neighborhood. we began with mike, who is live in crofton, with the latest from police. mike? >> reporter: vic, this is truly chilling. some of the things that cops say this guy said, include staying, i'm the joker, i'm going to load my guns up and blow everybody up. they say he told the supervisor that he was going to blow his brains on the sidewalk. and in light of what happened in colorado, they took it very seriously. they say coworkers told him not to talk like this, but he did it anyway. >> reporter: police called it a terrorist threat, a frightening discovery. they found 25 weapons inside the home of a man in crofton. sources identified him as neil prescott. they say he made threats of a shooting rampage to his supervisor, including a reference to a character in the batman movie. after the recent theater massacre, authorities took no chances. >> in fact, they said, i'm a joker and i'm going to load my guns and blow everyone up. >> reporter: police took pres cot into custody for a mental health evaluation and say charges are pending.

>> the individual was wearing a t-shirt that said guns don't kill people, i do. it went down without incident. the individual surrendered to us. we took him based on the petition for medical treatment to anne arundel county medical center. >> they evacuated his building as a precaution and told wjz they found no hit list or detailed plan. >> what we believe was a significant threat has been averted. >> reporter: prescott was a subcontractor at pitney bowes. they say he hadn't been on their property for four months, he was a subcontractor and was about to be fired. and they say that was the motive. >> police say he did not have a concealed carry permit. they're not aware of any previous mental health problems, regarding this man. reporting live in crofton, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you.

and pitney bowes said it followed a clear security protocol when it had concerns about prescott. once again, charges are still pending in this case. >> people who live in prescott's close-knit community say they are shocked to learn of the accusations against him tonight. our complete coverage continues live in crofton. jessica kartalija spent the day gathering reaction to this news. >> reporter: denise, as many as 700 people live in the upscale apartment complex, where the suspect lived. we're told it's a lot of young families and professionals. >> reporter: nobody is safe. i mean, i probably feel safer in vietnam. >> reporter: robert wagner has lived in this crofton neighborhood for 30 years. >> just close to home. and it kind of shatters you. >> reporter: this, after parts of the nearby kezwick apartment combleks -- complex are evacuated. inside, a cache of weapons. >> it's crazy. crazy. lets me know it can happen anywhere. okay. you're never that safe.

>> reporter: bill steves is a -- stevens is a retired d.c. police officer. >> this situation that you come across, you don't know if it's real or how to take it. so you have to proceed with caution. and think of it as a viable threat. >> reporter: police say they uncovered some 20 handguns and rifles, as well as 400 rounds of ammunition inside the suspect's apartment. residents nearby tell us they're just happy that this was caught before he could have done any major harm. we're live in crofton, i'm jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right. thank you, jessica. here is what we know right now about the shooting plot. police say 28-year-old neil prescott threatened to shoot up his workplace. detectives found more than 20 guns in his crofton home. he is undergoing a mental health evaluation, and charges are pending. stay with wjz for complete coverage. we'll have the very latest on this developing story, coming up tonight at 5:30. new investigations are under way following the shooting death of a 12-year-old girl.

sheriffs in wicomico county, recovered a rifle from the scene in willards. investigators believe taylor louis was accidentally shot in her home on state street. it is unclear who pulled the trigger. the death toll rises to 31 from maryland's string of hot weather this summer. today, people are packing into local pools as we deal with more high temperatures and the humidity. many people are taking cover from the sun when they do venture outside, emergency cooling centers are open in several counties. and we are also tracking the chance for more storms tonight as we take a live look outside. bob is tracking our temperatures and first warning live doppler radar. bob? >> take a look at radar. right now, it's quiet in that region. but that might change later tonight. still have a warm and humid air mass to our north, as a batch of showers and storms across pennsylvania that will miss us, is moving off to the east. another batch across virginia, also moving off to the east. that may impact extreme southern maryland. don't expect it to get to baltimore. but out to the west, another line here, north of pittsburgh,

