tv News4 at 5 NBC July 24, 2015 5:00pm-6:01pm EDT
5:00 pm
prosecutors. by the end of today's hearing though the judge had heard enough and he ordered a mental evaluation evaluation. from the moment jasper spires walked into the courtroom in a prison jump suit and handcuffs, he was smiling. i you noticed sort of the smiles. >> reporter: at times, he laughed while prosecutors showed the judge surveillance video of the suspect they say is spires running from the metro train where kevin sutherland had just been stabbed to death. the video shows the suspect carrying a red backpack and dropping several items as he fled. as prosecutors question one of the detectives spires interrupted, saying, "i just want to say about the police." spires' attorney cautioned the defendant to remain quiet. sutherland's cousin watched in the courtroom. i tried not to be offended or upset by it i tried no to show emotion. >> reporter: spires' attorney down played his demeanor in court. >> he is 18 years old looking at
5:01 pm
murder which we believe he didn't commit that causes almost anyone to be nervous. remember when you were 18, you may act a little differently at 18. >> reporter: as for how sutherland's parents are dealing with with the loss and now the prosecution of a suspect -- >> at the funeral mass which was so extraordinarily beautiful in kevin's honor, the priest said to doug and terry, are you ready to forgive and they said yes, we are. we just don't want our son's death to be in vain. >> reporter: now, spires due back in court late august, when we will learn the results of his mental evaluation. during today's proceeding, there is no mention of spires being under the influence of any drugs at all during that attack. coming up at 6:00 you will hear from the defense attorney as he pokes holes in the prosecution's case, including one witness who identified a different suspect as the killer. in the district, mark segraves news4. during part of his time here in the district, kevin sutherland interned for connecticut congressman jim himes. today himes said that jasper
5:02 pm
spires' release following an alleged attack just two days before the fourth of july murder raises questions but he blasted new jersey governor chris christie for blaming liberal policies for sutherland's death. >> his funeral had been several days earlier. at a minimum, it was a degree of bullying insensitivity that should not exist in our political system. >> reporter: the congressman also says that sutherland's murder adds to the discussion of why day in and day out, we see so much violence in our society. tonight, we are digging into the background of the gunman who killed two women then himself at a movie theater in lafayette, will a lark last night. john russel houser had been living in a motel in lafayette for about a month, but he was raised in georgia and had lived in alabama. his history includes domestic violence complaints. at one point, his family says they feared him so much, they hid his guns and had him hospitalized. >> we are learning more about
5:03 pm
the victims. 21-year-old marcy breaux, on the right here seen with her younger sister who told msnbc today that mayci was her rock. the other victim was 31-year-old jillian johnson, an artist who hosted a popular radio show and she sang in a band. right now, police are calling the gunman down there in louisiana a drifter. they say they found wigs and disgooses in the hotel room where he was staying. nbc's jay gray is in lafayette tonight. he has the latest on the investigation and those surviving victims. >> we are hearing right now are reports that the gunman, the alleged gunman here, john russel houser, a history of mental illness that included bipolar disorder and manic depression. police say he had been here in lafayette less than a month,
5:04 pm
estranged from his family, living in a local hotel were he apparently planned last night's attack. they continue with the investigation, this community deeming with the loss. nine people kill dinjured, two killed. one person continues to be in critical condition fighting for their life after the attack last night. investigators say at this point, there is no clear indication of any motive in the attack. the theater will remain closed as their investigation continues here. that's the latest from lafayette, louisiana, i'm jay gray. jim, wendy, back to you now. >> thanks, jay. one former acquaintance of the gunman describes him as in his words always a little off. we are posting everything we learned about houser in our nbc washington app tonight. just search louisiana gunman. it's scott mcfar lan at the live desk, developing news a former d.c. police officer has been arrested for trying to bring a loaded .38-caliber gun into the library of congress on tuesday. the jefferson building of the library of congress, the one
5:05 pm
that's on 1st street southeast. former d.c. police officer charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. he is from lorton, virginia his name is young hahn. there he is in 1999 when he was convicted of bribery in d.c. he has not been a d.c. police officer since 1999 but when he was arrested this week by u.s. capitol police, he told the officers according to police, he was a current metropolitan police department officer. he is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm also ordered to stay away from capital ground scap capitol grounds, 100 yards as this case moves forward. i'm scott mcfarland. an alternate juror in the colorado theater shooting trial will not be dismissed over a t-shirt he wore to court yesterday. it featured the could have other of a metallica album called requesting ride the lightning" with the image of a man in an electric chair. james holmes is the defendant in that trial and already convicted in the 2012 massacre in aurora colorado. so now the jury is deciding
5:06 pm
whether holmes should face the death penalty. the juror told the judge it was an honest mistake. he was running late, grabbed a shirt without thinking. and as an alternate juror, he will not be deciding holmes' fate unless another juror is dismissed. a suitland man was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for the murder of a little boy. the 2-year-old's mother was at work and clifton bernard was supposed to be watching him. at some point bernard got so mad, he slammed the child against a wall, causing his death. prince george's county bureau chief tracee wilkins live now with reaction to the sentencing. >> reporter: this was one of the toughest trials to cover. it was very difficult hearing all of the details of what this man did for me and everyone who was in the courtroom. the mother of this young child could not be in court. she said she could not stand to be in the same building with her ex-boyfriend. the judge called this a crime beyond comprehension before sentencing him to 50 years.
