video. the man who has been charged in this case, danel vanison, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted. >> police say this video that went viral online is key to identifying and charging 40- year-old donnell vanison with second-degree assault. he's the man wearing a ski mask and attacking a 16-year-old student on the long reach high school campus in columbia. the student ends up knocking him to the ground. fellow students here are glad cops salve solved the-- cops solved the case. >> it's crazy. he should not be on school grounds, especially wearing a ski mask. that's scary. >> reporter: police say he came because a connection to a 15- year-old girl also seen on the video, for attacking that victim. police say she then charged as a juvenile with assault. >> we think that this was a really isolated incident. we know that fights happen at schools everywhere. but this was really unique because an adult came from off the campus and assaulted a student. >> reporter: authorities listed

two addresses for vanison, one near the school and another in west baltimore, where a next- door neighbor says that is out of his character. >> you know, he seemed to be real nice to me. >> reporter: but a search of court records revealed vanison has a long criminal record, including charges for theft, drugs and resisting arrest. he's been ordered to stay off the long beach campus, where this video made him infamous worldwide. >> reporter: and vanison has been released on bail. his next court appearance is in june. reporting live in howard county, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> we'll have new reaction to this story coming up at 6:00. new reports surface about the night trayvon martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch captain in florida. randall pinkston reports for wjz. details of the police investigation is being leaked as the case sparks new protest negligence our nation's capital. >> reporter: hundreds of people rallied in front of the department of justice in washington.

demanding justice for trayvon martin. >> reporter: sanford's new acting police chief says the investigation of trayvon's death death is now in the hands of florida state authority. >> we're waiting on the outcome of those investigations, whatever they may be. >> reporter: the sanford police department is under criticism again, after the police report from the night of the shooting was leaked. george shrimper --ivismerman said he exchanged words with officers who then alleged -- martin, who allegedly punched him. >> we are looking for the the so-called leak if you will. >> reporter: a neighbor called 911. [ gunshots ] >> reporter: sanford police say the report is consistent with the evidence collected. but the martin family believes the leak is an attempt to smear their son's name. >> trayvon's parents attended a

rally in washington. >> as i said before, trayvon is our son. >> reporter: sabrina fultdon and tracy martin say they want justice for their son. demonstrators nationwide are asking for the same, at least two million people have signed a petition, demanding an arrest. in sanford, florida, randall pinkston, wjz eyewitness news. >> reporter: federal and state authorities are investigating the case. they say the review will take time and they are asking for everyone's patience. >> reporter: the president of maryland's largest public university resigns without explanation. now, a u.s. senator is asking questions. vic is in the newsroom with the update. chairman of the u.s. senate education committee wants usc to hand over internal documents. senator harkin is asking for records relating to umuc's enrollment and workplace practices. he is concerned about accusations that aldridge forced out dozens of staffers

and paid them for their silence. leaders of the university of maryland system also refused to discuss the eldridge case. >> umuc enrolls more than 90,000 students. most of them through online classes. republican presidential candidate newt gingrich brings his campaign to maryland. he ends on the eastern shore in salisbury. wjz is live with tonight's campaign 2012 report. political reporter pat warren has more on the former speaker's visit. pat? >> well, that's right. as you know, the newt gingrich campaign comes on the heels of the mitt romney campaign last week. >> the former campaign speaker's swing through maryland brings him to the state house, where he takes a bow at the state senate, before taking a shot at the government's gas tax. >> there's talk about an increase in the gas tax for maryland. which i think shows political

insensitivity as you can imagine. given the effort made to raise the price by as much as 25 cents a gallon, strikes me as being very, very anti, everyday working american. >> then leaving his own car parked, gingrich had his own car taken. >> he has got a great mind, sharp mind. history buff. we had a lot of history to talk about here. >> then on to ruth ann's deli for lunch. >> all candidates are welcome. we had john mccain in here a couple of years ago. and we have newt gingrich and whoever would like to come in, we take them all. >> reporter: they said the republican primary is the best he's seen. >> well, i think it's damn healthy. i think the debate seems to be -- i'm sphirks. and -- 76. and this debate seems to be going on forever. but i like that. i think that's important. >> reporter: and gingrich gave his reason for marylanders to

