terrifying moment. the intruder wears a black ski mask. police say the man you see in blue only identified as an adult from baltimore, threw a punch at a 16-year-old junior, a member of the football team. when the student strikes back. the adult drops to the ground, unconscious. >> he just knocked him out. >> reporter: the video posted on the website has gone viral. many are stunned it happened in front of the school's main doors. it is a frightening situation for the students. and it's obviously not something we face every day. but the staff appeared to have handled it quickly. and -- to the best of their ability. >> reporter: you can see staff numbers getting involved when a 15-year-old freshman school at -- freshman at the school has a violent reaction to the fight. police say she and the football player had argued repeatedly. and the man who showed up at school was acting on her behalf. >> he was actually a friend of the family of a student there

at the school. he had gone there to fight another student. >> kind of makes you nervous, you know, that anybody could walk on school grounds and approach a student like that. >> reporter: though parents like eric bell are alarmed. adult involvement in similar situations is becoming more prevalent. >> help me, mom. >> no, get up and fight now. >> reporter: last may, a lansdowne mother encouraged her son to fight a bully. >> let go of her. >> reporter: here, the harford county father jumps into a brawl, cheering his daughter on. in all three cases, video of the beating quickly spread online. >> reporter: now, police have charged that 15-year-old girl in the video as a juvenile with assault. they'll also charge the adult with assault. but as for that student who knocked him out, they say he won't be disciplined because he was acting in self-defense. reporting live, weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news. >> weijia, thank you. the school sent letters to patients to-- parents to notify them of this incident.

counselors are on hand for those who may be upset. we now know the cause of death for singer whitney houston. >> the coroner's office ruled houston died from drowning in a bathtub at a hotel, but heart disease and cocaine were found to contribute to the death. houston was found just days before the grammy awards. several bottles of the prescription medication were found in the hotel room, but not in excessive quantities. police say there is no evidence of wrongdoing in connection with her death. >> reporter: test results indicate that houston was a chronic cocaine user. wjz following a developing story now. a rally under way in florida for trayvon martin. he's the 17-year-old killed walking home with snacks. a neighborhood watch volunteer is accused of shooting him. but george zimmerman has not been charged. a large rally has been planned to demand that he be arrested. much more on the controversial deaths, coming up all new at

6:30. a stunning abuse and twist surrounding anne arundel county executive john leopold. the police chief will not testify about what he knows about the spying allegations. wjz continues to investigate. mike hellgren explains why james terrace is not testifying. the county council plans to resubpoena the chief. and if he continues to refuse to come here to talk to them, they're going to ask their lawyer about what steps that i can take next. >> reporter: the anne arundel county council called a brief emergency meeting. after police chief james tier refused to testify before him. members unanimously testified under oath about allegations his boss, county executive john leopold, directed police to illegally access a state criminal records database, to dig up dirt on political enemies. councilmember derek fink. >> maybe he didn't know anything about it. but the fact that he's not willing to come talk to us.

>> he claims that it could hinder the investigation. >> i think it's all just rolled up and snowballed into one big black eye for the county. and hopefully within a couple of weeks, we'll be able to let the council know he is stepping up. >> the council has no power to get rid of him. >> reporter: chief tier also wrote this letter to the head of state police, asking that agency to investigate whether any of his officers violated the law by accessing records on leopold's behalf. state police declined to do so. two police unions already voted no confidence in the chief, saying he turned a blind eye to leopold's alleged wrongdoing. one asked governor o'malley to take action. the governor's office told wjz he is not getting involved. there is an ongoing investigation, a spokesperson says, and we prefer to let that run its course. >> reporter: leopold maintains that he and the chief have both

run down. mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. the aclu is calling the police chief's refusal to testify, inexcusable. the head of a college system in maryland is mysteriously placed on leave and no reason is given. now, one month later, susan aldron says she is stepping down. but there is still no explanation as to why. >> reporter: welcome to the university of maryland, university college. >> reporter: considered a national leader in online higher education, susan aldridge has been president at umuc since 2006. now, one month after the school reveals she was placed on leave, university of maryland system chancellor, william kerwin refuses to answer questions about the abrupt change at the top and will only confirm that aldridge is stepping down. >> reporter: she felt that it was in her best interest and the intest -- best interest of the university to pass the