5:07 pm
when asked what this family will miss most about this 2-year-old -- >> his smile. his infectious smile. >> reporter: and when asked what them miss about the young man, he didn't get the chance to become. i will never get to see him go to high school. i will never get to see him go to college. i will never get to see him get married. >> reporter: 2-year-old jam mere was killed at the hands of his mother's then-boyfriend, 28-year-old clifton bernard. he was sentenced to 50 years in prison today for his murder. bernard was baby sitting the toddler while his mother was at work. >> somebody like mr. bernard should not have ever had an opportunity to be in the presence of any child let alone being alone with a child like this one. >> reporter: according to charging documents, bernard lost control because the 2-year-old gave him a disrespectful look. the child's head was slammed through dry wall in the family's apartment leaving an imprint in the wall. the state's attorney says bernard then tried to hide the damage by moving furniture before calling emts to help the
5:08 pm
child. today in court, he apologized. >> i expected more of an apology. >> reporter: his paternal grandmother says she hopes the death of her grandson will serve as a warning to other single mothers. that they need to be mindful of who they have watching their children. if it's not a family member or them, they need to really, really be mindful about who they take up with. >> reporter: today in court, the defense attorney said that his client had anger management issues and mental illness issues that no one knew about until this case and until he was examined. again, he was sentenced to 50 years. the state was seeking 60. coming up on news4 at 6:00 what the prince george's county state's attorney's office is doing to deal with these kinds over domestic violence cases. i'm tracee wilkins intoes four.
5:09 pm
montgomery county executive leggett says he is confident the purple line will get built in maryland, even if montgomery county and prince george's county tax pay verse to cover more of the cost. news4 reported yesterday montgomery county had reached a deal with the state to pay a extra $40 million to build that purple line. last month governor larry hogan announced that the state would go forward with this project, but it would rely more on federal and local funding. today on wamu radio leggett told our tom sherwood he is confident that federal funding's going to come through. >> i believe that they will come forward with the $900 million in this project and going forward. said a few weeks ago, how will montgomery county come up with this part have done that, we have demonstrateded we can do that. i think ultimately, prince george's county will cut a deal in their interest, long term and short term and allow them to move forward as well. maryland is counting on about $900 million federal for the purple line. prince george's county is still in talks with the state over how
5:10 pm
much money it will be contributing. a prince george's county man in jail tonight on child porn charges. earlier this month, investigators raided kyle kenny's home in college park. they found several videos of child pornography on his computer. kinney turned himself in to state police today. your kids may not want to think about it, but the start of school is just weeks away. for students in one northern virginia community, it means starting at a brand-new elementary school. but there's a problem. that school's not finished yet. our bureau reporter david culver, live in the williamsburg neighborhood of arlington to explain what's going on. david? >> reporter: wendy i have spoken to a lot of the parents in this neighborhood and yeah, they are excited thinking that their kids will have a brand-new school to go to. behind me, you can see the site of that school, discovery elementary. but look in front of it, you can see there is a lot of work to be done. you have got scaffolding, you have got piles of gravel still a lot of work and the parents they are worried, will this open
5:11 pm
