barbara pinto has our report. >> we have a disturbing update on the family missing from mt. vernon, ohio. >> we're following a major story in central ohio. >> there's a break tonight in the case of four people who went missing in ohio last week. >> reporter: the teenaged girl held captive for days in the dark basement of this home could be her missing family and law enforcement's best hope. >> not only is she assisting in the investigation but under the circumstances a 13-year-old girl being held captive for four days by a total stranger, i would call her the epitome of bravery. >> reporter: sara maynard was found bound and gagged in matthew hoffman's basement, ten miles from where she, her 10-year-old brother kody, her mother, tina herman, and a friend, stephanie sprang, disappeared. hoff man is called the lone suspect so far in this baffling crime. today, just a block from his home, a desperate search. by air, on foot and by boat. even pulling two cars from a pond. >> you need to be optimistic because there's no evidence -- we haven't recovered anyone. >> reporter: this af

i'm barbara pinto in mt.ernon, ohio. >> we'll be right back. ídídídídx >>> welcome back, everybody. of course, down to the wire on "dancing with the stars" here. jennifer grey, i'm betting my money on her, i think she could walk away with this thing. nobody puts baby in the corner. she's rocking and rolling on the show. she danced last night and got two perfect scores back to back. two 30s which was pretty special. pretty unprecedented as well. she looked great out there, and again, i thought she may walk away with this thing when all is said and done. looked straight out there. apparently making some news and stealing headlines here is the one and only bristol palin. she's giving interviews where she's kind of let a little behind the scenes inside out. she said basically she is not really liked so much by some of the folks on the show, including that guy there, one of the professional dancers, maks -- i'm going to butcher this last name. "maks does not like me. he thinks i don't deserve to be here because i'

for "good morning america," barbara pinto, abc news, naperville, illinois. >> i hope michael bloomberg doesn't get any crazy ideas here in new york. >>> so, we have one more holiday note, as well. check out this video. nearly 2 million people have clicked on it. it takes place at a mall near niagra falls, canada, where shoppers got a surprise. one of those sudden, unexpected flash mobs, with a holiday hallelujah. ♪ i have never seen a mall like that. >>> coming up, a dancer disappears. what happened to a petite, young ballerina who vanished a week ago, while home from school for the holidays? could her cell phone hold a key clue? >>> and the mystery of the meteorites. what scientists are learning about the origin of life by studying these alien fireballs. let's support the small business owners getting our economy booming with the first ever small business saturday. on november 27th, shop small. it's going to be huge. [trumpet playing "reveille" fades to silence] >>> so, we've been talking about all these great deals you see at the mall. the big question is, should you buy now? or shou

barbara pinto has the latest from mt.on, ohio. >> reporter: the teenage girl held captive for days in the dark basement of this home could be her missing family and law enforcement's best hope. >> not only is she assisting the investigation, but under the circumstances, a 13-year-old girl being held captive for four days by a total stranger, i would call her the epitome of bravery. >> reporter: sarah maynard was found bound and gagged in matthew hoffman's basement ten miles from where she, her 10-year-old brother kody, her mother tina herrmann, and stephanie sprang, a family friend, all disappeared. hoffman is described as a loner and lone suspect so far in this baffling crime. a block from his home, a desperate search. by air, on foot, and by boat. even pulling two cars from a pond. >> the fact that only one person has been located since last wednesday, you have to be just realistic. you just have to be realistic that there's a possibility that these folks are dead. >> reporter: neighbors say hoffman's girlfriend and her

our barbara pinto is bravely covering that story. she is in chicago this morning. barbara, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. we're feeling that cold for sure. after all of the worries about airport delay, body scans and pat-downs, it turns out the biggest trouble this holiday was mother nature unleashing a thanksgiving menu of rain, sleet and snow. cold, wet weather wreaked icy havoc on roadways across america. and intense winds stalled traffic in california. on the biggest travel day of the year. in albuquerque, new mexico, dozens of accidents on snow-slicked highways. 20 vehicles, including at least 3 police cars, involved in collisions. the storm pummeled polk county, missouri, with 3 inches of rain. five inches in indiana, leaving both states under flood watches. the storm also drove cars off the road in north dakota. police in fargo say they responded to over 60 cashes since wednesday. residents of minneapolis say it's their coldest thanksgiving in 25 years. >> the best thing that people can do to keep from either sliding off the road or bein