baton to someone else. >> reporter: but in a statement released thursday, aldridge says, given all that we've accomplished over the past six years, i think this is a good time to step down. umuc has flourished academically, and its students have benefited. >> reporter: but the mystery surrounding her sudden departure grows. board members refuse to comment. the chancellor will only say he respects her decision. >> had she not decided to step down, do you think the university would have asked her to resign? >> not going to get into any personnel questions. >> i'm proud to have you on this campus. >> reporter: umuc claims to be the world's fastest-growing virtual campus. >> we are now, today, the largest state university in the united states, with 94,000 students. >> reporter: open records show aldridge made about $300,000 a year. >> reporter: umuc has named javier miatis as its interim president. he has been serving as the

senior viementd for exactly one month today. a wild brawl, several stabbings. five people are in custody for the chaos that erupted in a normally quiet baltimore community. mike schuh with more on the suspects in custody and a possible motive. mike? >> reporter: well, vic, it was a chaotic scene, after the stabbing. speeding cars. a passenger nearly bleeding to death. and shots fired. and today, police made arrests. >> take a look at ronald williams' neck. see the stitches. that wound nearly killed him. police say he's one of five men who entered this house in owings mills on tuesday. got into a fight and was stabbed. >> police have recovered a weapon. but it's not a knife. they say it's one-half of a pair of kitchen shears like these. >> one of the suspects in the home. and the suspect who was ultimately stabbed in the incident, are old childhood friends. they have known each other a very long time. there was a disagreement between them. leading up to the stabbing. >> he's bleeding so badly, he

almost died. a friend drives him almost five miles to the hospital. police keep them detained and this 18-year-old is detained for questioning. in addition to williams, ryan johnson, christopher ramge, maresferguson and jackson are, as of today, charged with attempted murder ask assault. off camera today, scared neighbors are glad to hear this. >> there was a dispute between these two individuals in particular. had and that is why this occurred this. is not a randol attack. >> reporter: -- random attack. >> reporter: the crown vic has a bullet hole in one of its panels. two people inside the house had minor stab wounds. no one inside the house has been charged in connection with this incident. police say they have been told money might have been what started the trouble. >> well, five of the men are currently in the county detention center. one of the men, jeffrey jackson, was also arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. reporting live in towson, mike

schuh, back to you on tv hill. >> police are still investigating the shooting. and no arrests have been made in that part of the case. another foggy start to the day in the baltimore region. visibility, very limited for drivers during the morning commute. causing a number of fender benders. morning workouts, just as gloomy for people walking in druid hill park. several school systems opened late because of the dense fog. a live look outside now. that fog has somewhat burned off, revealing a sunny and warmer march evening. bob turk is in the first warning weather center with the updated numbers. >> still a little moisture out there. and pollen as well. that's why we don't have a clear, clear shot. take a look at temperatures around the region. yes, it was a warm afternoon. but electric at the -- look at the cloud cover this afternoon. very interesting shot. watch this. how it disappears. gone. now, the temperatures have really shot up over many areas. 82 now in cumberland. at this time of the evening. 77, easton. we're at 71. d.c., and hagerstown at 76.

tomorrow looks like even warmer temperatures. but look at these readings now. this is current. 82 in boston. bangor, maine at 80 degrees. burlington, vermont. 77. buffalo, 78. pittsburgh, 80. that's how warm we expect to get here tomorrow. so extremely warm temperatures expected, at least tomorrow before things begin to cool things down. and a good chance we'll get some rain finally here. but just in time for the weekend. vic? >> okay, bob. thank you. a tax hike is coming to maryland. but the maryland house and senate are split on the size of that hike. as political reporter pat warren explains, both chambers agree with the governor that marylanders should pay more. while the house of delegates debates the budget inside the state house, police break up a tax protest outside. taxpayers protest, blowing their horns outside the state house this afternoon, to let lawmakers know how they feel

about this came at a cost. capital police reigned in the parade. ticketing at least one driver. >> sorry. i'm giving you citation for illegal use of a horn while on a highway. >> reporter: the $60 fine only added insult to a perceived injury. >> it's becoming inaffordable. >> that's the view that brought carl to the protest today. >> i think they're outrageous. i mean, he's -- the governor hikes taxes every year he's been in office. and i don't understand how he thinks he can just keep taxing us and we're just going to keep taking it. >> tax and tax and tax and tax. when does it stop? >> reporter: while the senate wants to raise $473 million in income tax increases, the house version raises $200 million. >> under the house plan, 87% of the people in this state will pay no more, not a dime more, in income tax, than they would