support whoever is the republican nominee. >> you say two words. barack obama. any republican, any independent, any conservative who stays hem is helping reelect barack obama. >> reporter: after annapolis, gingrich was off to salisbury. >> reporter: now, texas congressman ron paul campaigns tomorrow night in college park. reporting live from federal hill, i'm pat warren. early voting is under way in maryland, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., from now through thursday. the primary is a week from today. and stay with wjz for complete coverage of campaign 2012. we'll bring you the latest on the candidates of the maryland primary approaches. today, our weather feels just right for march. it's sunny and cool outside. and temperatures are normal for this time of year. wjz is live with first warning weather coverage. meteorologist bernadette woods and bob turk are updating our conditions. bob? >> well, it was frosty and chilly this morning. a lot of areas did get at or below the freezing mark.

right now, we warmed up to the mid-50s. normal high today is around 58. pretty close to most places. 52 in oakland. 50 in pax river. and 54 in ocean city. but this morning, yes, it was a chilly start. 31 at the airport. d.c. was 35. ocean city at the airport, at 32. elkton and hagerstown, 29. and the cold spot, oakland at 25 degrees. now, it has been an exception's warm march. more like may, actually. bernadette has a look at those numbers. bernadette? >> that's right. even though there was a chill in the air this morning. and that stands out because it's been so warm, we want to show you just how warm it has been. look at some of these numbers. so far this month, for our average high, 2012, this year, we've averaged 65.1 degrees. now, during that same stretch, the normal would be 52.7 degrees. we are in the double digits, above average. and we tend to see warmups here and there.

but we have just been telling you graphic after graphic, how warm it has been for how long. and march is even more exceptional than the previous three months. now, we're not finished with the month officially. but when we are, we will have those numbers for you coming up also. tonight, the university of maryland women's basketball team will face notre notre dame in the final four. wjz is live with the complete coverage of the excitement at college park. weijia jiang is there, talking to fans on campus. but first, mark viviano has details from the team. they need to win to get to that final four. and it's interesting to note, that maryland was last in this position three years ago. and that time, they were stopped by a team with a baltimore star. angela mccaughtry in louisville. tonight, the terps face a similar individual. >> notre dame is the number 1 team in the region and one of their top players is brittany mallory. the terps know they're in for a fight when they face the

fighting irish. >> we know it's going to be a very physical game. we know notre dame is a very physical team, just in general. we know -- we just gotta come out there and take the hits and give them back to them and play our game for 40 minutes. >> we've got to be able to bring our best 40 minutes, to be able to have a chance against a very good notre dame team. they have been phenomenal all weekend long. >> we have to play like a chip on our shoulders also. >> reporter: when the terps battle, they battle together. 12 players on the roster. their motto, 12 strong. >> 12 strong. we need everybody from top to bottom. you know, if we have 11 people, we're not strong, and we're not a team. so just being together and from top to bottom, you know, whether you're on the court, on the bench, everybody has something to give to this team. >> reporter: and those 12 strong for maryland will face the fighting irish at 9:00

tonight in raleigh. >> complete coverage continues in college park. weijia jiang has reaction from pumped-up fans. >> hi, kai. and hi to everyone. the one question buzzing, are the lady terps going to make it to the final four? you ask anyone around here. and the answer is an enthyselfiastic -- enthusiastic yes. >> reporter: the lady terps not only took the lead against texas a&m, they claimed a victory, clinching a spot in the ncaa top 8. the buzz is undeniable. students pumped up for the tuesday night game, against top- seeded notre dame. >> i think we're going to win. i hope we go all the way to the top. i have a good feeling. it's like senior year, go out with a bang. >> reporter: it is said to bring good luck. though many know it will take more than that to beat the

irish. >> we were playing the tough notre dame, number 1 seed. and i think we could pull it out. >> reporter: sophomore alicia bang, shopping for the perfect gear. >> it's crazy that they could make it to the final four. >> reporter: even off campus, businesses are cashing in. they expect cloud -- crowds to come watch. >> they come in while the game is on to watch. if we win, of course they going to come back to the game and just party. >> reporter: party and celebrate. that's exactly what students plan on doing, even though the game is away. there are so many watch parties scheduled for right here on campus. where we are live tonight. weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right, weijia, thank you. the last time the lady terps won the national title is 2006. and what a team that was. this one, equally good. >> i am confident in these ladies. >> i think they're going to have something for the opponents. >> i think it's going to be good. >> still ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00.

