you shouldn't be charged for. refill? i'm ok. [ male announcer ] so does that guy. the citibank debit card with no monthly fee. easier banking. standard at citibank. a developing story out of virginia tonight. state police have issued an amber alert for a missing

2-year-old. take a look at this photo. this is caden burnside. richmond police say a man shot and killed people inside of a house earlier tonight and jumped into a nearby car to get away. he was inside of that car. police say they may be in a 2012 white gmc terrain with virginia tag, xcz-6757. anyone with information should call police. welcome to news4 at 11:00 on this christmas eve. i'm aaron gilchrist. in many parts of the world it is already christmas day and millions are celebrating the birth of jesus christ. that includes the christian faithful at the basilica of the shrine at the emaculate conception at d.c. the service tonight will be led by the vatican's ambassador to the u.s. that's not the person that you see there. cardinal whirl will lead the christmas mass at noon tomorrow.

held its traditional midnight mass. pope benedict xvi presided that service at a packed st. peters basilica. to look past the superficial glitter of christmas and discover the child in the stable in bethlehem. and thens gathered in the town believed to be the birthplace of jesus on this christmas eve. mass was held at the church of the nativity in bethlehem. palestinian president mahmoud abbas was among the officials there. some 40,000 to 50,000 people expected to celebrate the season in the west bank town this year. palestinians say they're praying the celebrations will bring them closer to independence. you might be a little hard-pressed to find businesses open tonight, but there is one spot in d.c. that is catching some serious business tonight. news4's chris gordon is live on capitol hill and this is where, chris, a lot of family traditions happen. >> reporter: well, aaron, tonight the white house christmas tree attracted visitors from near and far.

>> reporter: here to see the christmas lights on the tree and all of the decorations. here in president's park right across from the white house, for some it's become a holiday tradition. >> i'm here tonight because it's my birthday and every year on my birthday we always come here to see the trees. >> reporter: the white house christmas tree, the trees representing each state and the lights of the menorah have become a destination for families. >> the kids wanted to see the trees and just take all of this in. it's really cool. >> reporter: for others it's a place to share time together, while remembering a loved one, no longer with them. >> we actually just lost her sister to breast cancer about a couple of weeks ago, and i decided just to come and spend some time with my family and it can be so important, there is nothing else that you can have more than spending time with family. >> reporter: not everyone who comes here celebrates christmas. >> so they could see the lights for the holidays, for christmas and for hanukkah. to see everything that they have to offer tonight. >> reporter: the family moved

here from india generations ago. >> we don't celebrate christmas religiously because we're not christians but at the same time we do celebrate the spirit. >> reporter: as we looked around and saw of the people sharing the spirit of the season together we heard from a young man whose thoughts are with his father serving our country in afghanistan. >> he's serving over there just trying to do his best to help us out here. >> reporter: so what's your christmas wish? >> that he does well and he comes back us to safely. >> reporter: the sentiment we heard repeated over and over again this christmas eve is that the greatest gift of all is family. aaron, back to you. >> very simple thing but it is the truth. chris gordon live on the capitol hill here for us tonight. thank you, chris. >> on the other side of this, cash registers were buzzing today with last-minute shoppers rushing to put presents under the christmas tree. some people were waiting for the 11th-hour sales.

others say they just lost track of time. whatever the reasons stores say this season has been good for business. they're expecting to ring up $469 billion in sales. that's up about 4% from last year. and it was a beautiful christmas eve for folks in our area but what's in store for christmas day? storm 4 meteorologist chuck bell joins us now with a sneak peek that the. hey, chuck. >> hey there, aaron, good evening to you and good evening, everybody. a beautiful clear sky out there on your christmas eve night. soon to be a christmas morning in the area. temperatures had been falling steadily since the sun went down. 37 now at national airport, but noticeably colder out in the western suburbs. 27 monnases. 32 in gaithersburg. i widen out the view. the big red dot. i support that might be santa claus. we'll show you the santa track coming up in just a second. there is your day planner for christmas day. a freezing, cold start but a very nice sunshine-filled

