two men were getting into a red toyota truck. one said hey, you got us. we stole that phone. by the way, we stole this red truck, too. case closed in 24 minutes. charged, 31-year-old daniel and 54-year-old michael rigby. these two suspected arrested were associated with occupy baltimore movement. >> after they were arrested, they told police they were involved in that movement, yes. >> reporter: you think they might be linked to other thefts of autos? >> at least one of them told police they have been stealing from vehicles in the area since sunday. >> reporter: how many vehicles? >> we're not sure. it could be as high as 30 different victims. >> reporter: talk about fast work. police made the arrest before the owner of the stolen truck had a chance to report it

missing. the investigation continues on. jim, back to you. >> all right. pat collins live for us back in kensington. thank you. it is a messy night. if you are waiting for someone to get home or you are trying to get home, it may be a little while. >> good luck. it is a slick evening. it's making for a messy commute. chuck bell is in storm center 4 with the forecast. hi, chuck. >> another cloudy and mild day around here. the rainshowers, the good news is, most of the rain is coming to an end. the bad news is, of course, it's a slow go out there. anytime we have the wet roads out there, we need to slow down and use caution. 55 now in washington. still 60 in annapolis. 60 in waldorf. 60 in charlotte hall. 62 in huntingtown back to northern virginia, temperatures in the upper 50s to near 60 degrees. here is a look at live doppler.

the majority of the rain is along and to the east of the i-95 corridor. rain-free conditions across the valley. more rain to the north and west. it's wet across the beltway. drying out along i-66 and to the west. more rain across southern pennsylvania. can't rule out they could bring rain chances. for the most part, a whole lot more wet than rainy. evening temperatures hold in the 50s. a mild night for sure. we'll talk about how long it's going to sti around in a few minutes. >> thanks, chuck. the latest on the payroll tax cut fight. president obama calling congressional leaders to urge them to move past this stalemate. if the house republicans don't reach a compromise with the senate democrats millions of working americans could take a 2% pay cut on the first of january. millions of others could lose their jobless benefits. >> the ball is in the house's

court. there's a compromise available. >> all we are asking for is to get the senate members over here to work with us to resolve our differences so we can do what everybody wants to do. >> president obama urged the house to pass what the senate passed and promised to work with them on a one year measure. some say the squabbling in congress put our country in a state of uncertainty. they say the fighting is harming the nation's economic recovery. our area is hurt the most by this. chris gordon is in the news room with how it's affecting our local economy. chris? >> employees of the federal government are left with uncertainty. businesses can't plan, grow or create new jobs. for those who are working, their holiday spirits may be dampened by knowing that the new year could bring a tax increase.

congress left for the holidays without delivering the package that many hoped for this season of giving. the house, tuesday, rejected the senate compromise that would have extended the federal payroll tax holiday for two months without action by the new year which seems unlikely. they will face a 2% tax increase. for those making $50,000 annually, they will pay $1,000 more in taxes annually. that's $40 every two weeks. >> i'm trying to plan a wedding. i need that $40. >> reporter: congress failed to cut doctors treating medicare patients or the long-term jobless. where does that leave you? uncertain? >> definitely uncertain. this is my first day here trying to apply. from what you telling me right now, i may not get anything done. >> reporter: here, they estimate

3,500 people will fall off the unemployment rules in the next two weeks. >> without knowing what will happen to the extension, people are facing the holidays not knowing how they are going to fare and how long their benefits will be in place. >> reporter: they say the uncertainly congress created hurts the chances for an economic recovery. >> the indecisiveness we found on capitol hill makes business owners push the pause button. what i mean is in an uncertain environment, they are not certain how many jobs they can create or what kind of capital costs to incur. so, the pause button means the economy is no longer growing, we are not hiring new people. >> what also remains uncertain is whether congress will be willing to reconvene before the new year. some opponents of the federal payroll tax deduction want it to

