♪ ♪ >> "action news," delaware valley's leading news program with jim gardner. ♪ >> tuesday night. the big story on "action news" tofntonight is the search for an

armed band it who kidnapped and punched a woman outside her own apartment. residents in the area are horrified this could happen in their midst. jeanette reyes is live at the top of the hill apartments with more. >> jim, the search is on for the man behind the abduction. there is one detail that someone what recognizes him will know. >> cops were all over here all day. >> residents at the top of the hill apartments off of prior road knew something was wrong when police and investigators descended on the normally quiet apartment complex this morning t. >> we moved here to get away from a worse one. >> police received a call about a brazen abduction. the woman told them she had gonen out of her car when a man

approached her with a gun. he made her drive to an atm to withdraw money. at some point he punched her. >> she was released back at the top of the hill apartments. that's how we got the call. >> residents that frequent the open parking lot where this happen say it's a frightening ordeal that could have happened to them or a loved one. >> i have an older son that's 22. i was like you want to come home with me tonight? >> that could have been my fiance or my daughter. >> police have a description of white male possibly 5' 8. they hope this detail will help track him down. >> he was talking to himself. we want that information out there. we want people to think, is there anyone that they know of that may fit that description? >> the victim did suffer nonlife

threatening injuries. police are offering a reward up to $20,000 for information that will lead to an arrest. reporting live in wilmington, jeanette reyes, action news, wphl-17. >> that a fire ripped through a three story home. the blaze went through several alarms breaking out at 7:00. after several hours battling the flames, firefighters have it under control. nobody was hurt. investigators have to search the charred remains to determine what caused the blaze. >> a pedestrian is recovering after a hit and run in the germantown section of philadelphia. a car red ran a red light, hita woman with the green light and

then hitting a 51-year-old pedestrian. police arrested driver. she was fleeing from another car accident she caused blocks away. >> the white house has disclosed that president trump knew for three weeks that national security advisers michael flynn lied to vice president mike pence but took until last night for trump to fire flynn. officials say he was fired not because he talked to the russian ambassador about sanctions imposed by president obama but because he deceived the vice president to say the sanctions never came up in flynn's conversation. spokesman sean spicer was asked why it took so long? >> we got to a point not based on a legal issue, but a trust issue, and the trust between the president and flynn where he

felt he must make a change. he was concerned that he misled the vice president and others. >> there has been an exodus of prison guards in smyrna since the hostage siege february 1st. dann cuellar is live in the satellite center. what are the details on that and the latest investigation? >> with more than a dozen correction officers quitting and retiring, the uprising has left a mess. the governor called for a review but other others worry the probl go nowhere. >> delaware governor john carney named justice dewpoint ridgely and another to review and avoid a repeat of the uprising in the

correction f facility claiming e life of lieutenant steen floyd. >> it's important to make the institution safe and secure recognizing this is important work. >> they point out 17 correction officers have quit or refired in the wake of the february 1st uprising. >> for the pay and risk and lieutenant floyd had to be murdered for us to make change, i can understand people feeling that way. >> the head of prison reform and justice has issues with the investigation ordered by the governor. >> we feel the state can't investigate itself. we are pressing forward with a federal independent investigation. >> officers are leaving. people are living in fear. >> jeff klopp doesn't know how anyone would want to work for the department of corrections if

major changes don't come soon. >> my fear is another panel and investigation and put together a thick book that nothing comes of it. >> the preliminary findings are due june 1st. he expect ts a final report to improve security at vaughan by thee 16th. jim? >> >> dan: , thank you. >> it took 15 years but a judge found guilty the killer of etan patz. he was abducted the first day his parents permitted him to walk two blocks to the school bus stop by himself. his father had this reaction to the verdict. >> i am truly relieved. i tell you, it's about time. it is. it's about time. >> etan patz was one of the

first faces of missing children to appear on milk cartons. the boy's body has never been found. >> gaming regulators reported revenue was up 17.7% january compared to a year ago. all seven surviving casinos took in more winning and internet gambling provided a boost. >> love was in the air on this valentine's day. christie ileto made the rounds to see how philadelphiaens were enjoying the holiday. >> love birds flocked to dilworth park. >> at the franklin institute -- >> we have a science of wine event couples come to learn the science behind wine. >> i felt it was something different. >> on the avenue of the arts -- >> it's valentine's day.

