minute deals? >> reporter: there are. where we are right now we can see the parking lot is starting to fill up at tyson's galleria. you can still get a good parking space. this is an important time for retailers. there's a lot going on. a lot riding on this. all during the yore or early you can shop online. this is the demain of brick and mortar. you've got to have gifts in hands. the christmas eve falls on a saturday is encouraging for retailers. it gives you part of an extra day for shopping. they're looking forward monday. that's the day when all those returns are made. people also start to redeem their gift cards. analysts are already cupping their projections for sales. first we were talking about a 3.8 to 4.2% increase in sales this christmas holiday. that could go as high as 5 percent increase. already shopper tracking firms says the sales surged 27% last

week over the week before. now gas prices are down in our area we're had good weather. those are all factors contributing to the somewhat rosy outlook. some stores are staying open  extending their hours. opening earlier and staying open to 6:00. macy's kohl's, sears they're closing at 6:00. toys r us are closing their doors at 10:00 p.m. there are lots of sales also. some deep cuts. not as deep as we were seeing last year when the kutsz were as high as 60%. while the kids are waiting for darkness to fall and for that guy in the red suit to show up, some parents are just wondering if they can make that deadline. >> derek you've got your leather jacket on. it's nippy out there? >> reporter: it is. with the wind kicking up, there's a bit of nip in the air.

>> thank you. this year's hottest holiday item is not tickle me elmo or furby, it's a pair of shoes. this was the scene yesterday morning at malls all over the country. it was the special rerelease of a pair of nike air jordan sneakers who were originally released in 1995. it was mostly peaceful, but there were a few isolated incidents. in san francisco someone fired a gun in the air. at a store in seattle police had to use pepper spray on some unruly shoppers. now the craziest part some people won't even wear these shoes. they plan on selling the $180 sneakers online for a much higher price. if you're about to head out the door for the holidays, you and everybody else. you are far from being along. you can expect to see lots of people on the roads and in the skies with you. aaa says nearly 30% of all

americans and nearly half of all washingtonians will be traveling 50 mills or high. that's the second highest number in a decade a 1.5 pempt jump from last year. more than 90% of the 92 million traveling will be driving. you can expect that traffic to continue right through the new year. lots of people on the roadways and clear skies. it's nice. it's a very nice day after some early, early, early rain drops. we have sun sunshine back. looks like we get to keep the sunshine for most of christmas weekend. the unfortunately part is we are not getting anything in the way of snow for christmas. >> we did see a wet christmas eve this morning. >> for us, yes. but for everybody that took their time to sleep in past 4:30 morning, you're going to miss out on the rain drops. all those rain drops now long gone. a look at the city of washington under an increasingly clear sky. the sunshine streaming on through. temperature 43 at reagan

national airport. 43 in annapolis. 39 in leesburg. southern delaware headed out towards ocean city, maryland, that's where the rain drops have gone. a couple of snowflakes across northwestern pennsylvania. after a few clouds this morning afternoon clearing temperatures in the mid to upper 40s for highs. 45 at 1:00 this afternoon when the redskins and the vikings kick it off. and your christmas day forecast. plenty of sunshine. few clouds coming back in. you can follow the forecast time, i added one more aides to our screen, noradsanta.org. you can track santa as he's gone around the world. he's already left the north pole. kids in australia are

determining if it's a good christmas. >> after you tweeted that out. he was in russia last and headed to japan. >> i wonder if the kids in australia and japan got their nike air jordans already. >> i wonder if they care. >> they might already be on ebay. thank you, chuck. right now president obama is officially on vacation. the president arrived a few hours ago in hawaii for a delayed christmas vacation with his family. he stayed in washington to help the house and senate come to an agreement on the payroll tax cut extension. the president greeted supporters at the airport then left to meet up with his family, michelle, maliyah and sasha have been in hawaii since last week. president obama officially signed the payroll tax yesterday into law after weeks of debate. house republicans originally agreed to a two-month extension then changed their minds at the