last longer than two months and may take action if they can get an agreement on an extension that lasts at least a year. that's the latest from the news room. back to you in the studio. >> chris gordon, thank you. republican presidential candidate newt gingrich is making a campaign stop in arlington tonight. he's going to hold a town hall rally starting at 7:30. he'll hold another event in richmond tomorrow. gingrich needs all the support he can garner in virginia. he needs at least 10,000 signatures to get on the presidential primary ballot. the deadline is set for tomorrow. a new university poll shows gingrich leading the other republicans in the commonwealth. gingrich is favored by 30% of republicans. romney by 25%, ron paul 9% and

michele bachmann and rick perry at 6%. ag president obama, romney fares better than all others. part of a train fell off as it was on the blue and orange lines. what cause add friction wheel to come off? they identified a problem with hubs on the wheels. officials say they are looking into how they can improve communication so they can be aware of what's going on. yesterday's riders claim they sat in the dark for hours without metro telling them anything. the victims of pan am flight 103 are being remembered tonight in from arlington to new york state. 35 of them were from syracuse university. in our area, a memorial service was held at arlington national cemetery. it included a moment of silence and the reading of the names of

those who parrished. racial a hassment may have played a role in a death. the holiday travel rush is on, folks. when to expect the heaviest traffic on the roads and in the skies. van der sloot is wanted for -- >> news 4 at 5:00, we are just

december 21st, the holiday travel rush in full swing. the roads and airports packed with travelers heading out for the holidays. airlines for america predicts 44.3 million people will be flying over the holiday period. >> passengers should expect crowded plains. tracee wilkins has more on the rush to get out of town. >> reporter: if you are hearing and seeing me right now, chances are you have not left for your holiday traveling yet. you should. you are going to have plenty of company on the road. 2.2 million people are expected to travel 100 miles or more. that's going to mean crowded airports and crowded roads. nearly half the folks from the washington area, 40% will be out

of town for the holidays. that's really high considering that only 30% of the nation will be traveling 100 miles or more away from home this holiday season. >> i think it's a good thing in light of the recession. people are able to travel. that lifts your spirits. >> airlines for america is predicting fewer folks flying nationwide this year. that trend is in washington, also. 11% drop from last year. still plan for packed flights since the airlines have reduced flights in response to an overall decline in air travel. >> hopefully getting there early, earlier flights, not waiting until 2:00 in the afternoon and getting stuck in the rush hour traffic. that e that's my plan. >> reporter: here are the busy travel days. 44.3 million people to fly this season with the busiest days expected today and the 23rd.

then we are expecting another increase between december 26 and the 30th. increases on january 2nd and 3rd. >> when are you coming back? >> the night of the third. >> reporter: you are going to get in on the back end. >> don't leave until midnight. >> reporter: most folks are driving to their holiday destination. that means more company on the road. friday and saturday to be the worst days not just in the washington area, but around the country. at reagan international, i'm tracee wilkins, news 4. arrive early at the airport for your flight. also keep the airlines customer service number and a list of the rights you have on a flight within reach so you can wave them at the people. i know my rights! >> hey! >> peanuts and a diet coke. >> i don't have any water. >> what we got cocking out there? >> cooking is a good word for it. it's warm outside. everybody trapped in the

office -- >> oh my goodness. >> it doesn't feel like december. the average high is in the mid-40s. today, even with full cloud cover, we easily made 60 degrees in washington today. i think we are going to be near 60 for tomorrow. the mild air sticking around for a little while. as you get closer to christmas eve and christmas, colder air back in place. happy hanukkah to everybody. i think it's the second day of hanukkah. beautiful, cloudy skies. as long as you like cloudy thrks is the way you are happiest. 55 degrees with light rain falling. winds remain out of the southwest. southwesterly winds are going to keep the mild air in place. through the overnight hours, currently 59 degrees at the university of maryland. 59 degrees at andrews air force base. 59 degrees at reston town center. mild stuff out there. colder air across far northern maryland and southern

