tonight we have eight reporters fanned out across the metro area including tisha thompson in virginia, derrick ward in d.c. and darcy spencer in maryland, but we want to get right to storm 4 meteorologist time kieran who sakei tom therien. say it's not a repeat performance. >> thankfully not the widespread wind damage like last night. we have a strong thunderstorm that is developing. it has been developing and growing over culpepper county. there's a close-up view of the radar and this storm is beginning to develop and is pushing off to the south and east. right now raining really hard in culpepper county as well as just about to move into spotsylvania county moving east at about 35 miles an hour. the towns affected over the next half hour or so probably into fredericksburg in 35, 40 minutes or so. this going to continue to track off to the east. we may get others, too, popping up here as we do get into the rest of the afternoon and into the evening hours, into mid-evening and late evening, we still have the possibility of more of these storms popping up, and we have got the heat in p

iteam reporter tisha thompson investigates illegal boarding homes. >> hey. >> how's it going?amy. >> reporter: this woman is showing us a room for rent inside this fairfax home. >> bill. nice to meet you. >> reporter: using his middle name and wearing a hidden camera, our producer answered this ad on craigslist. all utilities, plenty of secure parking, no drama. >> it's just the 750? >> yep. and the 750 -- >> for a security deposit. >> yeah. >> but a lot of drama -- >> you can go in, you know, today or whenever. >> reporter: -- is about to unfold. >> i'm tisha thompson with news 4. can i talk to tom or amy? >> reporter: because amy and tom did not tell our producer one critical thing. >> they're being evicted. >> reporter: patrick cooper owns this house. he rented it to the couple back in october. >> they appear very trustworthy for the first few months and then suddenly it all changed around. and they just stopped paying the rent. >> reporter: cooper says he then got a surprise, a notice of violation from fairfax county for multiple occupancy. too many people living in the ho

court tomorrow. >>> many of his constituents are not surprised at the charges against him. >> tisha thompsonve at thomas' house with reaction from ward 5 residents. tisha? >> reporter: we have seen police here today. we have seen harry thomas jr.'s family here today but not thomas, so far tonight. residents say it's been a long time coming. they were expecting some kind of charges. they had plenty to say about it. >> i'm sad about it, honestly. you know, it's a sad situation. you vote people into office then they abuse your trust like that. >> reporter: we found her and other ward 5 residents at the shopping center. none of whom were surprised to hear he was charged with stealing government money. >> go to jail. that's all he should have resigned a long time ago. >> he broke the law. he's got to talk to the judge. >> reporter: we showed a copy of the court papers charging him with embezzle. and not paying taxes. >> keep him. it's wrong. >> reporter: most want him to resign because his legal problems have become a distraction. >> i think he should step down. i don't think that -- i think t it

tisha thompson, news4. >> oh, i'm definitely going to be looking for that orange sticker now. the i-team has scores of information and gas pump inspection reports on our website. all you have to do is go to nbcwashington.com and search gas pumps. if yo if you're curious about your gas station. >>> some of us might be paying extra just to pay bills on time. we are talking about the fees that can depend on how you choose to pay your bill. liz crenshaw explains. >> shame on them. that's all i have to say. >> reporter: verizon wireless's plan to impose a $2 fee back in december did not go over well consumers. >> it's crazy. i'm not going to pay $2 for that. >> reporter: verizon's fee would have charged $2 if they chose to make a single payment online or over the phone using a debit or credit card. they said the fee was to use the efficiency of those transactions. >> you shouldn't have to pay a fee to pay your bill. it doesn't make any sense. >> reporter: in fact, verizon wireless said back in december it reversed its new fee in response to customer feedback. the uproar prompted us

tisha thompson, news 4. >> all in a day's work.rom wild animals in the home to a pet looking for its home. a dog found darting in and out of traffic along the beltway may be right in the midst of an incredible journey. a driver rescued the dog in maryland. a tracking ship shows that this dog has traveled thousands of miles all the way from california. jane watrel has the story. >> reporter: if dogs could talk, maybe sheryl would learn the tale of what happened to the family of this terrier she nicknamed rex. >> he sleeps, goes outside to go to the bathroom. he's been a great dog. >> reporter: he was discovered in a rainstorm. he was darting in and out of traffic. sheryl spent countless hours searching for the owner. at the vet, there was a breakthrough. he has a microchip in his neck showing he lived in california, illinois and north carolina. >> there seem to be military bases near everywhere he's been. walter reid and navy medical is close to here. i wondered if he's a military dog and traveled the the country and somebody is mis

in frederick, tisha thompson, news4 i-team. >>> washington insider is called in to help vincent gray's staff. judy smith met with gray's chief of staff after three of gray's campaign aides pleaded guilty to federal crimes and a friend admitted to facilitating a $650,000 shadow campaign to get gray elected. >>> up next, new pictures as nasa's rover lands on the red planet. >>> you have heard of speed cameras and red light cameras, now police have a new weapon to catch people breaking the law. >>> an airline catering to parents, delivering luggage to your door. >>> and a surprise finish for gabby douglas. what she blames for her poor performance. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] every day we are doing our best, to make sure they are at their best. before they move us, we move them. proud to fly team usa for over 30 years. united. i know what it's like to hire people and to make ends meet. from those experiences, i had the chance of running the olympics. the games were in real trouble. there'd been way too much spending. and in massachusetts i found a budget that was badly out of balance. our legis

