a suspicious package. andrea fuji. >> reporter: starting at st. john's road all the way up to dean's end. the pharmacy, starbucks, they're all evacuated right now. there's a bottom squad. apparently, police say there was a suspicious package found there. they're not really telling us more than that right now. we're talking to people who have been evacuated from these businesses who say they were told there was an unattended backpack in the garage that's right below the bank. by 5:00 all the businesses were cordoned off and everybody was told to leave because of the potential threat of a bomb scare. we're told that there was no reported bomb threat per se but the bomb squad wanted to check it out just in case. right now people are just waiting to see what's going on out here.

another concern is parents who are told that their kids are not allowed to leave the school whereas all the businesses have been evacuated. parents are wondering why they can't pick the kids. since 3:30. they've been investigating a suspicious package. it was a backpack left in the garage below the bank. we'll keep you updated on thization out here. as andrea mentioned. we'll follow the story and bring you more information. two young boys are killed when a car explodes into flames. mike hellgren explains how it all unfolded. >> reporter: police have identified the 16-year-old driver. the pursuit lasted 2 miles down connecticut avenue. this picture shows the car

after it turned into a fire ball, trapping two teenagers inside. they both died. the stolen toyota crashed as police chased it this morning. the scene has now been cleared. and people are still shaken. >> i'm a burn nurse. it's a little bit too much. >> i'm 16. >> how horrible to be caught in a fire like that. >> the crash and death have raised questions about the police pursuit policy. citing the potential for danger, several police departments in the area have instituted no chase policies, including baltimore city and county. still, two pursuits earlier this year in baltimore county have ended in tragedy, including in january on dulaney valley road. place maintain they stuck to the policy. >> a high speed chase is always

a risky enterprise. it takes a lot of skill for officers to embark on one. it was a moot point in this case. this was a situation where the officer tried to pull someone over. he didn't comply. >> reporter: police have identified the front seat passenger. rico richardson from d.c. first responders worked to try to pull the teens to safety but the flames became too intense. an officer suffered shoulder injuries and burns. >> no charges have been filed in this case. outrage continues to grow over the shooting of trayvon martin. danielle nottingham reports with what the president has to say. >> reporter: schools around miami emptied out.

hundreds of students left class to protest the death of trayvon martin. at one school, kids spelled out his initials on the football field. joshua pascal was childhood friends with martin. >> i'm trying to hold it in but i want to pay my respects to trayvon martin. >> reporter: now the president is talking about the case for the first time. >> if i had a son, he'd look like trayvon. >> reporter: the 17-year-old was visiting his father and a neighborhood watch captain shot him dead. george zimmerman claimed self- defense and police let him go tree. >> reporter: i think all of us have to figure out how something like this happens. >> reporter: this is the street where zimmerman spotted martin and started following him.

the neighborhood watch captain told police he fired his gun after the teenager attacked him. a source close to the investigation tells police that zimmerman's face was bruised and bloody. but his parents say their son was not violent and only wanted to get away. >> of course, he's going to try to get away. >> reporter: next month a grand jury could decide if zimmerman should be charged. danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. sanford residents are proposing boycotting the police department by asking 911 dispatchers to send -- offer than the police. a 34-year-old kenneth mitchell was arrested after getting into an argument with his 26-year-old girlfriend and shooting her in the chest.

he's charged with attempted first-degree murder. saint joseph medical center will soon be under new leadership. mary is live in the newsroom. >> the university of maryland medical system has reached an exclusive agreement to purchase saint joseph. catholic health initiatives accepted the transfer today. they recently made head lines after a cardiologist with privileges at the hospital was accused of performing hundreds of unnecessary stent procedures. he was forced to resign but denies he did anything wrong. they look forward to working with the staff and physicians of saint joseph and moving forward to finalize the agreement. the transfer needs to be approved by federal, state, and church authorities. umms has committed to honor saint joseph's catholic identity and religious heritage. a federal appeals court is hearing arguments in the