it's being called the most extensive face transplant ever. and it happened right here in maryland. hear from the surgeons who made it possible. explosive arguments over the future of america's healthcare system. an update on the debate unfolding in the supreme court. i'm andrea fujii. in baltimore county, plans for a 52-acre shopping area are revealed. we'll tell you what is expected to come in, just ahead. and it's a typical tuesday in march. but will our temperatures swing again this week? bob has the answer in the updated forecast. ,,,,,,

today, the supreme court takes on the most controversial part of president obama's healthcare law. the justices are examining

whether the government has power to force every american to purchase health insurance. danielle nottingham reports from the supreme court. >> reporter: protestors, passionate about the healthcare law, surrounded the supreme court tuesday. some fighting for its survival. >> everyone would benefit us. that's the whole point. >> reporter: others eager to see the justices strike it down. >> our government has never had that power before. and it's not constitutional. >> reporter: the supreme court is weighing the part of the law that requires nearly every american to buy health insurance or pay a penalty. >> if the federal government can do this, they can force us to do anything. and that's why we're fighting this with everything we've got. >> reporter: 26 states are suing to stop the requirement from taking effect. >> reporter: the arguments for both sides center around one question. does the federal government have the authority to force people to buy insurance? >> reporter: solicitor general

donald barily pressed the obama administration's case. >> congress has the authority under the power and necessary power to ensure that people have insurance in advance of the point of sale because of the unique nature of this market. >> reporter: but the court's conservative justices had some sharp questions for him. >> so can the government require you to buy a cell phone? because that would facilitate responding when you need emergency services? >> reporter: based on tuesday's arguments, court watchers say the justices may be ready to strike this part of the law. but the court won't issue its decision until june. at the supreme court, danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> justice kennedy is often the swing vote on cases that divide the court. today, he said that allowing the government to force americans to buy insurance, would, quote, change the relationship between the government and its citizens. >> reporter: if you're waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check on the roads with kristy breslin, at wjz

traffic control. hi, kristy. hi, kai, hi, everyone. if you're traveling along, you are in for quite a bit of a headache. on the west side inner loop, still a good 20 minutes there from southwestern boulevard over to security boulevard. and if you're traveling on the west side outer loop, that's still slow there, from security boulevard to baltimore national pike. 70 westbound, heavy from 29 to mare marriottsville road. northbound 95. congestion from 32 to 100. and accidents include north pulaski at haven avenue. also, northbound 29 at broken land parkway. let's take a live look. as you can see, that is the delay. that's right smack dab in the middle of it. and we'll take another live look. as you can see, things are definitely easing up there on the jones falls expressway at ruxton road. this traffic report is brought to you by ringling brothers and barnum and bailey service. you can get your tickets now at

ticketmaster.com. now through april 1st. three new projects in owings mills promise more shopping and more jobs. andrea fujii explains the newly- revealed plans for the new solo cup factory. >> reporter: sitting on prime real estate on reisterstown road, developers have big plans for what used to be the solo cup factory. >> redeveloping a dead warehouse that is really kind of an eye sore at this point, which is located in the main corridor of owings mills. >> reporter: within the next few years, this will be a 52- acre shopping facility, called foundry row. with supermarket wegmans. >> i'm looking forward to the wegmans being here. >> reporter: when done, it's expected to support 3100 jobs and bring in more than $8 million a year in state tax revenue. but residents have concerns. >> i'm not looking forward to the traffic. they really are going to have to do something. because it's already bad.