last second demanding a yearlong extension. the president, senate democrats, even fellow republicans criticized the move with some accusing them of playing politics instead of doing the right thing. but house gop members finally backed down agreeing to the two-month extension. >> a make or break moment for the middle class in this country. and we're going to have to roll up our sleeves together democrats and republicans to make sure that the economy is growing and to make sure that more jobs are created. >> once congress returns from its holiday break, it will try and come to an agreement on a full yearlong extension of the payroll tax cut. but democrats and republicans have very different ways of wanting to pay for it. and congress is latest stunt with the payroll tax cut has landed them squarely on the naughty list. the greater washington board of trade sent 535 lumps of coal to the capitol. one for each member of the house

and senate. the business group says lawmakers' inability to do anything has affected the greater washington area. they say businesses can't make sound decisions because congress has been so unpredictable in its actions. two big names in the race for the republican nomination in decision 2012 they failed to make virginia's primary ballot. the state's republican party says texas governor rick perry and newt gingrich did not meet the required minimum 10,000 signatures from registered voters. that numr must also include 400 signatures from each of the state's 11 districts. perry's campaign says it will review the facts to see if an appeal the warranted. gingrich has not yet commented. meanwhile mitt romney and ron paul will be on the ballot. virginia's primary falls on march, super tuesday. donald trump is no longer republican.

the real estate mogul changed his voter registration to unayiluated yesterday. he says it keeps his options open for a possible presidential run in 2012 as an independent candidate. trump has said if he does not approve of the republican candidate chosen to oppose president barack obama he would consider entering the race. cuba is releasing 2900 prisoners. but a potomac, maryland, man held for spying is not one of them. alan gross is not included on the list of inmates pardoned. that despite the fact that most are over the age of 60 and in poor health as is gross. he was arrested in 2009 while working as a government contractor. gross says he was just there to help the jewish community. leader raul castro announced the release yesterday citing an upcoming visit by pope benedict. for the first time north korea state media his bestowed the title of supreme military commander on king jong il's son. it's an effort to show that kim

jong-un is in control of the military and has officially taken over for his father. one of his first orders was to give an extra ration of fish to residents of the country's capit capital. today he will help celebrate the 20th anniversary of his father's leadership over the country's armed forces. state media reported that king jong il died a week ago from a heart attack. around 200 families received an early christmas gift yesterday at andrews air force base. members of the d.c. air national guard returned home to hugs and tears from their families. the members of the 113th wing were in afghanistan for the past two months. all they wanted for christmas was to spend time with their families. >> it is one of the best gifts. i am very grateful because my children wanted my dad to be home for christmas. that's one thing they've asked for. >> some families are planning on quiet christmas with each other. while others are having big parties to help celebrate their

return. notice how they said one of the gifts they were asking for. there's a few more other than mom or dad on that list. >> let's hope everybody was good. the time right now nine minutes after the 9:00 hour. when we come back, the french government is about to pay for plastic surgery for thousands of women. we're going to tell you why. also ahead, dangerous dessert why this cupcake caused

ing. you're watching news 4 today. the obama mg is loosening its grip on online gambling. a legal opinion posted by the justice department friday says online betting is not related to sporting events falls outside the reach of federal law. washington has long considered online gambling illegal when it crosses state lines, but it is incredibly difficult for the

federal government to enforce. many states are now considering specific sites that would allow gambling online within the state. the french government is planning to pay for the removal of 30,000 recalled breast implants. the country's safety agency determined that p.i.p. implants using industrial grade silicone are more prone to ruptures. however, french officials did not find any link between implants in nine cases of cancer. meanwhile the ceo of the p.i.p. company is on the interpol's most wanted list. he is wanted in costa rica for crimes involving life and health. three more stores have pulled a batch of baby formula off the shelves after an infant died from ingesting it. walgreen's, safeway, super value pulled the formula as a precaution until federal health officials finish their probe. the suspected batch begins with