to about wheeling, west virginia. that may get to us later tonight. so there is a risk of some shower and thunderstorm activity in the region late tonight. temperature-wise, we just jump from 88 back up to 91. the dew point at 71. now, yesterday afternoon, at this time, we were around 97, with a heat index of 107. it's not nearly what it was yesterday. and they did cancel the heat advisory. but it did jump back up from 93 to 97. tonight, it will be back in the 80s primarily. so it doesn't look like we'll be dealing with extreme heat over the next several days. but we may have more shower and thunderstorms to deal with tomorrow. again, tonight. maybe even into next week. vic? >> okay, bob. thank you. health concerns from the seats are adding up. first warning weather continues now with meghan mccorkell and more on how dangerous these conditions can be. >> reporter: eight more heat- related deaths have now been reported in the state of maryland, between july 17th and july 24th. that brings the total this

summer to 31 so far. >> reporter: this baking hot summer continues to broil maryland, another day of high heat, has people scrambling to stay cool. the druid park pool, packed full of swimmers this afternoon, kip thompson found his ideal spot under this shady tree. >> trying to relax, drink plenty of fluids. and you know, just try not to overexert yourself. >> these basketball players didn't get the message. dr. clifford mitchell with the state health department warns, spending too much time outdoors can be hazardous to your health. >> if you feel sick for any reason whatsoever, lightheaded, sick to your stomach, just -- you don't feel well, get out of the heat, get into some place cool. >> reporter: 31 people have now died from heat-related illnesses here in maryland this summer. 10 of them in baltimore city. >> like the others, they follow the same pattern. they tend to be older. all of them are over the age of 45.

they're distributed around the state. >> reporter: the elderly and those with preexisting medical conditions are most vulnerable. and that message is getting out. >> if you do have somebody elderly in your family, you do need to check on them. especially if they don't have air conditioning. >> reporter: one step that could prevent the death toll from rising as we head into august. maryland has issued 12 heat advisories this summer already. meghan mccorkell, wjz eyewitness news. >> stay with wjz for first warning weather coverage of this heat. to get updates on the forecast, log onto wjz.com. well, new weather alerts are coming to the bay bridge to protect drivers during dangerous storms. the transportation authority will upgrade its early warning system, allowing it to close the bridge more quickly when strong wind gusts hit. they hope to guard against incidents, such as the one on june 29th, when a truck crashed during a strong storm, nearly killing the driver. right now, the search continues for the man who

abducted vi ripken at gunpoint. tonight, the fbi is helping with that investigation. wjz is live, rochelle ritchie has more on the efforts to find the suspect. rochelle? >> reporter: that's right, vic. the investigation is continuing at this hour. police are hoping that by showing the suspect's picture repeatedly, it will lead to an arrest. >> reporter: take a look at this picture. have you seen this man? aberdeen police, the fbi, and maryland state troopers say he's armed, he's dangerous. and suspected of kidnapping vi ripken, mother of cal cal ripken, jr. >> of the last -- the last picture you'll see of him in the photograph, he was wearing a long white shirt, blue jeans, had a hat on. >> reporter: investigators say on tuesday, ripken was held at gunpoint and kidnapped from her garage, behind her home of 46 years. >> reporter: 74-year-old ripken was tied up and forced into the back seat of her car. the suspect never asked for a ransom and never mentioned her famous last name. instead, he drove her around for a terrifying 24 hours.

>> i couldn't believe it. >> i can't imagine what his purpose was. >> we have no reason to believe it's not an abduction. >> reporter: talk of the kidnappings circling the city, as well as flyers with the suspect's picture. the image released yesterday shows the suspected kidnapper in a white dress shirt and orange baseball cap. he's a white man in his mid-30s to mid-40s, standing 5'10" and 180 pounds, with short brown hair and glasses. police say the suspect drove a bound ripken around central maryland for hours before oddly, but thankfully returning her to her home safely. >> to drive around for 24 hours. >> reporter: today, aberdeen police officers sit outside the home of ripken's daughter. neighbors say the police activity is strange but understood. >> reporter: and the ripken family has not commented publicly about the investigation or the kidnapping. however, they did release a statement in which they were saying they were thankful for her safe return. back to you. >> rochelle, thank you.