pennsylvania. it's going to be a while before the colder air settles in. as you make your plans to be outside, temperatures in the low 50s. most of the rain is going to be done here between now and 7:00 or 8:00 in the evening. you can't rule out the chances for rain around midnight or later. here is the bulk of the rain we are dealing with for the drive home from work on a wednesday afternoon. these showers are going eastbound toward annapolis, chesapeake beach and calvert. there's more rain to the south along i-95 and the north side. that's headed into charles county over the next hour or so. a break in the rain toward the blue ridge. again, we can't guarantee the dryness through midnight. this line of showers with embedded rumbles of thunder in pennsylvania in december. th that's two or three hours away. hagerstown, if that holds together, you have another chance for rainshowers about three hours from now.

the moisture across georgia is coming our way as we get into tomorrow night and early friday. the clouds and rain we have out there for now will come to an end. they won't stay gone for long. a little break early tomorrow. might see a peak or two of the sun during the front half of the day tomorrow t. dry start quickly turns into a rainy finish before the colder air settles in. overnight tonight, cloudy and mild. most of the rain long gone by midnight. if not, definitely by midnight. a dry start to work and school tomorrow. tomorrow afternoon dry to start. clouds on the increase. it will be mild. another day where the winter coats can stay at home. temperatures in the upper 50s to 60 degrees. here is the extended forecast. a chance for rain thursday night into the early part of the day on friday. cooler and drier saturday. sunshine and seasonably chilly. highs in the upper 40s. saturday night into sunday, a shot of moisture.

probably going to stay too far to the south to do us any good. a 30% chance of rain early on christmas day into lunchtime or so. we have to fine tune the event. rain chance 30% and chances of seeing a snow flake on christmas day remain probably 10% or less. that is unfortunate. you can follow the forecast on www.nbcwashington.com/weather or you can follow me on twitter. i know wendy and jim do. >> yes. >> thank you, chuck. a food fight brewing on the streets of downtown d.c. they contacted i team because they think they are being targeted by a parking unit. they get tickets every day of the week. it's costing them thousands. the iteam set up their cameras. hear what the city had to say and what it could mean for the district. that's tonight on news 4 at

11:00. stealing from the troops. how thieves took from a plan designed to help soldiers. exercise

what's your workout

wednesday. just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you should rule out the pool when it comes to getting exercise. a man who danced his way to weight loss. he did those dance steps under water. >> i was 250 pounds. that was the heaviest i have been. i was like i need to do something about this. i got a gym membership. i went to the gym, it was like hey, this treadmill, some people love it. i don't love it. people are like there's a zumba class. i'm like what is zumba. then you hear the music. it's hot. this is my people's music. one day, i got the courage, i stood in the back and fell in love. november 2009, i got certified as a zumba instructor. it's a latin cardiodance class. there's a lot of cardio. it's international. it has a lot of beautiful

rhythms from central america, anywhere in the world. we add a lung to make it more of a work out. in an hour, you can burn up to 1,000 calories. it's about resistance and engaging your core. it's all about resistance. it's good for people with knee injuries, have surgery, want to get comfortable in the class and if you are overweight. it's a great way. the water helps so much. i was very shy and insecure. now i'm like i can rule the world. >> you feel, especially when you come out the pool, it's like whoa, you have really been working like you have been using weights. >> if you love water and dancing, this is a great work out. >> i'm engaging myself. i have to question myself to show how i'm doing. we are both getting a great work out. i started seeing the weight come off. i felt better about myself. it's like oh my gosh, this is awesome.

it's like having a pool party. i want energy, have fun, get a great work out without thinking it's a work out. whoo! >> he looks like he's getting a work out. they are all outside of the pool. he lost 60 pounds from doing zumba. he's teaching child classes and another version using weights. the key is to use your whole body, bopping around in the water like hanley would do. you can't float around with a cocktail. >> zumba, like a caribbean cocktail. to learn more and get a firsthand account of what it's like to try it on your own, go to www.nbcwashington.com. >> don't go away. still ahead, the rules of the air. new regs to make sure pilots

aren't too tired to dry. cold and alone. who was supposed to be watching the child. kids sent to the hospital because something is burning them from the inside.