>> it's a valentine's day. yes. >> it's girl's night out with dinner and a show at the kimmel. i left my husband home. here we are. >> the night was not just about love notes and cand y candy gr. >> fish town punch line philly was packed with people sharing stories about their ex's. >> this is the anti-valentine's day show. it's about bad relationships and love gone wrong. everyone has a story like that. we are all coming out to share it. >> for some, it was a chance to celebrate decades of love. >> 36 years. >> in center city, christie ileto, channel6, action news. >> still to come the kiss cam. the suspect wanted to lock lips. now he's locked up. we have video of the bizarre assault on a female officer.

>> it's not an action movie stunt. harrison ford nearly hit a passenger jet flying his own flame. adam? >> we could have rain tomorrow morning, but wind will be the star of the show toward the end of the week. we have details in accuweather. >> and alley gorman has a special report. >> doctors hope gene therapy could restore vision for people. it's a rare disease that strikes young men and within weeks causes them to become legally blind. if the treatment works for this disease, it could lead to cures for others as well. >> ducis rogers is at spring training and westminster crowns its top dog tonight when "action news"

>> president trump has approved fema funding for the affected area around the california orville dam. authorities are allowing people to return home but more rain is expected this week. officials are concerned if the spill way fails a 30-foot wall of water could be released on the community below. >> harrison ford nearly crashed at the john wayne airport in santa anna on monday. he was told to land on a runway but mistakenly landed on a parallel taxi way. ford is an experienced pilot but has been involved in several accidents. >> trenton is dealing with a bird watching problem nothing to crow about. so many of the avians have been

descending on downtown residents describe it as a scene out of a hitchcock movie. the birds leaving their calling card is really causing a mess. shop owners say that has led to dropping sales. one man, scott miller has taken to banging pans to chase the crows off. the property management is using rooftop noise machines to disperse the birds. >> the woman who stole a baby jesus from a bethlehem nativity scene before christmas faced judgment today. she pled guilty to leaving it at the hospital saying it had been neglected by joseph and mary. she was ordered to pay $100 and court costs but no jail time. >> this is police body cam of

the kissing band it at 69th street terminal. we told you about last night. his victim, a female septa officer. >> you are going to back up right now. >> let me give you one kiss. >> back up. >> septa police chief says the aggressive affection was not only illegal but disrespectful and demeanorring to a woman doing her job. the officer was able to handcuff the man after he moved in and forcibly kissed her. now a health check. it often strike in the prime of life. young adults becoming legally blind because of disease. the hospital in philadelphia is hoping to help. it's a devastating disease and interesting research.

doctors are testing gene therapy hoping to prevent blindness in some and restore sight in others. we caught up in two men enrolled in the trial. gary was the picture of health, 17 years old, a baseball player in florida. he had just started to drive when a few months later, his vision started to have erode. first in his right eye and weeks later his left. >> he had to stop driving and quit baseball. it was a similar story for kevin of texas also 17. i met them both at the hospital. >> i happened overnight. one day i was fine driving through the streets of town and the next day i couldn't see the board. >> both gary and kevin have a

disease called lhon. >> it causes vision loss in one followed by the other and causes legal blindness. >> it affects men and women of all ages but typically hits young men. there is no improved treatment in the u.s. so both gary and kevin joined a trial testing gene therapy. patients get an injection in both eyes. one is a placebo. the other is material made in a lab to replace the problem. the goal is to recover sight. the doctor is optimistic, but right now doesn't know if it will work. results are expected in a year. in the meantime, kevin continues to play the trumpet, marching with the help of band mates. gary uses peripheral vision to

hit golf balls. both stay positive, their families hoping for the best. >> as a parents, you want the best for your kid. >> if this works for this disease, it could cure other genetic diseases as well. this is one of three in the u.s. and they are enrolling. we have details on "6abc".com. gary and kevin say they are keeping up activities as much as they can hoping their vision comes back. >> exciting research. thank you. >> a man was reunited tonight with first responders that saved his life. they stopped by emergency services in franksville. he was playing basketball when he went into cardiac arrest. his teammates performed cpr until paramedics arrived.