a $2,000 reward is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest. a big blow for hundreds of employees in western maryland. unileader is ending production at a hagerstown plant that supplied good humor bars and other frozen items for nearly 30 years. the union that represents the plant's 391 employees says the shutdown will affect the entire community. unilever says this is part of the effort to consolidate its plants. another hot day in owings mills. heat is on quarterback joe flacco to lead the team to the super bowl. sports director mark viviano has more. >> reporter: when we list the great quarterbacks presently playing in the nfl, brady, breeze, big ben, manning and aaron rodgers are mentioned first. so where does joe flacco fit in? if we define it as great championships, then flacco is a work in progress. >> reporter: and joe flacco's work to this point is

impressive. getting ready for his fifth season, he's helped the ravens to four straight play-off seasons. >> i think we have a quarterback that is ready to continue on his path to becoming a great quarterback. and it's going to be fun to watch. >> reporter: the coach believes in his qb. but an even bigger endorsement comes from the greatest raven of all time, ray lewis. the only holdover from the ravens' super bowl team sees flacco. >> i got crazy swagger. serious. finally came to me. four straight play-off appearances, two championships and you were a play away from being in the super bowl in both of those, you have to. >> reporter: is it time for flacco to step up, seize control and make the ravens great on offense? joe asks, what do you think he's been doing? >> as far as i'm concerned issue we shouldn't be holding back just because of our defense. i mean, that's kind of bogus if

you ask me. so if that's what we're doing, then we have a problem, you know. but -- so we're not going to look at it differently. we have to go out there and try for points. >> reporter: that was joe with some of his serious swagger. some questioned about the offensive line, whose job it is to protect joe flacco. i'll an update on the status of bryant mckinnie. >> you have serious swagger, too, mark, right? >> working on it. the preseason game is less than two weeks away. august 9th. >> anyone who runs four marathons has swagger. still ahead. let the games begin. the summer olympics get under way in london. we'll take you inside the opening ceremony. hospital disaster. new information about a hepatitis outbreak. and the man police say is responsible. get ready for another general assembly special session. i'm pat warren, coming up on eyewitness news. how they came to an agreement on calling a session on gambling. and will our weekend be washed out by storms?

don't miss the updated first warning weather forecast with bob. ,,,,,,,,,,

is t is 91 degrees -- it is 91 degrees in central maryland right now. when you think of firefighters being injured, the dangers of smoke and flames may come to mind. today, a paramedic discovered that hazards can be found in many places in old baltimore homes. >> reporter: across from union memorial, a simple medical call turns into a rescue. earlier, a 60-year-old man on the second floor fell down. but now he's dropped 8 feet into the basementof -- basement

of this vacant home. >> the paramedic stepped out of the house, onto the porch. the patient and the paramedic went straight through the floor. the floor literally collapsed. >> reporter: sherry blount, his work partner, saw it happen. >> it was more surreal, i guess. like i'm looking at him, waiting for him to come down the steps. and like half of them are gone. and i just started yelling. >> reporter: that rotten porch was built over the basement. remember, it's an 8-foot drop. >> now, the paramedic was able to get himself together and climb out. requested on his radio for assistance to rescue the patient. >> i'm just yelling, tony, tony! and i get up on the steps and i can see him down on the floor. and i see that he's okay. >> reporter: see those silver and black poles? they're braces stopping an additional collapse of this 94- year-old home. the original victim, he's still down there. they secure him on a back bord -- board and hoist him out.