here's barbara pinto. >> reporter: melanie and aaron richman have plenty to be thankful for. >> wordsribe it. having the baby and being safe. >> reporter: a surveillance camera captures why. on monday, the richmans were going from colorado to missouri, with relatives driving the moving vans. they stopped for gas in kansas city. aaron, entertaining his 6-month-old daughter, samantha, after 12 hours in the car. >> just let my guard down for that split second and everything just went to hell. >> reporter: with samantha strapped in her car seat, aaron and melanie walk just out of sight of the cameras, to talk to relatives. that's when this man made a beeline for their running car and took off. a parents' worst nightmare. >> you're never going to see the baby again. >> if he got through the parking lot, we would never see our child. >> reporter: without thinking, the young parents gave chase. melanie, dragged by the moving car shattered a window with her elbow. >> i was just holding on for dear life. wherever she was go, i was going to go with. >> reporter: aaron, somehow managed to climb

barbara pinto has the latest from ohio. good morning, barbara. >> reporter: good morning, robin. matthew hoffman is said to appear in court today. so far the only link between him and a 13-year-old girl charged with kidnapping is that his parents live within walking distance of her home. a s.w.a.t. team found sarah maynard in matthew hoffman's basement, ten miles from where she disappeared. the teenage girl was bound and gagged but alive. >> she is currently in the hospital with nonlife threatening condition. she has been interviewed somewhat, but the details of what she's telling us can't be revealed. >> reporter: police believe sarah was under hoffman's control since her disappearance last wednesday. but there's still know sign of her 10-year-old brother kody, her mother tina herrmann and her friend stephanie sprang. >> right now, we have no one that we're aware of who is deceased so it continues as a missing persons investigation. >> reporter: neighbors say hoffman's girlfriend and her son recently moved out and describe his behavior as odd. >> it was kind of weird. he was cli

. >>> a little further south, barbara pinto on the road in raleigh, north carolina. barbara? >> reporter: good morning, george. we're coming to you from the right lane of interstate 40 traveling a respectable 59 miles per hour. we're in this specially outfitted car. you can see live road conditions of the 40 million holiday drivers, the average trip, about 800 miles. the average expenditure about $500. but the sacrifice of spending time on the road to spend your time with family, priceless. >>> barbara walters sat down at the white house with president obama and the first lady, michelle obama, for an interview that could not have come at a more critical moment. the president made his first comments on the tense situation on the korean peninsula. >> mr. president, north korea is getting more aggressive by the day. condemnation and sanctions which haven't seeped to work. what exactly can you do about it? >> well, as you said, this is just one more provocative incident in a series that we've seen over the last several months. we are rallying the international community, once aga

barbara pinto is in mt. vernon, ohio, with the latest on the story. good morning, barbara. >> reporter: good morning, robin. a lone suspect in this case, matthew hoffman, appears in court today. and investigators say, he may have been watching the members of the missing family in the days before they disappeared. from the air and on the water, police combed every corner of this park near matthew hoffman's home. >> the fact that only one person has been located since last wednesday. you have to be realistic that there's a possibility that these folks are dead. >> reporter: a s.w.a.t. team found 13-year-old sarah maynard sunday, bound and gagged, held captive in hoffman's basement. she had been missing since wednesday, along with her mother, tina hermann, 10-year-old brother, kody, and family friend, stephanie sprang. police found hoffman in his car nearby. investigators believe the four came upon hoffman at tina hermann's home last wednesday. the only connection, hoffman's parents live within walking distance. sarah was at hoffman's home, ten miles away