tisha thompson has our report. >> reporter: pay to park, or pay the fine. >> what happens if you don't pay the meter? >> then you get a ticket. >> reporter: parking officers don't play around in the district. >> i got a ticket. i'm only three minutes over the time limit. >> reporter: but after getting a tip from a viewer, the news4 iteam started its own parking patrol. wait until you see which district employees are illegally parking all day. and getting away with it. >> oh, wow. that's interesting. >> well, i think it's unfair. >> reporter: it's 7:00 a.m. spots are filling up fast around the d.c. government's center on 14th in northwest. while some drivers drop in coins, it's hard not to notice, car after car after car sitting at unpaid meters. hanging on the mirror? handicapped placards. according to d.c. law, placards only allow you free parking for twice the posted time on the meter. we watched this guy day after day park his dodge charger on "dstreet at a two-hour meter. he climbs into a d.c. department of transportation van that drives across town where it drops him off at his jo

tisha thompson, news 4, iteam. >> doug is here with a look at our weekend weather forecast. going to be clearing up for us? >> big weekend. yeah, it will be clearing up. saturday looking pretty good. sunday is looking fan tast uk out theuk -- fantastic. out there right now. across the area. temperatures on the mild side. 70 degrees at the airport. high temperature of 84 degrees. low this morning. 65. about the, .1 inch of ran today from the airport. from showers we saw earlier. and just about, over 4 1/2 inches below average for the year. again we need to see some rain. don't think we will see too much of it over the next 24 hours. 70 degrees now with winds out of the south at p miles 3 miles an. pleasant friday evening. 64, manassas. 71, fredericksburg. 72 down towards pax river. that's our average high. just about that number at 11:00 at night. few showers in through southern maryland. down through southern calvert county. and southern, st. mary's county. that is a bout it. then you wide in out. notice along the frontal boundary. we have big time, showers, thunderstorms, t

tisha thompson, news 4 i-team. >>> two strangers saved a man's life on metro today. this afternoon, a 70-year-old man fell on to the tracks of the station. two men saw a red line train coming and sprang into action. >> my instinct was to run and see if he was all right. a train was comingn't i leaned down. sir, we got to get you up on this platform off the tracks. so, and thankfully the other gentleman came running up. >> if it was me or some one else. i hope they would have didn't same thing. >> i don't think i am a hero. it's what you should do. >> the two rescuers stayed with the man until medical help arrived. >> ready for your weekend? >> yeah. yeah! whoa. >> even if it is rainy. it is a weekend. >> rainy though? >> it's not. i am not too worried about the rain tomorrow wecht will see some rain. most of the day on the dry side. that means if you have plans early in the morning. you're fine. early in the afternoon. i think you are okay. then tomorrow evening. you may just need the umbrella. not expecting much in the way of rain at all, maybe a tenth to .2 inch to

tisha thompson, news 4 i-team. >> the news of sandy continues. a lot of people haunted by last year's hurricane irene, see what they are doing to prepare. >> also, pictures >> hurricane sandy expected to come ashore on monday and people across the north east are making plans to try to get out of harm's way. hurricane sandy is blamed for at least 40 deaths in the caribbean. >> it is now turning towards the u.s. bringing heavy rains, high wind and flooding to much of eastern seaboard. daniel lee has the latest now from chesapeake beach, maryland. >> hurricane sandy poundedity way through the caribbean today, ripping homes apart and leaving streets under water. at least 40 people died in haiti, cube why and jamaica. as sandy moves up the coast, setting to clobber the northeast, people are preparing for the worst. >> we just have to do it, m mill ford beach connecticut, boarding up his brand new home. last year's hurricane irene forcing him to rebuild, now he is hoping sandy won't do the same. >> you know, you have to prepare. >> from virginia to new

here ae's tisha thompson. >> reporter: moving to d.c.o work at the pebt of pentagon, a member of the u.s. navy thought he had found a great deal online. >> this gentleman happened to be part of the armed services, and that makes it even worse. >> reporter: a one-bedroom furnished apartment in this arlington building, utilities included. will the sailor filled out this application. all he had to do, send in $2,500 to cover the first month's rent and security deposit to the owner, sal gordon. >> when you google sal gordon, i'm it. >> reporter: but here's the problem. >> i have no idea where that is. >> reporter: the real sal gordon doesn't own that property in arlington. he's actually an insurance salesman in montgomery village, maryland. >> they're using my wonderful mug without now, of course -- i had a beard then. >> reporter: the scammer used gordon's name and picture plucked off the web. >> it's upping the game, making it look for sophisticated and tying it to reality when in fact it's fraud. >> reporter: assistant special agent in ch