controversy over local pregnancy centers. it involves abortions, birth control and the catholic church. >> reporter: the city and the catholic church say what matters most is what's right and wrong for women. they have different interpretations of what that means and continue to fight it out. >> this sign set off a national debate. should faith based pregnancy centers to post centers that say they do not offer abortions of birth control services. baltimore became the first city in the country to say yes. a judge called it unconstitutional. >> the fact that a city agency or government was going to tell you what you don't provide. >> the city was trying to overturn the ruling. they presented cases in the u.s. court of appeals. the church, confident it will

prevail again. other pregnancy centers like planned parenthood are citing with the city. women are misled or dissuaded to per sue their options. the city just required them to be honest and up front about what services a woman could expect. >> we met outside the church in canton which houses a pregnancy clinic. posting signs out front would be inappropriate. >> i know the lady who runs it. and they don't try to pressure you into not getting an abortion. >> as the argument continues, a three judge panel will make the final call. after baltimore city passed its ordinance. several others followed. including montgomery county. isolated showers were in

aappellate court, pushes their version of the rule. >> there's no deadline for the court to rule. it could be several months. the mayor and city councilmembers are elected in odd years. state senators hope that by aligning them with presidential elections, it will increase voter turnout. maryland lawmakers take a giant leap towards. the house approved the version of the state spending plan. >> the house of delegates passes a revenue package that includes an income tax hike, fee increases, and a tobacco tax hike. >> there is no good news and this budget for the citizens of maryland. there is only pain and protracted debt. >> critics say the general assembly has fallen into a habit of taxing and spending that not even a recession can

discourage it from following. >> you know what we're doing? we're kicking our citizens when they're down. >> reporter: the majority of democrats in the house took a different view, considering that the greatest burden would fall on the affluent, defined as marylanders who make $100,000 or more. there's a difference proposal for transferring teacher pensions. all of this is subject to change. >> i'm pat warren. april 2nd the constitutional deadline for budget approval. a summer like end to the workweek. the scene here as workers fix the cobblestone and sherwood gardens is a perfect day. the flowers are springing up early. it's been seasonably warm for

weeks now. is this going to continue? or are changes coming our way? >> i didn't think this weather would last as many weeks as it has. but it has. there are changes for the weekend. still upper 70s to low 80s around the region. we did get in the low 80s and officially didn't get to the record. we got to 81 and the record is 82. the temperatures are running from two to 9 degrees above what we saw yesterday. and yesterday, we were 20 degrees above northerly. we have an area of low pressure approaching us from the west torrent and tomorrow. and on sunday. and it will be cooler and a good chance of scattered showers and thundershowers. and just good old rain here on sunday. we're tell below normal for the north. talk about a cash grab.

an armored vehicle spills big bucks on a maryland highway. it happened on 270 in prince county. dozens of drivers pulled over and scooped up the money. what the company can do is bring it to me. it's probably getting dirty and i'll be happy to clean it up. it will be pristine but there'll be less of it. a man pulls a gun on a tv news crew. find out why and what happened. vandals target a maryland cemetery. how much repairs will cost. >> reporter: coming up, an act of god leaves cracks in a religious landmark. that story as wjz eyewitness news continues. how is the weekend shaping up. don't miss the weather

forecast. complete coverage continues with vick carter and warning with bob turk and meteorologist tim williams and sports ,,,,

more than 20 head step toes were damaged at a cemetery.