n for newborns and in a light blue container. the formula was made in michigan. earlier this week a 10 day old baby in missouri died from a rare bacterial infection that's known to be found in dried milk. the utility worker who discovered the remains of 2-year-old caylee anthony is suing her mother casey for defamation. roy cronk says he was falsely portrayed as a child snatcher and killer. he says anthony's defense team accused him of killing caylee. casey anthony is also being pursued by a texas search team and another woman. casey anthony was acquitted of murder back in july. american airlines is warning customers of a potential email scam. the emails look like real letters from the airline asking customers for personal and account information. american has already posted a warning on its website telling

customers to be suspicious of any email it gets from the airline. american airlines officials say the best move is to open the email, but do not click on the link inside and call customer service. you know things like liquids or pocket knives are a no no through airport security. but what about cupcakes? a massachusetts says she had one of the sweet treats taken from her as she tried to board a flight this week. it happened during her trip home from las vegas. the cupcake as you see here was a gift from a friend packaged in a jar. she said the tsa agent told her it was the frosting that made him suspicious because it was a gel like substance that conformed to a container shape. >> i really feel that there was no doubt in his mind that this was a cupcake. but he was being very technical about this. obviously he knew it wasn't a terrorist threat. >> the tsa said it is reviewing

the case. tsa rules generally allow for cupcakes and pies and other baked goods to go through security check points. when in doubt eat it before you get to the terminal. >> it looked like a good cupcake. >> that's serious business. >> as someone who does fly a lot, anything that's edible or drinkable, you just have to be prepared that it's really up to their discretion if they think it should go through or not. >> it's at the point where i travel with almost nothing at all just for the sake of getting it there. >> even no shoes? >> well, no. >> i'm kidding. >> i'm a little worried about going barefoot through the airport. i always wear two pairs of socks. we've got a little sunshine for now. looks like it's going to stick around for most of your holiday weekend. the forecast is next. hi, we're the o'connor family we're stationed in south korea. to all our friends and and family in fairfax, virginia, we'd like t

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you're watching news 4 today. a federal judge has dealt another blow to a controversial arizona sheriff. the judge ruled maricopa county's sheriff cannot detain people just because they think they're in the u.s. illegally. the u.s. justice department issued a report last week allegeding he violated multiple civil rights laws by arresting what he believed were illegal immigrants. there is a lawsuit pending against the controversial sheriff alleging he is guilty of racial profiling. the d.c. city council could soon vote on a bill allowing same sex couples not living in the district to file for divorce. it would allow couples who marry in d.c. but live in places that don't recognize gay marriage to

return to the district to get divorced. under the current law at least one person must live in washington in order to get a divorce through d.c. courts. great christmas eve day weather this morning. >> you saw derek live out there at the mall. still parking lot spaces available for now. i have a funny feeling that's probably not going to be the case. i was thinking of going to costco today. why would you do that? why would you risk draining all of your christmas spirit out of you just to find a parking space at the mall? >> while derek was out there we saw that he was layered up. >> a bit of the chill. >> don't let the sun deceive it. there is a chill out there. >> it is december. late december at that. even with some sunshine it's going to feel on the cool side today. the northerly breeze will help put a little bit of the

windchill factor in as well. with temperatures later this afternoon climbing into the mid and upper 40s, it's really not going to be all that cold for christmas eve if you're headed out to the game kicks it off at 1:00ed a fedex field. good weather for football, but it will be chilly. the sun will be down probably before the game is over. right now a mix of clouds and sunshine. increasing amounts of sunshine. the northerly wind 17 miles per hour putting windchills back in the mid 30s around washington. 37 now in gaithersburg. 41 in camp springs. 42 in huntingtown. 43 in anp lis. out towards our west 37 degrees down in winchester. 35 degrees in piercetown. our day planner forecast, partly to mostly sunny skies. the northerly breeze will keep temperatures primarily in the mid to upper 40s. on live doppler these lonely rain drops out here across