in the wake of one of those signs coming crashing down in our area, the news 4 iteam's tisha thompsonthe first time what kind of shape our signs are in and whether you need to worry about another one coming down. >> reporter: virginia crews working overtime repairing highway signs. after this sign came crashing down on interstate 66. >> i was surprised that the sign structure on i-66 had faulten because we are out there inspecting them frequently. >> reporter: nick roper is in charge of sign inspections in our area for the virginia department of transportation. >> we've been doing quality insurance inspections of all our cantilevered structures since that failure. >> reporter: they still don't know why it fell, but inspectors are focused on the anchor bolts. after weeks of negotiations, vdot released its inspection records to the news 4 iteam. internal records show an estimated 8% of northern virginia's cantilever and overhead signs are in poor condition. but records show these high-mast light poles have the most problems. inspectors look for very specific things. for instance, on thi

tisha thompson, news4 iteam. >>> a once rundown public housing project near nats park in d.c. is now a unique mix of affordable housing and homes worth up to $1 million. tom sherwood takes us there. >> reporter: 37-year-old chanel was holding her ribbon cutting scissors tight. and the former ambulance driver couldn't stop smiling. ten years ago she was moved out of this public housing at 3rd and l street near capitol hill. and was promised ten years ago new housing when it was built. >> i thought i was never coming back. we moved to richmond. but there were no jobs there. so we moved back. into my mother's basement. i know she is about the happiest woman right now. we have our own spot. >> reporter: a spot ten years later now called capitol quarter, a mix of 323 town homes andapartments, 50% market rate and selling for $600,000 to $1 million. the public housing segment is up to three bedrooms, are sprinkled among the houses. chanel lives in one with her two children and husband tyrone. >> you can't tell whose income is what. they're not walking around with their wallets expose

tisha thompson digging tonight into what's going on, and what it means for you. >> digging -- >> it's been extremely loud. >> scraping. >> you have to reroute. >> it's been going on for as long as i've lived here. >> construction seems to never end in the district. the news 4 i team is going to show you how you're paying for some road projects years after the concrete drys. >> this particular project was with our first in d.c. >> reporter: rustler won the job back in 2002, a multimillion dollar project in northeast. sidewalks, roadways, lighting, wrestler wrestlers popped up when they realized the soil underneath was in bad shape, requiring change orders with the project. >> salahi says by the time the project wrapped in 2004, the money from d.c. had run out. seven years later, the company says it's still waiting to be paid for, those change orders and other costs. >> 1.2 million is what is still outstanding. >> reporter: rustler sued and ended up here. the d.c. contract appeals board. a special group of judges that deal with all contract disputes against the city. there are at least

let's go it tisha thompson with the latest from montgomery county. tisha?reporter: doreen, i have to tell you, in just the last hour the wind has really picked up. we have been in and out of montgomery county all day. and the water is starting to rise in the creeks. it hasn't quite flooded out of the banks yet. but the ground is now wet enough, it's now saturated enough where trees are beginning to fall. >> one of the scary things in my life. >> reporter: she was standing next to her window when she saw a tree start to fall. >> all of a sudden i just saw the ground start to come up. all the roots coming up. and boom, tree went down right there on our neighbor's house. >> reporter: inside the bedroom, this mother who says when she heard the boom, she went running to find her son. he was safely downstairs. it was only after firefighters arrived did she realize the tree had come crashing through the roof and barely missed her. it was a different story in germantown at the intersection of frederick road and brink road where the 19-year-old driver of this pathfi

iteam reporter tisha thompson investigates illegal boarding homes. >> hey. >> how's it going? >> reporter: this woman is showing us a room for rent inside this fairfax home. >> bill. nice to meet you. >> reporter: using his middle name and wearing a hidden camera, our producer answered this ad on craigslist. all utilities, plenty of secure parking, no drama. >> just the 750? >> yep. and the 750 for -- >> for a security deposit. >> yep. >> reporter: but a lot of drama. >> you can go in today or whenever. >> reporter: is about to unfold. >> i'm tisha thompson with news 4. can i talk to tom or amy? >> reporter: because amy menbrise and tom salvado did not tell our producer one critical thing. >> they're being evicted. >> reporter: patrick cooper owns this house. he rented it to the couple back in october. >> they appeared very trustworthy for the first few months and then suddenly it all just changed around, and they just stopped paying their rent. >> reporter: cooper says he then got a surprise. a notice of violation from fairfax county for multiup'll occupancy. too many people

tisha thompson, news4 i-team. >>> sports is coming up. the jets, they're beating each other's heads in. why they're doing >>> and hello, everybody. not a bat evening out there. still a bit on the warm side, still a little humid, too. current temperature 90 degrees. that heels index at 91. temperatures around the rest of the region -- so a bit on the warm side this evening, but that's about it. we're going to remain on the dry side, just about all of us. here's one exception. northern portions of culpepper warn, just to the west of warrenton, and fauquier county, a bit of a shower here. the rest of the storm's down to the south and that's where they'll remain. . temperatures tomorrow, back around the 90 degree mark, 91 coming in tomorrow in washington. guys? >>> thank you, doug. we're hoping that vance has enough voice left to do the sports. >> let's hope. there's no guarantee. >>> we are officially now for the first time this season in redskins game week. it's a preseason opener against the bills. what it really is, is the first time some

