. it's quick, seems to be quite easy. >> smash and grab. there is a sharp new rise in local robberies. see which area is hit the most and how the cops say to protect yourself. topper is tracking a change in the weather. thunderstorms may rumble in. tears fall and emotions stir. virginia says fare well to murdered lacrosse player yeardley love. >> this is 9news now. hope on a boat. right now a boat hauling a four-story room-sized funnel is on the way to the giant oil leak in the gulf of mexico. >> the structure may be the best for limiting the damage for more than 20 years. gary nurenberg with how it's supposed to work and the progress made earlier in the day. >> reporter: the progress came 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the floor to cap the oil.

the biggest test may come tomorrow with the four-story tower engineers hope to drop on the biggest leak trapping the oil and sucking it into waiting tankers. it's not proven. >> this containment system is the first of its kind deployed in 5,000 feet of water. >> reporter: a louisiana native and industry veteran is at the university of maryland environmental science. >> one of the tricks is going to be how to lower it down so it lands right over the leak in the oil pipe. >> reporter: how big a target are we talking about here? >> you're talking about a pipe that is about 22 inches in diameter. so it's a small target in a big ocean. >> reporter: a mile down? >> a mile down. the currents and so on in the deep gulf, even though they're mild, are going to have some force on moving this structure around so they have to compensate for that as best they can and then be guided by these submersible so they land right over the leak. >> reporter: in the past, oil companies have had to file a specific plan for dealing with a

major oil spill exactly like this one. but two years ago, the interior department in the bush administration told bp that it did not have to do that and last year interior in the obama administration told bp it did not have to file the standard environmental impact statement. derek and anita. well, new information on last weekend's attempted car bombing in time square. a law enforcement official says the prime suspect did a dry run three days earlier. authorities say they believe he acted alone. they have not found any wider links to extremist groups. police also said a criminal background check and bought a gun about two weeks ago and that's when he began to hash the plot. he had a court hearing scheduled for today but it was cancelled and at last check he was still cooperating with authorities. tonight a former soccer player is sitting behind bars if police investigate to see if there are even more victims.

>> he coached soccer for at least five years in arlington and possibly other locations. he has come into contact with numerous other juveniles which we believe could be victims. >> prosecutors have now charged him with sexual assault. police say he abused at least one male juvenile between 1991 and 2001. he was a soccer coach for the crystal city soccer club between '98 and 2003. the club draws children from the areas. officers say he has lived in arlington for 20 years and has shown a pattern of sexual abuse. an update now to a train accident out of germantown. officials now say a 55-year-old man broke several bones after an amtrak train struck him near the 18,000-block around 5:00 p.m. tonight. they found him conscious and breathing. 100 feet down a ravine. a fire official say he was carrying a bucket of scrap metal along the tracks and didn't realize the train was coming until it was too late. the victim is expected to

survive. a vigil to remember a murdered university of virginia college student has just ended. thousands came out to the candlelight ceremony to honor yeardley love. >> they found the star lacrosse player in a pool of her own blood and tonight her accused killer and ex lover sits in jail as friends and family try to cope with this heart-breaking loss. brittany morehouse was at tonight's vigil. she has more from charlottesville. >> it was a candlelight vigil that was short and simple. just three speakers and two songs. but in all its gref tee, this special ceremony for yeardley love brought clarity for many students, maybe not for the past but for the future. not enough candles could light up as they sit here. ♪ i'll stand by you >> reporter: as they echo it for comfort and each other, a

song started this vigil. >> we find ourselves with more questions than answers, more emotions than we want to have. >> reporter: a song that covers all of your emotions ♪ tears are in your eyes >> it has been a disturbing, confusing and heart wrenching three days ♪ if you're mad, get mad >> reporter: anger. >> we cannot fully comprehend the atrocity of her death, but we are here tonight to honor her memory. >> reporter: and, yes, even hope. >> my hope for yeardley and for you is that her dying inspires an anger and that you will know the story of yeardley love and will learn the lessons of her living. >> reporter: for that to happen, the president tells students they must take a courageous stand against the kind of chilling violence that now haunts their campus. >> take something away from this event tonight. >> reporter: and in their grief, diversity is lost. >> we come here tonight representing different interests, but we are all members of the university of