if we did nothing. >> other differences are how the teacher pensions will be transferred. and while the senate version taxes internet sales, the house version does not. >> the house work on the budget is expected to wrap up by the end of the week. reporting from annapolis, i'm pat warren. back to you on tv hill. >> the state is also considering a bill to add a 6% sales tax to the price of gasoline. as summer quickly approaches, maryland's most popular beaches is adding several free events. ocean city will offer new deals for the public every night of the week. including fireworks shows every tuesday night. beach goers, or beach concerts throughout the week as well. and a laser light show every friday. the dew tour will also return to the beach in july. very cool. >> another reason to head on down the ocean. >> down the ocean. still to come tonight on wjz eyewitness news. >> breakthrough stem cell technology for dogs. i'm mary bubala. coming up, does it really work? meet an annapolis dog owner who is convinced it does.

i'm alex demetrick. coming up, a supreme court decision could help open the prison doors for a convicted child rapist in maryland. that story as eyewitness news continues. deadly confrontation. a standoff in france ends with gunfire. how a french terror suspect was killed. and each warmer -- even warmer temperatures are here. stick around for the updated first warning weather forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

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his victims thought he was locked up life. but a decision by the court may have set him free. john meresbacher was convicted in 1995 for child rape. but his appeal has been strengthened by the high court's decision yesterday. >> reporter: john merzbawger last walked free when he was sentenced to tower terms in 1995, for repeatedly raping elizabeth murphy. >> i'm just grateful for this verdict. he's off the street. >> reporter: 17 years later,

murphy was worried, that is about to change. >> what we're on the verge of right now is just the grave of a legal injustice. >> reporter: it centers that christina gutierrez did not tell him of a potential plea deal of 10 years in prison if he pled guilty. >> he's already been in prison for well over 10 years. that would mean in effect, he would be released in prison. >> it could happen. now defendants must be made aware of any plea deals. but then merz balker would have to change his plea to guilty. >> i didn't do any of these things. and all i wanted is a fair trial to clear my name. >> i would like to hear john meresbacher say that he raped, brutally raped, continually raped, 10, 11, and 12-year- olds. >> reporter: murphy's online petition to keep him in prison has over 10,000 names. >> a lot of folks. >> reporter: including cardinal edwin o'brien who wrote that the abuse has had an enormous impact on these people, first as children, then as adults.

i fear that the request to be freed from custody will cause further harm to those who have already greatly suffered. >> i'm tired of being tortured by him. and i do not want to see this happen to another child. >> alex demetrick, eyewitness news. >> john meresbacher is now 70 years old. his appeal will be heard next month. tense moments as a gas pump began leaking and then blew up, setting a woman's car on fire at the intersection of west belvedere. luckily, the woman was inside the station when it happened and no one was hurt. investigators are searching for the cause. one of the last search-and- rescue dogs lives here in maryland. but this dog's life and story continues to amaze people. >> reporter: vic, she was suffering from a painful condition, until her owner took action through breakthrough technology. >> reporter: red is a search- and-rescue dog from annapolis but has traveled across the country. her missions include hurricane katrina, the la plata

tornadoes, the pentagon, after 9/11. >> it's like finding 70% of the human remains. so that helped a whole lot of those families actually get closure. >> reporter: 9/11 was red's first search. today, she's one of the last 9/11 search-and-rescue dogs still alive. she retired last summer, due to severe arthritis. >> it would be nice if her arthritis, she felt better, that she could do those kind of things that she misses. all right. i'm going to cry. >> reporter: heather did some research and found that there is an animal hospital in northern virginia that does breakthrough stem cell surgery for dogs. >> reporter: this is just one of a few across the country that use stem cell therapy. the vets harvest one to two ounces of the dog's fatty tissue, activates the stem cells and then reinjects them into the troubled area. >> i've done about 28 dogs. and of those dog, we've had about 75 to 80% that done very well. >> reporter: the vet's own dog has had stem cell treatment and

has done really well. >> hopefully in three to four months, she'll be playing around. wanting to play more. >> i have a lot of hope. >> the procedure takes about four hours. it is not painful for the dog. it costs about $1800. the technology was developed by a company called medi vet america. back to you. >> for more information on this, log onto our website, wjz.com. a little foggy out there today, huh? >> amazing stuff. >> foggy this morning. warmed up very nicely. tomorrow, even warmer. feel more like the end of may tomorrow, if we get to those numbers. could break a record. take a look right now. we're still at 71. very comfortable. the dew point is still high. and the humidity is still up there, 70%. east/northeast winds at 9. barometer holding steady. come back and take a look at friday and the weekend changes after this. ,,,,,,,,