. >> tisha thompson spoke to constituents in ward 5. e with more on the reaction. tisha? >> reporter: doreen, a while ago when he was popular, he won the election. the democratic primary with a third of the votes, run ining against ten other candidates. then the general election came, he won with a landslide. now, today, some of the voters say it's time for him to move on. >> i would like to see, you know, a better quality of leadership in the district. >> reporter: ward 5 residents are frustrated but getting used to the idea of city leaders being investigated and charged for violating the law. we showed a copy of the charges accusing harry thomas jr. with embezzlement and not paying taxes. it's a setment echoed by many here. they hoped thomas would help their neighborhoods. it's become a distract. >> it's the same situation. you vote people into office and they abuse your trust. it's very sad. i think he should step down. >> reporter: nearly everyone says it no longer matters if he's innocent or guilty, they want a special election to e

tisha thompson is live there with more on the progress they've made. tisha? >> reporter: you're seeing just piles of limbs. this is a former street light. they've managed to put a new light in here, but they have had eight houses that have had trees come through them just in alexandria city alone. and two of them were just yards away from each other. tree removal crews are working overtime along this stretch in alexandria. >> the tree hit and it was boom. it just shook the whole house. i actually jumpd under a little table, like that was going to do any good. >> reporter: peter said he asked his crew to come as soon as possible. in an effort to keep his home from being condemned. >> it's a five-ton tree, 55 feet tall and it was a healthy red oak. it just blew over, and was leaping on the house. when the city came, they said you've got to get this tree off or you can't live here. >> reporter: two houses down, his neighbor wasn't as lucky. >> i'm homeless. i'm a realtor and i have no home. >> reporter: her home has been condemned but she's still here to deal wi

tisha thompson now in alexandria with more on this. tisha?reporter: jim, we showed the video to folks here as they were waiting to get picked up by one of these metro buses. every person said they were shocked what they saw. we want to warn folks the video they are about to see has crashes on it. you can see the school bus, you can see the school, but the bus driver didn't stop. >> were they blind? .had. >> reporter: we showed this to people while they waited for their bus in alexandria. >> the driver should have taken precaution. >> reporter: metro released the drive cam videos which automatically record a sudden movement. [ crashing ] >> do something about that that's crazy. >> we think it's safe and this drive cam system, even though it does appear to be scary at times, is a tool that we are using to reduce the number of incidents that operators are being involved in. >> reporter: metro's assistant general manager is in charge of all bus operations. he says the drive cam system was installed one year ago and drivers know the videos are rec

here's tisha thompson. >> reporter: clip in and take the leap.ut the thrill of zip lining comes with some risk. in the last year accidents in tennessee, south carolina, hawaii and at least a half dozen in our area, according to government reports. but don't jump to the conclusion the government is keeping track. unlike amusement parks or other adventure sports with heavy government oversight, the news4 i-team discovered zip line companies are mostly self-regulated. we visited four popular attractions in the d.c. area, and found standards vary from state to state. at river riders in west virginia, we get a safety briefing. a full-body harness, two zip line clips and a helmet. at tar a pin adventure in maryland, one clip for this single zip. but no helmets at all at adventure park at sandy spring. we do get a very detailed 30-minute orientation before the self-guided tour. >> once you clip in once, you'll be locked onto the cable throughout the entire course. >> reporter: and at bryce resort in virginia, the only place guides left us unhooked at ti

here's investigative reporter tisha thompson. >> reporter: moving to d.c. to work at the pentagon, a member of the u.s. navy thought he had found a great deal online. >> this gentleman happened to be part of the armed services. and that makes it even worse. >> reporter: a one-bedroom furnished apartment, utilities included. the sailor filled out this application. all he had to do, send in $2,500 to cover the first month's rent and security deposit to the owner, sal gordon. >> when you google solomon gordon, i'm it. i have no idea what that -- where that is. >> reporter: the real gordon? doesn't own that property in arlington. he's actually an insurance salesman in montgomery village, maryland. >> they're using my wonderful mug without now, of course, i had a beard then. >> reporter: the scammer used gordon's name and picture, plucked off the web. >> it's making it look more sophisticated and tied to reality when in fact it's fraud. >> reporter: special agent in charge said the fbi has people working on these types of complaints every day. >> in fact, today

tisha thompson, "news 4" i team. >> time now for a look at weather and traffic. tom kierein in "storm center 4," keeping an eye on the radar. >> you're going to need your umbrella. we've got gray sky over washington now. a few sprinkles beginning to show up again in the district. that was a live view from our city camera. we have had a few sprinkles predawn. now we're getting them coming bar back, and in annandale, they're getting light sprinkles. it's in the mid-50s. by mid morning it looks like it will be in the mid-to upper 50s to perhaps near 60 degrees by late morning with some continuing light to moderate showers. and around your lunch hour you'll need your umbrella when you dart out into the parking lot you'll need it as it will be around 60 degrees. during the afternoon heading back home from work and school, you may need that brl again and you'll be dodging lightning bolts. perhaps too passing thunder showers. i don't anticipate any severe storms. thunder and lightning into the evening hours. by midnight the skies should be breaking up. a star shine comi