>> reporter: and to alleviate some of those worries, the developer hopes to add up to four lanes on ricers -- reisterstown road. >> this isn't the only area project. construction is already under way. that includes the ccbc extension and new library. and there are plans to redevelop owings mills mall. three projects residents have high hopes for. >> over the last 20 years, we have had not much. once the mall started to die, we always have to go someplace else to do our shopping. >> reporter: demolition is expected to start this spring and foundry road could be done by 2014. in awings mills, andrea fujii, wjz eyewitness news. >> project is expected to cost $140 million. a little chilly out there today. >> yeah, from what we've seen. but not what it's supposed to be for march. we have a big warmup tomorrow.

back up to 70 plus. but now, we're at 55. couple of degrees below average. dew point, very low. extremely dry air. 21%. west winds at 7. the barometer on the way back up. we'll come back and take a look at the wednesday warmup. ,, 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.

so far this month, march, we're armying in the mid- to late april, early may kind of temperatures. but we've cooled down. last night, we finally got to the freezing mark, most areas. if you haven't seen that since march 11th, when it was down to 31. this morning, it got down to 31. i have not heard any reports of damage to the peach and apple orchards around central and northern maryland. but i guess we'll have to wait a day or two to see if any damage occurred. because it was certainly cold out there. take a look at temps now, with bright sunshine still. we're at 55. 52 over at easton. 52 in oakland. it's actually going to warm up out there first. 54 in cumberland. and the dew point, extremely dry air. dew point, 16 degrees. in the wintertime. but if you had a dew point of

15, with snow on the ground, you'd get down to easily 15 or 16 degrees. 52 now in kent island. and annapolis and columbia also at 55. 55, 31 today. average now to 58. and average low, 37. and the records, 1921. 26 degrees. and in 2001, 20 degrees on this morning. that was a cold one in 2001. right now, we have light west/northwest wind. tomorrow, the wind goes more to that in the southwest. that will bring in much, much warmer air. look at this. chicago now, almost 70. minneapolis, 66 degrees. that far north. even bismarck is 49. each winnipeg at 47. really warm stuff out here is going to move in our direction. tomorrow, memphis at 82. behind that warm air, there is cooling. and we'll see that here on thursday. in the meantime, there's a front forming out across the

midwest. you can see shower and thundershower activity around that front. and we might see some of those late tomorrow afternoon, as the front comes through the area. beliefly, it gets warm tomorrow. and behind it, temperatures drop again. on thursday and friday, but nothing like the cool air we've seen last night. it will chill down again. thursday, breezy. it will feel pretty cool, probably close to 60 on thursday. southwest winds, bring us back up to around 70 to 72 tomorrow. bay temp, around 52 degrees. so tonight, later on, a few clouds come in. right now, really clear. 38 to the mid-40s in the city. sun and clouds moving in. maybe a late day or evening shower or thundershower. right now, the chances aren't that great. 72. then it cools down again on thursday and friday. okay. >> thanks. >> still ahead at 5:00. fallout from a cheating scandal. new security measures for students taking college entrance exams. i'm mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news.

18 dogs are set free and captured, within 24 hours. many of them purebred. what's going on, when eyewitness news continues. it's science on the go. i'm monique griego. coming up, we'll tell you all about this student csi. ,,,,,,,,

it's 5:30 and 55 degrees and clor out there. good evening. thank you for staying with wjz eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. doctors make medical history right here in baltimore. for the very first time, maryland surgeons transplant an entire human face. medical experts are calling it the most remarkable procedure they have ever seen. >> it's high school photograph. high school prom photograph from 1993. >> reporter: an accident in 1997 left richard lee norris, looking like this. a gunshot to his face took his nose, lips and chin. now, after a groundbreaking, 72- hour procedure, surgeons used a donor's skin from the scalp to the neck, including his jaw, tongue, teeth, and facial

tissue. >> the team used innovative surgical practices, as well as computerized techniques to precisely, and i would say amazingly, to transplant the entire face. >> reporter: over a five-day period, it's estimated that 110 experts, ranging from anesthesiologists, facial surgeons and transplant surgeons all touched the patient. >> 10 to 15 from the school of medicine. it's four or five hospital departments. it started with me admitting the donor. that's about 20 people that touched that patient. this is the most remarkable thing i have ever seen. >> reporter: since 2005, norris has undergone several procedures. but until now hasn't been able to function outside his home. >> putting the muscles back together. putting the nerves. redrape being the face. and ensuring the hairline matched as ideally as possible. and reconnecting the

