be so deadly. >> reporter: 16-year-old robert richardson faces charges as an adult, after police say he confessed to killing his 58- year-old father and dumping the lifeless body into a pond. >> whether we arrived at the location, there was nobody inside the residence. we did see some evidence outside that looked like blood. so deputies made entrance into the home. >> reporter: gunshots were first reported at the richardson home just before 11:00 monday night. investigators say after pulling the trigger, richardson drove 10 miles to a relative's house on gilbert road in aberdeen, where the pond is located. but it would not be until 6:00 tuesday. police spotted him driving the family vehicle, near the intersection. from there, a wild chase unfolded. >> they're traveling through the town of bel air and finishing at the bel air united methodist church, when he crashed into a cinder block wall. >> reporter: neighbors say this is not the first time they've had to call 911 about a disturbance.

they say the victim would have fits of rage and scream obscenities at his family. >> and he'd be working on something in the yard, and screaming and terrible cursing. and horribly, terribly verbally abusive. >> reporter: this woman said the abuse was so violent, she thought he would hurt someone. and is guessing the teen acted up in desperation. >> now i wish i had followed up on that lead more. >> reporter: officers have responded to the house a dozen times. most of the calls for help came from right inside. >> reporter: and that said, homicide detectives have not confirmed a motive in this murder. they investigate richardson is being held in the county detention center without bail. we're live, weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news. >> richardson's bail review is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. the polls are open in the nation's first presidential primary. voters in new hampshire are

casting ballots for the republican candidates. manuel gallegus reports for wjz. there's a lot of heavy campaigning under way. >> reporter: shaking as many hands as he can. >> i hope we do well. >> front runner mitt romney is encouraging new hampshire voters to help him ensure a victory. >> in new hampshire, you can see, excited people behind me, talking about winning this one. and with that kind of spirit, carries onto south carolina next. >> reporter: newt gingrich is trying to chip away at romney's lead. >> until you slow romney down, you have people understand there is a real choice here between a massachusetts moderate and conservative. >> reporter: he's hopping off the campaign bus, at several polling spots to take pictures and pick up votes. gingrich, rick santorum. and john huntsman, are in a battle for the spot in the top tier. >> reporter: 40% of new hampshire voters are independents. ron paul is hoping they help push him to a solid second-

placed finish as he drops by polling plagues. -- places. >> looks like we're finally in place. >> 250,000 people are expected to cast ballots in the republican primary today. patrick mcdonough supports romney but doesn't expect a landslide. >> no. i think it will be a lot closer than people expect. ron paul has a strong showing up here. >> reporter: if romney does come out on top, he'll be the first republican who isn't a sitting president to win both iowa and new hampshire. in manchester, new hampshire, manuel gallegus, wjz eyewitness news. >> reporter: the polls close at 8:00 eastern time. we will bring you the latest on eyewitness news at 6:00 and 11:00. a 21-year-old woman is hit by bullets while sitting inside her home in northeast baltimore. vic is in the newsroom with details of her condition. vic? >> the gunfire came crashing through a woman's patio door. police say the victim was struck in the back of her head and shoulder. right now, she's in stable condition. investigators are trying to

figure out if she was hit by stray bullets or if she was targeted. anyone with information about this case should call police. mary, back to you. >> all right, vic. thank you. baltimore police say nonfatal shootings are actually down significantly over the past decade. the death penalty in maryland. the end of it. that's what some of your leaders are hoping to accomplish as the general assembly prepares to return to work in annapolis. wjz is live. >> the bills to abolish the death penalty have failed in past years, but this time around, supporters say they are shy just one vote of getting it out of a senate committee to the floor, where they say they have enough votes in both chambers to pass it. >> reporter: by the time the state of georgia executed death row inmate troy davis in september for the shooting of a police officer, several of the original nine witnesses recanted their testimony. benjamin jola says the international outraged that followed davis's execution has

gone a long way in changing people's attitudes. >> people in this country care about fairness and want to see our country join the rest of the world and abolish the death penalty, in order to get there, maryland has to do it. >> also speaking out against the death penalty, kirk bloodsworth, a former death row inmate, released after he was exonerated by dna. >> do away with the death penalty. because the simple truth is, if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone in this state. >> reporter: advocates argue the death penalty is cruel to crime victims because appeals drag on for too long. and executions rarely happen. >> so what we have in maryland at this point is the death penalty. not actually as a real punishment tool, but a political tool. >> we have been watering down and killing the death penalty in this state for 20 years. >> reporter: republican pat mcdonogh, a vocal supporter of capital punishment, which is already suspended in maryland, until a new committee approves lethal injection protocols.