they don't think there are more injuries, but send him to the hospital to be sure. >> it's unbelievable. i'm still trying to get past it. >> reporter: remember, that's a pro, someone who has seen a lot as a city paramedic. this building, it's now condemned. mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. >> well, the paramedic was taken to mercy hospital to be checked out. if you're waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check on the roads now with kristy breslin at wjz traffic control. hopefully they're not on northbound 95. we have heavy delays there. all the way from the beltway on the southwest side. past whitemarsh boulevard. definitely give yourself a little extra time. 30 minutes away on the west side inner loop. north side of the inner loop, stop and go there from york road to harford road. and 70 westbound, that's been a problem most of the afternoon. jammed up from 29 to marriottsville road. and still brake lights there in the eastbound direction towards the beltway. as far as accidents go. a vehicle fire at north rolling road. curtis avenue at benfield

avenue. holland street at south arlington. and north carolina at east fayette. let's take a live look. you can see, not going anywhere quickly there. this traffic report is brought to you by the cochran firm. if you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury, call 1-800-the firm. or these them online at cochranfirm.com for your free consultation. back to you. >> thank you, kristy. time to check in with bob. couple of storms. >> so far, quiet tonight. maybe widely scattered stuff. last night, we had pretty good stuff in north baltimore county. tonight, a lot less. over the weekend, less. let's take a look. it has jumped up from the airport. 88 last hour to 91 this hour. west/northwest winds at 8. come back and take a look at your weekend after this. ,,,,,,,

lots of rain last night. high heat today. what's in store for the weekend. >> winter pattern. where practically any day of the next five or six, we could see a scattered shower or

thundershower. i think sunday, we'll probably be dry. maybe something later tonight. right now, it's quiet around the region. you see stuff north and south of us. the pullk -- bulk of this may miss us tonight. it has jumped back up at the airport. hour and a half of bright sunshine. went back up from 88 to 91. that's the high they had this afternoon. 90 in cumberland. 93, pax river. 91 in d.c. the dew point, 71. not quite as high as yesterday. so our heat index, never got much over the mid- to upper 90s this afternoon. yesterday, we got up to 107. that was one of the worst days of the summer. 87 in bel air. 86 in rock hall. west wind, west/northwest winds here. to the southwest of us, a bit of a southwest wind. keep us in the heat and humidity. although not nearly as hot as we've seen in several recent days. to the north this afternoon, a lot of showers still in new england. had a bunch of rain move through west virginia that died out. but late this afternoon, another batch developing over west virginia and the mountain

areas. that's headed for virginia. they had a severe thunderstorm watch for those folks tonight. at least to about 10:00. pretty good stuff there, particularly in southern virginia and carolina area. that's moving to the east. to our north, some showers moving across pennsylvania. this batch near pittsburgh, if it continues, might be in our region after 10:00 tonight, as it continues to head out to the east and southeast. if it continues to make it up the mountains, we may see some showers and thundershowers later on tonight. now, over the weekend, still a chance, particularly on saturday, of widely scattered shower and thundershower activity. so remains humid until i think sunday. some dry air can move in. tomorrow, there may also be a widely scattered shower or thundershower. i think by sunday, we're pretty much done with that. but by monday, a warm front may develop again to the south of us, kind of wading through the region. and a little impulse of low pressure could once again bring us a shower or thundershower. pretty much any day next week. north winds on the bay, from 5 to 10 knots. the bay temp around 80.

and the sunrise tomorrow morning, if you happen to be up. looks like it's dry. forecast then for tonight. maybe a widely scattered shower or thunderstorm. low near 70. tomorrow, back up around the same temperature you saw this afternoon. upper 80s to low 90s. and could be a pop-up shower or thunderstorm this afternoon. any of these could have brief, heavy downpours as we've seen recently. if we're heading down in the ocean. maybe a chance of a thundershower there. 86 tomorrow. and sunny to partly sunny, 82. sunday night, it's a terrible weekend. not totally sunny. temperatures are still nice and warm. watch out for the thunder. if you're at the beach, get indoors when thunder roars. >> good one, bob. still ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. fast food debate. heated protest outside chick- fil-a. what's behind the anger in several states. new claims behind jerry sandusky. new claims on the vase mail

from the former penn state coach. ,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

