and two we will travelers in san francisco and carolyn johnson made a trip to west africa. >>> we begin with the growing gang problem in some of the smallest bay area communities. as vic lee reports south san francisco is fighting back with a special gang unit. [ siren ] >> it was a friday night on the east side of south san francisco. this is gang to your turf. the officers had just arrived on a routine patrol when two shots rang out. >> couple shots being fired. >> sergeant canny gill heads the police response team four officers assigned full time to fight an exploding gang problem in this peninsula city. the gunshots tell you how bold gangs have become. >> it could have been just gangsters let letting out know they are here. >> the shots were fired near a small park where three people were found dead and flee others wounded. >> this is the territory of nortenos they wear the color wednesday. >> the other gang wears blue. but the colors are going blur. >> what we're seeing the last couple of years is red on red rivalry where it's not usual. [ siren ] >> officers encounter half a dozen

. >>> up next, carolyn johnson travels to west africa. the women of sierra leone stand the women of sierra leone stand up to a ritual that leaves i m a a @merican. i am an amer mniecan.y i am an americ. .am an errican. i am an ameran!o. rñamy aamt7icran. d aana american. i l i a @m anme1rin.m] rh..ñu ;Ñ eiv...r0 i... ;] ""am,3.÷ .anfmeacaren. ñk i am an american. zei am an ericané& i admmericae )oi aam0erica. voi: : am0 an erericaá voe: i axm an ameran (oi aan americaun >>> women and girls face immense challenges in west africa. less than third of them are literate and they are subject to genital mutilation. but things are changing. carolyn johnson traveled to sierra leone. >> these are the faces of the future, boys and girls excited to learn but continuing their education into their teenage years will be a challenge, especially for girls in rural areas. that initiation into a secret society prepares girls for marriage and includes the controversial practice female genital mutilation. a right all that can lead to horrendous complications

. >> i'm carolyn johnson. their interruption was brief, and the focus quickly returned to the millions of dollars cities across the state will lose in redevelopment funds by the end of the month. in oakland, the hit is particularly hard. $28 million. tonight city leaders are scrambling for ways to fill the budget gap. alan wang is at city hall where those layoffs are looming. alan? >> carolyn, the meeting just finished up within the hour. and they decided to delay this very crucial vote. and that's because dissolving a $28 million redevelopment front is a very complicated process, and they don't want anyone to lose their jobs if they can prevent it. despite interruptions by occupy protesters, the city council pressed on. time is running out. >> we have never done anything this big, this fast. >> the council is under pressure is slash possibly 105 jobs that includes 20 city administrator positions by the end of the month. the loss of $28 million in redevelopment funds has the mayor proposing huge cuts in slashi

i'm carolyn johnson. >> and i'm dan ashley. those court documents offer new details about what happened on new year's eve. >> our legal analyst says this new information makes the case against the sheriff even stronger. johnal -- john alston has the details. >> the allegations against his, quote, going ballistic, and pushing and pulling and grabbing his wife on new year's eve in front of their two-year-old son, and there are claims this was not the first incident. the new sheriff showed up at city hall with a growing cloud over his head. >> i look forward to reporting to work and doing what i have been elected to do, and i look forward to having my day in court. >> that was before his arrest warrant became public with more specific allegations of a confrontation with his wife on new year's eve. according to an of a gave vit, -- to an affidavit, they were on their way to a restaurant for lunch when low peases asked to -- when lopez asked to visit after the inauguration. he started to scream "f-you,"" f-you." she -- he stated som

i'm carolyn johnson. the next newscast is tomorrow morning at 5:00. of course you can keep track on twitter, abc7 news bay area. have a good night -dad, why e you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are the great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a perhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ you can see can you enjoy vegetables with sauce and still reach your weight loss goals? you can with green giant frozen vegetables. over twenty delicious varieties have sixty calories or less per serving and are now weight watchers-endorsed. try green giant frozen vegetables with sauce. the progresso chicken noodle you made is so good. it's got tender white meathicken. the way i always made it for you. one more thing.... those pj's you like, i bought you five new pairs. lov