he says in many instances, life without parole isn't enough. >> we are not showing sympathy for the victims. >> reporter: in the past, martin o'malley has publicly supported repealing the death penalty. a spokesperson if for his office says if a bill to repeal the death penalty comes across his deck, he will strongly consider it. >> new jersey, and illinois have recently abolished the death penalty. there are also appeals to repeal it in connecticut and california this year. accusations from parents. school officials are looking into allegations of unsafe student behavior during a team trip to an eastern shore wrestling tournament. details aren't being released. they won't return unless they are cleared by an investigation. ravens' fans are showing their purple pride all over maryland. the team is prepare be to face

the houston texans in the divisional round of the play- offs this weekend. wjz has complete coverage of the play-offs. jessica kartalija is live in towson, where they're painting the town purple. >> hello, kai. and hello to everyone. more purple paint around baltimore. this time, the ravens left their mark here in towson. meantime, fans around baltimore are doing all they can to get their hands on anything purple. >> reporter: at depolo and sons in northeast baltimore. >> it's a great thing to have something to look forward to and something to cheer about. i think it's a great attitude. the whole city is in it. it couldn't be better. >> fans are stocking up. >> i just got me a nice little ravens hat. yes. wonderful. >> inside -- >> can you bring some over from the warehouse. because they'll probably be going. >> reporter: there's everything you need to fire up a great tailgate. >> we have a full line of

tailgate supplies from the chafing dishes to the burners to the chafing fuel, all of these disposable plates, napkins, tablecloths. >> and in towson, all signs point to the ravens. >> purple is a great color this time of year. [ laughter ] >> reporter: as crews continue to paint the town purple. >> we're really excited. we just want to get the fans pumped up. and that goes directly to the players. >> reporter: fans have a warning for houston. >> houston, you better bring your lunch because it's going to be a long day. going to be a long day here in baltimore. we do real work here in baltimore. yeah. [ laughter ] >> reporter: we sure do. and fans that we spoke with said that they're excited that houston will get to see baltimore before they are brutally beaten. meanwhile, this seems to be the popular shirt. houston, you've got a problem. this one from maryland screen printers. we're live in towson, baltimore

county, i'm jessica kartalija. back to you on tv hill. >> you can see the ravens take on the texans, right here live, on wjz. the game starts sunday afternoon. make sure to stay tuned for the seasons pizza post game show. they will bring you highlights and reaction of the ravens play- off games with the texans. yes, indeed. we are seeing a swing outside. it's mild and calm. such a different picture, compared to yesterday. just a gorgeous day out there today. bob turk is tracking conditions in first warning weather for us. bob? >> look down to the south. see the clouds? that's going to bring us rain by this time tomorrow afternoon for sure. take a look at radar down to the south of the gulf coast area. couple of areas of low pressure moving up toward our region by tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow night. ask that will spread rain into the region. what time do we expect it to get here? probably, let's say between 1:00 and 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon. take a look at our computer as it moves up from the south.