afternoon. all of the details are coming up. >> i like that, it's a little different. farther christmas, big red dot, mix it up a little. it's good. thank you, chuck. >> okay. back in our headlines now. police asking for public's help in identifying a person they believe could be connected to the brutal assault of an elderly prince george's county county woman. this happened early friday morning at the woman's home on drummond avenue. they see the person walking near the scene at about 6:12 a.m. prince george's county police say the suspect broke into the woman's home and viciously beat her leaving her in critical condition. she sustained bleeding in her brain. broken eye socket and a broken nose. former house speaker newt gingrich and texas governor rick perreal not be included in virginia's republican primary. both men failed to collect the required 10,000 signatures of registered voters before the deadline last thursday. a spokesman for gingrich said earlier today that they'd be

launching an aggressive write-in campaign. virginia doesn't allow write-in candidates, though, on primary ballots. former massachusetts governor mitt romney and texas congressman ron paul lob that march 6th primary ballot. still ahead tonight, the royal family celebrating christmas eve without its patriarch. plus a celebrity break-up at a hefty price. the biggest divorce payout in hollywood history. hi, it's dave. [ robotic voice ] if you are satisfied with your message --

[ beep ] hi. dave here. [ male announcer ] for dave, using citibank's online bill pay is as easy as setting up voicemail. hi, it's dave. [ male announcer ] actually, it's easier. hi, it's dave. i'm out of the office. [ male announcer ] online bill pay. easier banking. standard at citibank. really? [ male announcer ] kate uses her citibank debit card because kate knows there are some things you shouldn't be charged for. refill? i'm ok. [ male announcer ] so does that guy. the citibank debit card with no monthly fee. easier banking. standard at citibank.

tens of thousands of russians crowded the streets of moscow in protests today. they're crying foul over election results tainted by

allegations of fraud. former soviet union leader mikhail gorbachev is urging vladimir putin to step down. the kremlin argues that will not happen. the royal family missing its patriarch this christmas eve. 90-year-old prince philip, the queen's husband, is recovering in the hospital tonight after having emergency surgery. he was taken to cambridge hospital late last night after experiencing chest pains. doctors say he had a coronary stint put in. mel gibson now a single man and this comes at a very hefty price. according to "people" magazine, his ex-wife robin walking away with half of his fortune. that amounts to about $425 million. it's one of the biggest divorce payouts in hollywood history. mel and robin were married nearly 30 years ago. they have seven children. the couple, though, did not have a prenup. still ahead here tonight, before santa gets on his sleigh, he hops into a fire truck for a special delivery.

and chuck's back with the latest track on santa claus as he heads [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices... in more ways than ever. and our networks are getting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum... we can empower more people to innovate... putting momentum behind our economy. and we can reduce the deficit... with more than thirty billion dollars paid by america's wireless companies. it's simple -- more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone.

♪ the president and first family enjoying christmas in warm, sunny, tropical hawaii. the president landed there on air force one last night just before dusk. his trip was delayed because he stayed in washington until congress came to an agreement on the payroll tax cut. michelle, sasha and malia obama have been in hawaii since late last week. all will return to d.c. after the first of the year. american troops serving in afghanistan marked christmas by holding a special service tonight. nearly 100 soldiers attended that service at nato's main headquarters in kabul. they prayed and sang christmas

carols to mark the start of the holiday. many said it's hard to be away from home at that time of year but they were happy to celebrate with people that they consider family. and in kandahar cooks spent the day preparing for a big christmas meal for troops station said at remote bases. the military will fly in special holiday meals. the u.s. still has 90,000 troops deployed in afghanistan. santa took off to the north pole, and hit the waves in maryland this afternoon. hundreds of people crowded into the national harbor to watch jolly old st. nick water ski. the 26th year warming up for the big sleigh ride for water sports. flying elves, knee-boarding reindeer and a jet-skiing grinch. snowmen even rode up on a dingy. >> it's really fun to watch the kids because they get really excited about it, so we like issue that and it's just a fun way to spend christmas eve, so we like to come. >> if you missed the fun this year, there is always next