on time? from across the street, young addison dana has seen the progress. >> like a big pile of dirt. >> reporter: now taking shape to be where he will spend fourth grade this coming school year. a lot to look forward to. >> seeing my teachers and friends. >> reporter: all in a brand-new school, or so he hopes. >> i'm really excited. >> i'm thrilled. i'm thrilled about the new school. i'm thrilled about our new commute. >> reporter: just a few hundred steps from the danas front door, arlington county's newest school discovery elementary. the trouble is it's still a hard hat zone. >> there is a fair amount of work to be done, yes. >> reporter: john chadwick is an assistant superintendent. he oversees facilities and new construction. so, what's the delay? >> the winter was really bad and then we have had a huge amount of rain this spring. >> reporter: some of the materials also delayed. sherry brown's got three young ones slated to go here next year. she is hoping a few weeks bring quick progress. >> they are going to get the school open. it is just, like i said too
5:12 pm
many pieces in play, we haven't seen anything contingency-wise. >> reporter: over a month before students start roaming the halls, even less time before staff moves in. >> lots of cosmetic punch list items that will need to be done for probably months going in but that's okay. if we have got teachers and classrooms and books. >> reporter: so they may have to do just what that mom was talking about kind of work around the kids as they are in class. coming up at 6:00 going to show you how the county here in arlington changed the rules in a way that's gonna make it a little bit noisier here on the weekends but hopefully help them meet that deadline. back to you. >> david culver thanks, david. all new at 5:00, we are getting an update from mark on that collision that rue wind the commute for thousands earlier this week. and we are going to take a look at how much these incidents end up costing metro. it's been a busy day in the district for first responders. at least 14 calls of possible synthetic drug overdoses. i'm meagan fitzgerald.
5:13 pm
coming up why a former user says she is trying to get people to stop. 'tis the season, erika gonzalez takes a look at the best way to protect yourself from mosquitoes. see what "consumer reports" found when they put products to the test. and it's another backyard weather day. how are they biting where you are, doug? >> oh, i tell you what, guys a great die great day out here. an intense chess match between ollie and amelia. he has her on the ropes. we will find out who wins that game and talk about that weekend
5:16 pm
we have learned the name of the man shot and killed in the district. someone fired a number of shots yesterday evening in southwest d.c., half a block away from patterson elementary. he later died at the hospital. he was 25 years old. police have a reward, $25,000, for anyone who can help them track down his killer. it's a discouraging number in the newly declared war against synthetic drugs in the district. police feel thatielded a dozen calls today alone for possible overdoses. meagan fitzgerald live to tell us why these drugs could be putting more and more people in the hospital.
5:17 pm
meagan? >> reporter: one possible or former user told us she used because it was a cheap fix. the would the tomorrow line here is this is an issue that we are seeing. d.c. fire officials telling us that they responded to at least 14 calls of possible synthetic drug overdoses four of those just behind us here right near the columbia heights metro station. it was call after call for ems and d.c. fire officials on friday. within just a few hours, we saw crews trying to assist possible users in the columbia heights neighborhood. one by one, they were placed onto stretchers and rushed to the hospital. tiffany mitchell admits she tried synthetic drugs before but because her experience landed her in the hospital twice, she says she is now encouraging users to stay away. >> every since they started smoking, ambulance come up here every day. >> it is sad. they need to hurry up and get this stuff off the street. >> reporter: they are prosecuting cases but their biggest focus right now is cracking down on those stores
5:18 pm
that are actually selling sippet thissic drugs. coming up at 6:00, we spoke with some residents of the community here let us know what they are trying to do to save lives. back to you. >> thank you meagan. well in harpers ferry, the city officials there are going to ask fema to help them rebuild the buildings that were damaged in yesterday's fire. eight businesses are now closed, two apartments unlivable because of that blaze. the fire marshal is still looking for the cause, but dogs are brought in to search for an accelerant. that fire did not affect any historic buildings but the mayor says the up to is so smalling that the fire was devastating you. starting this fall, high school students in maryland won't be able to drop out until they are 17 years old. it is part of a new law the state legislature passed in 2012 that raised that able from 16 to 17. the law took effect this month and is designed to keep youngsters in school. the frederick news post says two years from now, only 18-year-olds will be able to