warmer air will also be coming into the region. all rain. that's what we're looking at. maybe an inch of rain with this system. so could be pretty wet. pretty miserable are and breezy by late tomorrow night. >> still ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. did he punch a player or not? morgan university's basketball coach. new reaction tonight. i'm mike schuh. carolina started off poorly with a car accident. and it ended in their daghts by fire. new inform-- deaths by fire. new information. i'm alex demetrick, coming up. new tools to fight an old problem on the bay. that story as eyewitness news continues. it's a beautiful tuesday night. but is there more rain on the way? bob has more in your updated forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

tragedy in essex, baltimore county. a woman and her daughter die in the fire. now, mike schuh explains that clutter slowed firefighters' ability to enter the home. >> for a mother and her mentally-challenged daughter, yesterday started out poorly and got as bad as it can get. >> the mourning can be summed up with a look at the hem. a car pulls up in front of her, a crash. >> she had that accident. i didn't even know that was her down there. >> reporter: mom was taken to the franklin town square emergency room. her daughter goes with. >> reporter: their injuries are minor so they're returned home. where a tragged tragedy is about to happen. >> reporter: i'm reallyup set about it. >> reporter: a fire fills this home with smoke. stacy, the daughter is found in the bathroom. the mom is found on the steps. >> reporter: neighbor kristina

lee came home, just as rescuers carried the two women from the home. >> middle carol -- miss carolyn was nonresponsive. and they were carrying out stacy. i didn't know if they were alive or not. >> reporter: both women died. for the type of fire, firefighter says it was unusually smoky. >> in most cases, it's the smoke that kill people, not the thermal heat. >> reporter: there was too much stuff piled up inside. they ended up going around back. >> when a home is full of belongings, whether it's clothing or parents or -- papers or old magazines, that material is fuel if there is a fire. >> reporter: the family is in the process of making the funeral arrangements. in essex, mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. back to you on tv hill. >> reporter: the fire department says they could not find any smoke alarms in the home. the local american red cross makes an emergency plea for blood donations. in recent weeks, the organization saw a significant decline in turnout of blood

drives at donor centers. now, several blood types are at critical or emergency levels, making it difficult to prepare for potential emergencies. >> the red cross is asking the community to step out immediately and make a blood donation. it will take immediate blood donations and several weeks of sustained donations to replenish the supply. >> reporter: blood is needed from more than 350 local hospitals and their patients. all types are needed. let's check in on the roads now with kristy breslin. hi, kristy. >> hi, mary. hi, everyone. so much congestion out there. 70 westbound. from 29 to marriottsville road. as far as the beltway goes, on the west side inner loop, we're up to 25 minutes. that will take you from southwestern boulevard around to route 70. on the north side of the inner loop, that delay has also stretched. it's now from dulaney valley road, over to 95. and we have plenty of brake lights to watch out for on northbound harrisburg expressway, from shawan to belfast. as far as 95 goes.

problems in both directions. northbound heavy there from pulaski highway. and southbound 95, very slow there. from route 100 to 175. as far as accidents go, the newest one we have rosedale at south elgin avenue. let's take a live look. as you can see, there is a bit of a delay there on harrisburg. that's at shawan road. and we'll take another live look. not a bad drive for you. 95, top of the fort mchenry tunnel. this traffic report is brought to you by subway. introducing the new hot pastrami melt. flavor-packed pastrami, pickles, mustard, cheese. only from subway, eat fresh. back to you. >> thanks, kris see. -- kristy. police are going high-tech. it's a push to keep poachers from stealing the tons of fish they illegally netted last winter. >> reporter: last winter, 13 tons of striped bass were illegally netted by poachers. >> it killed us.

killed our winter's work. >> reporter: for natural resources police, finding poachers' submerged net might have meant getting lucky with a grappling net. but not anymore. they can now see objects under water. from boats to nets. >> you can see there's objects off to the side of it. you can see the ribs along the bottom of it. you can zoom in once more. a little closer. >> we're not dragging aimlessly through the water anymore. with a hook, we can actually see the bottom now. >> reporter: sonar may be the newest tool. but it certainly isn't the only one being used this winter. >> how many permits do you have? >> three. >> last winter's poaching brought new laws. tagging and reporting fish has also been tightened. and there is the threat of another closed season. >> and if nets are found this year, we're going to take swift action to prevent our fishery. >> this resource belongs to everybody. >> we all talk amongst

ourselves. and it's the best interest and everybody is behaving themselves this year. it's as simple as that. >> reporter: because those who don't aren't just cutting corners, they're cutting the livelihoods of everyone else. alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. >> besides tons of fish, last winter, police recovered five miles of submerged nets used by poachers. >> well, it was a nice day at least for alex to be out there, to report that story. usually, in january, you don't want to be on the water, right? >> no snow. lots of sunshine. we have changes headed our way. it's going to rain by this time. 50 degrees. now west/northwest winds at 5. come back and take a look at the rain on the way after this. go, ravens! whoo! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, [ male announcer ] ziploc presents ziplogic.