his heart was beating again. he was humbled by the experience. that is easy to understand. let's go to adam joseph with accuweather. we have warm weather on the horizon. >> most of the seven day but one day. we are in the dry at the present time, clouds from the south and west. clouds take over during the overnight hours, temperatures 36 in philadelphia. 20s in the lehigh valley just below freezing in the poconos, upper 30s to 40-degrees in southern parts of delaware. not a huge variation of temperature. you see the drop to the north colder because of lack of cloud cover allowing for the heat. satellite and radar, we have one storm over the great lakes, a second storm bringing severe weather in the deep south. they stay separate sliding east

to the west. there could be early morning showers from atlantic city long beach to tip of cape may, central delaware. it's a quick ribbon of rain that passes by. cold front comes through around lunchtime tomorrow. instability, snow showers lehigh valley and poconos late in the afternoon. the majority of the region after the morning can clouds, looking for sunshine in the afternoon. winds kick up in the afternoon once the front passes. temperatures are balmy. 52-degrees but with the sun and clouds and the wind 12 to 25 miles per hour tomorrow, certainly going to feel like the low 50s. you could knock off five degrees. then the wind tunnel effect takes shape thursday. much like the last storm that bombed out in parts of new england, the next storm for new

england does the same thing bringing feet of snow for parts of maine. for us, dry sun and clouds and winds 35 to 40 miles per hour thursday air temperatures at 39. that's the only day of the seven day temperatures are below normal. the exclusive accuweather forecast, breezy and sun and clouds for early rain south, 52-degrees. windy, windchills in the 20s, thursday 39 with a decent amount of sun. friday, 44-degrees and we are flirting around the 60-degree mark saturday to tuesday next week. a good amount of shine everyday. 57 saturday. 20-degrees above normal sunday. president's day, near 60-degrees. still sunny and warm come tuesday. this mild winter seems to continue into the middle of february. >> thank you, adam.

>> a man from newtown square found a unique way to express his love on this valentine's day. >> if i ever get a chance to relive my life, it would be the day i met you. >> steve asked police to stop by their house. he borrowed their intercom to profess his love for his wife of 35 years. she says he never ceases to amaze him. >> discover bank donated $250,000. the money will transform the library into a state of the art innovation center. it's expected to open in may. ♪ ♪ my favorite part about being a dad --

just to see their faces in the morning when i wake them up. the first thing you think about is your wife and your kids and your family. so i had surgery locally, and it came back after my follow up that i needed a second surgery. and that's when i said i need a second opinion. everyone, from the moment i walked through the doors, they're smiling and i love the fact that included me in the whole process. the diagnosis of cancer is one of those things that you want an answer now. we can do now here. rod was great. i mean, he did everything that we asked him and more. the treatment plan was for him to have chemotherapy and radiation followed by surgery. i feel like this was the right way for me and the right treatment for me. at cancer treatment centers of america, we treat cancer, every stage, every day. call or go to cancercenter.com. appointments available now.

>> the burlington township high school j.v. cheerleaders received a police escort tonight. the team returned from a competition in orlando and won

national and world titles in their division. family members were waiting for the girls who showed off their medals. everyone with pride and satisfaction for good reason. strange goings on with the '76ers. >> what does it mean? >> i don't know. this is what's happening. exiled oa okafor is back. he rejoined the team in boston. he will be in uniform against the celtics. coach brown said playing him in the talks would complicate things so is he staying? maybe the price is too high. we don't know. baseball is back. pitchers and catchers held their first work out. hope springs eternal for a philly's team with a whole lot

of talent to development. >> the philly's have arms, long arms, and veteran arms. >> we have a good blend of young and old -- more experienced pitchers. i'm satisfied what i'm looking at right now. >> last season they leaned on jeremy hellickson. this year they have buchholz to learn from. >> any type of advise you get is the best. >> what can they learn from the veteran arms? >> a lot 6789 they hav. they have been in our place at one point in their career. >> they have been through so much. hellickson has thought me a lot. i look forward to talking with buchholz too about his experiences, changeups, pitches. that's where it starts. >> it's a two way street.

though buchholz has been in the big lead since 2007, that doesn't mean a veteran can't be inspired by the young guns. >> you have to be top of your game. they are coming in here hoping to impress and help us win baseball games. >> call it the circle of life in baseball. one minute you are a bright eyed rooky, the next, a veteran. >> ducis rogers, action news. >> coming up, not just nova, another basketball team ranked in the top 25. mock the hawk? how dare

>> big shoutout to temple women's basketball, now ranked top 25 since '06. rams mocks our hawk. not cool at all. st. joe's lamar kimble no answer for lewis. 34 points in all. 91 o91-81. that ram angered me. >> a doyle's town man spent his valentine's day doing what he loves to do. that would be singing. >> ♪

♪ old town river -- >> that is lionel crow a resident of enhanced living in doyle town. his dream was to perform and opera singer aaron alcron joined him on stage. "jimmy kimmel live" next. "action news" continues at 4:30 with pamela edwards, matt o'donnell, david murphey and karen rodgers with traffic. >> for jamie apody, cecily tynan, and the entire "action news" team, i'm jim gardner.