the 23-year-old victim was a randallstown high school graduate,ed a had recently enrolled at catonsville community college to pursue a medical degree. she leaves behind a 6-year-old daughter. >> a loving family, a caring family. it's just that she was coming from a doctor's appointment. and like i say, it happened. >> reporter: but how did it happen? police say the unidentified suspect had carjacked someone earlier, and members of the regional auto theft task force spotted the car on lexington street, but were ordered not to speed after it. but members of the victim's family are left with an agonizing question: why if police were instructed not give chase, was the suspect traveling so fast in that vehicle? >> no, i don't believe the chase because they couldn't have arrived at the scene that fast, and if they would have chased and had the suspect going as fast as they claim he was going, he should have been able to bail out of the car at an earlier time. it was ten blocks away. >> reporter: the family is

prepared to wait for an investigation into the incident to take its course, and members are balancing their grief with their frustration over how the case has been handled thus far. they say the family didn't learn of her death until five hours of the accident. and they are angered that they have not been permitted to identify her body. >> you don't know for a fact that it's her even now? >> no, i don't know other than the fact they gave us her license and it was her vehicle. but again, it could have been someone else driving the car. so we don't know. >> reporter: in randallstown, jeff hager, abc 2 news. >> police are withholding the suspect's name, but they say she an 18-year-old baltimore man who is currently listed in serious condition at shock trauma. she expected to face charges, including manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and auto theft. charges will not be filed in the deaths of two teenagers hit by a light rail train near lutherville last month. police say they finished their investigation, and they found no evidence that anything

criminal happened. conner peterson and kyle wankmiller were walking on the tracks near the lutherville station when they were hit from behind. baltimore county police say they have no reason to believe the driver did anything wrong. >> you know, the driver said he didn't see them. there are some environmental issues that also took place in this investigation, such that detectives, you know, looked at -- the officers saw under the sunlight at that time of day, at that turn in the tracks and where those tracks were, exactly what the operator would have seen. >> police say they checked the cell phone records of the driver, and he was not using his phone at the time of the crash. police in baltimore city are looking for a person who set a kitten on fire. we want to warn you, the pictures we're going to show you are very graphic. the 8-month-old kitten named gabriel was found on garrison avenue. a witness says she saw several kids throwing bricks and rocks at the cat and then set it on fire. the kitten was able to put out the flames somehow, but

witnesses say the kids then lit her on fire again. the kitten is being treated for her burns. the snyder foundation is also offering a $1,000 reward for anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the conviction of the person or people who did this. if you have any information, call the barcs animal shelter at 410-396-4695. and baltimore city police are still looking for a woman who hit a police officer with her calf after he pulled her over. this happened in the 3000 block in east baltimore last night. the driver put the car in reverse, and then hit the officer. a woman in the car, a passenger tried to get out, but the driver pulled away, dragging her. both were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. a fifth person in the state of maryland has died from complications associated with the swine flu. an adult who lived in the washington suburbs did have other medical problems. no other details are being released, but health official says they expect more deaths as the flu season gets closer. and meanwhile, maryland will be on the front lines in the fight

against the flu with vaccine trials. abc 2's kelly swoope joins us with that story. kelly? >> reporter: marybeth, they're going to begin testing the vaccine monday at the university of maryland school of medicine. the first studies will start with 67 young adults and 67 seniors. now there are actually three vaccine studies going on throughout the country. two are going to look at different manufacturers and dosing. researchers will look to see what is the most appropriate number for the various age groups. and in the third study will look at how the h1n1 vaccine could impact other vaccines. >> every now and then, if you give several vaccines simultaneously, one could interfere with the other and kind of mute the immune response a bit. 10 we just want to make sure that both vaccines continue to be effective. >> new they don't need any more young adults for monday, but they are still looking for seniors to participate in the study. that's folks 65 and older.

if you are interested, call 410- 706-6156, the university of maryland's vaccine development volunteer office. and i want to tell you, they told us it was not a live vaccine. they anticipate the side effects will be the same for the seasonal flu shots, a sore arm, maybe a little achy, and possibly feverish future a day or two. kelly swoope, abc 2 news. >> thanks, kelly. and the government released new guidelines for schools if schools have the h1n1 virus. now it says schools should only close if a large number of kids have the swine flu. and kids will be able to come back 24 hours after a fever is gone. the advice is a change from previous recommendations that people with swine flu stay home for a week. the decision to close schools rests with school officials, but they do look at the recommendations from the federal government to make that decision. a water main break in northeast baltimore flooded several homes. it's still a problem. a 16-inch main broke in the