. >> and i'm carolyn johnson. many experts believe romney's momentum will be all but impossible to stop. >> with 94% of the precincts now reporting, mitt romney has 39% of the vote. ron paul has 23%. jon huntsman comes in third with 17%. newt gingrich and santorum are battling it out for fourth with 9% each. abc7's john alston is here with what is clearly a crucial night. >> romney has established himself as the front runner into the first southern primaries. he is the first republican since president ford in 1976 to have back to back victories in iowa and new hampshire. >> thank you, new hampshire. >> immediately after declaring victory, mitt romney took on the challenger he hopes to face in november, president obama. >> he promised to improve our nation. those were the days of lofty promises made by a hopeful candidate. today we are faced with the disuh .ing -- the disappointing record of a failed appointment. >> he gave the second place finish to ron paul who approved his standing from last week's iowa caucuses

i'm carolyn johnson. >> and i'm dan ashley. the theme of tonight's address was an economy built to last. >> and the subtext was the key themes of his re-election campaign, jobs, taxes and the disparity between the rich and the poor. abc7's johnal stone was here with more -- john alston was here with more. >> the president pushed for more manufacturing jobs and help for high-tech companies that gives help to those in the u.s. he promised to help homeowners and those in college. >> echoing the focus of his re-election campaign, president obama challenged congress on its own turf. >> but intend to fight obstruction with action. and i will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place. >> the president again said he would increase taxes on the wealthy 1% while giving americans a break. >> if you made more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30% in taxes. >> mr. obama is pushing congress to approve a plan he says would let homeowner saves about $3,000 a

i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm carolyn johnson.ou can keep track of the latest break is news on twitter on the abc news bay area. >> we appreciate your time. >> have a great night, everyone. >> reporter: ann and jim adams are struggling to find out why. why them. why their home of 33 years was destroyed in the tornados last april and why it happened again. this time most of the walls held but every window shattered, sending them running for cover. >> we were in this closet. >> we were on the floor. >> reporter: the adams and so many other families here had time to get to their safe place. >> tornado warning -- >> reporter: because the warnings came early. >> in the western corner of the state. >> reporter: their trusted forecasters started spreading the word last thursday, days before the storm. while two people were killed and there were many injuries, authorities tell us tornadoes that strike at night often kill more. this time families were glued to their smartphones. michael rogers received a tornado alert on his that woke him

i'm carolyn johnson. the next newscast is tomorrow morning at 5:00. of course you can keep track on twitter, abc7 news bay area. have a good night four years ago ali vincent weighed 234 pounds and was unhappy with the life she was living. it wasn't the life i wanted to live or dreamt of living but it was the life i accepted. then she lost 112 pounds and won the title of first female to win the biggest loser. if you think about it it's kind of funny when you think about it, it took losing half of me to live the big life. but that's the way it happened. now, ali is paying it forward and helping others live big. today were checking in with some of your favorites. jorge, leslie, matt and carmen. after meeting ali months ago are they still living big? so how are you doing? plus you'll need a whole new group of people looking to live big this year. people like alexandra. there is not one thing i'm happy with right now. emily mcguiness. it what every fat person goes through. nicole lesargo. i wanted to finally complete a goal. and sharon carmona. when i almo

carolyn johnson has the story. >> reporter: courtney is warming up for a ride that is still weeks away a problem. >> i was diagnosed with a rare cancer when i was 25. at there is no cycle for survivor to help. >> reporter: the event she is training for is called cycle for survival started by her college roommate who also developed a rare form of cancer. courtney survived, jennifer did not. >> jennifer passed away in july of 2011. this will be the first year that we do cycle without her. >> reporter: five years ago the women formed the indoor fundraising ride that is staged in major cities across the country. the health club in san francisco is hosting the bay area event. >> we will have 100 cycles. our fitness club will become like a big cycle studio. >> reporter: buddy leads the four hour ride. >> there are things we do, climbing hills, sprint,hvñ)p&hcs fun. great. >> reporter: teams recruit sponsors. so far the event has raised more than nine million dollars for clinical trials into what are known as rare cancers. ucsf researcher doctor says funding for those cancers is typically a f

here's health and science reporter carolyn johnson with the details. >> the number three panel goes around level of the woman's thigh. >> the pregnant woman on this table is a volunteer. but if an actual delivery were to trigger a hemorrhage. ucsf researcher said the garment she's wrapping her in could mean the difference between life and death. >> we've had great success saving women's lives. >> the rubberized fabric acts like a full body tourniquet to stop bleeding and force blood back into the mother's organs. they are testing it in parts of the world where they could at this time deaths in half. >> if they are far from skilled care they need something to buy them time so they can get to the kind of facility where they can get a blood transfusion or get surgery. that's what the anti-shock garment does, it buys time. >> she says hemorrhage is the number one killer of women of childbearing age in places like africa. we recently visited with clinic in sierra leone, a country until recently had the highest maternal death rate in the world. in part because the vast majority of women in rural