>> she played the piano and liked makeup and halloween parties. >> 80-year-old -- adored her grandmother. and now she's wondering how someone could vandalize a tombstone. >> it's a part of me they desecrated. >> reporter: the treasurer of the cemetery believes a number of vandals are responsible for the damage. pieces weighing as much as 800 pounds were moved. >> if i try i can move it an 8th of an inch. that's how heavy that particular piece is. >> they're terrible. >> reporter: damage to the giant cross was likely done before vandals hit the cemetery. >> it's fortunate that nobody was in the way of that when it was pushed over. if it landed on top of them. it would have killed them. >> some of the stones have rich

history, like the hyatt family. >> i hope that they find the individuals responsible. >> damage is estimated to cost $50,000 to repair. a bizarre internet prank results in damage to a hotel. a guest at the holiday inn express in aberdeen was convinced by a website to break off a hotel room sprinkler head. this caused flooding and damage to a number of rooms. new damage has surfaced in baltimore from last summer's east coast earthquake. some million dollars cracks have been found in the basilica of the assumption. >> from the outside, the basilica of the assumption is fine. but it's what is beneath the dome that's raised concern. >> these are some of the most significant cracks. >> cracks caused by last

august's 5.8 earthquake. >> very, very disappointed when we started to see the cracks. and then when they continued to expand, we knew we had something to deal with. >> they underwent a $40 million renovation seven years ago. that work kept it closed for more than a year. repairing the cracks means the return of scaffolding but not full-time closures. >> >> the basilica will be closed during the week for about eight months. >> it will be open for services. >> word of limited hours and months of repairs is starting to get out. the diocese gave warning to future brides whose weddings are scheduled for here. >> all but one has agreed to stick it out. it's a beautiful place to be married and a beautiful church. >> in a bit of divine providence, the diocese has

earthquake insurance. >> that's some of god's work. he didn't destroy it but he just put a crack there. besides having to work weddings around the scaffolding, they'll still host high school graduations. >> beautiful police. >> 5.8 last year. let's take a look at conditions. june like day out there right now. temperature at 79. east winds at and the humidity is very low compared to the last few days. down to 39%. the barometer is falling now. we had rain on the way for the weekend. we'll show you right after this. >> it's friday! ,,,,,

girl: i want to tell you about my friend. his name is ben. ben learned about a homeless boy who had an infected tooth, and the boy died. that made ben really sad. he wrote a law so every kid can see a dentist. we have special dental van that goes from school to school. he even helps make sure we learn how to brush our teeth. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too.

>> now complete forecast and the first warning of severe weather. >> there's a live look outside right now. what a beautiful day. very comfortable. >> each day that goes by is more remarkable. this month will probably turn to be the warmest march recorded in the region. today we missed the record by 1 degree. we got up to 81 and the record, 82. it's still very warm. we're at 79 here and 78 in washington. 80 in cumberland. ocean city is cooler by the

ocean, 65. by still way above average. upper 70s. 74 rock hall. still 80 at 6:00 in westminster. 81 and 53 today. the average high is 56. the average low, 36. so this coming week when we get the nighttime lows in the 30s, that's just normal. unfortunately, the slight chance tuesday morning of widely scattered frost. i know lots of trees are in bloom. some of the blossoms may fall off the tree. 82 the record in 1907. the record low, 1934, 16 degrees. last night the winds back up to the north. the air over new england moved in today. and now in new england, they're going to cool from a system that's tracking through the area. rain out to the west, moving in from the west later tonight and

during the day tomorrow. scattered showers and thundershower activity. the front to the north, combining moisture off the ocean. looks like we'll see a pretty good shot at rain activity and rain and cooler temperatures on sunday as the low crosses the region. still above average. east winds in the bay 5 to 10 knots. 54degrees. late tonight after midnight. maybe a shower or a thundershower. 57 for a low. and still low 70s for a while. maybe a shower or two and then that you are activities possible. and just plain old rain and cooler temperatures. not a great weekend but we need the rain. it's been a dry one. a harper county school is recognized as being one of the most influential and best in the state. what it takes to be a blue ribbon school. ♪ [ music ]