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that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 jetta for $159 a month. here's a live look outside now. sky eye chopper 13. >> coming in for a full landing. nice, clean shot. beautiful afternoon. temperatures did zoom back into the 70s. take a look at temps now. very pleasant afternoon. very pleasant evening. 77, easton. the warm spot this afternoon, cumberland at 82.

they did get to at least 83. 66, ocean city. and even oakland. up in the mountains at 73 degrees. that's pretty amazing. dew point still pretty high. at 60 now. tonight, as temperatures get back down in the mid- to upper 50s, the dew point and the temperature will come together and will probably see more fog. maybe not quite as heavy as we saw this morning. but we'll still see some patchy cloud. heaviest once again on the eastern shore. because of all of the water bodies. 67 by the bay. and a little warmer out to the west. westminster at 73. temperature will be even warmer tomorrow. because we do expect a bit of a shift in the wind. to the west of us, as you saw, temperatures, 80 degrees now in pittsburgh. that warm air should be in our region tomorrow. winds pretty light now. and because of the light winds, that's when you do get some fog forming. 76/55 today. 56 is the average high. 35, exactly 20 degrees above normal again today.

the record, 1907. 86. and in 1885, not too bad there at 19 degrees. above zero. low pressure still in the middle of the country. snow in the northern areas. rockies and the cascades out there. that's where it's been cold. this low pressure, spinning, spinning, spinning. bringing up all of this gulf moisture. eventually, some of that will be in our region. as a front from the north. that's going to come down across new england. they're going to come across the mid-atlantic region. a good chance we'll break this dry spell we've had with about one and two thirds inches below rainfall. looks like we'll probably see a good amount of rain here, i think on saturday. thundershower activity with that front. and as the next area of precipitation moves in, just steady rain and cooler temperatures here on sunday. east winds on the bay, at 5 to 10. bay temp, armed 54 degrees. so tonight, clear to partly cloudy, with patchy fog overnight. but a low of 54. still very mild.

upper 70s. if it get the to 82, that will tie the record. it's possible with the extra sun, with not much fog in the morning, we could easily get to 83, which would break the record. then clouds tomorrow night. showers likely over the weekend. >> okay. >> thank you, bob. still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. finally, a cure for baldness. the potential breakthrough that could impact millions of people. i'm andrea fujii. in harford county. where animal control says these homeowners were hoarding dogs and cats. what they say they found inside, just ahead on wjz eyewitness news. justice for trayvon. new fallout for an unarmed teen. what the local police ,,,,,,,,,,

it is just before 6:30. 71 degrees and mostly sunny. good evening, everyone. thanks for staying with wjz. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. rapidly unfolding developments

in the death of a florida teenager. you're looking live now as a rally is under way, where hundreds are demanding justice for tray von martin. the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed him is still not charged. wjz has more from sanford with the latest. >> reporter: evelyn freeman drove four hours to attend a rally in sanford, florida, for trayvon martin. >> i was just compelled that i had to be here as a parent, to just represent and get justice for this young man. >> reporter: demonstrators are gathered in a park near the community where neighborhood watch captain george zimmerman shot martin dead. the unarmed 17-year-old was walking near his father's house last month, when zimmerman saw him and called police. >> are you following us? >> yeah. >> okay. we don't need you to do that. >> reporter: zimmerman, who has not been charged, says he shot in self-defense when martin attacked him. the case sparked outrage nationwide. martin's parents and the reverend al sharpton, met with

federal officials launched a civil rights investigation. >> we want an arrest, a conviction, and sentenced for the murder of my son. >> reporter: demonstrators want zimmerman to be charged. and the local authorities who handled the case are under intense scrutiny. >> reporter: the sanford city council passed a no confidence motion against the police chief over the shooting. they'll leave the defense handling the case. but says he is temporarily stepping down. >> i'm also aware that my role as the leader of this agency has become a distraction from the investigation. >> reporter: zimmerman could still be charged. florida prosecutors will convene a grand jury next month to decide. in sanford, florida, danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> reporter: florida's stand your ground law has been in effect since 2005. 20 other states have similar laws. more breaking news to tell you about now. the army staff sergeant, accused of killing 17 innocent