♪ 4 pounds of sirloin. but only wrap half... i'll just throw it out anyway. [ male announcer ] we throw out over $500 in food every year. help save more of it with ziploc freezer bags featuring new, improved smartzip. edge to edge protection you can hear. now that's ziplogic. ziploc freezer bags with the new, improved smartzip seal. get ziploc. and get more out of it.

try ziploc containers with smartsnap. [ female announcer ] s.c. johnson. a family company. [ male announcer ] get ready for some deli-style delic-ious-ity: the subway big hot pastrami melt. dive into piled-high pastrami, spicy mustard, pickles and melt-a-licious cheese. treat your taste buds to a fresh toasted subway big hot pastrami melt. subway. eat fresh. we are having a beautiful sunset tonight, after a really gorgeous day. >> probably note too many complaints, unless you're really a winter snow lover. >> right. >> and there's plent of -- plenty of you out there.

yesterday's snow at the airport was the biggest snowfall so far this year. they had 4/10ths of an inch. officially, that will go down in the books. here in tv hill, we had a trace. maybe 15 to 20 minutes of snow there ended. north of cold spring in northern parkway. not a flake, not a drop. let's take a look at temps and conditions now. just clouds down to the south. but clear skies here. 50. 39, oakland. 50 in cumberland. and 57, ocean city. clouds begin to move into virginia now. locally, upper 40s to around 50. 48, rock hall, and 47 in westminster. it's dry, comfortable, nice afternoon. 53, 32 today. the average high now is 41. the average low down to 24. and we'll see these temperatures continue in the next few weeks. may drop 1 or two degrees. you but that's pretty much the low average we have during most of the year. 70, the record high. 1950. and two below zero back in

1875. right now, we have a west wind that came in last night. dried things out. any fog we had this morning, clearly moved out of here quickly with the sunshine returning and mild temps. now, tomorrow, the sunshine we had today, high pressure moves off the east coast. winds go back to the southeast and east. moisture here along the gulf coast. there was heavy rain in texas. you probably saw some flooding. it's moving up toward kentucky. carolinas. we'll see a rain tonight. we'll see a rain tomorrow afternoon, probably 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 in the afternoon. rain continues tomorrow night and clouds build. and eventually on thursday, we'll see an to the rain. thursday night, another front coming in from the northwest. that's going to be the arctic front with very cold air behind it. or compared to what we've had, cold air. may be a brief sprinkle or shower. maybe a few wet snowflakes, late thursday night or early friday. then it definitely gets chilly for the weekend, friday night and saturday and sunday.

temperatures generally at or slightly below average for this time of year. that means on sunday, for the football game, sunshine and clouds. about 37 in the afternoon. it will be kind of chilly. east winds, 5 to 10 knots. bay temp, right around 41 degrees. tonight, clear to partly cloudy. clouds going to be late-night, 33. maybe 28, 29. , colder suburban areas. cloudy, rainy in the afternoon. 49. but still well above average for your wednesday. >> in january. >> okay. amazing. >> thanks, bob. still ahead at 5:00. rewarded for bravery. hostages rescued during a tense standoff. the honors for the maryland police officers who save lives. and what a victim's family is revealing about their son. if you want to quit smoking, there's surprising new information you need to hear. details in healthwatch. ,,,,,,,,

it is 5:28. 50 degrees and clear and just beautiful out there tonight. good evening, everybody. and thank you for staying with wjz, eyewitness news. here are some of the stories team are palk -- people are talking about tonight. controversy on the court. morgan state university's head basketball coach is suspended, accused of hitting a player in the heat of the moment. tonight, a closer look at the investigation. >> reporter: witnesses say