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fast 4ward through the headlines. two men arrested for two dozen car thefts in montgomery county. the men claimed to be involved with the occupy baltimore

movement. a victim has his iphone stolen out of his car in kensington. he helped lead them to the findmyiphoneapp. today president obama asked the house to pass the short term extension. he promised to work with lawmakers on a full year measure. metro pulled 16 rail cars from service after the incident on the blue and orange line. a friction wheel on a series 5000 car came off damaging two trains. they are trying to find out why the part came off. they are working on ways to improve customer communication. let's fast 4ward to the weather. a cloudy and mild day today. rain has been a big part of the afternoon as well. most of the light rainshowers are on to the eastern sides of the metropolitan area.

all wet along route 50 and 301. a very soggy ride home for you folks into maryland. across northern virginia, a break in the action. it means we can't completely be done with the rain before midnight. rainfall amounts have been light. upper 40s or 50. tomorrow, near 60 before cooler air this weekend. more on that coming up. back to you. >> thank you, chuck. prince william county police shot and killed a man after chasing a burglary suspect. two men wanted for an armed burglary in woodbridge. the men tried to stop their car. they arrested the driver but the passenger ran into a wooded area off northbound jefferson davis highway. he would not listen so they shot him. the father of a 2-year-old

child who the child was found alone inside an apartment is facing multiple charges. the little girl may have been abandoned up to 24 hours and left in filth. jane watrel joins us to tell us more about this. jane? police say the child's mother had been hospitalized for treatments of crohn's disease and left the daughter in the care of her father. he's facing up to ten years in jail. police say it was a disturbing scene when they walk sbood the apartment. >> the apartment was a mess. trash, food, and it was roach infested. >> reporter: in the back bedroom was a traumatized 2-year-old girl. >> she appeared unorganized, like i said, and she was dirty. we took her into custody and called child protective services. >> reporter: the girl's father under arrest. he was supposed to be watching

his daughter while the mother was hospitalized. he faces three child abandonment charges that could result in up to ten years in jail. the alleged abuse spread throughout the apartment complex. >> yeah, i mean it's sad. sometimes things happen. should have gotten a family member or somebody that can, you know, watch out for the child if he wasn't able to. it's just sad. >> reporter: court documents paint a graphic picture of the living conditions. it reads "fill think apartment with clothes everywhere, dishes with food on it on the floor and sink -- police say it was the child's mother who made a call tuesday afternoon to authorities asking them to check on her daughter. so far, he's offered no explanation why he left the young girl to fend for herself.

>> we don't know where the father was all this time. we don't know how long he left the child unattended. we are checking to see if the father had any type of mental disabilities. it's under investigation. >> anthony is held on $25,000 bond. he'll be back in court thursday afternoon. they tell news 4 the mother and daughter have been reunited. >> jane watrel, thank you. at least eight u.s. soldiers are facing charges tonight related to the death of a fellow serviceman. he was found dead back in october. the army thought he committed suicide and has said very little about his death. family members say they were told he was a victim of hazing by members of his company. they also claim he was bullied because he was chinese. >> some conflict and relieved to learn that the army is taking

this seriously. she hopes that the truth will come out. >> the eight soldiers face charges from dereliction of duties to homicide and manslaughter. they are still in afghanistan. the federal aviation administration making new rules which they hope will put an end to pilot fatigue. it's three years after the same fatigue was suspected in a deadly plane crash over buffalo, new york. it will give commercial pilots ten hours of rest between flights. they will be limited in the number of flights they can fly daily and weekly. they will have two years to adopt the plan. they are urging the faa to adopt the rules for decades. the u.s. census bureau is reporting a dramatic finding. the city of washington is leading the nation in the percentage of population growth. >> 17,000 residents have been