christmas eve. this event takes place, rain, snow, or shine, and it is free to the public. and obviously a whole lot of fun. >> yeah. [ sirens ] >> that'll wake you up 11:00 on a saturday night. >> yeah, it will. >> some local firefighters delivering kids to needy children. the volunteer fire department spent the morning surprising boyce and girls with gifts. the kids' faces really do say it all. they couldn't more excited to unwrap their prnts these toys were made possible thanks it a two-week collection drive. >> looks like they're having fun. >> yeah, that is the reason -- i am sorry, all of the poinsettias -- they look good, don't they. >> it's very christmasy in here. >> beautiful, too. >> yeah had a beautiful day outside today and for anyone who gets a new toy underneath the bed tonight it looks like tomorrow may be a good day to drive it outside. good day for all of the stuff tomorrow. out there on a beautiful

christmas eve now. temperatures on on the chilly side. this one is going to be a winter, indeed. mild, for sure. right now as you look live at reagan national airport temperature down to 37 degree. the winds have gone completely calm and with dew points way down into the low and mid 20s a lot of our cold and western suburbs that's where you'll be in the morning. low to mid 20s. inside of the city limits probably low 30s tonight but it's already a chilly one out there for sure. temperatures are obviously going on continue to fall here through the remainder of the overnight hours. current temperature now even down into beautiful salomon's island at 40 degrees. 28 though in culpeper. 28 also in cumberland, maryland. on doppler, not much going on here but take a look at norad, santa track, where is he now? wilmington, delaware, holy cow. santa is close, kids. you better -- you better get under the covers and pretend you're asleep and i mean fast. if he's as close as wilmington, delaware, he could number washington i would say in the

next 45 minutes. based on the speed that he's going. >> run! >> run exactly. run to bed, kids. we're not fooling around. this is christmas. that's santa claus we're talking any. you don't want to miss out on that. what about white christmases? how about way out there in west texas. lubbock, texas, kids out there are actually going to sled in snow tomorrow. we haven't even so much as a flake here in washington. that is unfortunate for those of us who like the snow. clear skies through the remainder of the overnight hours tonight and it looks like a beauty of a day coming up for tomorrow. on the cold side first thing but a beautiful sunshine-splashed christmas afternoon. another seasonal cold night tomorrow afternoon going into early monday but a beautiful nice start to the upcoming week. nice chance of rain rolls on tuesday. so overnight tonight into early tomorrow morning, cold, clear, peaceful, quiet. if you have a chance to get into the city christmas morning and thanksgiving morning are absolutely still quiet in downtown washington, it's really nice. wake-up temperatures 20s and 30s. and then tomorrow plenty of

sunshine. just get your day started. a couple of clouds around by tomorrow afternoon but they will not bother anybody. nice breeze as well. temperatures tomorrow back up near 52 degrees. and there goes -- oh there he goes. zipping right by the 70. kids, just pulling blanket over your head isn't going to cut it with santa claus. you'll actually have to be asleep or you will get a lump of coal. >> get out there, chuck, and slow them down. >> i'm doing wa i can. i didn't know he'd be in delaware at 11:30. >> thank you, chuck. coming up in sports tonight, how holiday cheers turned into holiday jeers at fedexeled. >> my name is major c.j. johnson and i'm deployed. i'm assigned to the pentagon d.c., where also i'd like to wish holidays to where my parents are located, sydney and

last year, hayli got a life-saving gift from her mom. my mommy! that's right... your mommy donated her immune cells to help destroy your leukemia. st. jude children's research hospital pioneered this breakthrough that's helping save kids like hayli across america. thanks for letting me play with her. thanks for my daughter's life. thanks for giving to st. jude. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. and give to those who are not. go to st. jude.org or shop wherever you see our magnifying glass.

it's christmas eve. you've got to come up something good to say about the redskins today. >> defense isn't the problem. >> this is unfortunate. these are just facts, i'm just reporting okay? for the third year in a rote redskins will fail to reach seven wins. what's more depressing when grown-ups ruin the spirit of christmas for an 8-year-old. please don't be that guy. as for the redskins, a pair of minnesota backups ruined their christmas eve. toby gerhart and joe webb combined for 227 yards of total offense as the vikings snapped their sixth game losing streak and former redskins defensive coordinator and safety richard petibon inducted.