southern delaware they were here in the washington area this morning. they're now long gone. these snowflakes in pennsylvania will not be bothering anybody. who's the big winner for white christmas this year? west texas. all the way down into the far western parts of texas getting snow. some snow showers across parts of the chimney of idaho. for us the closest snowflakes in southern parts of pennsylvania. the sunshine coming back, it's going to be a nice enough day for today. nothing really to complain about. that is welcome news. then overnight tonight generally clear skies a good night for santa to make his way around the world. just tracked it on noradsanta.org he's in japan. and then for tomorrow beautiful weather for your christmas. a few clouds coming in with that weak weather front late in the day. that's not going to bother anybody. for today mostly sunny. tomorrow plenty of sunshine. but clouds coming in later tomorrow afternoon. once again relatively mild by

december standards. our average high is 44 degrees and each and every day for the next seven days those high temperatures are warmer than average. we've never had a december without at least one day in the 30s for high temperatures. this one will probably be the first. we have not had a single high temperature below 40 degrees here in december. >> this is my first year in d.c. so maybe i brought the warm weather from texas over to d.c. >> give erica the thanks. >> some of us were cold. >> i was expecting a white christmas this year for the first time. >> white christmass are tough sledding around here. >> talk about norad. you were talking about santa being in japan. he might be stopping to get some fried chicken. in japan that's become one of the biggest traditions is having kfc fried chicken. look it up. it's huge. speak of norad santa is hard at

work. you can track his move. norad's santa tracker is live this morning at noradsanta.org. right now he's in japan. he's on his way to fuji now. volunteers at the tracking center are bracing for tens of thousands of calls and emails today. last year norad answered 80,000 phone calls on christmas eve. 7,000 emails. the northern american air space defense command has been telling children about santa's whereabouts since 1955. something to get on the computer and hop on the phone have some fun. >> boy, he moves fast. >> he sure does. >> right now speaking of time. it's 9:26. new meaning to the term season of giving. how you can help give the gift of life this holiday season. >> also ahead, the search for cody. this little guy was in a truck

good morning welcome to news 4 today. >> it is christmas eve, saturday, december 24th. if you're just joining us, here are some of the big stories we're following this morning. shoppers time is running out to get those perfect gifts. some stores have been open all night long and are offering big discounts for that last minute buy. many shoppers are reportings that the shelves are empty, which is good news for retailers. if you're hitting the road this morning expect some company. aaa says more than 92 million people are traveling between now and new year's and most of them are driving. about half of all washingtonians are headed out of town for the holiday. and the payroll tax cut extension it's official. president obama signed it into law yesterday after a contentious battle between democrats and republicans. the extension is only for two months and both sides are discussing a yearlong extension. this month has seen a record

number of bone marrow transplants at the national institutes of health. but now there's an urgent need for blood and platelets something those patients need in order to heal. the search is fn for donors -- for donors willing to help this holiday season. we go inside the nih blood bank. >> reporter: huge success at the national institutes of health bone marrow matching program means more patients are getting transplants, while they usually perform two transplants a week here in the past few weeks they've had ten. with those procedures comes the need for blood and platelets, small cells that help blood clot. >> we are in urgent need. >> reporter: the atrium is filled with decorations but their blood bank could use a little extra love this holiday season. >> part of the holiday season that giving part seems to be missing. >> reporter: all blood and platelet donations made here stay here. the blood bank typically collects 30 pints of whole blood every day for those undergoing

treatment or recovering from transplants. because of the additional transplants right now they need 40. >> patients' ill-ins, blood diseases don't respect the holidays. they don't know when holidays come or go. these patients needed the transplants performed urgently. they couldn't wait. without transfusions they will not make it through this period. >> reporter: terry hill has been donating blood and platelets for 37 years. right here for the past six. when his son was diagnosed with anemia. >> the nice thing is i'm typed to patients. a lot of times my platelets can go right up to a patient who i'm typed with as a match. i know it's going right to somebody who needs it right away. >> reporter: donating here is relatively easy. you come into the clinical center and check in. they'll take you over here to one of these cubicles. they'll take a quick health history. right on down the hall for either a blood or platelet donation. >> it's a very, comfortable warm and happy experience.