5:19 pm
drop out. don't be too confident when you're outdoors this weekend because lots of products claim to protect you from mosquitoes but many of them contain chemicals that you don't necessarily want to spray on yourself or your kids. consumer reporter erika gonzalez has a look at other ways to keep the bugs from biting. >> reporter: like many people, roz and joe consider their backyard a summer oasis until the mosquitoes took over. >> what we have done is just stick a bottle of some sort of mosquito repellant amount table. just advise everybody to lather up. >> reporter: not a fan of bug spray? "consumer reports" looked at alternative repel leapts like candles, defusers and wrist bands. testers suited up and filed into an enclosed room meant a to simulate a mock picnic area complete with 250 mosquitoes. the first line of defense an $8.50 off silt tron nell la candle. then they counted how often mosquitoes landed on the
5:20 pm
testers. they repeated the test with this $20 bug band portable diffuser which releases a different plant oil. neath earth candle nor give fuser kept mosquito away. what about a wrist band? if you are a tester with your arm in a cable full of mosquito mosquitoes mosquitoes, you don't want to count on them either. >> they contain plant oils but didn't work. the mosquito began biting our testers immediately. >> reporter: what alternative worked best an ordinary oscillating fan. >> it literally blew the bugs away reduced the number of mosquito landings for people sitting close to the fan by about half. >> reporter: which mean there is another tool in the arsenal in the war against mosquitoes. erika gonzalez news4. >> erika reached out to all the companies mentioned in this "consumer reports" test. only one got back to us, bug band, which says it has sold thousands of diffusers and years of research and testing shown them to be highly effective and non-toxic. "consumer reports" says another good way to reduce the number of
5:21 pm
bug bites is to rid your yard of water-filled containers, which are often where mosquitoes breed. also, clear awayism v and decaying leaves because they like to hide in there as well. a new investigation under way right now into that deadly derailment up in philly, but it has nothing to do with amtrak. why the federal government is now investigating major airlines. and more changes at the top of baltimore's police department. who's now fol ♪ ♪ know you can keep your financial big picture under control. know you can see how much you have to spend and whether you should transfer funds.
5:22 pm
5:24 pm
backyard weather is taking doug to tacoma park, maryland this afternoon. he doesn't want to be inside. >> we have some driveway tennis going on there. camera's got a forehand. >> tennis going on for sure, guys, i tell you a heated match right now. this is pat right next to me i'm playing against friends here. my intern. nice shot there, pat! yes! that's what i'm talking about. that's what i'm talking about. this is why this is so much fun, for you this is all about play, isn't it? >> this is all about play. absolutely. i used to think competition was the best thing, but when you just play and you play with your friends, people of all ages
5:25 pm
whether it's a little guy or an older person, doesn't matter. playing is good for you. >> you said earlier, playing with the small kids or the big kids. we are the big kids. >> the big kids. how many big kid wes got here? we got a lot of big kids here a great day for it. you guys said spend the day outside, show you the forecast the rest of the day today. temperatures into the 80s across the area, much warmer though if you make your way into the city, temperature there sitting at that 89-degree mark. we move on through the rest of the afternoon, the numbers in the suburbs, temperatures low to middle 80s, that's going to be the case, 81 gaithersburg, 84 manassas. 82 down toward culpepper. as we move on through no rain expected. that's some very good news if you're thinking about heading out tonight you want to take that date night out or take that walk around, maybe play a little bit of tennis tonight, the evening forecast looking good for that 86 at 7:00 84 bied. temperature dropping to about 80 by 11:00 tonight. so, again a very nice friday evening.