i'm carolyn johnson. >> i'm dan ashley. tonight another teacher faces charges of having sex with a students. >> this time it is a high school teacher in livermore. her name is marie johnson, and police arrested her this morning when she uh -- arrived for work at granada high school in livermore. that's where ama dates is with the story. ama? >> carolyn and dan, marie johnson has been a teacher here at granada for 13 years, and tonight she is on administrative leave and in jail after police say she had a sexual relationship with a student. >> i saw it first on facebook, so i saw what happened to ms. j? >> students at granada high school called her ms. j, and police call her a suspect in a sexual assault involving a students. 40-year-old marie johnson is a math teacher at granada, and she is also married. this morning she was arrested by livermore police. >> there are 24 counts ranging from sexual intercourse with a minor, lewd acts with a minor and oral copulation. >> a student called and talked about the a relationship that

i'm carolyn johnson. >> i'm dan ashley. tonight another teacher faces charges of having sex with a students. >> this time it is a high school teacher in livermore. her name is marie johnson, and police arrested her this morning when she uh -- arrived for work at granada high school in livermore. that's where ama dates is with the story. ama? >> carolyn and dan, marie johnson has been a teacher here at granada for 13 years, and tonight she is on administrative leave and in jail after police say she had a sexual relationship with a student. >> i saw it first on facebook, so i saw what happened to ms. j? >> students at granada high school called her ms. j, and police call her a suspect in a sexual assault involving a students. 40-year-old marie johnson is a math teacher at granada, and she is also married. this morning she was arrested by livermore police. >> there are 24 counts ranging from sexual intercourse with a minor, lewd acts with a minor and oral copulation. >> a student called and talked about the a relationship that

abc 7's health and science reporter carolyn johnson has the story. >> there were some physical injuriesexplosives for the most part. >> reporter: marine corps veteran andrew peters says he was one of the lucky ones. he returned from iraq with no major injuries. now, eight years later he is volunteering for a different kind of mission. >> we are going to ask a sample of your blood. >> peters is donating his dna as part of a massive project being launched by the v.a. its goal is to assemble one of the largest genetic databases ever created. >> as a veteran it as fairly minor consideration for something that is likely to help me down the road as well as fellow veterans. >> dr. jennifer hoblin is the director of inpatient health. she say the information cleaned the mystery of the physical conditions like post traumatic stress disorders. >> why are veterans developing certain illnesses and not others. some respond to treatment and other people don't. >> did you ever serve outside the united states, sir? >> yes. >> reporter: volunteers provide personal information including details of their s

carolyn johnson, abc7 news. >> for people at risk of alzheimer's, doctors recommend walking an hour ag in intellectual challenges like reading and taking vitamins. go to abc7news.com and look under "see it on tv." up next, michael finney, reports on the new rules that helps ensureñññññññññ?xxxiqúqú >> if a disaster strikes is your home fully insured? new rules in effect to make sure. >> when a disaster hits homeowners are happy they paid for insurance, most homeowners. some find all those payments have bought less than what they need. >> people so often, after they have a large loss, find out that they have less insurance than they thought they had, or they come up against an exclusion that they had no idea was in their policy. >> to help homeowners from being underinsured, the california department of insurance has put in place new rules. amy heads up united policyholders. she said insurance brokers and agents don't have to help you come up with an insurance figure, but if they do, those numbers must be based on reality. >> if your agent or broker gives you a number and says this i

carolyn johnson filed this story in may. >> the patient on this operating table came to the hospital in mountain view from portland, oregon hoping doctors can change her lif >> to my knowledge, this is the third time to attempted to be done. >>. >> reporter: it's the complicated case he had ever seen. she had abnormal growth and had taken over the major arteries and causing irreversible damage. she was told by other doctors she will never have children. >> there is nothing they could do for me. to operate on it and essentially i could die on the operating table. no surgeon would ever touch it. >> reporter: but a second opinion led her to this doctor and a possibility solution to the endometrosis and the pain she was struck to control. >> the doctor partnered with the cardiovascular surgeon and they did minimally invasive laparoscopy and to help the scar tissue and damaged kidney. remarkably a day after the surgery she was up and walking and off of drugs. >> it's a whole new beginning for me, really. >> katherine's case is a reminder to all women struggling with infertility. >> if you