in the newsroom, tisha thompson, news4 iteam. >>> a new illness for a high-tech society. coming up next, the signs you could be suffering from a serious cell phone addiction. >>> incredible video of a train smashing into a utility truck. what the driver says didn't happen before the crash. >>> cell phones are supposed to keep us connected. but for a growing number of people, they're having the opposite effect and can actually lead to less personal contact. a recent study also found more people saying they fear losing their phones and get anxious or panicky without them. in today's "news4 your health," dr. bruce hansel reports. >> cell phone society, we're connected to cell phones like they're extensions of ourselves. what happens when your attachment to your phone becomes a problem. >> i remember i was crying. i was angry. >> reporter: for christiana ike, not having her phone created extreme anxiety. she has three phones and carries two phone chargers with her all the time. she even takes her phone with her in the shower. >> i have it sitting there on the counter. because

. >> tisha thompson is live in the studio now with just what happened. tisha? >> jim and pat, i have to tell you, this was one of the more dramatic chases we've seen in a long time, with dozens of police vehicles all over the region trying to chase down a silver crown victoria. police sources tell us maryland state police were patrolling for stolen vehicles when the crown vic flew by them on 495. that's when u.s. park police say they got involved. >> today at approximately 11:30 this morning, there was a vehicle traveling south bound on the baltimore washington parkway. it was checked and confirmed to be a stolen vehicle. u.s. park police officers started a pursuit. >> most of the chase circled through a five-block section of ward 8 near alabama avenue, before the vehicle crashed at the intersection of mississippi and south capitol in the southeast. witnesses say a police dog actually took the suspect down about a half a block away from the crash. we'll show you more of the chase and give you the latest developments on it tonight on news4 at 5:00. pat? >> all r

tisha thompson, news 4. >>> we have been keeping an eye on the roads as we speak. let's see what she has to tell us about how traffic is moving. >> normally, you focus on one area, today, you are around the entire dmv. >> if you can stay in, i would. over 40 roads closed. let's head over now as you make the trip in fairfax county there. 80 roads are closed. these are local roads. the interstates look good. on i-95 in both directions, nice and clear in virginia. no issues there. 66 as well inside and outside of the beltway. no problems. i can tell you, local roads are just a mess on some of them. like tisha said, if your kids aren't driving you crazy, stay in. back to you both. >> thank you. sandy left a massive mess in new york city. it's one of the hardest hit areas. a angie is covering it for us. >> it's a huge mess. new york city is waking up to fires, flooding after sandy ripped through the area. first, devastating video of the monster six-alarm fire that completely destroyed 80 to 1000 homes in queens. close to 200 firefighters with the help of the army nation

news4's tisha thompson live in alexandria at the king street metro station. tisha? >> reporter: we show that video to folks trying to catch a bus here in alexandria, every person said they were shocked what they saw. we want to warn folks the home they are about to see video of crashes that some of our viewers may find disturbing. you are watching real video from the perspective of a metro bus driver who never sees a pedestrian coming until it's too late. [ crashing ] >> oh! >> oh wow. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: we showed the video to these passengers as they were waiting to board buses in alexandr alexandria. >> i'm scared to ride the bus that's crazy, man. i don't know about that, i might not get on the bus now. >> reporter: metro just released these drive cam videos which automatically record a sudden movement, like when this bus rear ended a stopped car at this stop sign in front of a school. z [ screaming ] >> waited the last second to slam on the brakes and people go droo flying. >> the system, although it appears to be scary at times is a tool we are us

tisha thompson, thanks. >>> still ahead, a look back fondly at our beloved actor andy griffith from theknew him best. >>> and concerns about a grab shortage on this 4th of july holiday. >>> well, few actors have created a carc tear as beloved and admired as mayberry's sheriff, andy taylor. and now generations of fans are remembering the life of actor andy griffith. he was 86 years old. his family says he died this morning at his home and he was buried on north carolina's outer banks, a place where that me he made his home for decades. os scar-winning director ron howard played his son opie on "the andy griffith show." he said griffith created a set that was both playful and disciplined. >> he approached everything with such a commitment to excellence and a desire to earn people's respect. >> jim nabors played gomer pyle on the show. he said he just talked to graift few weeks ago and said that this is a very personal loss for him and for all of us who grew up on that show. it's been many days of our childhood in mayberry. >>> after the storm now, montgomery county residents will have to

tisha thompson was right in the middle of the action. here's what she saw unfolding on neighborhood streets. >> reporter: the silver crown victoria flew by us on wheeler avenue with at least 20 police cars in pursuit. >> today, at approximately 11:30, this morning, there was a vehicle traveling southbound on the baltimore washington parkway in the area of 410. we checked and confirmed it to be a stolen vehicle. >> reporter: over and over again the suspect ccled through the residential neighborhood along alabama avenue between wheeler and 15th street. police sources tell news4 onlookers actually jumped out into the street between the suspect's vehicle and the police cars, while others appeared to be cheering on the suspect. we saw him again when he came down 13th street onto savannah. before he finally crashed at south capitol and mississippi avenue, when he slammed into this black honda driven by a man in a domino's pizza uniform. witnesses say he hit the honda so hard it popped the black car into the air. >> i came out and he got out of

