33 in oakland now, 39 ocean city. still 48 in washington. pretty warm stuff. right now, locally, 40 to the mid and upper 40s around the region. with rather light winds, 46/26 today. remember, yesterday was high. the high was only 31. and the low was 13. we really picked up the temperatures, 42, 25, would be the averages today. and the record, 69. and one big fat degree in 1877. we have a west wind now, it's been a little breezy during the day. and about a few hours, they'll be dropping the small craft advisory out on the bay. west winds at 5. tomorrow, they become more of a southerly wind. and that's going to really bring in very mild air, particularly for january. with a normal high. tomorrow's 41. we're talking upper 50s, many areas tomorrow. virginia being in the 60s, believe it or not.

even some 70s here in carolina and florida, we'll get back up close to 80 degrees. all because high pressure is moving off the east coast. and the winds go back to the south, where it's plenty mild down there. it was cold for a day or so. to our north, a few snow shower activity going on this afternoon, across new york state, vermont, and western massachusetts. we had a few flurries last night. but they quickly moved out. didn't amount to anything. but there's that warm air coming in for friday, part of saturday. saturday night, the front will go through. it will drop temperatures a bit on sunday. closer to them. we're talking back in the 40s. south winds, 5 to 10 knots. small craft advisory, lifting at 6:00 p.m. and the bay temp at 41 now. tonight, then, clear to partly cloudy. i'd say mainly clear now. seasonably cool, with 25 tomorrow. believe it or not, it's going to feel like april. 58 degrees with sunny to partly sunny skies on your friday.

>> that's amazing bob. the regular season may be over. but the pizza bolis pro football challenge is a little strong. wjz is live there now to update this week's standings. tim? >> well, mary, again, there is a bottleneck at the bobblehead leader board. but adam may is still at the head of the pack. jessica, right behind with 174. then there is a three-way tie for third, with me, don, and marty. i guess it's kind of like the morning show posse is bringing up that next spot with 172. and then rounding out the top of our leader board is mary and mark. 171 each. stan follows close behind with 1 -- 170 points. this week's big winner. i can't believe this one. his name is tim, not me, of course. listen to this. correctly predicted 16, all 16 games correctly. for that, he wins the pizza bolis gift card, along with a

gift card from best buy. there is still time to sign up and play during the play-offs. we still have a few more weeks. you can go to wjz.com, click on the pro football challenge. and mary, we have our eyes on the players. >> i see it. >> yes, we do. >> we got you, timmy. thank you. all right. still ahead on eyewitness news at 5:00. a shakeup at the pentagon. why the president is cutting the defense budget. and will it impact the safety of the country? a routine arrest turns into a violent confrontation. who shot six police officers, leaving one of them dead? some folks would say it's downright neglectful parenting. what one man is accused of doing to his young children in this parking lot. i'm derek ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

it is 5:30. 41 degrees and mainly clear. good evening, everybody. thank you for staying with wjz. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. a father is facing charges after two young children after two young children are left alone in the car in the bitter cold. derek valcourt has more on how a fast-acting employee may have saved their lives. >> reporter: temperatures were well below freezing on tuesday night, when a wal-mart employee spotted a toddler and a baby alone in a car in this parking lot. >> reporter: the wal-mart employee called 911 and waitedda the car -- waited at

the car for frederick county deputies to arrive. inside that car, nay found a 5- month-old and a 4-year-old alone. their father came out moments later and was place under arrest. >> you cannot leave a child under the age of 8, in a vehicle alone. his children were much younger than that. >> reporter: deputies were able to determine that the father had been inside the store shopping for more than 20 minutes. >> reporter: on that tuesday, it was 24 degrees here in frederick, with a wind chill of just 11. >> reporter: the children were found to be okay and were released to their mother, while rockman was charged with two misdemeanor charges of child abuse; he's out of jail now. he was in, but he refused to answer the door. at his point of rocks home. >> i think he should be prosecuted. >> reporter: the story upsetting to many parents, like ashley reynolds. >> i would hate to think of my kids out in the freezing cold while i was shopping. >> it's not right.