before it's 5:30. partly sunny. hello, everyone. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. we continue to follow breaking developments after police say they thwart a mass shooting

plot at a maryland workplace. tonight, an anne arundel county man is in custody. complete coverage continues now live in crofton. mike hellgren has the investigation. mike? >> reporter: and vic, we've talked about how chilling this is throughout the past couple of hours. one of the things police say he told the supervisor was that he wanted to splatter his supervisor's brains on the sidewalk. they also say he made reference to the joker in the batman movie. and after all that happened in colorado, that really caused alarm. we have a picture of the man. sources identify him as neil prescott. they say they took him into custody without incident. they found also 25 weapons inside his home here in crofton, including some assault weapons. they say he made the threats against a supervisor at pitney bowes, where he was a subcontractor. police say he was about to be fired. he was mad. and that was the motive behind this. >> we believe we were dealing with possible dangerous

individual. so we took all safety precaution as possible. the s.w.a.t. teams, they -- they're very careful in what they do. they just don't go into any place blind. they try not to. and their tactics reveal that. >> reporter: now, police say they also evacuated part of the neighborhood. they say they didn't technically arrest him. they put him into custody for mental health evaluation. they believe he was a threat to himself and to others again, they took him into custody without incident. reporting live in crofton, mike hellgren, weench eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. stay with wjz for complete coverage. we'll have the latest on this developing story coming up tonight at 6:00. a popular baltimore d.j. is fired following a car accident. 98 rock says it has parted ways from steven smith. he has not been on the air since being charged with driving under the influence. police say he caused a crash in bel air that sent five people to the hospital on sunday. a new lawsuit, related to the child sex abuse case, of former penn state assistant

coach, jerry sandusky. a witness not named in the trial comes forward. ines ferre has more on what he is saying and what it could mean for the school. >> reporter: jerry sandusky's conviction was based on the testimony of eight young men. each testified how the former penn state assistant coach, offered friendship and football tickets in exchange for physical contact, and in some cases, sex. missing from the witness stand was victim number 2, the young boy whom coach mike mcqueary said he saw being raped in 2001. he was never named. but now, attorneys representing a man who says he was that boy, say they will sue the school. in a statement, they say our client suffered extensive sexual abuse over many years, both before and after the 2001 incident. as proof, the firm released portions of two voice messages they say sandusky left for their client just last september. less than two months before his

arrest. >> probably ought to just go forward. i would be very firm and express my feelings up front. but -- you know, there's nothing really, to hide. >> reporter: the attorneys say sandusky kept trying to control $client, right up until his arrest, offering football tickets as other witnesses testified and telling the young man that he loved him. >> i was just calling to see -- i don't know if you had any interest in going to the penn state game this saturday. hope to talk to you later. thanks. love you. >> reporter: penn state has not commented on the potential lawsuit. sandusky faces life in prison. ines ferre, wjz eyewitness news. >> the attorneys say they will also sue others in connection with their clients' abuse and the horrific conduct that allowed it to continue. doctors are scrambling to identify thousands of patients who may have been exposed to hepatitis c, including some here in maryland.

david quiakowski, a traveling medical technician, is inconnected with hepatitis c. he is charged with using the sir sir inch meant for patients- - syringe meant for patients. doctors are testing people. they are still working to see who else needs to be tested. presidential candidates focus on israel. president obama signs a u.s.- security bill for israel. danielle nottingham reports for we'll from jerusalem. -- wjz from jerusalem. >> reporter: president obama signed a new bill in the oval office that expands military cooperation with israel. he also announced an additional $70 million in aid. >> i have made it my priority to cooperate with israel across the whole spectrum of security

issues. >> reporter: the signing comes on the eve of mitt romney's trip to israel. battleground states, including florida and pennsylvania. >> reporter: romney will meet with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu while he's here in israel. the two have known each other since the '70s when they worked at this time at a consulting firm. >> reporter: he called him a friend. contraforted to the strain -- contrasted to the strained relationship with president obama. >> president obama is fond of lecturing leaders. >> reporter: he angered many jewish voters voters when he suggested going back to the borders before the 1967 war. >> reporter: romney heads to israel after wrapping up meetings with world leaders in london and attending the opening olympic world ceremony. romney's political career was