looking good. first play of the first quarter tide at ten. hands off to adrian peterson. he goes down hard in a big-time pain. take another look. in the circle here. de-john gomes is trying to tackle peterson. and an mri tonight revealed that peterson has a torn acl. then, it gets worse. very next play. london fletcher with a crushing hit on rookie qb christian ponder. fletcher had 17 tackles. ponder, though, left the game a concussion. did not return. and their backup step up. on the next possession handoff to toby gerhart, finds a big hole and the big guy can move. the ball's knocked out of bounds but it's still good for a 67-yard gainer. two plays later, backup qb joe webb keeps it himself . vikings take a 17-13 lead. redskins answer right back. in the red zone, rex grossman to jabar gaffney, check it out, makes a one-handed grab. that's sweet. see it again the former florida

teammates hook it up for a touchdown. redskins up 21-17. looking guard. the end of the third quarter, washington down by three. roy halu was inactive because of toe and knee injuries so evan royster fields in and the former westfield high standout was solid. 20-yard pickup. would lead it a field goal. royster 19 carries, 132 yards rushing. ensuing vikings' possession, webb to percy harvin and make that look easy. minnesota regains the lead, 30-23. later in the fourth, after a holding penalty wipes out a touchdown, redskins try again. grossman look for santana moss and he overthrows him. picked off by raymond. the vikings had gone nine straight games without an interception. rosem grossman has 11 straight games with interceptions. two touchdowns and a costly i.n.t. that costs in a comeback. dan hellie has more from fedex field. >> reporter: it seemed as though things were going the redskins' way.

adrian peterson and christian ponder. the vikings' starting running back and quarterback out in the first series of the second half. unfortunately, their replacements played even better and the redskins lose for the tenth time in year. forcing the defensive players to look ahead to what they hope will be a better season next year. >> just to you know kind of let these close games slip away and to not finish is pretty disheartening but i am encouraged about the future because of how we're played in some games, we just have to be more consistent. >> i'm not concerned about the season as a whole, i'm more frustrated today. the men able to run the ball wild like they did and i was just very disappointed. it was very disappointing especially coming off of last week where we played well. we played well as a team so it's frustrating. it's frustrating. we've got a lot to think about for next week, we've got a lot to think about for the off-season. and hopefully guys use it as a

driving force to get better. >> it's a bad taste you know, and i apologize to our fans for you know, for the season that we had you know, but one things is that guys are playing hard. this is the nfl. it's tough. it's very tough to get ws, and we're going to continue to try to get these things right. to get the right pieces together. and strive for next year but we've got one more game for the season and hopefully we can go out with a win. >> reporter: the christmas eve crowd was sparse. they saw the redskins lock up their third straight ten-loss season. from fedex field, dan hellie, news4 sports. >> dan, thanks. tony romo and the cowboys hosting the eagles. first offensive series for dallas, romo throws an incomplete pass here. but i want you to take a closer look at the play. romo's throwing hand hits the helmet of jason babin. ouch is right. and then take a look at the swelling here. it looks like he got stung by a

bee. romo without a bruised hand, but romo says he'll be fine for next week's season finale against the giants. so don't worry, cowboys, fans, he'll be good to go. michael vick fared better. third and goal. vick finds jeremy maclin in the back of the end zone. victor two touchdowns. philadelphia downs dallas 20-7. next week the eagles play host to the redskins. in new jersey, jets/giants andan and apparently santa is a jets fan. second quarter giants with a third and ten at their own 1. eli manning to victor cruz, two jets just decide to fall down. eric smith, a chance to tackle cruz, ah, misses. victor cruz cruising. 99 yards for the touchdown. the longest offensive play in franchise history. giants take a 10-7 lead. third quarter. he's doing the salsa, i like that. same scoring giants with the ball. handach to ahmad bradshaw and check this out, trucks poole in the end zone. see it again, this is brute

strength from bradshaw. boom. the giants beat the zwroets 9-14. they have won five in a row against the jets. next week the giants will play the cowboys for the division title on "sunday night football." you can see the game right here on nbc4. i'm looking forward to that game already. giants/cowboys, that's going to be a showdown. >> yeah it is. >> good one. >> thank you. that is our news for tonight. christmas eve at st. peters basilica in rome is next. we hope that you have a great night and a merry christmas. [ monica ] 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. from the vatican in