you can't leave a child alone in the car like that. >> reporter: if convicted, he faces up to 60 days behind bars and $1,000 in fines. in frederick, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> the next court hearing for the accused father is set for march 6th. a maryland driver learns his sentence for a car crash that killed three of his friends in montgomery county. in court today, 22-year-old kevin covey received 24 years in prison. last may, he drove off a road and crashed a tree and fled the scene. two teenagers and a 20-year-old man died. his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit after the crash. after months of hiding, casey anthony finally resurfaces on you tube. >> well, mary, this saturday first time the world has heard from casey anthony, since she was acquitted of murdering her daughter caylee last july. >> just a little surreal how much things have changed since july and how many things

haven't changed. >> the recording was apparently made in october. she does not disclose where she's living, but says she plans on leaving when she can. back in august, anthony was ordered to remain in florida to serve out a year-long probation for check fraud. in the video, she makes no mention of her daughter caylee or of the year she spent in jail before her acquittal. >> anthony's attorney says the video was intended for her personal counseling. and she doesn't know how the video got onto you tube. six were shot, one killed. the officers were trying to serve an arrest warrant in the home in the suburbs of salt lake city. but when they entered the house, a man started shooting. the conditions of the five surviving officers range if serious to critical. the suspect is also hospitalized. although, it's unclear how he was hurt. a wave of bombings in iraq kills more than 70 people today. police believe sunnian

insurgents of responsible for the attacks. the violence raises fears that tensions between the two groups could push iraq into civil war. the country's new leaders are also concerned about civil fighting since they left last month. nearly $500 billion will be slashed from america's defense budget. and president obama is responding to critics who say the plan could weaken our military too much. tara mergener reports for wjz from the white house. >> reporter: president obama made a rare appearance in the pentagon press room to defend massive budget cuts to the u.s. military. >> so yes, our military will be leaner. but the world must know, the united states is going to maintain our military superiority. >> reporter: the president is cutting $450 billion in spending and hinted at cutting troops. pentagon officials promised the troops that will remain will have the best technology at their disposal. >> the reality is, you could face a land war in korea, and

at the same time, face threats in the straits of hor muzz. we have the capability with this joint force to deal with those kinds of threats. >> reporter: with the war over in iraq, and fewer troops in afghanistan, pentagon officials say the focus now is on asia and the pacific region, where new challenges exist. >> the president is slashing the defense budget because congress ordered billions in cuts in a budget deal. and the pentagon may have to chop another $500 billion, starting next year. >> reporter: the new budget plan also looks at new ways to deal with the growing cost of military healthcare and retirement benefits. >> and as our newest veterans rejoin civilian life, we'll keep working to give our veterans the care, the benefit, -- the benefits and job opportunities that they deserve and that they have earned. >> reporter: president obama knows he's going to face criticism for his cutbacks, especially from republican presidential candidates, who have questioned his commitment to national security. at the white house, tara

mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> the new strategy also emphasizes improving u.s. capabilities in cyber warfare and missile defense. some positive news for the job market. the number of people filing for unemployment benefits is still falling. the labor department says it was the fourth drop in the last five weeks. the number of weekly unemploylet benefit applications is -- unemployment benefit applications is now down to a three-year low. experts say this is a signal the rate -- rates could go down. well, procrastinators, rejoice. the tax deadline has been moved from the traditional april 15th, to april 17t. this is the result of april 15th on a sunday. and the following day is emancipation day. that is an observed holiday in washington, d.c. this is the second year in a row that the tax deadline has been extended past april 15 -- 15th. most of the presidential

candidates are in new hampshire, where the first primary will be held on tuesday. as randall pinkston reports, the rush is on to win votes. >> reporter: rick santorum is campaigning like an underdog in new hampshire. because that's exactly what he is. despite a strong second place finish to mitt romney, in conservative iowa. the former pennsylvania senator is in last place in this more moderate new england state. >> i've spent a lot of time here. and i trust the people of new hampshire. >> reporter: but he's getting some attention. >> reporter: before the iowa caucus, had you given santorum consideration? >> no. >> and now because of the caucus? >> yes. >> why? >> i really didn't know anything about him. so when i heard that he did so well, i'm definitely interested. >> reporter: this is one of five campaign stops santorrum is making in new hampshire today. he gave mitt romney a run for his money with his amazing finish in iowa. but catching mitt romney will be difficult. >> reporter: romney, who is comfortably ahead in the polls

left to campaign in south carolina. but before he left, romney continued his attack on president obama. >> it's killing jobs. this president is a crony capitalist. he's a job killer. >> reporter: newt gingrich is using a series of town hall events to reach out to his party's right. >> governor romney in the end has a very limited appeal in a conservative party. >> reporter: the candidate who perhaps has the most to lose here is john huntsman, who bye passed iowa to focus on winning new hampshire. his daughter said his low poll numbers here are not discouraging him. >> it's not looking at the poll numbers, but working our hardest until the final day. >> reporter: there are four more campaigning days and two more debates until tuesday's primary. in new hampshire, randall pink pinkston, wjz eyewitness news. >> ron paul and rick perry spent the day in texas. they had no campaign appearances scheduled for today. time now for a look at some of the stories you'll find in tomorrow morning's edition of the baltimore sun.