lost after he managed the games in utah. now, he's hoping this trip overseas will shore up his foreign affairs credentials. in jerusalem, israel, danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> stay with wjz for complete coverage of campaign 2012. we'll continue to bring you the latest on the candidates and the issues on air and online at wjz.com. well, the backlash intensifies against a popular chicken restaurant chain. protestors gathered outside the grand opening of a chick-fil-a restaurant in california. gay rights advocates are calling for boycotts after the president of the chain said he opposed same-sex marriage. city officials are also taking steps to let chick-fil-a know that its beliefs are not welcome in their cities. department of transportation said the average airline passenger spent a record amount to fly in the first quarter of this year. the average price of domestic ticket soared to $375.

almost a 5% jump over the same period last year. governor martin o'malley calls a special session on gambling. and not all are happy about it. political reporter pat warren has measure on the significance of the governor's decision. >> reporter: time to get back to work. >> i have made a decision to call a special session, dedicated to resolving the lingering issues around maryland gaming and to call that session on august 9th. >> reporter: for weeks, the administration has tried to build a consensus on the addition of table games in the state's slots casinos. a reduction of the 67% casino tax rate. and approval of a sixth casino, likely to be at national harbor. today, the governor announced this is off the table, a move that will apparently make it easier to get the votes to pass the bill. will take place august 9th and will likely take three days to allow them to get it on the november ballot. >> it's time to create the thousands of needed jobs. time to maximize funding for

gaming for maryland education. >> reporter: republican leaders are already voicing opposition, arguing that special sessions should be reserved if are emergencies. >> i think we had an emergency situation, when we adjourned sine die without a budget. >> reporter: and it was the gambling issue that forced the derailment in may. >> reporter: if all goes as planned, this will be a big year for maryland voters to tell the general assembly to what they think of its work. not only on that, but same-sex marriage, in state tuition and redistricting. i'm pat warren. reporting from anal napolis. -- annapolis. back to you on tv hill. >> the tax rate will get considered after the november election. time now for a look at the baltimore sun. more on the planned mass shooting at a maryland business and the arrest of a crofton man. and the olympics are under way. a look at competition between phelps and lochte. and what lond londoners think of the games? remember to look for the updated forecast from the first

warning weather team. still in the middle of the aftermath of how it reacted to duratio's storm. bge is seeking rate increases. if approved by the public service commission, the transmission portion of your bill would increase by 6.6%. gas transmission would increase about 8%. bge says it needs to raise rates to make improvements to its system. soccer stars braved the heat. the to then ham hotspur took to the fields to get ready for tomorrow's match against liverpool football. the two are facing off in a friendly complication -- competition. let the games begin. all eyes are on london for the official start of the summer olympics. bigad saban reports for wjz from the olympic park. >> reporter: the olympic torch ended its 8, 000-mile journey at london's tower bridge monday.

queen elizabeth held a session. for other dignitaries, including first lady michelle obama, who chatted with prince william and his wife kate. the first lady is leading the u.s. delegation. about 1,000 children joined her for games and exercise. they played soccer, tennis, and tug-of-war. there were a few first day givens as -- glitches. cab drivers went on strike and caused heavy traffic jams. fans were turned away from an archery event after purchasing apparently bogus tickets. and a small group of protestors demonstrated against dow chemical. more than 60,000 spectators are filing in for the more than $42 million opening ceremony. but for those who couldn't get a ticket, the pub the place to watch. in central london, british flags hang over many of the pubs in lesser square.