>> reporter: they even have a plethora of parking spots. special badges for doe norris. movies and snacks to make the donation process as easy and enjoyable as possible. >> while you're in giving the most precious gift is the gift of life. >> the need isn't only urgent, it's ongoing. the campus uses 7,000 units of blood each year. for more information on how you can donate blood, platelets or get your name on the bone marrow registry, log on to our website at nbcwashington.com. one person's quick thinking saved them from a burning apartment building in d.c. it happened around 9:00 last night in southeast d.c. firefighters say the fire started in a trash can and quickly spread down a hallway. the person jumped out of the second floor window suffering only a few broken bones. five others were treated for smoke inhalluation. and a scary scene in

sterling, virginia, police evacuated a neighborhood last night after a suspected pipe bomb was found. someone found a pipe about a foot long with caps on each end this was on manning square in a townhouse community. the incident is being investigated. this morning police are still searching a capitol heights neighborhood after an elderly woman was brutally beaten. police tell us the 70-year-old was attacked in her home in the 500 block of drum avenue early friday morning. someone broke in through a window and beat the victim so severely that he beat her nose and eye socket. she lost consciousness and woke up yesterday morning with just enough strength to call to the phone and call 9-1-1. a neighbor watched as paramedics brought her out of the house. >> i saw the lady with blood. i was scared.

i was scared. they have to catch that person. >> the woman is in critical condition. forget new tv or clothes, a maryland man wants his beloved dog back for christmas. ed riley brought his 3-year-old dog to work with him. he left cody in his truck with the windows open. when he came out around lunchtime the truck and cody were gone. the truck was found a few blocks away, but no sign of cody. riley says cody is micro chipped but it's going to be a tough christmas without him. reprehenceable that's what d.c. school chancellor called this violent brawl earlier this week involving the basketball teams. cardoza was playing a city charter school in baltimore when witnesses say a fan shoved a coach after multiple bad calls by the referee. players and fans then ran on to the court adding to the melee. henderson wants to know why

parents didn't try to stop the fight. >> it is disappointing when to watch children engaging in that level of violence. children are going to fight. sometimes things jump and that's the reality of it. our inability to stop that quickly was jr. disturbing. >> d.c. and baltimore school officials are investigating the fight. severe punishments against both teams are expected. it 19:36 on this christmas eve day. 'tis the season to be competitive? how christmas lights are how chri[ monica ]ts are i'm away on a movie shoot and it hasn't been going exactly as planned. cut. cut!

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you're watching news 4 today. our wednesday's child this morning is a lovely 17-year-old girl who had to deal with a lot of tragedy in her life. >> crystal says that she's overcome that difficult time and is now looking forward to her future. she's also hoping to do great things some day with the

guidance of an adopted family she hopes to find. barbara harrison takes us to meet crystal. >> reporter: crystal you really love to dance. >> yes. >> reporter: i think you're going to enjoy today. hi fabian. >> hi crystal. so nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: founder and artistic director fabian barns was there to greet us at the dance institute of washington where down the hall in one of the brightly lit studios, they were waiting to give crystal a lesson in hip-hop dance. >> dion, let me introduce you to crystal. he's going to be your hip-hop instructor this morning. >> reporter: crystal says she would love to be a dancer or actor some day. she's a foster child hoping forrer a permanent family to support her dreams. >> she's been bounced around