afghan civilians, will be charged with 17 counts of murder. he's accused of going door to door in a village and killing men, women and nine children. his lawyer says bales is suffering from ptsd and does not remember the violence. a deadly end to the day- long standoff, involving a suspected serial killer in france. mary is live in the newsroom with more on the suspect's violent end. >> well, jessica, after more than 30 hours, police stormed the apartment of the man suspected of a string of deadly shootings. the siege ended with gunfire and explosions at the apartment of suspected killer mohammed merra. the 23-year-old was hiding in the bathroom when police stormed his home. prosecutors say he had several guns and opened fire on police. officers shot back, hitting him in the head, as he threw himself out of the window. he is suspected in three separate attacks near the city of toulouse within the past three days, resulting in seven

deaths, including three children. jessica? >> thank you. detectives say merra filmed those killings. another case of animal hoarding. this time in harford county. wjz is live. andrea fujii explains. that's not all animal control officers found inside. andrea? >> awtlez, animal control found nearly 30 cats and dogs at the home, including two that were dead. [ barking ] >> reporter: this is one of nine beagles still at the bel air home on lockery road, where animal control seized 17 other animals last friday. the harford county humane society now has the 16 cats. and this beagle who they say were living in poor conditions. >> reporter: there was probably smells. and there was feces. there's probably some disease that was going on in the residence as well. >> they say the rescued animals were living alongside a dead dog and cat inside the home. but are in relatively good

health, rescued just in time. >> must not have been really good if there was two deceased animals. >> reporter: homes in this neighborhood are few and far between. but the humane society says it was neighbor complaints that sparked this investigation. >> they say these dogs were left because they have enough food, water, and shelter. but as the case is under investigation, it is possible they could be taken, too. >> i think that people do this certainly not intending to be a hoarder, but to help the animals. >> reporter: the humane society says this is not the first time they've taken in the homeowners' animals. last summer, she was fined for having too many, but paid the penalties and received them back. >> reporter: now, harford county requires any resident to have five or more animals to get a kennel license. and the humane society says this homeowner doesn't have one. reporting live, andrea fujii, wjz eyewitness news. >> andrea, thank you. once animal control completes its investigation, the seized animals will be put

up for adoption. a woman is rushed to shock trauma, after being hit by a bus. it happened this morning on the 600 block on light street downtown. the 26-year-old was hit by her bike. she was listed in serious condition. no word on the bus driver. another republican presidential candidate is making a stop in maryland. in tonight's 2012 report, word of the visit comes just after mitt romney held a forum in town hall county. newt gingrich will visit the state house in annapolis and speak with business owners tuesday. no word on visits by the other candidates, ron paul and rick santorum. meanwhile, president obama is in the heart of oil country, on the road, defending his energy policies. but as tara mergener reports from the white house, his critics aren't sold. >> reporter: speaking in cushing, oklahoma, the pipeline crossroads of the world, president obama ordered the government to fast track an oil pipeline to the gulf coast.

>> there's a bortlez neck right here because we can't get enough of the oil to our refineries fast enough. >> reporter: the cushing 2 texas pipeline is the third leg of a larger keystone excel project, designed to run from canada. >> this whole issue of the keystone pipeline has obviously generated a lot of controversy and a lot of politics. >> reporter: earlier this year, the president rejected the northern portion. >> here he is, standing in cushing, oklahoma. he could put one foot on one side and say this part of the pipeline could go and put one foot on the are the side and say that part can't. >> reporter: some americans are already paying over $4 for a gallon of gas. republican white house hopefuls are telling americans that president obama is to blame. >> the president refuses to open up land for gas and oil exploration. particularly oil. >> the president says that this will not change the gas prices

overnight. >> the main reason why gas pump prices are so high now is people are worried over iran. >> reporter: at the white house, tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> and wjz 13 is always on. check in for complete coverage of campaign 2012. for updates on the results and any information on all the candidates, log onto wjz.com. time now for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in tomorrow morning's edition of the baltimore sun. more on the repairs to the dome of baltimore's basilica. a guide to a very big weekend in college lacrosse, including the johns hopkins virginia showdown. and reviews of this week's new movies, including the hunger games. for all of these stories and a whole lot more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team. baltimore's president's cup baseball tournament returns to the city. gigi barnett explains after the inaugural year is a success.