michael allen came after work to grab a pint and watch the opening ceremonies just across town. >> because we'd probably spend most of our time in ray pub on -- a pub on friday. the olympics are on. it's a good mix of faith. >> reporter: 302 events will take place in 26 sports over the next two weeks. so this british bash won't be over any time soon. in london, bigad shaban, wjz eyewitness news. >> there was a report that a runner from sudan tried to seek asylum in britain. but the sudanese embassy in london said it was not true. >> still to come on wjz eyewitness news. in the dark for days. seeing record fines for their storm response. i'm ron matz. the journey from fells point to camden yards. the coach's day to remember. the story coming up, here on wjz. >> i'm bob turk. the first warning weather center. will it dry out this weekend. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast.

first, here's today's report from wall street. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,,,,

he's been a part of wjz's

popular manic monday since it started a couple of years ago. you may know him as "the coach." ron matz reports, he is celebrating his birthday in a big way and also realizing a big dream. >> charlie bridge was ready. friends join him at the yard. on this day, his 82nd birthday, he would warm up. then to the loud cheers of the crowd, he would throw out the first pitch. >> it was the greatest thing that has ever happened in my life. it was so good. and especially when i -- what i love. i couldn't believe it. when the crowd stood up and they gave me a standing ovation. it was like unbelievable. >> reporter: at jimmy's restaurant, fans grather gathered around him. he's been an o's fan since he was 6. doing this was a lifelong dream. >> the emotions, tried to keep in as much as i could. but like i said, when the crowd stood up and cheered for me, that really got me. >> one of those cheering was o's part owner steve jeffy. >> it was unbelievable.

you could tell, this is a big moment. >> reporter: the coach is holding on to the mementos of his day. the ticket, his credential, and the ball, signed by o's catcher tegarten. an unforgettable day for an amazing man, who still has a few pitches left. >> i'm going to make 18 more. >> make it to 100. >> that's right. 100. >> count on it. count on it. >> reporter: ron matz, wjz eyewitness news. >> hey, charlie. charlie bridge is a resident of fells point and is a former amateur baseball coach. >> way to go, charlie. hot and humid weather to end the workweek. outside now, partly sunny. and we are expecting some possible storms here and there. but not for these guys who are out on the water. bob shows us what to expect. >> make sure you have the radio or something to keep you abreast of what is going on. you do not want to be on the

bay in a thunderstorm. let's take a look at tomorrow's forecast. maybe a pop-up shower or thunderstorm. mid- to upper 80s. maybe get up to about 90 or 91 or 92 in the afternoon. and by sunday, a lesser chance of showers -- hmm. that's interesting. that's yesterday's forecast. 90 on sunday. 90 on monday. and 90 on tuesday. slight chance of a shower as we head into next week. now, in today's energy saver, consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade. they use much less energy than desk top computers and you can take them with you anywhere. for more information information and you can become an energy saver, go to wjz.com. scroll down the right-hand side of the page and click on our special section. denise? >> thank you, bob. right now, communities are easing the damage caused by storms in the northeast. customers have been without power from oklahoma to new york. there are reports of tornadoes in several towns, including in elmyra, new york. some roads are completely impassable, covered in downed trees and debris.

and a massachusetts power company receives record fines, following its slow response to several storms. the $16 million fine is against national grid. communities became furious with the utility last year. after tropical storm irene ripped through new england. many customers spent a week without power. the same thing happened during a freak october snowstorm. this is the largest find ever -- fine ever against a utility company in massachusetts. a car crashes into a home and barely misses a mother and her children. a black cadillac came inches away from the 2-month-old baby's bassinet. her mother says a book case likely kept the car from slamming into them. >> i was scared. now i'm not scared no more. >> i'm just really thankful right now. and still a little shook up, but a little better. looking forward to thinking of it as a memory. >> police say the three people inside the vehicle ran away. no one was hurt. the mother of the late

singer michael jackson receives an odd invitration. -- invitation. conrad murray, the doctor convicted in jackson's death, says she can visit him in jail. he said he wants to put her at peace and answer any questions she may have. a representative for jackson said it is doubtful she will accept the offer. comparing a root canal to a massage. it's called the dental vibe. it looks just like a tooth brush. it stimulates the area around the injection. it distracts while the dentist administers anesthetic. patients say it is much less painful and makes them feel more at ease. >> it would be difficult for me to compare a root canal to massage. coming up, we will continue to follow the story about a maryland man's alleged plot to kill his coworkers. what we are learning from police. and more on the man accused