5:26 pm
now, tomorrow, the heat, the humanity it's going to come back a little bit. 92, not talking too much about a heat index tomorrow. 90 in gaithersburg, 88, bin chester, you will notice tomorrow night we do have a chance for that temperature to go up. who wants to play? who wants to play? come grab what racquet. it will be warm, more humid but again, not a bad saturday. sunday a little bit different, heading down toward the beaches, not going to hit t beach forecast looking absolutely great. 86 on your saturday. sunday also looking very good. hit the beach the saturday -- the water temperature now, up to 83 degrees, a very warm atlantic ocean. now, we mentioned the heat mentioned the humidity there it is. 92 tomorrow, 93 on sunday 91 on monday and on tuesday, with that heat index well into the mid to upper 90s all of those days, does look like we get even hotter make our bay into next week, wednesday and thursday,
5:27 pm
high temperature of 95 on wednesday. thursday, a temperature of 96 degrees some, hot there, too. on friday, another chance of a couple of showers or storms as our temperatures drop to around the 90-degree mark there. so, again this is all about play. we are in tacoma park going to be playing we have got a lot more games to go here. there's amelia. she was just playing a little -- minute ago playing the chess, now call the that ball. we will be back in a couple of minutes. say good-bye, everybody. say come play everybody. >> come play. >> check with you later. those folks have game calmer. that's fun. coming up on news4 at 5:00, a costly commute for metro after a collision on the tracks, but it did not involve a metro train. why issues with mark and pre can end up costing metro millions. we have continuing coverage of that movie theater shooting in louisiana we will have an
5:30 pm
at the live desk, getting a lot of new details on the man who shot nine people that the movie theater. by the time john houser arrived in louisiana, he was a drifter and not close to his family. court documents show he had a history of domestic violence and mental health issues including manic depression and bipolar disorder. seven years ago, his family sought a restraining order against him and his wife was so concerned, she took all the guns and weapons out of their home. but according to his linkedin
5:31 pm
profile, houser graduated from law school and even helped people as a financial adviser. right now, investigators are trying to reconcile that professional background with a the last year, posted online how much he admired adolf hitler's methods, his admiration for neo-nazi causes and called the united states a financially failing filth farm. at the live guessing, i'm chris lawrence. >> thank you. these mass shootings often renew the debate over gun control. here in our region this weekend, a large gun show is under way in northern virginia. news4's derrick ward tells us how the louisiana shooting is impacting pay the tropes and vendors. >> they call it the nation's gun show, one of the biggest in the area and every year, people have their particular reasons for coming. some comfort historic weapons, others for the most modern of models. still others, out of curiosity. >> i have never been to a gun show and i wanted to come with my husband, my grandson. >> reporter: this annual show opens just days after yet another seemingly random theater
5:32 pm
shooting, this one in louisiana. so do current events, however tragic, mean more people come to places like this and interested in buying guns? not necessarily so >> sometimes. >> reporter: jerry cochran has been a regular vendor at this gun show. he says any bump in attendance after a mass shooting is usually brief and slight. >> it will be media driven. depends how much you pick it up and run it. the more you talk about it, yes, it will spur an interest. >> reporter: for most who come to these shows, the interest is long term. >> we see a lot of the same people. we have a good clientele that come back and see us all the time. >> we come every year out here see all the new guns, new manufacturers, meet old friends out here a long time. ugh sunday no doubt remain immensely popular throughout the weekend. in chantilly, derrick ward news4. we just checked and things are almost back to normal at laguardia airport this evening after that major power outage there this morning. terminal c went dark when a contractor accidentally cut two
5:33 pm
power lanes. some 45 flights were canceled because of the outage. generators brought in to get things running again. now just three evening flights have been canceled. new developments following that deadly amtrak crash in philadelphia. turns out even if you never take the train, that crash could have cost you money. the secretary of transportation anthony fox, says the government has opened up a price gouging investigation of five airlines now. the investigators trying to figure out if delta american, united, southwest and jetblue raised airfares in the northeast right after that derailment. maryland transportation officials say they will repair the marc train that collided with the truck along those tracks in silver spring this week. a lot of passengers left stranded by the crash eventually got a free ride on metro. news4's scott macfarlane reports this happens more often than you think. >> reporter: if marc trains offer a big disruption or melt down, innet throw rail offers to
5:34 pm
take the passengers for a free subway ride toward home. a public records request by news4 this beek reveals metro did so for marc or bre passengers more than 120 times just since the start of last year. the agency does not charge those passengers and does not charge marc or vre either which makes all those free rides and potentially multimillion dollar piece of help by metro. metro says it receives similar help from bus systems including fare faxes from their own disruptions and maryland state officials do not and will not chip in extra money to metro's budget even if the disruptions or free rides from marc passengers increase but it has been a big help from marc commuters use a half dozen of the 18 stops like gaithersburg rockville and silver spring, which also have red line metro stops, wendy? >> scott mcfarland. more developments for the man accused of triggering a
5:35 pm
police-involved shooting this week. levin choicely was charged with assault and carrying a deadly weapon. authorities say he had a knife while he was fighting a woman when they were responded to a domestic call in balance dorf. this was wednesday night. the officer shot him after choicely ignored orders to drop the weapon. choicely is still recovering in the hospital. cardinal william baum, the former archbishop of washington has died. he died in washington yesterday after a long illness. baum first became archbishop back in 1973 and was elevated to cardinal in 1976. he topped serving washington's catholic community until 1980, then moved to rome to work for the pope at first overseeing catholic education all over the world. he was the longest serving cardinal in american history. cardinal baum was 88 years old. a new car recall to tell you about, but this one has nothing to do with faulty parts. remember that video of hackers taking chrome of a jeep?