>> reporter: these students certainly had something to celebrate. >> it's actually something that i've been wanting to see. being a part of the school. >> reporter: the elementary school was named one of maryland's blue ribbon schools of 2012, thanks to excellence in academics. >> beyond what our parents know, now we have recognition that goes beyond the parents and the community and the school. >> reporter: it means performing in the top 10% in reading and math. only six of 1700 schools in the state received the award. >> it's the dedication of just the parents, the students, the staff. the kids love coming to school every day. >> reporter: the interim superintendent is traveling to all the winning schools and he

thanked the group. >> teachers, hardest job in america. >> it feels good to know we're finally rewarded for what we do. everybody wants to be blue ribbon. >> reporter: these parents recognize that a blue ribbon award can go a long way in teaching their kids what they can achieve. >> you can be successful if you have hard work. and the teachers have instill thad in our kids. the school was awarded $6000 in new equipment and the students are getting a huge pizza party. >> wow. we got to find out when that is. still to come on wjz eyewitness news. >> if you live near towson, soon you're going to hear this. it's the homecoming for a 97- year-old bell. i'll tell you where when wjz eyewitness news continues. healthy kids. it's the state's newest

campaign that targets the youngest dental patients. that story is next. village massacre. the u.s. soldier accused of slaughtering innocent afghan civilians is officially charged. could he face the death penalty? ,,,,,,,,

turn left. the passat is one of nine volkswagen models named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. not that we'd ever brag about it. turn right. come on, nine. turn left. hit the brakes. huh? how'd that get there? [ male announcer ] we can't hide how proud we are to have nine top safety picks like the passat and jetta. so we're celebrating with our "safety in numbers" event. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 jetta for $159 a month.

this is wj tv, wjz hd, and wjz.com. from the city to the counties to your neighborhood. now it's complete coverage. it's wjz, maryland's news station. it is just before 6:30. mostly sunny and 79 degrees. thanks for staying with wjz. here are the stories we're talking about. 17 counts of murder. the u.s. army staff sergeant accused of the horrific massacre in afghanistan is charged. tara mergener reports with the latest. >> reporter: murder charges were read to army staff sergeant robert bales at the military prison in fort leavenworth, kansas. the 38-year-old soldier is accused of shooting 17

civilians. >> my first reaction is prove it. >> reporter: the defense attorney believes the government will have a tough time winning the case. >> there's no crime scene, there's no csi stuff, no dna, no fingerprints. >> reporter: brown is promising to make his client's mental state an issue during trial. he was involved in four combat tours and suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. leon panetta has said ha the combat veteran could face the death penalty. the u.s. military has not executed a service member since 1961. afghan officials have asked for a role in the criminal proceedings, but it's unclear what that would be. many kandahar residents say bales should have never been

taken out of afghanistan. this man is demanding the death penalty. he should be hanged according to islamic law. in washington, tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. afghan president hamid karzai does not want bales tried in afghanistan. but afghanistan officials want to be a part of the trial. french investigators are digging into the background of a man who was killed in a shootout with police. >> so far, police say there's no evidence that the gunman had ties to al-qaeda or was ordered to carry out the attacks by a terrorist group. mohammed merah died in a shootout with police after a 30 hour standoff. he's responsible for three separate attacks, including seven deaths. he was being monitored by anti- terrorism officials for some

time. jessica, bag to you. merah had been on a no fly list since 2010. new details on the death of whitney houston. she accidentally drowned with a number of drugs in her system. we have more on the report. ♪ i look to you. >> reporter: the los angeles county coroner's office confirms that drugs did play a role in whitney houston's death. >> cocaine use indicated an acute use. and it appeared that the cocaine had been used in the time period just immediately prior to her collapse in the bathtub at the hotel. >> her body was discovered in the bathtub of her beverly hills hotel room last month, the day before the grammy awards. she was alive when she first went under water but drowned

because of heart problems and chronic drug use. >> had she not had the heart problems and drug use, she may not have drowned. marijuana and other prescription drugs were also found in her system but not enough to kill her. a spokesperson says they are saddened to hear the results but glad to have closure. officials say it will be a couple of weeks before the exact amount of cocaine in her system is released. the all clear has just been given following a suspicious package incident in north baltimore. several businesses were evacuated. wjz has just learned it was an unattended backpack and not dangerous. the roads and businesses are now reopening.