the second year tight end, depis pita has emerged as one of the go-to. for these stories and more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team. well, this spring will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the titanic. and for the first time, items from the ocean liner will be sold at auction. manuel gallegus reports for wjz with a sneak peek. >> reporter: there are artifacts from the legendary ocean liner, titanic. a diamond-studded bracelet, bearing the name amy. a demy cup. a vest from a third class passenger. >> it was in a suitcase that was fully packed with william henry allen's clothes for his new life in america. >> reporter: since the wreckage was discovered in 1985, 5500 items have been recovered. all of them from the debris

field 2 1/2 miles below the surface of the western atlantic. a silver mesh purse. the white star-lined china. a luggage tag. the actual ship, considered saked, has not been touched. ph nargolay, his favorite was a ceramic souvenir. >> i don't know what it is. but i saw it on expedition and said, i like this. >> reporter: on the 100th anniversary of titanic's maiden voyage, will be auctioned off. but there is a catch. everything must be sold to one buyer. >> reporter: a judge order the collection estimated to be worth $100 million to be kept together -- $200 million to be kept together for historic value. >> you sort of in your research start thinking of everyone on this ship, as a friend. >> reporter: researchers hope to return to the debris field. there are countless more items to recover. in new york, manuel gallegus,

wjz eyewitness news. >> and you know, we have to remember, more than 1500 people died when the ship stank on its way from england to new york city. about 700 people survived. it does make me want to go see -- rent the movie. see the movie again. >> absolutely. it was an incredible production. >> it was a good depiction. >> it was. absolutely. still ahead tonight. trapped in a foreign country. why an american teenager was accidentally deported to columbia. philadelphia police searched for hockey fans involved in this brawl. how a practical joke ended with this beating. bob turk in the first warning weather center. even warmer air coming our way for a little while longer. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. here's today's report from wall street. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

stars out tonight. yes. we'll probably see a lot of those. beautiful shot. just a few high clouds in the western/southwest sky. but it will be generally sunny tomorrow and a lot warmer. it will start off, seasonably

chilly. upper 20s to low to mid-30s. mid-50s, probably getting up as high as 55 to 58 by tomorrow afternoon. before it cools down again by tomorrow night. tim has a look at that really nice, really for the most part, five-day forecast. tim? >> it really is. unseasonably mild. starting off tomorrow, bob talked about friday. let's talk about the weekend. temperatures going into the 60- degree range tomorrow. and mid-50s on saturday. 49 on sunday. 44s and 46 the all of those temperatures above the normal high of about 42 degrees for this time in january. now, for your energy saver tip of the day. well, make sure your heating vents aren't blocked by furniture or drapes and the damper are open, especially on the first floor of your home. because the heat will rise to the upper levels. vacuum out dust and pet hair levels. so your furnace runs more efficiently. for more information, you can go to wjz.com, scroll down the right-hand side of the page and click on our special section. back inside.

>> all right, tim. thank you. a dramatic water rescue in australia. four people are found clinging to the cooler in the ocean off the coast of sidney. two men and their sons were fishing when their boat caught fire, forcing them to jump in the water. luckily, one of them grabbed a device to led emergency officials to them. no one was seriously injured. a woman whose body was found on the grounds of queen elizabeth's estate. british police have more questions today than answers. >> the case is not only a who done it. at this stage, it's a who is it? all police know about the victim is that she was a woman, no older than 23. and that she was most likely murdered. although they don't know how she died. the body had been in the woods for somewhere between 1 and 4 months before it was discovered. >> rimember of the public was walking their dog in the area -- a member of the public was walking their dog in the area,

new year's eve, around 4:00 p.m., when they found a body and called police. police attended. and we have control of the scene since that time. there are forensic experts, currently working in the scene. >> reporter: this is a sprawling, royal estate on the north coast of england. used in part as a holiday get away by members of the royal family. but more than 15,000 acres is wide open to the public, and popular with hikers. the body was discovered in a forest, three miles from the 19th century mansion house and gardens, reserved for the royal family. the queen and prince phillip are still at the estate and are aware of the grisly discovery which was made just hours after they had attended a new year's church service neb. police are -- nearby. police are looking into the possibility that the victim was a 17-year-old latvian student who disappeared from the area four months ago. but they weren't able to get a