5:36 pm
5:38 pm
iran keeps their nuclear facilities. military sites can go uninspected. restrictions end after 10 years. then iran could build a nuclear weapon in two months. iran has violated 20 international agreements and is the leading state sponsor of terrorism. i'm melissa mollet with your first 4 traffic this weekend. have some roadwork happening,
5:39 pm
georgia avenue at rap dolph road. only one lane opened in each direction friday night until 5 a.m. monday morning is when all of this will wrap up. drivers will be able to turn at georgia and randolph. going to have some 15-minute total closures there with the crews on scene. pedestrians will be able to get through. so, that is good. best thing to do, take the alternate, connecticut avenue is going to be your best friend when dealing with this weekend. expect some delays if you decide to battle those roads. have a good one. another top official is leaving baltimore's embattled police department. acting deputy commissioner green announced his retirement, this is according to the "baltimore sun." he had overseen the unit that investigates the use of force complaints. green's department comes -- departure comes shortly after baltimore's mayor fired police commissioner anthony batts. the city has seen a sharp spike in murders since that death of freddie gray in police custody and that sparked all that rioting and the nationwide
5:40 pm
protest that up folded in april. a hack of jeep had social media buzzing this week. now the company and the government are taking notice. hackers from "wired" showed it was possible to remotely take control of a jeep. we posted details on the affected models. just search jeep. first the smithsonian, then disney, now six flags, selfie sticks are no longer allowed at the theme park and this ban applies to every six flags location across the country. six flags says the decision was related to safety, but declined to say if there had been any incidents that involved selfie sticks in their parks. hulk hogan is apologizing tonight for the apparently racist comments that may have led to his firing from world wrestling entertainment today,
5:41 pm
details that he allegedly used racial slurs in a sex tape have made this one of the most buzzed about stories on our nbc washington facebook page today. in a statement hogan said his departure from wwe is a "resignation." and that "it was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language. there is no excuse for it and i apologize for having done wwe did not cite the specific reason for severing ties with hoag. this weekend marks one year since metro cut the ribbon on phase one of the silver line. coming up next, how you can get a free ride to and from one of the stations this weekend. and a local map with inoperable lung cancer down -- a local man with inoperable lung cancer down to his last option. and doug what kind of game are you playing now? >> wendy playing hide and go seek. i have been looking everywhere. and i can't find anybody.
5:44 pm
geico has sent me to old town, alexandria to ask folks some questions about the area. let's go. what common snack was first grown right here in virginia? grapes? peanuts! peanuts! fresh roasted peanuts! (man laughs) peanuts! did that surprise you? that was very surprising! you know what else might surprise you? geico is the number one auto insurer in the d.c. metropolitan area. call or click today to see how much you could save with geico. washington capitals fans, you can take a breath. the team announced just a short time ago that they have agreed to a new deal with goalie braden holtby, two sides were in
5:45 pm
arbitration, but they agrod a five-year, $35.5 million deal. holtby was asking for 8 million year. with this deal, making him over 6 million per. making him the seventh highest paid goalie in the league, he is deserving, tying franchise records for games played, wins and shutouts last accept a. coming up on news4 at 6:00, why a long-term deal was a must for holtby. from the live desk, i'm carol maloney. >> good for him. good for us. just in from stafford county tonight, police caught up with and arrested a mother facing serious charges after a young child was found with drugs in his bloodstream. as northern virginia bureau chief julie carey reports now the discovery came after the child was rushed to a local hospital suffering from seizures. >> reporter: it was jim 16th when er doctors at stafford hospital got quite a surprise as they treated a 4-year-old boy tests revealed in his bloodstream were opiates and thc, the chemical in marijuana.