washington, d.c.'s metro system creates an e-mail address and website for riders to report sexual harassment. although the system does not indicate sexual harassment is a big problems the working to address the issue. metro transit police will include complaints in its crime report. maryland gets top marks when it comes to dental health for youngsters, but many are not getting the care they need. dentists are launching a campaign targeting toddlers. >> this may be one of the most important medical examines for small children. maryland is the national leader in early dental visits. many parents are not on board when it comes to teaching toddlers how to take care of their teeth. >> the mouth is the gateway to the body. we're doing a lot of backtracking to educate parents. >> reporter: the quest began

five years ago. shortly after the death of -- an untreated dental condition caused brain infection. now the newest campaign is called healthy teeth, healthy kids. >> a lot of parents have no idea about the relationship between the teeth and the rest of the body. so what this campaign will do is give them in simple language the importance of brushing your teeth. >> reporter: her 4-year-old goes to the dentist often. after a recent exam, dentists found four cavities. she says missing appointments is easy to do. >> you never miss a doctor's appointment. you do to the emergency room. with teeth, it's like they'll get another chance. >> tooth decay is the most common childhood disease and it's completely preventable. >> you need to bring a child in by age one.

if you wait, it's too late. >> wjz eyewitness news. for healthy teeth, it targets children from birth to 6 years old. time for a look at the stories in tomorrow's baltimore sun. the $60 million in funds to help struggling homeowners will be spent on mortgage relief, not on budget holes. recalling the parkway theater closed for 30 years and now up for sale by the city. a 5'2" carver high grad has become a star with the harlem globetrotters. read tomorrow's baltimore sun and look for the updated forecast from the first warning weather team. >> a sound that hasn't been heard regularly in 20 years. a last of a kind local company is putting a shine on a one of a kind treasure. >> keep climbing past the four sided clock and avoid what the

pigeons left behind. up through the traffic door. 80feet up you've arrived. towson and the university. >> seems like something is missing? >> this 1200-pound bell that used to belong here. >> reporter: the bell is gone. [bell] >> it's here in glenn bernie. >> come north. it's in bill parker's hands. actually, it's a homecoming. >> this bell was made in 1915. we've been in business since 1856. 97 years ago, his company made the bell. >> they're still here. the bell finally comes home to be done again. >> the bell looked rough. it was unusable. when they looked into a total

rehab. imagine the surprise. baltimore's mcshane foundry was still in business. >> that was incredible. we would never have thought that. >> a clock in the bell tower used to tell the bell when to ring. now they're putting in an electric clapper and they can ring it any time they want. >> the sound, a pure g note. and the look -- you'll be able to see for yourself as new bells are being installed. >> with the lights, they'll be able to see the beautiful brass glow. >> absolutely. >> we all may be long gone before this bell tolls for the last time. wjz eyewitness news. the bell was to have been installed tomorrow. but the possibility of the thunderstorms has delayed the return for a few more weeks. >> such a neat sound. >> the company that made it is still around. >> i've sure they've seen a lot

of cool big bells. still to come on wjz eyewitness news. >> reporter: this is maryland's first ice cream truck for dogs. the delicious details coming up on wjz eyewitness news. >> >> caught on tape, a disturbing case of road rage. see what happens. needed rain for the weekend. and yes, it will be cooling down. i'll have the exclusive forecast. wjz.com is always on. here are the top stories at this hour. log on to wjz.com. ,,,,,,,

a television news crew comes face to face with the barrel of a gun while on a story. they were investigating the suspicious death of an elderly man. a man pulled out a gun. he has been identified as a friend of wasn't the suspects in the elderly man's death. >> a case of road rage is