of infecting patients patients with hepatitis c. a victim breaks her silence. check in for these stories and more at 6:00. okay. never turn your back on a shark. not necessarily because it will eat you, but it might steal your gear. the tiger shark, known as emma, has been caught on camera before. this time, when the divers were shooting a documentary, emma swiped their gear. the gear was worth about $15,000, weighed about 80 pounds. so heavy that emma dropped it and the dive master was able to recover it undamaged. not that you're ever going to be able to take it out of her mouth. >> yeah, whatever emma wants, emma gets. still to come tonight. danger in the cockpit. pilots blasted with laser beams. why police believe a teenager is responsible. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

a new orleans landmark is destroyed by fire. the historic pine factory went up in flames today, bringing at least 90 firefighters to the scene. no one was hurt. but the plant which opened in

1922 is a total loss. the company's fried fruit pies are some of the best known treats in new orleans. so far, there is no word on what caused the massive fire. a major drug bust in california, where the coast guard seizes more than four tons of marijuana. it was all packed away on a tiny boat, about 150 miles west of los angeles. it took dozens of officers to unload the stash, worth about $8 million. six suspects are now in custody. but it is still not clear where they're from or where they were going with those drugs. a number of stolen antiques are recoveringed in new york city. a team raided several storage units today that belonged to the owner of an art gallery in manhattan. some of the items taken included sand stones and bronze statues. estimated to be worth about $12 million. a long island helicopter. now the fbi wants to know if he's pulled the dangerous stunt before. >> reporter: two suffolk

aviation officers were in the skies above central when their cockpit was suddenly blasted with a green laser beam from a distance of half mile away. >> how scary is it? >> considering the fact that the laser light was diffused into the cockpit. initially, it's startling. milliseconds go by, until you realize, okay, well we have just been laserred. >> reporter: the startled officers made an immediate evasive maneuver, but continued to be hit multiple times. they were able to pinpoint the location of the laser to this street in brentwood. officers on the ground quickly located the 14-year-old suspect. they are not identifying him. and released him to the custody of his mother. >> inspector, why no charges filed. people could have been killed. >> there's no reason why we can't take time to consult on the state and federal level, consult prosecutors and make a subsequent arrest. >> reporter: now, they want to find out if the suspect may

have pointed lasers at are the flights, include jet blue 657. >> yes, sir, we just got laserred up here. two green, two green flashes into the cockpit. >> reporter: the jet blue pilot was stricken with a burned cornea. he transferred control of the airplane to the copilot. >> it was blinding. but for me, the question was, what was at the other end of the laser point. >> reporter: dean calls this a crime, not an inoccuous prank. >> that was jennifer mclogan reporting. last year, more than 3,000 aircraft were laserred. still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. >> reporter: frightening plot. i'm mike hellgren in crofton. i'll tell you how authorities say they foiled a shooting rampage. and the possible connection to ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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coming up now on wjz eyewitness news. a maryland man accused of plotting to gun down his coworkers. how police foiled his plan. aberdeen. the latest on cal ripken, jr.'s mother's kidnapping coming up. summer turns more deadly here in maryland. i'm meghan mccorkell. the heat-related death toll rises. the warning from health officials. sorting it out. find out if these warm temperatures will last all weekend in your updated first

warning weather forecast. >> check in for these had stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. killing his coworkers. police say a maryland man plotted a workplace shooting. >> tonight, how the plot was uncovered. >> hello, everybody. i'm deniece coke. and i'm -- denise koch. >> and i'm vic carter. police say a crofton man collected more than 20 guns with violent plans for a rampage. mike hellgren is closely following the investigation. and jessica kartalija has reaction from people who live near the suspect. let's begin with mike hellgren who has the latest from police. mi?