added to the population. it's a pace that beats the 1940s world war ii. tom sherwood, tell us about this. >> the city lost population. that was reversed in the last decade. the growth continues. >> whether it's a downtown hotel upgrading the entrance or a $2 billion redevelopment of the old convention center sight, the city of washington is booming. >> you can feel it around the city. it's a live dynamic. the city is clearly on the grow. >> reporter: i have seen more baby carriages, too. >> absolutely, young families are moving in. it underscores the important investments we are making in public education. >> reporter: they announced the city leads the nation in percentage growth. nearly 3% over the past year. outpacing the percentage states like alaska and colorado.

the greatest boom since world war ii. this bar has been in business in downtown locations since 1968. >> it's amazing how much has changed since the early '90s. they are all now moving in here. >> reporter: 17,000 people were added as city residents. some of them are happy to say why. >> we have been enjoying it. it's a pleasant city to live in. >> i graduated from college in 2010. i thought i wanted to be a lawyer or politician. i moved here. changed my mind. i work in restaurants now. >> reporter: with all the positive growth, there's worry about the side effects. we'll have that come iing up on news 4 at 6:00. it's a major change for people who race to the suburbs as soon as they could. >> now they have the roads, traffic is horrific. we have all these wonderful condos downtown and restaurants

and revitalizizatiorevitaliziza. >> the schools are better and better. the city around the region, the nation and around the world is known as the place to be. >> synergy is starting to happen. >> i'm here and you're here. >> tom is trying to drive up our real estate prices. >> we'll go for that. thank you, tom. the don't ask don't tell repeal played a big part in navy today. it happened when they returned to the port near virginia beach. it's a naval tradition to be the first sailor to kiss on the ship's return. two women shared the coveted kiss as the crowd around them cheered and wagged flags. the the sailor who won the raffle is a sailor from california and her partner in the navy. she was wearing civilian clothes today. still ahead, joran van der

sloot. letters to our men and women or service, bags of candy, treats for our troops and how they were stolen. i'm erika gonzalez. i'll have more on this story, coming up. i'm staff sergeant evans serving in kabul, afghanistan. i would like to say happy holidays to my family. [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices...

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our wednesday's child today is a lovely 17-year-old who has had to deal with real tragedy in her life.

>> she's overcome that difficult time and is looking forward to her future and hoping to do some great things today. with the guidance of an adoptive family she hopes to find. >> barbara harrison takes us to meet crystal. >> you love to dance? >> yes. >> i think you are going to enjoy today. >> hi. >> nice to meet you. >> you, too. >> welcome to the dance institute of washington. >> founder and artistic director was there to greet us at the dance institute of washington. down the hall in a brightly lit studio, dionne henderson wait waiting to give her a lesson in hip hop. >> hi, crystal. >> he's your hip hop instructor this morning. >> ready? >> great. >> she would love to be a dancer or actress some day. she's a foster child, hoping for a permanent family to support

her dreams. >> she's been bounced around from placement to placement. >> she says that hasn't been easy. what is it like moving from one place to another. >> it didn't feel right. when i lost my mom, it was kind of challenging. i never used them as an excuse. >> never an excuse to be sad or angry. but she's felt both emotions. now she's hoping to find love from an adoptive family. >> stretch. back up tall. >> she hopes to some day make a new family proud of the things she can do. >> i'm looking for her to have a home, a steady home. someone who they would direct her in the right ways. she has a bright future. she need that is guidance. >> how did she do? >> she did great. >> yeah? >> i loved it. >> you did? fantastic. >> i would like to present you

with two tickets to our kwanzaa production. >> thank you. >> she's never seen a live dance performance before. >> this is exciting, huh? >> she was thrilled with the new exciting things happening for her. she hopes a new family will be one of them. barbara harrison, news 4 for wednesday's child. >> if you have room in your home and heart for crystal or another child, call our special adoption hot line, 888-to-adopt-me or xwo go to www.nbcwashington.com. >> still ahead, children hospitalized. something is burning them from the inside. the danger of an item found all over your home.