caught on camera in california. a pedestrian is seen reaching into the van and trying to hit the driver. moments later, the driver is running down the pedestrian and pinning her against a wall. she is expected to be okay and the driver of the van has been arrested. attempted thieves come up with a way to steal gasoline and it's caught on tape. a bread delivery truck pulls up. and one man lifts the lid off an underground tank. the owner has had $8000 worth of gas stolen from him. what might have appeared to be a terrorist attack was a planned exercise. similar drills took place at bases all over the country yesterday. the navy is reviewing how it responded to the drills to see

what went right and what could still be improved. and here's a look at tonight's closing numbers from wall street. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,, ,,,,

what a great way to end a fantastic week. a live look outside. are we going to bypass spring and head directly to summer? feels like it today. bob-- >> mother nature does have a way of evening things out. i think it's going to get cooler the next couple of weeks. take a look at temperatures. shower activity into the morning. and could see decent rain in some areas. a good chance of rain on sunday. down to 48 on sunday night. and drying out monday. 65 and in the 30s at night. tuesday as well. and a 58-degree high which is just about normal for tuesday. 65 again with mostly sunny skies. it is a great day to enjoy some ice cream but not just for you. for your dog. yes, you heard me right.

your dog. we have more on maryland's first ice cream truck for our four legged friends. [barking] >> reporter: it's maryland's first ice cream truck for dogs. the tiki's play house owner came up with the idea. >> i read an article about the first doggy truck in the u.k. a bell went off in the back of my head. >> jane loves it and so do all her friends. ice cream and cold water, dog treats and more. >> we have all holistic treats and ice cream. so it's good stuff. >> you'll be seeing the truck at pet events all over the baltimore area this summer. >> we're setting up with dog group that is meet in dog parts. they've asked us to servitis

cream to their numbers. >> we have human ice creams for humans and our dogs are our human friends. like i like to say, humans in little fur coats. they're our family members and we get spoiled with ice cream. why not spoil your dog? >> the doggy ice cream drug will be making appearances at a number of upcoming pet events, including the easter eggstravaganza. >> do dogs get brain freeze like the rest of us? >> probably. still to come on wjz eyewitness news, the ravens go on a free agent shopping spree. a number of new signings ,,,,

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.

mark is here with the sports report. lots of action as usual. >> with the ravens. there's no off season for football. and the general manager declared it a good day for the ravens. four free agents were signed

and that's welcome news after the ravens previously lost five players who decided to sign with other teams. the big news is that mcclain stays in baltimore. he signed a three year deal after he visited with a number of other teams. he started every game and is considered a key on the defense playing alongside ray lewis. the ravens followed up on the promise to address special teams. he stays for a three year contract. kick and punt coverage not good. they give up three returns for touchtowns. that i signed corey graham. he signs a two year contract. peeves a big part of the chicago special teams unit that's been one of the best in

nfl. >> i knew there was opportunities there. if you show what you can do in baltimore, they'll galveston give you a place to play. >> we need to cover kicks. we have good specialists. that core group needs to be more dominant. and these are the types of guys to help us do that. sean council died was also added. he played seven seasons in the nfl and signs a one year deal. baltimore will be his 5th team. in baseball, counting county to orioles opening day. it's two weeks away. they'll play a friday. plays host to the boston red sox who used mostly backup players today. adam jones continues to make a case that he should be the

cleanup hitter. jones displays hour. and pitching is the greater focus. and new oriole jason hammel had a rough outing. he allowed two earned runs. he called it a photographing day. but the birds beat boston. johns hopkins blue jays play virginia tomorrow. both teams unbeaten and the clash with the cavaliers has the j's fires up. >> you watch growing up and this is the reason you come here and this is what you want to do. and i'd say that i'm living my dream right now and couldn't be more happy with where we're at.

>> hopkins at virginia at noon. towson is at home against delaware. and we have basketball comi,,,,,