virginia community. i invite you to join me in a moment of silence. >> reporter: but silence too violence will be broken in the name of yeardley love. >> no more turning away. >> reporter: and when that song end ed, students took their time leaving the amphitheatre. some embracing. some in tears. they now start finals week the last day is on friday. >> at the university of virginia, brittany morehouse, 9news now. >> and now we are learning more about the 2008 arrest of george huguely. police arrested him for intoxication but they had to taser him before they could take him into custody. according to the washington post, the female arresting officer says that he says i'll kill you. i'm not going to jail. she says he also used racial and sexual terms. well, today the president of the university of virginia says the school had not been informed of that incident. >> i asked first of all whether

our police department received any notice of that arrest and the answer was no. second i asked if the coaches had any knowledge and the answer was no also. >> seven other players on the university of lacrosse team have been charged with alcohol related offenses during their careers at the school. that according to court records. right now dc police are looking for the gunman wanted for opening fire on a metro bus. officers say somebody took a shot at a 17-year-old male and hit him in the wrist and the right side just after 5:00. this all happened at 18th and minnesota avenue in southeast. emergency crews took the victim to the hospital and the injuries are described as life-threatening. if you have any information, call the police. three shootings are for a bad fact of life. if you put a young man in the world and see little hope for the future, he is much more likely to walk down the wrong road. many of the suspects in the three murder cases all live

within blocks of one another in a tough part of southeast. we're talking about suspects in the murder of jordan howe, school principal brian betts and four victims of the drive by. they ask considering the circumstances what do you expect? >> we have the largest population of young people and children and the least amount of resources. there is nothing for them to do. >> last march the group peace a holics took 47 young men on a retreat to southern maryland. three weeks later, three of those same men were charged in the brian betts murder. of that retreat some might say a case of much too little too late. dc mayor is expected to signed the district's new medical marijuana bill into law. the legislation the council passed yesterday allowed the drug for pain management but they cannot write actual prescription because of the drug status as a federally illegal substance.

patricia hawkins says the law will be extremely beneficial for some of her patients. >> some of the medications we use not just for each of you and cancers in general and the treatments causing enormous nausea. so some people will actually live longer because of the legislation. >> the bill does not legalize marijuana for every user. it also won't allow people in the district to grow their own plans and calls for city officials to have one supplier. five dispen serz will be open. -- dispensers will be open. maryland and virginia have not approved medical marijuana bill. and i'm meteorologist topper shutt with your wakeup weather. a nice evening will translate into a very nice morning again going eastbound on 66 will cause some problem with sun. sunshine, 59-69 to start. winds west, southwest. we'll talk about the potential of a thunderstorm on thursday and look ahead to the weekend which, of course, includes mom's

day. crimes these days seem to be going down. >> it's quick. it seems to be quite easy. >> and on in the rise in our area. >> where your car is most likely to get hit. >> it was almost $3,000. >> and how to get your stuff back after a smash and grab coming up next on 9 news now.

taking a quick look now at news from across the nation, in california, police are trying to figure out why a mother would stab her 3-year-old son more than 20 times. witnesses say she then pushed the toddler down a staircase. emergency crews in fresno took the child to the hospital in critical condition. the mother is behind bars. in california, one person is dead tonight after a firy crash on the interstate. officers say an 18-year-old driver collided head on with a gasoline tanker while trying to pass another car. a plume of smoke could be seen for mile. space shuttle atlantis is awaiting its final journey into space. it will be taking a number of items up to the international space station including spare parts. atlantis is expected to launch may 14th. the young may sometimes feel invincible but caught on tape

proves they certainly are not. three friends decide to cross the creek in georgia. a creek that nose dives into a dam. we'll let the picture and the friend's words pick up the story. >> the first time i even saw the water hole. he's like come on. come on. i was like, all right. >> my head was going under. i was panicking. >> you didn't realize how much the current was and next thing we know we're both holding on for our life. >> we swung her over and pulled her quickly as we could over and did it two more times. >> i thank god for them. if it wasn't for them, it would have been curtains for all of us. in oregon, cameras were rolling when a car went to great lengths to avoid the cops. the man got into the water and