more and more parents are taking their kids to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. itis not the flu and is stumping doctors. the lithium button batteries found in remote controls are to blame. the problem can be difficult for doctors to diagnose. >> children are either asymptomatic or nonspecific symptoms like a cough, fever, iritable. >> well, issues are most common with young children who are constantly putting things in their mouths. once the batteries are swallowed, they produce a current that burns through tissue. cases with the battery have skyrocketed and led to at least 13 deaths.

a local group that sends care packages to service members had a blow. the owner's van was stolen. >> inside the van, more than 50 pounds of treats and well wishes for the troops. >> reporter: it started four years ago as a small project. treats for our troops began with sending her children's leftover halloween candy to a few service members in iraq. sometimes we send ten boxes and they share it. >> reporter: several thousand candy bars later, it goes through. >> we go through everything. then we add cards and stickers. dear soldier, we hope you have a wonderful day, we will pray for you. >> reporter: according to to her, she last saw her minivan monday night locked and parked

outside her home around 9:30. by the time she came outside to take her boys to school, it was gone. >> we usually park the truck where that car is. >> reporter: it had 50,000 pounds of candy, boxed and ready to ship. >> the community came together to send the candy. >> reporter: the thief or thieves got away with one of her debit cards and racked up nearly $2,000 of clothing in bowie. they are calling it a crime of opportunity and say hardly anything is known about the suspect or suspects behind it. >> it's an issue of a suspect walking through a neighborhood and trying every door of every vehicle on the street and going into those that are unlocked. >> reporter: she isn't the only victim. 12 other people had their cars rifled through and items stolen the same night. all in the surrounding area. she says she still has a room

full of candy ready to be boxed and shipped overseas. it's not the amount that was stolen, it's the effort behind what it takes to put the boxes together that makes the story bittersweet. in arlington, erika gonzalez, news 4, washington, back to you. >> thank you. an early christmas for a family today. a single mom of two lives in bethesda. every day, she endures a five-hour round trip commute to work. not everyone, though, vehicles for change, a maryland nonprofit changed her life. they presented her with a refurbished 2001 toyota camry. it's the first family car. >> my son has been asking me for a year and a half, basketball, soccer, football. we can't do it, we don't have enough time. i can get him there now.

it's worth it. everything is worth it. >> this isn't just the family's first car. it's her first car as well. since 1999, they have awarded 3500 cars to local families. >> they do amazing work. >> a five-hour commute. yikes. >> a lot easier for her. >> not an easy commute out there with the rain. it got dark early. >> you have to have a comfortable seat in weather like this. you are going to sit in it. a little rain on the roadways. that's what we have for wednesday evening. it's not terribly cold outside. 59 in gaithersburg right now. 54 in washington. 60 in annapolis. radar shows the continuation of those showers moving eastward. now, rain in eastern and southern parts of prince george's county. over the bay bridge and the eastern shore. light rain along the prince george's and charles county line. it's scooting away from us.

there's another line of showers in western maryland. your fast forecast, sloppy and soggy ride home. short lived sunshine coming our way. a little more rain before christmas gets here. the seven day forecast is coming up at 6:00. rain thursday night, a little friday, then a dry stretch. >> all right. you have good plays for the week? >> we have really good ones. we decided to spread the wealth, so to speak. it's a rare week when we could have had three redskins in the play of the week. we decided to spread things out a bit from philadelphia to houston, buffalo and denver. we are not monkeying around. maybe we are. here is where the stars of the broncos and patriots did damage. it's a monkey riding a border collie at halftime. >> he's got a monkey on his back. >> they were posing for a moment. if you watch the monkey's head bob up and down, it doesn't look