5:46 pm
the sheriffs's department was note find began to investigate. now the boy's 23-year-old parents, christopher hilliard and olivia hernandez, are charged with felony child neglect. her nap dez tells investigators her son was staying with relatives. when she want to visit him he began having seizures much the couple took him to the hospital but hilliard had left by the time police arrived. he was convicted of a drug charge last year. residents with he spoke with near the courthouse today say whether the boy ingested the drugs stently or was given them, the parents need to be held responsible. >> how did the child get the drugs in their system? a 4-year-old. >> whether there was evidence or neglect, a child has been harmed. >>rself in this afternoon. hilliard turned himself in last week. at 6:00, we will talk to a local doctor who treats substance abuse issues about the devastating impact drugs can
5:47 pm
have on the whole family. in stafford i'm julie carey news4. a silver anniversary for metro this weekend. sunday marks one year since the transit system's silver line got up and running. construction on this line which will stretch all the way to dulles airport eventually is still ongoing. metro is inviting you to celebrate with free lines on the silver line express bus. it goes from the wheelie reston east station to dulles airport. you can take advantage of those free rides all day sunday and monday. speaking of doug kammerer is enjoying the friday and sun for the backyard weather. how we looking at doug? still having fun? >> i got to tell you, having a great time, any time i get to play -- i consider myself a big kid. to come out to a place like this everybody is playing, not just the little kids, the big kids, too, playing little t-ball great yard for it too.
5:48 pm
look at everybody in the backyard playing different games across the region, what we want. that's what you want people to do get out and play a little bit. that's right. in the backyard, have a cookout like we are having, invite neighbors and friends and go run out and get a t-ball and just let everybody play. >> reporter: you are known as the play lady, did that come about? >> just over our heads doug. we had our first play day back in 2009. next thing you know, my photo and writup on the front page of the tacoma park newsletter. this fella calls me up and says are you pat? yes you're the play lady. i laughed and -- >> it stuck? >> it stuck. >> you want, as you said not just the little kids but the big kids to get out there and play. just talking to somebody, said she is 88 years old, you had them playing hide and go seek. i love that. absolutely love that story. i got you, bud. i'm looking right now. going to do the weather.
5:49 pm
boom. it can out my intern. weather-wise across the region you have any plans this weekend the weather could not be better 87 now, 84 at 7:00 no matter what you're doing this evening, it is going to be a perfect evening to do it whether you're outside playing a little tennis, a little racquetball anything you got. today,, nice and pleasant as far as the humidity is concerned. the next couple of days, start to creep up a bit, sticky level uncomfortable by the day on sunday. so, that's something we are going to be watching for as we move on through the weekend. right now, enjoy it while you can, 86, baltimore, 81, annapolis, 84 leesburg, reston, dulles, as we move on through the night tonight do not expect any rain. you will not need to take the umbrella if you are heading out and about. as far as what to expect the next few days tomorrow, sunny and hot, a bit more humid, high temperatures 85 to about 890, still not too bad. again tomorrow, outside, little recreation outside, 9 a.m., 78 84 around 11:00 coming up 92
5:50 pm
degrees by late in the afternoon, once again, heads up for that we will get a little bit warm and humid. on sunday, that's when the humidity starts to creep back in. 93 on sunday, heat index close to 100, monday and tuesday, hot and humid, a chance of showers and storms on monday, another chance of storms coming up late thursday and into friday. those storms could be strong as we are looking at very hot temperatures wednesday and thursday, high temperatures will be into the mid-90s across the area. once again, right here from tacoma park beautiful afternoon, a great day for the community to come together and do a little -- have a little play. i have no idea what we should do next. but plenty of stuff to do guys send it back to you. >> you are getting a workout out there enjoy. i hope there's some food involved, too, doug. >> i haven't shown you that. >> okay. that's coming. in news for your health tonight, right now the food and drug administration is considering approval for a new class of cholesterol drugs. the injectable medication called pcsk 9 inhibiters could help people who don't respond to the most common type of medication,
5:51 pm
statins. but if approved, the drug does have a high price tag as much as $12,000 a year. that's because there's not enough data showing these drugs can reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. that means insurance probably won't cover it. this evening, we are meeting a maryland man, he was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. doctors told him his only hope, experimental treatment something called immunotherapy. it helps the body fight the cancer without the toxic chemotherapy. doreen gentzler takes a look. >> so bad, i comment catch my breath. >> reporter: robert suffered from a lingering cough for weeks much the doctors thought it was a cold but when it didn't go away, the scams showed something frightening, inoperable lung cancer. >> robert would not be expected to survive more than a year or two. doctors told him there was one option left, but it was experiment