couldn't -- police thought he had a gun and tasered him. year after year fbi statistics say the evidence of most crime is going down, but stealing stuff out of cars is one crime that just keeps going up. in our continuing effort to keep you safe and sound, we asked our own bruce leshan to look at where your car is most likely to get hit and what crime fighting techniques you can do to hang on to your gadgets. >> reporter: dana stroeman is casing cars. >> there is a bag in the back seat. >> reporter: luckily she is no thief. >> there is an empty box. leave it open to indicate it's empty. >> reporter: these looking to warn people about a crime that just seems to be getting worse. >> when you break into a vehicle, it's quick, seems to be quite easy. you can break into numerous vehicles. >> reporter: at the bethesda police station, they have box after box of ipods, gps and all kinds of other gadgets. they have confiscated from

crooks they have busted. detectives are still trying to reunite the electronic toys with their rightful owners. last year 1700 people reported burglars had invaded their cars in bethesda alone. it is a sharp rise from the year before. >> i left my plaque barry and a bag -- blackberry and my computer bag. >> reporter: katy wade took a huge hit. >> it was almost $3,000. >> reporter: $3,000. you can track the places that's are most vulnerable. most are by shopping districts and metro stations. anacostia has suffered scores of break-ins in just the last few weeks. but the thieves tend to target communities where they can get more stuff. >> if a criminal come to the area before and they have been successful, they're going to come back. >> reporter: this is all the equipment that i carry in every night. a video camera bag, my lights,

an extra equipment bag, my laptop and it's a huge pain in the neck. but let me tell you, a couple of years ago, every car on the block was broken into and i lost my laptop. it is a miserable experience. in bethesda, bruce leshan, 9news now. >> wow, bruce. watch that back, my friend. >> investigators say one of the best thing you can do is write down the serial numbers of all your gadgets or register them with the manufacturer. that way if the cops bust whoever sold them, they have some way of getting them back to you. >> good advice. so before you hit the gym the next time, you might want to stop at 7-11. according to the american college of sports medicine, an ice slurpy may be an effective way to stay cool. they drank a slushy drink before running on a treadmill. those who just drank flavored cold water ran an average of ten minutes less. go figure.

a new survey also finds that pediatricians believe some risky health myths. only 24% of the doctors surveyed answered all of the so-called dangerous dozen questions correctly. one-third said it was okay to put a baby to sleep on his or her side. it's not. back sleeping is recommended to reduce the risk of sids. one-third of the doctors also said ice can be used to treat a burn when that can actually injury the skin more and 6% did not know that chicken pox is contagious before the rash shows up. well, they have the fancy hor devs and fans -- hor der ofs devz. anita brikman likes to shop there. brett haber too. and tonight after the major renovation, they're back in business. this is the 4th version of a safe way to occupy the spot.

>> wow. i got an e-mail about that tonight. we called it a facelift i think yesterday and they were adamant it was a regut. >> total redo. >> more work than i've ever saw. >> have you met one that you haven't liked? [ laughing ] >> actually. we're looking at a nice finish to the week. we do have a couple chances of thunderstorms but for the most part we're in great shape. the next three days right out of the gate a little warmer tomorrow. almost 85 and a very slight chance of an isolated thunderstorm. i want to emphasize that. most of you will not see one. most of you will enjoy a great day. pleasant on friday. 76. one cold front goes through tomorrow. another front goes through friday night. it doesn't have much moisture with it. maybe a shower, maybe a sprinkle. maybe a few extra clouds on saturday. knocks temperatures down on saturday. but, still, a nice way to finish the week. overnight partly cloudy and comfortable. 58-66. and the breezes that we had earlier have calmed down

southwesterly at about ten. tomorrow morning partly cloudy breezy and mild. winds will pick up at 10-15 ahead of the cold front before the front goes through. we'll have west, southwest winds but a very nice morning. by afternoon, a great day really. partly cloudy, breezy and warm. maybe not quite as spectacular as today. today is hard to beat. but still very nice. isolated thunderstorm possible. highs around 85. notice the winds turned northwesterly at 10-15. that's when the front clears us out completely and this front does not have a lot of moisture with it by any means. here is a look at the nine future cast. by morning we see generally clear skies. by late morning a few sprinkles. most of the activity occurs once it gets past us across the bay. you'll need the shades for tomorrow morning's commute. 73 in oakland. slight chance of a shower.