tongue. and now came the final tailoring, the connection of the nerves, muscles, soft tissue. providing this drape of mr. richard norris, only six days after his surgical procedure. [ applause ] >> reporter: now, norris can talk and brush his teeth. thanks to a procedure that is expected to improve the lives of countless patients. >> reporter: 22 face transplants have been performed throughout the world. five other organs were taken from that same donor and they will be used to save the lives of others. kai? >> amazing story, jessica. thank you. police need help identifying a man wanted for at least six burglaries in baltimore county. detectives created a sketch of the suspect. police say he broke into several hows by climbing into winds in the whitemarsh area over the weekend. investigators are concerned because people were at home at the time of the crimes. anyone who recognizes this man should call police. also in baltimore county, a possible case of animal abuse

after 18 dogs are abandoned in two locations. wjz is live. mike schuh explains, there is speculation that a breeder set the dogs loose because they're too old. mike? >> reporter: you know, most of the strays that end up in shelters are mutts. but these are high-quality dogs. ask that is the mystery. how did 18 high-quality dogs end up at two shelters? >> today, the kennels in baltimore county are a bit more crowded. 18 dogs, like this juvenile pure bred boxer, were rounded up in two locations. >> what's surprising is how many of these dogs are purebreds. this one is a german shepherd puppy. >> it's unusual to say the least. we don't usually get large numbers of pure breds in at once. >> reporter: on monday, eight dogs were found running loose near halethorpe. then in owings mills, 10 dogs were rounded up by concerned citizens. see this one? it's an australian shepherd

dog. they look alike and are about the same age. >> it could be become from a commercial operation, a breeder that all of a sudden had to get rid of animals because they couldn't sell them anymore. i just don't know. it's very unusual. >> reporter: at the humane society, 10 dogs are now getting care. >> the humane society doesn't want pictures of the 10 dogs that were brought here out yet, as they are in isolation. they're sick, underweight and not social. >> veterinary zinc has concerns about the dog. this is not one of them. but they're about the size. >> some of them look very similar. so they may very well be from the same person that is maybe spreading pets throughout the baltimore community. >> reporter: these dogs could have been killed or cut loose. >> reporter: it is illegal in baltimore county to own more than three dogs without a

special permit. besides those dogs we showed you, they also had a lab mix, some terriers and a border collie. and they're all now safe. >> mike, thank you. four of the dogs at the county shelter are available for adoption. the dogs at the humane society are still in isolation. an autopsy finds a body in vermont is that of a teacher. denise is in the newsroom with the latest. >> reporter: police in vermont say the body of melissa jenkins was found on the stretch of road. her suv was found running with her 2-year-old son unharmed in the back seat. police said there were signs of a struggle at the scene. jenkins' family says she left home to help someone with car trouble, but it is not clear who. jenkins' exact cause of death has not been released yet. police have not named any suspects in this case. a second person is found dead in the mountainous area being consumed by a colorado

wildfire. firefighters discovered the body inside the same house where the first victim was found yesterday. the fire destroyed 16 homes and has grown to seven square miles. right now, 900 homes have been evacuated and more remain under a threat. >> panic. panic-stricken. i really am. >> reporter: first time in 36 years. had to move, get out of here. so heavy duty. >> reporter: the wildfire is located about 25 miles southwest of denver. investigators believe it may have started as a controlled burn that came back to life due to strong wind gusts. >> reporter: passengers are forced to tackle the captain of their jet blue flight. it happened on the from new york to las vegas. bigad shaban reports. the plane was also forced to make an emergency landing. >> reporter: passengers on board a jet blue flight, from york to las vegas, recorded the drama on their cell phones as the plane's captain was pinned down. >> we will pictures of this,

please. >> reporter: witnesses say the captain came out of the cockpit. the flight crew trieded to lock himut. -- him out. a passenger got on and asked passengers to restrain him. according to passengers, several people, including a off- duty new york police officer, kept him down. the plane made an emergency landing in amarillo, texas. that's where authorities took him off the plane. the jet blue statement says the flight was diverted because of a medical situation involving the captain. and that another captain, traveling off-duty, entered the flight deck, prior to landing in amarillo, and took over the duties of the ill crewmember. >> please clear the aisle. we have to get to the back. >> reporter: the plane and everyone on board were held on the ground, while federal investigators look into exactly what caused the disturbance on flight 191. bigad shaban, cbs news. jet blue says the captain says they were taken to a local