5:52 pm
experimental, a treatment called immunotherapy. think immunotherapy is the future. i think partnering with our body is a much more powerful strategy than chemotherapy alone. >> reporter: dr. steven lou is one of robert's oncologists the medstar georgetown university hospital. he says patients undergoing immunotherapy get a series of drug infusions specific to their disease. those medications work to stimulate the immune system so that the body can destroy the cancer on its own. >> engaging our immune system we can have responses that can be much more durable with minimal side effects. >> reporter: that's significantly different from chemotherapy which works by giving patients tockic drugs that destroy the dan sell cells and do a lot of toer damage, too. that's why chemotherapy patients often experience side affects like nausea, vomiting, hair loss and extreme fatigue. at the infusion center, robert's nurses greet him warmly they
5:53 pm
like to call him the king since he likes to sit at the end of the hallway and watch over everyone. they give him this crown to wear during his dreams. >> just got better every time i came up here it got better. >> reporter: robert says it all happened very quickly soon after he started the treatment, the scan showed his tumors starting to shrink. you can see it in these two images, one at the time of diagnosis, the other three months later. the tumor is gone. >> got to a point, said, well, i don't think it's there. >> reporter: no one knows what the future holds for robert, but there's a good chance that he's cured. that's because his immune system should now have the ability to fight the cancer if it comes back. but since this treatment is still so new, doctors just don't know what will happen. in the meantime, he will continue getting immunotherapy infusions once a month. >> a happy camper. definitely a happy camper. all i got to do now is hope it don't come back. >> reporter: doreen gentzler, news4. >> that's amazing.
5:54 pm
you can learn more about immunotherapy and all the ways the doctors are working to cure cancer. doreen has a half-hour special report. it's tomorrow morning and it's called "curing cancer." it starts at 10:00. you don't want to miss it. it's not just irritating, it's a federal crime. and laser strikes have already made this a tough weak for pilots on the east coast. up next, we have got a look at how often it's happening right here. and all new at 6:00, a popular big box warehouse store making changes after seeing what the news4
5:57 pm
it may seem like a strange crime but make no mistake about it these things are dangerous, we are talking about laser strikes on planes. well, the news4ism-team made a public records request. the i-team found more than 30 laser pointer incidents reported just since january at our three major local airports. seven at bwi marshall, eight at dulles and 16 at reagan national. the fbi offers rewards of $10,000 if you can help stop these laser attacks that can temporarily blind pilots in flight. it has been a chaotic week for pilots around the country because these laser pointer strikes have been seep at newark and in boston. excuse me. nbc's michael rosen field shows us how the feds are hunting down those cull ploitsprits putting your
5:58 pm
safety at risk. >> reporter: two pit pilots heading into boston wednesday night coming face-to-face with lacesers point it had he cock pit the first, canada flight 368 come in, being little knew nateded by lasers two miles out from logan airport at 10:38 p.m. the second a hour later at 11:28, jetblue 418 from new york city, the same issue. . >> reporter: a disruptive week for pilots in the skies over the northeast, five planes that the new york and new jersey area reportingly as hearse pointed at the cockpit tuesday night and into early wednesday morning.
5:59 pm
>> i freak out being on a plane. ing like that happened to me, ago eyity attack instantly. >> reporter: passengers worried about their safety because lasers can temporarily blind the flight crew. investigators with the faa working to figure out who is responsible, trying to coordinate maps, track each incident and look for similar patterns. >> could be harmless and could be something very serious at the same time, we don't know, as passengers. >> think it's scare rained sad that other people find joy in making other people's lives in danger. it's disappointing. now at 6:00 shall the search for a motive after a shooting inside a packed movie theater in louisiana. >> like he was very calm just standing there, kind of walking down the ayes, ma'am. >> to get to the front of the building, we see a middle-aged woman lying down on the curb with blood coming out of her leg. >> the gunman tried to blend into the crowd as people scrambled for the exits, but turned the gun on himself as police closed in.
6:00 pm
tonight new revelations about the killer's criminal past as the faces of the victims emerge. >> this is a great country. these kind of tragedies pull us together, it is going to be tough. that movie theater shooting raising new questions tonight about gun control in light of all the recent violence. >> here's what we know right now that gunman, 59-year-old john houser is described as a drifter with a criminal past and a history of mental health issues. there is still no clear motive. two people were killed in the attack, nine others injured. nbc's jay gray begins our coverage now from lafayette, louisiana.
94 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
WRC (NBC) Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on