coach todd bozeman lashed out at number 1 senior guard, larry basfield. it happened during saturday's game against south carolina state, a game the bears ended up winning. >> some say that he actually struck the student. others say it wasn't that bad, he kind of gave him a little push. >> reporter: one witness, christopher johnson, told our media partner, the baltimore sun, he saw the player punch the coach in the face. many saying the coach was out of line. today, the campus is reacting. >> i know the students hold him in high regard. i've never heard anything like that about the coach. >> i know the athletic department prides itself and whatever they decide it will be the best. >> coach bozeman says it's definitely overblown. i didn't hit him. and the player says it was just a bump. larry basfield does not plan to

press charges. >> reporter: a three-judge panel is investigating what happened. it will talk with witnesses and review videotape from the game which may or may not show the entire incident. >> a twist in the deadly haze investigation involving the florida a&m university band. defees is in the newsroom with new information from the parents of drum major robert champion. >> reporter: champion died in november, after being hazed during a bus trip. now, according to his parents' own investigation, champion was singled out because he was a band disciplinarian who was a vocal opponent of hazing and he was gay. police have ruled champion's death a homicide by hazing. but so far, no arrests have been made. champion's family says they plan to sue the university and the bus company. kai? >> denise, thank you. since champion's death, the school has suspended all band activities and has started investigations into other

alleged hazing incidents. in the wake of several deadly crashes, federal authorities are actually taking a close look at the safety of air shows. tara mergener reports for wjz. the ntsb is questioning air show executives today at a hearing in washington. >> air show accidents like the one in reno, nevada, had the national transportation safety board, reevaluating safety rules. 11 people died last september, when a world war ii-era plane crashed. 70 more were hurt. mike houton hits -- heads the group that sponsored the show. >> times aren't easy. we are looking forward, though, to pulling the only things that are necessary so we can operate the event in 2012. >> reporter: houton and other air show executives say safety is always the top priority. >> if i don't believe in an act that is going to be safe or i see they're not doing what they're supposed to do, i knock them off, they land. >> reporter: with 75 deadly air show accidents in 25 years, the

ntsb is looking at ways to make public events safer. >> and we want to make sure that the limitations of the human and the machine are respected and that when it comes to spectators and crowds, that they are protected. >> lieutenant colonel gary cook has flown in dozens of air shows and has been a safety official in others. he says the rules designed to keep pilots and spectators safe are always evolving. >> the benefit we can learn is what can we do differently in future air shows. >> reporter: more than 10 million people attend air shows every year. and the ntsb says it is paying attention to what goes wrong and learning from those mistakes. in washington, tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> including that deadly crash at the reno air race, the ntsb is now investigating a total of eight accidents at air shows in the last year. the fbi joins the search for a missing montana teacher.

a nationwide alert is sent out for sherry arnold. the fbi is now involved because of the possibility the 43-year- old was abducted. arnold was last seen on saturday, when she went jogging. police and hundreds of volunteers have searched a 12- mile area. but arnold's shoe is the only piece of evidence that has been recovered. a bizarre plot to get extra vacation time has cost a school employee her job. joan barnett allegedly forced her daughter's death certificate. the costa rican government confirms the death certificate was a fake. many will never forget the day the government stormed the headquarters in silver spring. a montgomery county police officer is being honored for his bravery that day. >> reporter: september 2010. s.w.a.t. teams descend on silver spring,

maryland. a man wearing a vest of pipe bombs, enters the discovery channel building and takes three hostages. after a four-hour standoff, the crisis comes to an end, with the gunman, james lee, the only casualty. >> reporter: the suspect was shot by police officers. >> reporter: now, montgomery county police officer, who held takedown the suspect, is receiving an award for his courage. >> my colleague is blessed that none of us got hurt. >> reporter: officer edwin pagan junior is among those who received the congressional bravery award. he was one of the first to run into the building and help the hostages. he also provided s.w.a.t. with crucial information on how to get to the gunman. still, he says he was just doing his job. >> that's what we're here for. i mean, to serve the community at large. >> reporter: monique griego, wjz eyewitness news remember. >> and he is the only maryland officer to receive the award. governor martin o'malley