tisha thompson with the news 4 i-team shows you what you need to be on the lookout for in this previewter: they seem so easy to play. bounce the ball and throw a dart, pick up a bottle. but is something else at play? >> this game, the way it's made, is designed for the player to lose. there's no doubt about that. >> reporter: bruce walstad is a retired cop who trains law enforcement on carnival games like how nudging a bottle few inches can mean the difference between winning and losing. >> your chances of winning, slim to none, if at all. >> reporter: the news 4 i-team and "dateline" nbc are showing you tricks of the trade you might not have noticed before. >> it's not 100%. >> reporter: we're visiting local fairs to show you what games to watch out for. which are guaranteed to win you a prize. >> they're not rigged. they're not rigged. they can win any game out here. >> reporter: and what you need to know to improve your odds the next time you hit the midway. it's all sunday starting with a "dateline nbc" at 7:00 followed by our local investigation at 11: 11:00. tisha thompson, news

in northeast, tisha thompson, news 4 i-team. >> only d.c.esidents with serious diseases and conditions will be eligible to buy the medical marijuana. you have to have a note from a doctor registered with the city program. to check out a map of where it will be grown go to nbc washington.com and search medical marijuana. >>> a teenager has been charged with vandalizing a church in stafford county, virginia. earlier this month investigators found a racial slur spray painted on the back wall of the bethlehem primitive baptist church on chapel green road. a 16-year-old boy from stafford county has now been arrested. he is facing two charges, breaking into a property and damaging the church. there was a rally today in montgomery county for a mother who was brutally killed by her estranged husband. phillip gilberti killed heather mcguire earlier this month before he shot himself. just a day before the murder gilberti was in police custody but a judge set him free. derrick ward spoke to family members who want state laws changed. >> reporter: phill

tisha thompson shows how metro is catching crooks who take the bait. >> reporter: in this video, a manooks like he's passed out, a perfect target for a woman who bends down and snatches his phone. what she doesn't realize, he's a cop surrounded by undercover officers, ready to grab her, handcuff her, and take her to jail. >> we pick out strategic locations based our criminal activity, based where regular customers are robbed. we go ahead and stage an area where we know the crimes are more prevalent. >> reporter: this takedown went down just two days ago. part of metro's decoy operation to cut down thefts of expensive electronics. >> it is something new. probably over the last year we've seen an increase in the robbery of electronic devices. as technology grows and devices become more popular and more user friendly in our system, we've seen an increase in robberies. >> reporter: the officers say decoy operations happen so fast most people don't realize they're happening even though it's on the metro platform until the arrest is made. metro says it's arrested more than 70 suspects since

tonight on news 4 at 11:00. >> thanks, tisha thompson.oug is here with one more look at our sketchy weather forecast. >> sketchy to say the least. we'll wake up i think many of us to some accumulating snow maybe even in the washington, d.c. area. expect that when you step out the door. i don't think it will cause problems on the roads. biggest problems will be up to the north and west where we have the winter weather advisories including frederick county, virginia and frederick county, maryland, the panhandle of west virginia for maybe 1 to 2, maybe upwards of 3 inches and you see that winter storm warning back to the west including garret county, maryland seeing 5 to 10 inches. that is very good news for the ski resorts out there. as far as the next couple days go how about a mix of rain and snow tomorrow? snow to the north and west. rain to the south and east. high of only 34 on your sunday. wind chills tomorrow will probably not get above 20 all day long in most locations. we will however begin to get out of this just a little bit but

tisha thompson, thanks. >>> still ahead tonight, we'll tell you how the nationals are trying to takehe park from those loud and often obnoxious philly fans. >> oh, doug? what's up? >> i tell you what, guys. going to be another warm day tomorrow but something else. we'll talk about [ husband ] i don't talk to them as much as cindy does. good morning, chickens! [ jim ] you know, that's our business. so we want to be the experts in chicken. we're not the status quo. perdue is the first and the only chicken company to have usda process verified programs for fresh, all natural chicken. [ jim ] this is an all-vegetarian diet. no animal byproducts, no animal fat. our chickens are not fed steroids or hormones. it's not gonna happen. [ jim ] we raise our chickens cage-free, and we set our goals higher than anyone. we're trying to make a better chicken. [ jim ] my dad did, my grandfather did, and it's what we do today. >>> breaking news from annapolis. the maryland senate has just approved same sex marriage. it is an historic decision. darcy spencer is live in annapolis with the latest details

police officer. >> reporter: at gallery place metro, tisha thompson, news 4. >> metro transit police tell us electronics are easy to steal because the devices are so good at distracting us. they say you can help them with their decoy operations by protecting yourself, by paying attention to who is around you. it's good to know these guys are around us. >> it might be a good weekend to be taking the subway because it is going to be cold o there. at least you're under ground and warm. >> it is going to be brutal as far as cold temperatures go. a couple things you'll need, the coats, hats, gloves. one thing you're not going to need with this system the snow shovels. you won't need the sleds. this is not going to be a big no event though we are going to see some snow just about everywhere even those folks in southern maryland that have really not seen much at all. out there right now current temperatures hitting at 43 degrees. you can see the clouds have moved in across the region. earlier we were seeing sunshine but now the clouds are moving in as the storm system is doing the same. win