from placement to placement. >> crystal says that hasn't been easy. what is it like? >> i didn't feel right. when i lost my mom, it was a challenge. >> reporter: never an excuse to be sad or angry. but she's felt both emotions. now she's hoping to find love from an adopted family. crystal 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's able to direct her in the right way. she has a bright future ahead of her, but she needs that guidance. >> reporter: how did she do? >> she did great. >> i loved it. >> reporter: fantastic. >> i'd like to present you with two tickets to our spirit of kwanzaa production. >> thank you. >> reporter: she said she's never seen a live dance

performance before. >> reporter: is this exciting? she was thrilled with the new exciting things happening for her and she hopes a new family will be one of them. if you have room in your home and your heart for crystal or another child who is waiting please call our special adoption hot line. the number is 1-88-to-adopt-me. you are lock log on to our home page at nbcwashington.com. beautiful story. >> around this time getting a home for the holidays. there's no better time for it. >> that's true. >> and for christmas everybody wanted more people than me wanted nicer, quieter weather as to posed to snowstorms. >> no storms for chuck. >> majority rules. i'm not giving up on my

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you're watching news 4 today. welcome back. most of america will be gathered around a tree opening gifts tomorrow, others are going to head to their come computers. with more cameras and microphones built into mobile device and computers, an increasing number of families are sharing holidays over the internet. tomorrow morn 30 million people in the u.s. are expected to skype during christmas morning. skype says about 300 million minutes of video calls are made daily around the world. and with apple's face time and google chat that number is expected to grow. so every neighborhood has that one house that puts all the other to shame when it comes to christmas decoration. >> well, one fairfax county neighborhood boasts two of these homes. this is in alexandria featuring the homes of tim smith and randy dupuis. tim's house has a santa theme with more than 30,000 lights and

13 san tas. while randy's has 50,000 lights sink niced to a radio station that plays christmas carols. the informal survey says randy's house is the winner, but more children enjoyed tim's house. >> they're both winners they have put the christmas spirit in other people's hearts. that's what you need the most. >> what a way to moderate that. beautiful. >> it's all in how you slice the bread. we've got good weather for today, which is welcome news. a little bit of sunshine coming our way for the remainder of your christmas eve. clear skies tonight. should be no problems for the big guy in the sleigh. of course there's still time to get on or off the naughty list. be nice if someone else has the blinker on, let them take that parking space. don't do it. it's awful tempting on days like today when parking spaces are few and far between. keep that christmas spirit close by. 43 in washington under what's becoming a mostly sunny sky. those northwesterly breezes are going to be with us for the

remand ore it have day. there's going to be a bit of a windchill factor today. put an extra lay yr on. maybe a scarf or pair of mittens to be on the safe side. specially if you're in the shade. if you're headed out to fedex field today have an extra layer of warmth on. temperatures may climb into the upper 40s for a brief time, it will back down into the low 40s by the time the day is over. clear chis back down to 41 degrees by 6:00 this evening. not much going on on doppler. these rain drops in delaware were over washington between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. this morning. they're moving away from us and out to sea they will go. no reason to worry. a couple lake enhanced snow streamers coming down across parts of northwestern pennsylvania. they'll get a white christmas in eerie, pennsylvania. south of texas and lubbock, texas, out towards el paso getting snow. up across the high country of

northern idaho up in the chimney getting fresh snow today. not much of america is going to get a white christmas this year. we're not going to get one in washington with the clearing skies for the remainder of the day. the other side at least it's going to be beautiful and easy travel worth for folks flying in and out of the area today. no big trouble on the hubs on the eastern seaboard. clear skies tonight for the flight across the cub fri for santa claus. for tomorrow a beautiful christmas day on the way. today some clouds this morning becoming a mostly sunny afternoon. a bit on the breezy side today with temperatures climbing into the mid and upper 40s. windchills stay close to 38 degrees for most of the day. tomorrow plenty of sunshine to get your christmas day started. we will pick up a few clouds tomorrow afternoon. it will stay on the breezy side with west wind 10 to 20 miles per hour fch you get a kite it will be a good day for it. here's the seven-day forecast. each and every day for at least the next seven days looks to be