unveils an award to tour schools. the democrat announced his proposal for more than $370 million for school construction. o'malley hopes it will spur job creation as the state recovers from the national recession. as the votes are counted in new hampshire, all eyes are turning to south carolina, the next state to hold a republican primary. randall pinkston reports for wjz. to win there, republican hopefuls must win over evangelical voters. >> reporter: 6,000 people attend the historic first baptist church in columbia, south carolina, making it an important stop for presidential candidates. >> jesus is speaking to us. >> reporter: reverend wendell estep is the pastor. he says many in his congregation have not yet chosen a candidate in the primary. >> today, i asked my staff, how many of you have decided who

your candidate is? nobody raised their hand. >> reporter: rick perry is already here in south carolina, ahead of the other republican hopefuls who were still in new hampshire. perry is making sure the evangelicals know, he shares their faith. >> i -- understood as a young 14-year-old, as a gave my life to jesus christ, that that was going to be a central part of who i am. >> reporter: 55% of the republican voters in south carolina are evangelical, more than double the percentage in new hampshire. that means the candidates will be trying to win over a very different audience here. >> reporter: mitt romney knows the challenge ahead. a morm on, he finished fourth here in 2008. he's now leading the polls. but voters like first baptist church member, ann marie green, aren't sold on him or anyone else. >> one of the things we don't have is somebody that gets voters excited. >> reporter: about 70% of republican voters say they want a president who shares their

religious beliefs. in columbia, south carolina, randall pinkston, wjz eyewitness news. >> by this time tomorrow, all of the gop candidates are scheduled to be campaigning in south carolina. stocks hit a five-month high today as new data points to a stronger global economy. take a look at closing numbers from today. the dow is up 70 points. s&p gains 11 for its highest close since august. and the nasdaq is up about 26 points. in tonight's healthwatch, a new study throws doubt on nicotine. replacement therapy is a tool to help people stop smoking. researchers at harvard found that nicotine patches and nicotine gum are not effective, even when combined with counseling. their findings indicate that smokers have the same rate of success when they quit on their own. time for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in the baltimore sun. the advantages and disadvantages of maryland laying claim to the longest-

laying service. and the healthiest dishes you can find in baltimore area restaurants. remember, to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team. when you think of pizza in parkville, you think of dominance. the harford road landmark was gutted by fire just over 6 months ago. but as ron matz reports, the popular carryout has just reopened. and customers and employees couldn't be happier. >> reporter: the pizza is back. danny is doing the pies. they're popping the parmesan in parkville once again. the phones are ringing. dom nicks is back in business. customers are saying, welcome back. >> rick, how are you doing? >> all right. how are you, ron? >> what do you have there? >> i have a dominic's pizza, buddy. best pizza in town. >> reporter: fire gutted this place. >> it was devastating.

it hurt. it was very sad. >> reporter: it's a day co- owner bob plante will never forget. >> 20 years of me being here, and my business partner as well. and basically everything gone, in a matter of 12 minutes. >> reporter: but they've risen from the ashes here. after all, dominics has been a slice of life in parkville since 1963. six months of hard work has paid off with a brand-new look. >> it's not just about pizza here. dominics delivers a lot more to this parkville community. >> reporter: it's more than just a pizza shop. it's a home. and it's part of the community. and it's important for us to be here and to be out there to help people. and we're doing everything that we can. >> reporter: who is the pizza for? >> me, my daughter, and my little granddaughter. >> reporter: enjoy. >> i guarantee you. >> reporter: ron matz, wjz eyewitness news. >> guarantee. well, no one was injured if in -- in that fire, which