more high school teams are signing on to play. more than a dozen city high school baseball teams want this trophy on their mantle. it's the president's cup. the prize for winning the city wide baseball tournament that matches up private and public school players. today, the city unveiled plans to bring it back for a second year. >> reporter: last year, council president jack young brought the tournament to baltimore to unite public and private school players on the diamond. it worked. this year, some big names like o's hall-of-famer, chris foils and jackie robinson's daughter, sharon robinson, are teaming up to help. >> they have to develop this strength of character and make some really positive leaders in their community. >> they have no idea right now what is in store for them. i think it's going to -- just going to help the competition to try to get to that game. >> reporter: that's because the championship game will be played at orioles park next month. >> it's going to be the experience of a lifetime.

i mean, it's everybody's dream. >> reporter: this year, though, the tournament has a twist. the city wants to spruce up its fields before the game. so it launched a fundraiser, called "growing the game," and raised $83,000. until the orioles added more money to the pot, matching dollar for dollar. [ applause ] >> it's not just the field. it's also the equipment. so we gotta think more about the equipment and how we can best provide equipment. if you need a place to play. need a nice field. >> reporter: gigi barnett, wjz eyewitness news. >> 16 teams will play in the tournament. that's twice as many as last year. good to see those guys out there playing. >> i know. good for them. still to come on wjz eyewitness news. historic visit. mexico prepares to welcome pope benedict. this is mark viviano, with the orioles at spring training. where long-time star brian roberts has become a full-time mystery. we'll hear from him and his teammates about roberts' return, when eyewitness news continues.

i'm bob turk. the first warning weather center. a very warm end to the week. and then some rain this weekend. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. and wjz 13 is always on. here are the top stories at wjz.com at this hour. for updates on the day's news, and the updated forecast, log onto wjz.com. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

a local organization is offering big incentives for perspective home buyers. monique griego has more on the healthy event you don't want to miss. >> reporter: bel air edison in east baltimore, is one of many neighborhoods still trying to recover from the housing slump. >> our community has been hit with foreclosures. over the past three or four years. >> reporter: but jeanette rich orderson says things were about to turn around. baltimore recently won $26 million in stimulus money to help kick-start the sale of abandoned and foreclosed homes. >> we get them fixed up and back up on the market so we can sell these homes to homeowners. we're excited about that. >> reporter: richrichardson took us on a tour. inside, the changes are dramatic. every room has been renovated top to bottom, with energy- efficient appliances. >> they're move-in-able. they're turnkey as we like to say in the business.

>> reporter: they will powl put on a city wide open house to show around 700 homes. >> neighborhoods in the middle. these don't experience the most significant negative issues. so they're a good strength to build on. >> reporter: buyers can also receive $6,000 toward their closing costs. >> if the home hasn't been renovated like this one, buyers can even receive $25,000 to bring it back to life. >> reporter: barnes hopes showing what these houses can become will bring back buyers. >> the goal is to make strong neighborhoods. to continue to have the strong neighborhoods. that's what baltimore is known as. a city of strong and divergent and different neighborhoods. >> reporter: monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> the open house event will be held this saturday, from 10:00 to 12:00. a two-story warehouse collapses, trapping three construction workers in the rubble. firefighters found them buried alive by concrete, steel and bricks.

one is recovering and the other has a severe head injury. the demolition has a history of unsafe conditions. officials are investigating. they're getting ready to roll out the welcome mat in mexico for pope benedict xvi. monica via miczar reports for wjz. the pontiff arrives tomorrow for his first visit to latin america. >> reporter: workers are sweeping streets and putting on last-minute touches to welcome the pope. truckloads of army and police are also trickling in to protect pope benedict xvi. the country is in the middle of a drug crisis. the violence has killed nearly 50,000 people in the past six years. the pope says he is traveling to mexico to support his people. >> it's going to help bring us peace of mind. and we need that, especially with all of the violence that has been going on in mexico. >> reporter: the entire

historic district around the cathedral, will be closed off to traffic during the pope's visit. 3 million followers from around the world are coming here to see him. one of the pontiff's goal is to bring catholics back. mexico has one of the largest catholic populations in the world. but it's losing members to less- structured christian groups, including evangelicals. missionary peter mary says there is a disconnect between the catholic church and the problems mexicans face. >> do you think there is a disconnect? >> they seem to be reacting to the change. but you can't hold people down. you can't. and with traditions or you can't hold people down with doing what you tell them to do. >> reporter: pope benedict could have a tough sell to the people of mexico, since he refuses to stray from catholic conservative values and lacks the charisma of his predecessor.