tisha thompson has our report. >> reporter: pay to park, or pay the fine. >> happens if you don't pay the meter? >> then you get a ticket. >> reporter: parking officers don't play around in the district. >> i've got a ticket. i'm only three minutes over the time limit. >> reporter: after getting a tip from a viewer, the news4 iteam started its own parking patrol. wait until you see which district employees are illegally parking all day. and getting away with it. >> oh, wow. that's interesting. >> well, i think it's unfair. >> reporter: it's 7:00 a.m. spots are filling up fast around the d.c. government's center on 14th and northwest. while some drivers drop in coins, it's hard not to notice car after car after car sitting at unpaid meters. hanging on the mirror, handicapped placards. according to d.c. law, placards only allow you free parking for twice the posted time on the meter. we watched this guy day after day park his dodge charger on this street at a two-hour meter. he climbs into a d.c. department of transportation van that drives across town where it drops him off at his job

>> scary. >> tisha thompson -- one more check on our weather, doug?check now showing some showers and stronger thunderstorms out there. i think we'll start to see some thunderstorms moving right up the i-95 corridor. take a look at fredericksburg on the map. you see the thunderstorms starting to develop right now. watch out for those. the next couple days we'll be dealing with very warm and humid conditions. expect showers through tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. right now the weekend looking good. >> next up, a twist on an iconic beatles photograph has gone on auction tomorrow in london. the picture was taken in 1969 as the beatles were getting ready to release the abbey road album. remember that? you will notice this photo. >> mm-hmm. >> no you don't. you will notice this photo is the opposite of the one chosen for the album cover. it shows the beatles crossing abbey road in the reverse direction. they're out of step. and mccartney is not barefoot. he is wearing sandals on that one. a private collector is selling the picture expected to fetch at le

tisha thompson, news 4, i-team. >> doug, when will we see spring again? >> 82 saturday. 50 today.temperature swing. >> little confusing. >> roller coaster, very confusing. talked last couple weeks. hey maybe time to put away the coats. mother nature said, uh-uh. not so fast. over the next cup douple days a chiacht -- days. a chilly night. sitting in the 40s across much of the region. that's normally where we should be for early morning low temperatures. not where we should be at 11:00 at night. for the record. high temperature of 50 degrees. we have not seen 50 for a high in april very much. only about, four, five times. over the last five years. average high is 69. nearly 20 degrees below average today. 1 1/2 inches of rain. we needed the rain. that's the good part. did see beneficial. take a look at the highs. 45, leesburg. 51, fredericksburg. with the wind. it didn't feel close to the numbers. many of you stayed in the 30s all day. with the wind chill. current temperature out there right now. 44 degrees. humidity, 79%. looking at the wind, out of southwest at 7 miles per hour.

tisha thompson shows us the wild ride. >> reporter: when the call comes every minute counts. a woman and a baby stuck in an elevator. two cars on fire from downed power lines. but sometimes the battle is just getting to the emergency. >> getting worse with more congestion it's worse. distracted or confused drivers in the way. >> we see every reaction. >> reporter: jamming on brakes, going around fire trucks. we hit one of the biggest obstacles, intersections. >> this intersection stinks. >> reporter: one, two, three, ten cars fly buy us despite lights and sirens blaring. >> i know it's there. >> reporter: riding with station 30, a traffic jam at this light. drivers freeze, not sure what to do. one call pulls into the intersection, another backs up and pulls ahead, still blocking the lanes. >> in a one-mile travel time on a call we would encounter seven or eight drivers doing the wrong thing. >> reporter: never continue into the intersection. >> we have to keep about a three car distance. and even then people try to duck in front of us. >> reporter: this car slams on the brake

tisha thompson reports. >> reporter: there are things danny white really loves, the redskins, his red chevy and a good joke. 25 years ago, danny wanted to have fun with his vanity plate which reads no tags. >> you see my tag, you are from d.c. >> reporter: almost everyone. >> this he don't get the joke. they don't get it. >> reporter: now, joekt on him. >> i got enough tickets here to plaster the whole car. >> reporter: 300, 500, 700 for overdue tick felt he the city finds aen abandoned vehicle or car missing its plates, guess who gets it, danny white. >> over $20,000 worth of tickets. >> reporter: ticket for fords, hondas, dodges, even a vespa. every few months, he has to take time off from work to go to the courthouse to get tickets dismissed but since danny drives a chevy avalanche, anything marked chevy is still his problem. >> how am i going to prove it's not mine? you don't know? it's your system. figure it out. i don't know it is not an answer. i got to get it done. >> reporter: his record at the dmv is so long, he says he can't renew his license or his lemon station. >> let me