investigators say was started when the fan was started to cool the pizza ovens overheated. still ahead on eyewitness news. it is a staredown you don't want to miss. what happens when a toddler comes after a lion. buried under 18 feet of snow. the help on the way for people trapped by alaska's winter weather. good girl. bob turk. first warning weather center. rain headed back our way. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. wjz wants to see your purple pride. here are some of your favorite purple and black photos. to see your favorite slide show, log onto wjz.com. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[music playing] confidence. available in color. depend® for women is now peach. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend®. good morning. great day. [music playing] confidence. available in color. depend® for women is now peach. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend®. good morning. great day. hundreds of cars and trucks are swept away, as severe weather pounds texas. more than 6 inches have come down across the houston area. fire crews have rescued several drivers. strong winds kicked up at least two suspected tornadoes. >> and from that, to severe snow in alaska. the town of cordova is trapped

in record snowfall. as ben tracy reports for wjz, it may not be over. >> reporter: in cordova, they are quite simply buried. buried under a record of 18 feet of snow. >> good girl. >> reporter: six feet in just the past few days. >> a lot of businesses have already started to cave in. >> reporter: buildings have collapsed. avalanches are rolling down from the mountains and boats are sinking into the harbor. >> it's getting to where there is more snow and people and troubles to deal with it. >> reporter: so cordova's mayor declared a state of emergency sunday and called in the national guard. they will help move mountains of snow, which can weigh 100 pounds per square inch. they will also help clear the one road to the airport. besides boat, air is the only way in or out of this isolated coastal fishing town. >> i've been in cordova, almost 30 years. and i have never, never seen this much snow. >> reporter: while still a far cry from the record seasonal snowfall of 561 inches.

the southern lassan coach -- alaskan coach has been pummeled with nearly 300 inches of snow. that's nearly triple cordova's average for an entire winter season. meteorologists blame a low- pressure system, expected to bring even more snow the rest of the week. >> shovel palooza. snow-pocalips. >> reporter: the frigid cold is creating dangerous conditions. residents in iced in, gnome, alaska, are worried that they might not be able to reach them with a much-needed fuel delivery. >> and more snow and possibly rain. crews are working to shovel out the most at-risk bells. -- buildings. here in maryland, we are drying out. i don't think you really have to dry out. sorry. that was written there for me. it is a pretty mild evening as we take a live look outside.

so what can we expect tomorrow and over the next few days? maybe they have to dry out at the white house. but here we didn't get enough. here's bob turk in the first warning weather center. bob? >> i'll say. it was light compared to cordova. let's take a look at tomorrow. looks like we'll start seeing clouds moving in. temperatures generally in the 30s in the morning. to the mid- to upper 40s. and rain by let's say 2:00 in the afternoon. and rain continues tomorrow night. could be heavy at times. could be a little rain early thursday. and late thursday night and friday. there may be a shower of rain and/or maybe some wet snow. because it's going to get colder. 43 on friday. 38 saturday. and sunshine and clouds. 40 on sunday, we expect. kai? >> thank you, bob. hundreds of firefighters are battling a slow-moving brush fire in california. access to that fire zone is so difficult. crews are dropping water to keep the flames from spreading to homes. investigators are currently looking for a cause. a shipwreck off the coast of new zealand is now making a

mess at a popular vacation spot. the ship sank about 3 months ago and became stuck on a wreath. but stormy weather finally caused it to sink. and debris washed it ashore. cleanup efforts are under way on the beach. it is amazing video that will definitely have you talking. a little girl and an african lion come face to face. through some plastic glass. but still, it happened at a new zealand zoo. as this brave 3-year-old girl doesn't dplirch that much. he -- flinch that much. she got up close and personal with the lion. the parents were nervous but they captured the whole thing on tape. the zoo says it is rare to see a lion interact with a visitor like this. ready? woo hoo. >> all right. the annual consumer electronics show opens today in las vegas. companies are rolling out their latest products.