dna profile yesterday. so they're doing more work now to identify the body. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, london. and detectives say it's not even clear if the woman was killed at the scene or taken there after her death. a texas teenager is trapped in a foreign country, after being mistaken for a wanted illegal immigrant. the 14-year-old girl was deported after she was arrested in houston for theft. that's because police say she gave them a fake name that belonged to a columbian national. the girl's family wants to know why authorities deported her when she doesn't know spanish and didn't have id on her when she was arrested. a hockey rivalry is caught on tape. a cell phone camera captured the brawl between the flyers and new york rangers. police say the fight happened outside of a popular cheesesteak shop outside of philly. after flyers sprayed windows with water. police are still looking for the suspects. check in with eyewitness news

at 6:00. for all new stories, denise is in the newsroom with a preview for us. abducted from in front of his home. baltimore city police, searching for these suspects who took a man at gunpoint. new at 6:00, why it has one community on edge. looking for something to do this weekend? why the maryland video in baltimore could be just the ticket. check in for these stories and all the breaking news. now back to kai and mary. >> i hope that snow doesn't melt for the polar bear. still to come tonight on eyewitness news. airline mix-up. how a teenager ended up in the wrong city with no way to get back home. i stepped on the machine,

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the investigation continues in texas after a massive car crash. sheriffs say the pileups were caused by poor visibility due to a mixture of fog and smoke from nearby wildfires. the string of accidents stopped more than 40 vehicles and injured dozens of people. >> a home in upstate new york is destroyed in an explosion. it happened after a contractor working at the home accidentally pierced a gas line. the home was engulfed by flames and spread to a neighboring home, causing a three-alarm fire. occupants evacuated the home

moments before it exploded. but they're devastated by the damage. >> luckily, my daughter and him got out. and my three cats were in there. and i lost all of my stuff. i -- it's a shame. i lost everything. i don't have anything now. nothing. it's sad. it's really sad. >> see that's the flareup right there from the gas there. the natural gas explosion destroyed the home and also severely damaged two other homes on the street. no one was hurt. many of us have fallen asleep on the wrong flight. but imagine waking up in the wrong city. as elizabeth irwin reports, the mishap happened to one arizona teenager. >> there is no reason for that to happen. >> tina mcv is fuming. first meet her son eric. eric is your typical teen on a plane. >> i go to sleep. just put the head phones in and

fall asleep. >> he slept through the final destination. the following takeoff and then the landing. when he woke up and got off the plane. >> what the heck? >> reporter: things looked different. >> and the child wakes up in st. louis with no family, no money, no cell phone, and no help. >> reporter: tina's main beef is with the airlines. she said southwest should have taken a head count, or at@the very least, should have been more helpful when she realized her sob -- son was not where he should be. >> nobody could help me. they said i had to call in the morning. >> meanwhile, eric was trying to get home. >> i saw one of the security guys and told him my situation. and he said he couldn't do anything. >> reporter: so he started walking, aimlessly around the st. louis area. >> he went to the police station. and there was nobody in the police station. >> he said he called 911. >> they hung up. >> reporter: speaking of calls. >> we appreciate that

immensely. >> reporter: we were there when southwest called eric's grandma to apologize. they promised to refund eric's ticket. >> i think our main rub is that eric got lost and what the processes are to keep children safe on southwest airlines, at all times, no matter what their age, whether they're 9 or 15. can you guys look into that for me, too? >> reporter: and promise to check their policies and procedures to see if they need to be updated. >> and that was elizabeth irwin reporting. because of his age, he didn't fall under southwest's policy for agents to watch over him. the current policy is for children ages 5 to 12. if there ever was a time to change washington, this is the time to do it. nancy jacobs takes on dutch ruppersberger. ruppersberger. i'm mike hellgren at the ,,,,

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twist. and why you are going to want to get your hands on one. that story straight ahead. and some warmer temperatures settling in. what about the weekend? don't miss the updated first warning weather forecast. check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. out in the cold, maryland children, left in a freezing car. >> tonight, the charges their father is facing. and the man being hailed a hero. >> hello, everybody. i'm denise koch. >> and i'm kai jackson. vic is off. here's what people are talking about tonight. >> it's the kind of story that makes parents cringe. two young