upper 70s winchester and hagerstown. slight chance of a shower. low 80s for leesburg, warrenton and manassas. downtown mid 80s. 83 for annapolis. we're looking at a small craft advisory for the bay and tidal potomac from noon until 6:00 p.m. next seven days, 84 tomorrow. still nice. isolated showers. 76 on friday. great. low 70s on saturday. pretty nice. for mom very nice. just a little on the cool side. temperatures in the mid 60s. and then upper 60s on monday and then temps start going back up. we're in the 70s as we get into tuesday and then low 80s against next wednesday. >> okay. not bad. >> yes. >> not bad. hey, an all new david letterman is on after 9news now. >> i'm telling you, british petroleum has put more birds in oil than kernel sanders. >> that's not right. all right. animal expert jack hannan will be on. the roaring speeding car

known as the washington nationals had a little bump. >> if i had a tiny complaint, it would be win one lose one. they need to string some together to get some momentum going. we didn't think the bullpen was going to be perfect all year and, of course, we were right. the first blemish for the nats previously untouchable closer plus the baseball cake that turned the u.s. capitol x rated. see it in 9 sports next. here's to the believers. the risk-takers. the visionaries. the entrepreneurs... who put it all on the line to build and run their own businesses. at at&t, we know something about that. our company started out in a small lab, with not much more than a dream. and today, we know it's small

businesses that can create the jobs america needs. that's why at&t is investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. making them faster, smarter, and more secure. connecting small businesses to markets across the country, and around the world. we invest now, because we know it will pay off... with new jobs, new growth, from a new generation, putting their belief in the future on the line. now is the time for investment and innovation. the future is waiting. and the future has always the future is waiting. and the future has always been our business. at&t. and driving all over town. i want one list. for one store. [ female announcer ] at safeway, you get it all. great quality and great prices. so you just need a safeway list. [ male announcer ] with thousands of everyday low prices you'll save all over the store. [ female announcer ] plus we have great club card specials like honey nut cheerios just $1.49 and safeway refreshe water only $2.99.

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it's time for 9 sports with brett haber, the best sports in town. >> just when we had been celebrating the nationals bullpen. just as closer mat caps was named the major leaguer of the month, we come across a game tonight which reminds us what it was like when the 9th inning was like a nightly movie. morgan, aka, tony plush spreads it to left. 3-2 nats. but they would trail 6-4 in the

bottom of the 8th. in need of a come back and josh provides it. pinch hit scores two. that ties the game at six. and then we go to the 6th where matt cap who has been flawless all year now has a flaw. matt dyas runs it. the o's wrapping up their series in the bronx. silver sluggers for those guys. and maryland's own mark tet tetiaradoubles. meanwhile, a national debate is now raging over the taser gun ex traf gan extravaganza. in case you missed the whole thing, that is what happened sunday as a philly police officer took down a fan on the field with 50,000 volts of

electricity into his rib cage. some believe it was excessive force, others think it was unjustified. we talked to nationals fans and players and those two groups had different thoughts. >> it was a little too much. i think they just -- they always end up tackling these guys. i think that would have been just as easy to do. >> you have to protect the players out there obviously. but i think a taser is probably a little too strong. >> you can't have guys running around doing whatever they want on the field and making a mock re of the game. >> it didn't bother me that they put him down, you know. [ laughing ] >> i like his take on it. the redskins cutting ties today with donny warren today. dc united is the most storied team in the history of major league soccer. you just wouldn't know it from this year. two goals scored. 13 goals allowed.

when would the carnage stop. united hosting kansas city to night -- tonight. a little spin right there. and then the left foot into the onion bag. first australian ever to score in the mls. then in the 34th minute he does it again. alsip finishes. they have broken the seal. playoff hockey tonight, the flyers, the team the caps would have played, game three against the bruins. mark greki shoving in the rebound and the caps are kicking themselves. they lead -- it's not 0-0. it's 4-1. three games to nothing. finally braves manager bobby cox spells his name cox. we point this out because senator jay rockefeller are a session up on capitol hill today celebrating the 50 years of baseball and they got coxae cake. unfortunately there was not a spell check.

>> oh, no. >> because once bobby has gone into the adult film business. [ laughing ] >> that ain't right. so we tried to keep that taste full. but it's only so tasteful. >> we don't know how you can get that video. >> someone with a camera on capitol hill. >> there you go. we'll be right back.

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