and this year, as bigat shavan reports for wjz. thin is in. >> reporter: the consumer electronics show is showcasing 20,000 of the newest tech toys. tvs are getting bigger, but also thinner. >> thin is in, in gadgets at any rate. devices, televisions, and big screens. using o.l.e.d. a new device that lets you get your television even thinner than the lcd or plasma. >> reporter: and they do more. interactive games, even security cameras. we're seeing a lot of ways to get your life more connected. >> reporter: super thin laptops, called ultrabooks are a big item this year. this one weighs only about two pounds and is just over half an inch thick. >> these will boot up in less than seven seconds. and they're guaranteed to have greater than five hours' battery life. >> reporter: at roughly $5,000,

they're made to be a competitor to apple's thin line macbooks. but most of the gadgets are practical, like a new line of sleek scanners for the home, wireless cell phone chargers, and head phones made especially for the avid runners. we've always seen devices connect to our phone. expect a lot more coming on the consumer scene. >> reporter: some of the products here are prototypes that may never make it off the show room floor. others will soon be in the hands of eager shoppers. in las vegas, bigat shavan, wjz eyewitness news. >> the show, which is closed to the public, runs through friday. check in with eyewitness news at 6:00. for all new stories coming up at 6:00, vic is in the newsroom. wjz is following the investigation. why his own son was arrested. shocking case of animal cruelty. what police say this man did to a small dog. check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news, coming up at 6:00. back to you.

>> still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. a football official thanks the ravens for saving his life. >> it's an amazing story. mark has details and reaction coming up. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

an nfl referee credits the ravens for possibly saving his life. sports director mark viviano joins us. >> well, mary, it is an incredible set of circumstances. and it goes back to this september 11th, season opener for the football season. a battle between the ravens and the rivals, the steelers. and a referee who got caught up in the action, first in a bad way, but ultimately, it's good. >> this is the second time now. this kind of thing has broken out. that's willy cologne of the steelers and the official ball. >> reporter: the ravens- steelers season opener was a rough one, even for the guys in stripes. during one, tony carenty, tumbled to the earth, suffering what he believed to be a head injury. he would continue to work the game. weeks later, while seeing a doctor for what carenty thought were injuries from a head injury, the referee diagnosis

was diagnosed with -- was diagnosed with throat cancer. >> he said, probably if not for that circumstance, they would have never discovered it. so he got a little emotional and felt like, you know, the lord works in mysterious ways. >> personal foul. >> reporter: carenty sought out ravens' michael oher and matt blake, two of the players that knocked him down, essentially to thank them for saving his life. >> one thing, i'll take with me. he said, your entire life, you're trying to see your glass as half full. and he said, once this happened, he realized his glass was all the way full. and i thought that was awesome. and certainly talking to him, it was a very humbling experience. >> what a story. and referee tony carenty started getting cancer treatments in october, but continues to work play-off games. now he'll soon undergo radiation treatment and is unsure of his future as an

official but he said the nfl has been a supportive family through it all. >> our best. thank you. you can see the ravens take on the texans, here on wjz 13. the game starts at 1:00, sunday afternoon. then make sure to stay tuned for the season's post game show director. mark viviano and stan and i will bring you highlights and reaction of the play-offs game with the texans. still ahead on eyewitness news. >> reporter: murder. a wild police chase. and now, a terrifying neighborhood. how did these things come together to charge a 16-year- old as a killer? i'm weijia jiang in bel air with the answer ,,

♪ [ male announcer ] combine a pnc cashbuilder visa credit card with a pnc performance select checking account and get up to 1.75% cash back for just about every purchase.

learn more and apply today at pnc.com/cashbuilder.

coming up on wjz eyewitness news. gruesome crime. a man killed in his harford county home. i'm derek valcourt. some say it's possible this year. i'm jessica kartalija. coming up here on wjz. they have absolutely everything you could ever want, ravens. and tips on how to throw the perfect tailgate. this is your headquarters. i'll have the story straight ahead. more changes coming through our weather. 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.

harford county homicide. a teen charged with killing his own father. >> tonight, where police found the body and a possible motive. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. and i'm denise koch. here's what people are talking about tonight. a teenager charged with killing his father and dumping the body in a pond. wjz spent the day speaking with some neighbors in bel air. weijia jiang has more on the crime and reaction to it. >> these charging documents paint a gruesome picture of what happened. and neighbors say the trouble between father and son had been brewing for years. but they didn't think the head would be so deadly. >> reporter: 16-year-old robert richardson iii, faces murder charges as an adult,a ever