facility to be checked out. three major new york city airports wants to find disruptive passengers who refuse to turn off their cell phones or tablets before takeoff. the fines could reach $10,000. actor alec baldwin was kicked off in december after refusing to stop playing the game words with friends on his phone. students taking college entrance exams. they'll have to submit photo ids. along with their application for s.a.t. and act. it will also appear on the test site roster. this comes after 20 students were arrested in long island, for taking the test in place of other students. the students of baltimore county have a new superintendent. f. dallas dance has accepted the school board's offer. the 30-year-old is currently the chief middle school officer in the houston school area system. he was also a candidate for the

superintendent job in howard county. a formal vote by the 62 board is expected next week. students get a chance to check out their skills at the baltimore school for the arts. more on the van looking to lure students into the field of forensics. >> reporter: it looks like the scene straight out of csi. but these high-tech tests are being done by students in a very unique and mobile setting. >> it's almost like a field trip for us. because we're in the school all day. feels better to go outside of the school step outside of the classroom. >> reporter: today, the baltimore school for the arts got a chance to test out the maryland biolab, a fractor trailer, fully qupped to do -- equipped to do science experiments. >> it's fun. >> reporter: the lab and its instructors went through. >> we do a lot of different

forensics analysis. and also dna and protein analysis. everything they need in tenth grade biology. but we give it a specific twist. >> organizers hope they'll consider choosing science as a career path. interesting. i really like this opportunity. i think i would actually probably like to go into the science field. >> monique griego. wjz eyewitness news. >> maryland biolab stays at each school for about a week. during that time, able to reach each teacher's curriculum requirement. mega mellions lottery tickets. tonight's jackpot is truly mega. it's reached $363 million. that is the third largest in the history of the game. you have until 10:45 tonight to buy what could be. >> i think i've already spent it in my head all day today. i bought a few condos.

i've paid off a few mortgages. >> a few mortgages? >> friends and family. >> including one for me? >> yes. including the jacksons. >> thank you. we appreciate it in advance. still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. the pope continues his visit to cuba. we'll help a maryland man serving a prison sentence in that country. important change for homeowners in the case of a big storm. bob turk. first warning weather center. a quick warmup and a brief cooldown. again. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. and here's today's report from wall street. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,,,,

oh, boy. a little chilly out. i'm sure. but those folks are a little safer than yesterday. really had strong winds. good exercise tomorrow will be

pretty nice day. except it will be a lot warmer tomorrow than today. bernadette has a look at that wednesday forecast. bern? >> that's right. just like every round of cold air this year, it's not going to last very long. we do go back into the 30s. but as we head into the afternoon, take a look at these temperatures. 72 for our high. but there is a chance for thunderstorms. for the rest of the five-day, here's bob. looks like a one-day warmup. cools down a little more. still above average. 62 with sunshine and breeze on thursday. 60 on friday. 67 saturday. 65 on sunday. there may be a shower by saturday afternoon. right now, it's pretty normal, temperatures even above average as we head to the end of the week. jessica? >> all right, bob. thanks. the national hern hurricane center is making a change for people in storm-prone areas. they're now telling people it could lead to a false sense of

security. >> there are growing concerns tonight in japan over the fukushima power plant. according to the report, one of the plant's reactors still has fatally high levels of radiation. damage to last year's earthquake and tsunami is so severe, it will have to develop special equipment to tolerate the harsh environment. police are trying to figure out who sent video. the paris bureau said it received footage of mohammed merra, shooting a rabbi and three young children in tuluz. -- in to luz. -- talose. they say it credited al qaeda with the attacks. pope benedict xvi is spending more time in cuba today. monica via mazar has more.

>> reporter: pope benedict xvi shook hands with clergy and children after landing in what zanna this afternoon -- havana this afternoon. a full orchestra and dance troupe were there. while in santiago, the pope visited the tribute to the nation's patron saint. he told the crowd he's praying for those who suffer, and whose who -- those who are deprived of freedom. cuba said there will be no changes on the island. >> reporter: a u.s. embargo on the island remains in effect. and if you take ray look around the city center, not much has changed in over half a century. >> reporter: rosalia came from cuba for the first time in 52 years to see the pope. >> i feel like i'm home. i feel like i never left. i come from a very catholic,

traditional family. from cuba. so i've always bye-bye been here, -- always been here, even though i was not here physically. >> reporter: the pope will meet with raul castro and possibly his brother fidel. tomorrow, the pope will hold an open-air mass for tens of thousands of followers. >> it's unclear if the pope will spend any time in cuba, addressing the case of alan gross, an international aid worker from maryland. serving sentence in cuba. his wife has asked the pope for help in the fight hear his release. -- fight for his release. his family wants gross to be able to travel to visit his mother, who is suffering from inoperable lung cancer. more on the new superintendents of schools named in howard and baltimore counties.