real. >> wow. >> tim tebow has nothing on these guys. great catches. the resurge, the philadelphia eagles, michael vick. one-handed grab. he bowls into the end zone. the eagles bulling their way into the playoff race. several great catches on defense all by the redskins defensive backs. check out number 23. deangelo hall here. a tasty one handed grabby d. hall. remember, this comes on the heels of him getting blasted from that -- or trying to push him out of bounds. good game for d. hall. fooled the referees. mark sanchez to plaxico burris. great extension in the end zone. in bounds or out of bounds? the referee says out of bounds. that call was wrong. fortunately for the jets, it was

right. watch plaxico make the catch. a bright spot for the jets in a dismal performance against the eagles. the best trick of the week, carolina rookie goes in for the score. they fooled everybody. you have to watch this again. cram newton, the quarterback takes it snap. sticks it ball between the legs of his tight end 47. he goes the other way with the ball. by the time the texans realize what happened, it's a touchdown for the panthers. nobody had a better weekend than reggie bush. a career high 203 yards including 76 yard touchdown. how about the slide in the end zone? snow flurries in buffalo. colts runningback donald brown. wouldn't you know, i picked this guy up on my fantasy football

team. look what he's doing. donald brown with a touchdown. the colts fans are celebrating not because of the wind or the run but because of the win. they get a win. it's been a long time. >> he didn't want to play for you. >> how could you not want to play for me? >> when he knew he was no longer on your team, he took off. >> they start axeling. >> thank you, dan. doreen has a preview of what's coming up. >> energy regulators slap fines. >> last minute holiday shopping. we'll check on that and a fedex delivery guy tosses a package over a fence and smashes it. the whole thing is caught on camera. those stories and much more coming up in a few minutes. that's no way to treat a possible christmas gift. >> that is not what president

obama does. >> he can't say that wasn't me. >> busted. >> cameras everywhere. >> see you in a few. thanks. still ahead, prosecutors say he's a murderer. this woman calls him buddha. what inspired him to become the

say the name joran van der sloot and people all over the world recognize it. he's on trial for the murder of a woman in peru and was a suspect in the disappearance of natalee holloway. >> he's getting help from an unlikely source. >> my guardian angel, i have a tear in my eye as i write this letter. i love you, joran. >> yes, joran van der sloot, a florida radiologist sent him care packages, visited him three times in jail in peru. >> it was wonderful. we were nervous. >> most recently, this month. she's paid his legal bills. her nickname for him, buddha. she calls his new focus on philosophy. >> the more i know joran, the

the more i see a beautiful person there. >> 55 and divorced insists it is not romantic. she's his spiritual guide and advocate. >> he's hurting. he's struggling. he's trying to improve. >> you are not worried he's going to take advantage of your kindness? >> no. no, i'm not. even if he did, again, i'm an unconditional person. >> reporter: for a year and a half he's sat in jail accused of beating and suffocating stephanie florez after they played poker and the five-year anniversary of natalee hol way's disappearance. went to his hotel room, but only he left. her body was found inside. he later confessed then said he was threatened to do so. you think he's innocent? >> i know he's innocent. >> while they talk about everything from justin bieber

and love of disco to martin luther king and gandy, they never discuss his cases. >> you never say what happened with natalee holloway? >> it's not my role. >> he recorded a cd of her songs to raise money. ♪ i will rescue you >> she would move to peru. she may be his sole supporter. once antisocial and indif rent to others. her goal, to help joran van der sloot move forward. >> it's not pity that got me involved. it's compassion. it's love for someone. >> if he did beat this young woman to death, would that change your person of him as a person? >> i love him unconditionally. >> well, all righty. all righty. something to talk about there.

that was michelle kaczynski reporting. that was news 4 at 5:00. >> stay there, news 4 at 6:00 starts right now. cars in montgomery county stolen and they are from occupy baltimore. trains pulled after yesterday's mishap. a fedex driver throws a package over the fence and it's caught on camera. >> i'm doreen gentzler. >> we begin with more bickering between democrats and p republicans. president obama called john boehner to try to settle it. democrats demand a 60-day fix. brian mooar joins us live with more on this. >> reporter: it's this simple, if