tisha thompson, news4 iteam. >> andre mccoy is awaiting trial and faces more than a dozen charges for first-degree murder, stealing a vehicle and multiple assault charges, including assaulting a police officer. >>> doug's here with a check on our weather. we're heading into eye holiday weekend for a lot of people, and you bring good news, huh this. >> finally. you don't have to look at the weather and say, oh, man, not again. this time we get sunshine. a lot of people still wait fog our first snow, but we don't want anything like what they got toward the northeast. take a look, just a beautiful shot down toward the lincoln memorial a little earlier. the water looking good there this time of year. look at that, what a great shot just after sunset. temperatures today got up to 56 degrees. you look at that number and go, well, still pretty cool. it was the warmest temperature we've seen in almost two weeks, even though it was still below average by about 5 degrees. the good news for us is i think we go back above average over the next couple of days. right now, toward the capitol, curren

in the wake of a sign that came crashing down in our area, the news 4's iteam tisha thompson shows us what kimt of shape ou signs are in and whether you need to worry about another one falling down. >> reporter: virginia crews working overtime repairing highway signs after this sign came crashing down on interstate 66. >> i was surprised that the sign structure on i 66 had fallen because we are out there inspecting them frequently. >> reporter: he's inside of our signs for the virginia department of transportation. >> we've been doing quality assurance inspections. >> reporter: they still don't know why it fell but inspectors are focused on the anchor bolts. after weeks of negotiations vdot released its inspection records to the news four iteam. internal records show an estimated 8% of northern virginia's can at the lever and overhead signs are in poor condition. the records show these high map light poles have the most problems. >> inspectors look for very specific things. for instance, on this high mass poll they have a problem with the electronics and the system holding up the lig

in northeast, tisha thompson, news 4 iteam. >>> the family of a murdered maryland woman is calling for changes to domestic violence laws. friends and family of heather mcguire ral eddie outside montgomery county district court yesterday. her estranged husband, philip gilberti killed her and then turned the gun on herself. hours earlier, gilberti was released from jail after arrested for stalking mcguire. her family says he should not have been leased in the first place. >> she said he was going to be put away for quite some time, and she told me that she felt happy sunday. we spent the day together. >> reporter: mcguire's mother says a computer glitch allowed gilberti to go free. the district court system was down, so the judge may not have had access to the man's previously crimes. she's calling for stronger laws against domestic violence offenders hoping her daughter's death will help keep the cause alive. >>> penn state administrateors lied dozens of times to the grand jury about the actions of jerry sandusky, according to prosecutors. the attorney general filed the report that list

tisha thompson finds out who is watching out for you. >> think you're watching every penny at the pump these days? >> many, many. probably thousands. >> you've got nothing on elizabeth conkey. every day she's on the road inspecting gas stations in maryland. >> all inspections are unannounced. >> for the state's department of agriculture, and boy, can she the stop the meter on a dime on this case a penny. >> my greatest job skill is to stop at five gallons and ten gallons. >> she uses these specially calibrated containers. they look a lot like milk jugs. first she makes sure each pump starts and stays on zero for 30 seconds. >> i pump until this says five gallons, and then i read how much was actually dispensed. >> there is a tolerance if the pump dispenses too little or too much, she can shut it down. >> i do find errors. >> reporter: meters that keep rolling after you stop filling up can put a pump out of commission. >> we would like to check them once every year, but due to so many pumps versus so p many inspector it's once every two years. >> i'm here now because i had another child

. >> and that was tisha thompson reporting. now working overtime to inspect more than 500 similar signs. >> after that story i've been looking up a lot more. >> yeah. watch out. something might be coming down. >> not only the signs but the trees. i started thinking how many of the trees are doing okay with storms and everything. >>> well, speaking of storms, we saw some showers yesterday. chuck, you said there could be some more rain here and there in the way for parts of our region. >> yes, indeed. there's a possibility of a few showers on your saturday. it's not going to be a washout though. we're off to a beautiful start here. the sun is up. your weekend is officially underway. forecast next. snoechlt ♪ you got to fight for your right to party ♪ >>> one of music's most unique and beloved voices has gone silent. adam "mca" yauch died after battling a rare form of cancer for three years. the beatie boys have been influential in rock and rap for 20 years. they were inducted into the hall of fame a few weeks ago. yauch was 47 ye

. >> not talking about people but animals and tisha thompson joins us with this one. tisha. >> hello. yep. we are talking about new housing construction leading to an interesting battle between man versus beast in our area. for several day we hung out with local animal control officers. now, when you think about animal control, you probably think about dogs and cats and other warm and fuzzy things but we discovered these officers have to tackle all kinds of critters. we saw crazy things from rack coop -- raccoons in the bathroom to a fox to a snake with no inattention to coming out of tree. we will show you why a house boom in the last few years has caused a serious problem for local governments and you can see where we are gonna go when we take own a ride to the wild side. that is tonight on news4 at 11:00. >> wow. >> thanks. >> interesting stuff. >> see you then. >>> coming up in our next half hour of news4 at 5:00, a substitute teach in prince georges county is off the job after accusations he attacked a child. >>> drivers slowed down when they see these speed camer