gourmet twists on an easter favorite. the deviled eggs. and nfl owners meeting, on what the team needs to do to improve. for these stories and more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast, from wjz's first warning weather team. check in with eyewitness news at 6:00. for these stories and more coming up, vic is standing by with a preview. shocking ingredients. what a starbucks employee says is used in a popular frozen drink. check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news, coming up at 6:00. now, back to you. >> all right. thanks, vic. and still to come tonight on wjz eyewitness news. a possible hate crime. new informationo the bru -- information on the brutal attack. how a handwritten note is,,,

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.

and deposits at the same time. for paying your friend back for lunch from your tablet. for 26 paydays triggered with a single tap. for checking your line, then checking your portfolio. for making atms and branches appear out of thin air. simple to use websites, tools, and apps. for making your financial life a little bit easier. police wrap up their investigation into the hazing death of a florida a&m drum major. robert champion died last november, during a marching band trip. witnesses say senior band

members beat the 26-year-old on a bus as part of a ritual. he later died from his injuries. the case has now been turned over to the state's attorney, who will decide the next course of action. san diego police are looking into the fatal beating of an iraqi woman as a hate crime. they say it is just one of many possible motives. but there's a shocking piece of evidence to go along with it. >> reporter: police in el cajon, california, are looking more closely at a handwritten note, which may help them determine who fatally beat shaya. >> we are not ruling out the possibility that this may be a hate crime. >> reporter: police won't discuss the details of the note. but residents say it warned her to go back to her own country and labels her a terrorist. the brutal attack is shock the san diego community and beyond. >> people are interested to think what is going -- to know what is going on. is this really happening in

this community? are muslims hated this badly? >> what in the hell are we coming to? and where are we going? >> the threatening note was discovered inside her home. her 17-year-old found her mom unconscious in their dining room last week. a back patio door was shattered. allahwati was diagnosed brain dead and her family took her off life support. >> the family is torn apart. the family is in emotional breakdown. they have just kind of realized that yes, their mother is no longer with them. >> reporter: while police are only calling this a possible hate crime, the family says it had received a similar threatening note earlier this month. yet they never reported it. teresa garcia, wjz eyewitness news. >> the family recently moved to san diego county from detroit. allahwati's husband works for the u.s. army as a cultural adviser, training soldiers who

are deploying to the middle east. a dramatic rescue caught on tape, after a georgia man is burned and buried alive. he fell face first into several inches of mud and started sinking. the suction from the mud was so strong, it trapped a firefighter. both men were pulled to safety. a crew of whale watchers saved the day. they were near dana point with they spotted a gray whale, trapped in 50 feet of netting. they managed to track it through the night and cut the netting off. once the whale was free, it swam up to the boat, raised its head, and disappeared into the sea. it must have been like ray "thanks, guys." >> i don't think that's moby dick. >> no. unless it's on vacation in southern california. still ahead in eyewitness news. republican presidential candidate newt gingrich in annapolis. i'm pat warren, coming up on eyewitness news, we'll tell you what his message is to marylanders. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

coming up on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. campaigning in maryland. newt gingrich makes a stop here. what he's talking about. knocked out and now facing charges. i'm mike hellgren, with details of an arrest in the case of an assault on school grounds that went viral online. a groundbreaking and life- saving procedure right here at the university of maryland

shock trauma. i'm jessica kartalija. coming up, how a face transplant is literally changing the face of medicine. a beautiful but chilly day. is there any warmup in the first warning forecast? check in for these stories and all the day's news, wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. stunning surgery. maryland doctors make medical history by performing a face transplant. >> the amazing story and the landmark procedure. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm denise koch. here's what people are talking about tonight. for the first time, maryland surgeons transplant