warmer than average, four, five, six degrees warmer than average. our best chance for rain will be on tuesday. and then after that dry for the remainder of the week. don't forget you can go on to our website for the forecast. you can follow me on twitter and track santa all day long at noradsanta.org. >> i just checked he went from russia oes on his way to mongolia now. >> he is quick. >> he was a big fan with time zones. that med his job easier. >> all right, thank you, chuck. right now ten minutes away from the start of the 10:00 hour. still waiting for that holiday card from a friend or family member? it might have wound up here. a look at desfiefring some of the worst handwriting. >> there really is a santa claus. ou someone out there is making christmas dreams come true for hundreds of americans. i'm mark murray.

and this is first read's take on the week that was. the biggest political story the stand off over the payroll tax cut between democrats and republicans. right now it seems that democrat haves the political advantage, but no one knows how this story will play out. >> maybe the biggest emerging story of this presidential election is this proromney superpac that looks like it's pushing him over the edge in some other states outside of iowa, but doing a lot of his dirty work in iowa. >> newt gingrich has chained about the negative from his ads. it brought this response from mitt romney saying if you can't take the heat from this kitchen, you might not be able to withstand obama's hell's kitchen. it's getting hot in here. >> let's hope they don't take off their clothes. we have a new front runner in iowa. ron

. you're watching news 4 today. remember when your teachers warned you that you're going to pay one day for having that bad penmanship.

this may be that punishment. this facility in salt lake city is where mail mysteries go. thousands of workers there spend days trying to decode that chicken scratch that some people may claim is their handwriting. computer software helps and some employees get this successfully solve more than 8,000 mail mysteries every day. >> without us, all these letters and any other types of mail would have to be hand sorted, which is more time consumes and more costly. >> the facility is open 24 hours a day and employs more than 1100 people. >> it started as a simple act of kindness, but has grown into a nationwide phenomenon that shows the true spirit of christmas. >> lay away angels as they are called are paying off the accounts of people in need to the tune of $450,000 and the cheer is still spreading. nbc's george lewis has more. >> reporter: in costa mesa, california, hospital worker monica diaz was overcome with

emotion. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: when she found out that a total stranger had paid off her $85 lay away bill. a simple act of kindness that made a world of difference. >> it does feel like an angel. i just told my daughter that it was an angel that paid off your gifts. >> thank you. >> reporter: now she says she'll be able to afford a ham for the family's christmas dinner. the employees at the k mart store here say there's no shortage of so-called lay away angels who have been paying off customers' accounts. >> i want to say at least a good 30, 40 people. >> reporter: one man david wilson who owns 16 autodealerships said he wanted to pay off every lay away account of $100 or less. >> so i had to do some figuring and it came out to be $15,919.61. >> reporter: then the store employees started calling the 260 customers who benefitted from this. >> the raw emotion, the tears just flow.

it's too much to describe in words all the emotions that we've seen. >> reporter: kristin, a stay-at-home mom said she couldn't believe that her $151 lay away balance had been paid down to just one penny. >> i'm just happy. it's been a hard six months. it just -- it just so nice to know that people out there care. >> reporter: those lay away angels. >> thank you. >> reporter: generosity embodies the real meaning of christmas. george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. that's all for news 4 today. thanks so much for joining us and merry christmas. >> have a great weekend and >> have [ monica ]ekend and i'm away on a movie shoot

and it hasn't been going exactly as planned. cut. cut! [ monica ] i thought we'd be on location for 3 days -- it's been 3 weeks. so i had to pick up some more things. good thing i've got the citi simplicity card. i don't get hit with a fee if i'm late with a payment... which is good because on this job, no! bigger! [ monica ] i may not be home for a while. [ male announcer ] the new citi simplicity card. no late fees. no penalty rate. no worries.