2800 block of kirk avenue this morning. 30 homes were flooded and they're assisting people whose homes were damaged. water and electricity has been shut off in the area. the age of the pipes is being blamed, and crews hope to have the water restored by tomorrow. i'm meteorologist wyatt everhart. we've been watching a day where the temperatures barely got out of the 70s. this is pleasant stuff for early august. it can get up well above 100 degrees. i don't have to tell you that. we're liking this. it's going to stay mild tonight too. take a look at some of the highs across the area today. 78 was it north of the pa boarder in york. and winchester, virginia only 80 degrees today. only 80 in baltimore itself. the radar shows clear, and we expect to it stay that way tonight and into most of your saturday that could begin to change a little bit late tomorrow afternoon. we'll talk more than coming up. was again, 62 tonight. you got to like that. we'll have the detailed forecast, including a mini heatwave.

that's straight ahead. a stevensville woman was found criminally responsible in the poisoning death of her 3- year-old daughter. victoria sparrow pleaded guilty last month to murder charges, but said she wasn't criminally responsible because of mental illness. sparrow admitted mixing medications into her daughter's food, telling investigators she wanted to kill herself and take her daughter with her. a judge decided that sparrow did know the difference between right and wrong. she could face life in prison when she is sentenced. the governor says he is frustrated by the anne arundel county council's indecision on slot machines. the council deciding whether to rezone land to build what could be the state's largest casino next to anne arundel mills mall. o'malley told members of the state's horse racing and breeding industry that it is gummed up because of delays in anne arundel county. the council will discuss the issue again in the fall. and the governor is heading down to ocean city, but it's not all fun and games. the governor will join the maryland association of counties for the annual summer

conference. the big event is being toned down this time around, at least for those in o'malley's camp. the administration has asked staffers to cut back on spending by sharing rooms and carpooling. >> we're cutting back on everything we do, just like every family in maryland is tightening its belt in order to survive these difficult times. we have to do that across everything that the state government does. >> the annual conference starts on monday. a former miss maryland is in trouble tonight. tia shorts pleaded guilty to obstructing a drug investigation. shorts was crowned miss maryland usa in 2004. she was also named miss congeniality by her fellow competitors. her boyfriend, his brother, and her 67-year-old mother were also arrested in this case. you'll have more time to trade in that old clunker. president barack obama signed a law this morning extending the cash for clunkers program that was so popular, it ran out of

money. the fund is now $2 billion richer and will run through labor day or until the money runs out. the law gives you 3500 to $4,500 for trading in old cars for newer, more efficient vehicles. the latest unemployment numbers were the most encouraging in months. the country's jobless rate showed a smaller decline in jobs than earlier this year, and it even dropped slightly from last month. it is at 9.4% for july, down from 9.5% in june. and if you're driving in lutherville, you may want to avoid seminary avenue. an old bridge was shut down this morning. crews will work to replace the bridge that was built back in 1900. that section of seminary and the new bridge should be back open next tuesday. kids in cockeysville are fighting for a police officer they say changed their lives. they call him officer kevin, and he works at the cockeysville pal center. he is being reassigned to the streets, but the kids want him

to stay there. so today they were outside the center holding signs to try to save officer kevin's job. when we asked how long they would be out there protesting, they said as long as it takes to save officer kevin. >> kind of a upsetting that they're making him go back on patrol. and he is the only officer that built a relationship with the kids at the center. he has gotten so many kids to become police officers. >> no matter which way it goes, he must feel pretty good about that. the kids have also started a petition on facebook. he would leave the center august 21st. coming up, it is time to start that back to school shopping. but will the economy stop parents from going all out for their kids this year? and a very special welcome back for derrick mason. we'll tell you who performed for him at training camp. >> watch abc 2 news any time on channel 1 with comcast on demand.