monica villamissar, wjz eyewitness news. >> the pope's six-day trip also takes him to cuba monday. in tonight's healthwatch report, could a cure for baldness be on the horizon? researchers say they have found a biological clue to male pattern protein. they say a pro -- baldness. they say a protein is more there in men with baldness. so they may be able to find a way to block the protein from binding to a receptor on the hair follicle. >> i think some men look better without hair. >> thank you very much. [ laughter ] >> hair today, gone tomorrow. >> that's right. here's a look at tonight's closing numbers from wall street. be right being ba. back. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

bob has one more update on the forecast for us. >> tomorrow is going to be a very warm day. maybe getting up to near-record temperatures. record tomorrow is 82. at least upper 70s. may get to the low 80s. and clouds tomorrow night. a good chance of some scattered shower and thundershower activity on saturday. cooling down with a good chance of rain here on sunday. and drying out, 60. and 62.

38 on tuesday. jessica? >> all right. thanks, bob. sports is next mine was earned over the south pacific in 1943. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote.

mark is here with the wjz the fan sports report. it's fall weather. let's talk baseball, right? two weeks from tomorrow, the orioles will start a new season with the minnesota twins in town for opening day. tuning up for 2012. today, the o's played by far their best spring training game

to date. it was a resounding win against those same twins. sunny fort myers, florida. new oriole wilson bedamit shined at bat. he hasn't done much at spring but tuesday was his day. one of his three hits on the game. on the mound, another new oriole, lefty wiyin chen. he threw five innings. and is making a good place for his rotation. o's dominate on the mound and at the plate. they beat the twins, 11-1. progressing with battling headaches. this spring, he's been able to work out with the team more in sarasota. i spoke with some of his teammates who sympathize with roberts' struggle. the tough part is not knowing when he'll be able. >> with this, there is no time line as you said. and that's hard mentally, as

much as anything that they can't tell you that in six weeks you're going to be ready to go. >> to observe that, how does that kind of strike you? >> it's hard. because you have such a great player. it's been better because he's been able to be around the team. and just having him around. he's got a great personality. so hopefully he gets better and we can have him out there, hitting leadoff for us. >> it's a scary thing. it's something you don't want to miss around with, for one. it's just something you have to be very cautious with. and we're all hoping for the best with him. >> reporter: at this point, it's considered progress that roberts isine able to watch the games from the dugout. there are no set plans at this time for him to play in the spring training game. let's talk rivalries. one of the best going is a civic grudge between baltimore and pittsburgh. that played out when the two teams played out. tomorrow night, the rivalry enters the boxing ring. at the baltimore boxing club, the fighters are getting ready

for a night in an east coast championship card. feather stone will be taking a swing at steeltown. he's a boys latin grad. former wrestler and a u.s. marine who decided to take up boxing. and his talent quickly caught the attention of trainer jake smith. >> i have seen talent in this kid, right off the get-go. and it's something to come and see. i'm telling you, i think we have a world champion with this kid. >> i'm just going to go out there and do what i'm working on. >> reporter: baltimore versus pittsburgh in the boxing ring at michaels 8th avenue, glen burney. friday night fights. this reminder, college basketball march madness resumes in a few minutes. baltimore's e.j. city fair is the top rebounder. they'll take on wisconsin. it's a game you can follow here on wjz, followed by ohio state. again, cincinnati. should be some good games am we'll be here for them.

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it's oysternomics 101. you start with a u.s. senator named ben. by helping restore thousands of acres of oyster beds, he kept hundreds of oystermen on the job... which keeps wholesalers in business... and that means more delivery companies... making deliveries to more restaurants... which hire more workers. and that means more oystermen. it's like he's out here with us. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too.

that's it for us. we'll be back after basketball. >> for bob and mark, i'm vic carter.