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you're watching baltimore's station that works for you. now abc 2 news at 6. >> the list is on its way if you don't already have it. we're talk the school supply list. parents are about to hit the stores for the back-to-school blitz. but are they? retail sales are down drastically as consumers are holding on to their wallets. for those folks who are shopping, they're staying out of the mall. &&. >> reporter: okay, kids, the summer fun is almost up. the clock is ticking. about three weeks left to go. the fun will soon be over. time to go back to the store. >> i need pencils, markers, and glue. >> reporter: so a whole lot of stuff? >> yeah. >> reporter: but what you want isn't always what you need, and what mom says you will get. especially with what things cost these days. >> staples is consistently in

the paper. i've gone to office depot too. and target and kmart, they have just about enough stuff. >> for little stuff you don't need the $400 shoes. >> nobody, no way! i'm a bargain shopper. that's for sure. >> reporter: and bargain shoppers have not made for great news for many retailers. summer sales are the worst they have been in ten years. july retail figures saw sales plummet 5%. the losers are mall-based chains like macy's, abercrombie & fitch and stores that sell luxury items. but not everyone had a bad july. t.j. maxx, wal-mart, target, and kohl's all posted small gains, and may have an even better august. but consumers are still looking mostly at price and real need. >> i'm not sure if the other ones -- [ inaudible ] >> reporter: retailers that have brick and mortar stores are offering a lot of deep discounts online. they're out thing the fact that they have free shipping. and some retailers that are

exclusively online, they're saying in some states you don't even have to pay sales tax. anything to get consumers to shop. price, sales, and deep discounts on some everyday items are what is most important for shoppers. whether they're in stores early or still enjoying the summer, folks are planning even more carefully how they shop. >> you get what you need and bargain shop. you do the best you can. but at the same time you can't just buy what they want all the time. the school gave us a list of things that they necessarily have to have. and the rest we just have to penny-pinch or do whatever we got to do. >> reporter: in baltimore, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >> and abc 2 news works for you. we want to make the transition from summer to school as easy as possible. we have a back to school section on our website, abc2news.com. there you can find everything from saving money on school supplies to studying tips. just go to abc2news.com. now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate by weather rate.

and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> yes, it was a fine day today. >> mighty fine. >> i know it's changing soon, but i'm still enjoying it. , i tell you. you think about back to school. we haven't even had a standard baltimore heatwave. >> where are the dog days? >> we have not had them yet. but we've got a little spike coming our way. i won't call it a heatwave, but a heat spike. a couple days. watch out for it. let's show you first what we're seeing right now. pleasant, pleasant evening out there. look at this. gorgeous shot outside. 80 degrees right now. we're going to be quickly down in the 70s. and then eventually down on into the 60s. marybeth, look at that humidity. 38% right now. and you got to love that. and talking about maybe saving a few bucks. maybe you're vacationing closer to home. take a look at this rehoboth beach, gorgeous day down there. 75 degrees on the water's edge. lots of people on the boards there. and looks like a real nice day down the ocean, as we say. here is a look at your big

forecast closer to home tomorrow. i think we're looking at probably one to two feet of chop, closer to two feet later in the day. boaters are looking good. but watch the south wind to pick up through the day. that will pick the chop up to closer two feet. late in the afternoon there could be a small craft advisory. but i think most of the day will be nice. if you're out say sandy point, it's looking good for you. low temperatures this morning. this was really something to point out. 50s. widespread 50s on an early august morning. that's just unusual. part of the reason we were able to drop this low. 57 winchester. 54 up in york because the humidity was so low. when you are the really low humidity, it allows the air to cool off more quickly. it added up to a cool start this morning. leave the windows open. quickly down into the 70s and 60s later on tonight. we're already at 79 in winchester. 79 at pawtuxent river. satellite pictures there is no rain being picked up by our radar right now. we do see some clouds drifting

out of the west. look for partly cloudy skies this evening. i think we'll see some clearing overnight. tomorrow we'll start off with good sunshine. a few more clouds billow up in the afternoon. maybe an isolated thunderstorm. but not expecting much. here is that forecast in detail. we do have a disturbance moving across the great lakes. that's going truck toward new england, skip us in maryland. maybe bring a couple of showers. overnight down to 62 degrees. partly cloudy, mild, pleasant. about as good as it gets. you probably can get away without the air conditioner. but tomorrow 87 degrees. sun mixing with clouds. it will feel warmer by the afternoon. a few clouds billow up. maybe isolated thunder. then sunday 94, pushing to 97. a scorcher of a day coming on monday. watch out for that one. we do get some relief in here as we push later into the week. marybeth? >> thanks, wyatt. firefighters and emergency responders from maryland are headed to the west coast. about 20 volunteers are going to oregon to help fight

wildfires. the crews will help people on the ground contain the fire. they were originally supposed to go to alaska, but their orders were changed this morning. >> it's a commitment. and it's tough leaving home, but it's good to go out and do a job that benefits natural resources in the western united states, and protect folks' homes. and their possessions. >> the firefighters will spend 14 days in oregon, helping crews from all around the country fight those wildfires. okay. so you probably know derrick mason retired, and then after a lot of thought and phone calls from his ravens teammates, he decided to come back out of retirement. but he was a little disappointed with the reception he got. here is what he had to say on sunday. >> it really felt good. i was looking for market man. i got to get with kevin to get that market man. we'll get it sooner or later. either that, or girl scouts come on down and cheer me on the next or something, i don't know. >> so despite the lack of pomp and circumstances at practice every day, which is a good

thing, because today he got his band and his girl scouts. members of troupe 1594 came to court today with their recorders and gave mason a great welcome back. >> i was surprised. but it was a good surprise for me. i asked for the marching band. i asked for the girl scouts, and the ravens sent the girl scouts. >> made a couple statements that t.o. got a marching band and he didn't. get we g the girl scouts. let him know we did support him. that. >> is so cute. the scouts brought signs. one even said who needs snoop when you have the girl scouts, referring to snoop dogg's visit yesterday. not only did mason get the band he wanted, the girl scouts also brought cookies, and lots of them. mason did sign autographs for the scouts. we told you last week about

the putty hill panthers who were headed to the pee wee world series. today they played a team from atlanta and lost 12-3. but they aren't out of the tournament. tomorrow they'll take on a team from spokane. yesterday they played the team from puerto rico and beat them 11-1. hang in there. it was and is a picture- perfect evening. and look at that big ol' ship downtown. in the harbor. how will the weather last? and how will it change? because it is. wyatt is back with the final forecast. every sunday, lasagna at mom's was a family tradition. when she started forgetting things, i was hoping it was nothing. grandma! what a nice surprise! mom, it's sunday. that's when i knew i couldn't wait.

mom's doctor said these were signs of alzheimer's, a type of dementia, and that prescription aricept could help. he said it's the only treatment proven effective... for all stages of alzheimer's. studies showed aricept slows the progression... of alzheimer's symptoms. it improves cognition... and slows the decline of overall function. aricept is well tolerated but not for everyone. people at risk for stomach ulcers... or who take certain other medicines... should tell their doctors... because serious stomach problems... such as bleeding may get worse. some people may experience fainting. some people may have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bruising, or not sleep well. some people may have muscle cramps... or loss of appetite or may feel tired. in studies, these were usually mild and temporary. mom. talk to your doctor about aricept. don't wait. alzheimer's isn't waiting.

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there is a new place to buy healthy lolly grown food. the friday fresh farmers market opened for business. at the entrance to hopkins plaza and is sponsored by kaiser permanente who opened the market to raise awareness about eating healthy. well, one last check of the weather for you. and i tell you. just a terrific evening on the way. get out and enjoy. you probably don't need the ac. 87 tomorrow. scattered storm or go in the afternoon. into the 90s we go sunday and monday, even hotter. enjoy it out there tonight. >> thanks, wyatt. that's all for us on abc 2 news at 6. i'm marybeth marsden. thank you for joining us. we'll be back here tonight at 11. we hope you'll join us then. good night. >> thanks for choosing abc 2 news at 6. for more news, watch abc 2 news at 11, or go now to

abc2news.com. abc 2 works for you. switch to what works for you. abc 2 news at 11 and marybeth marsden. energy, experience -- >> good evening, i'm marybeth marsden. >> breaking news, fast and first. >> we were the first to bring it to you. >> reports saving you money. keeping you safe. >> lucky enough to land a job, what can you do -- >> marybeth marsden. >> we're the reason more of baltimore is moving bedtime to 11:30. >> abc 2 news at 11. works for you. switch and you'll see. ♪

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