carolyn johnson, abc7 news. >> for people at risk of alzheimer's, doctors recommend walking an hour ag in intellectual challenges like reading and taking specific vitamins. go to abc7news.com and look under "see it on tv." up next, michael finney, reports on the new rules that helps ensure your home is fully covered when disaster strikes. ♪ you signed up weeks ago ♪ sunlight says get up and go ♪ mountain-grown aroma coming through ♪ ♪ a new challenge waits for you ♪ ♪ ♪ jumpin' into something new ♪ you really see all you can do ♪ ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup >> if a disaster strikes, is your home fully insured? new rules are in effect to make sure. >> when a disaster hits, homeowners are happy they paid for insurance. most homeowners. some find all those payments have bought less than what they need. >> people so often, after they have a large loss, find out that they have less insurance than they thought they had, or they come up against an exclusion that they had no idea was in their policy. >> to help homeowners from being underinsured, the california dep

story tonight from abc 7 health science reporter carolyn johnson.eporter: the buck institute in novato has reputation for breaking new ground in science. but these days they are breaking ground outside their lab as well. crews are drilling 400 feet into the earth for what will become a massive geothermal heating cooling system. ralph is overseeing the project. >> big idea behind the gee 0thermal exchange field is to use the constant temperature of the earth to cool buildings. >>reporter: or help heat them. below ground temperature stays 61 degrees in the mild marin county climate. >> that's why it can be a source of heating and cooling because it's a predictable temperature. what you do with the water can have predictable outcome. >>reporter: after digging more than 300 holes an trenches cre crews lay in miles of tubing that will carry water from the heating air conditioning system through a vast underground maze. system can cool hot water down or raise the temperature of colder water using the earth ambient warmth. all the water then comes back int

it's a lot easier for me to do those things. >> okay, good. >> carolyn johnson, abc7 news. >> up nextnew trend when it comes to buying tvs. brands don't matter. 7 on your side explains what [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings. that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. and these are the ones you'll love on a school night. pillsbury ham and cheese crescents. with just a few ingredients, you have an easy dinner. pillsbury ham and cheese crescents. school night ideas made easy. >> television is changing and how we think of our tv sets is changing too. 7 on your side's michael finney has the results of a surprising study. >> with internet connections and time shifting, how we watch tv is changing. and now how we view the tv itself is changing too. >> we're not brand name shoppers for tvs anymore. is that what it has come down to? >> yes. tvs are becoming commodities. >> he's with the high-tech website tv.com

here's health and science reporter carolyn johnson with how it works. >> you take your tongue and curl it all the way back where you can make a nice urrr sound. >> okay. urrr, urrr. >> he's retraining his tongue to make the "r" sound. the device he uses looks like the knows makers you buy for new year's eve. >> good. >> the device is part of a system called speech buddy. it helps patients learn to pronounce vols and con san manhattan by helping his tongue go in the right position. >> it sounded really weird, totally childish and a little strange and all messed up. >> they brought him to the speech therapist, ellen. she said speech therapists often used things from tongue depressors to place proper placement. the molded tips offer a more precise guide. >> this is a ch, and the tongue goes behind here. they feel where the tongue goes, how far back and how much they close the teeth and lower the jaw. >> we literally probably went through about 100 differentity rations along the years. >> designer alex said his team experimented with dozens of different shapes before coming up with the fiv

here's health and science reporter carolyn johnson with the details. >> the number three panel goes around level of the woman's thigh. >> the bomb is a volunteer but if a delivery would trigger a hemorrhage, she believes the garment she's wrapping her in good mean the difference between life and death. >> the suit is known as a life wrap. it acts like a full body tourniquet to stop the bleeding and force oxygenated blood back into the mother's organs. miller's team is testing it in the developing world where it could cut maternal deaths in half. >> if they bleed they are far from skilled care. they need something to buy them time so they can get to the kind of facility where they can get a blood transfusion or get surgery. that's what the anti-shock garment does. it buys time. >> she said hemorrhage is the number one killer of women of child bear age in places like africa. we recently visited this clinic in sierra leone. a country until recently had the highest maternal death rate in the world. in part because the vast majority of women in rural areas there still give birth at home, making

i'm carolyn johnson. >> and i'm dan ashley. those court documents offer new details about what happened on new year's eve. >> our legal analyst says this new information makes the case against the sheriff even stronger. johnal -- john alston has the details. >> the allegations against his, quote, going ballistic, and pushing and pulling and grabbing his wife on new year's eve in front of their two-year-old son, and there are claims this was not the first incident. the new sheriff showed up at city hall with a growing cloud over his head. >> i look forward to reporting to work and doing what i have been elected to do, and i look forward to having my day in court. >> that was before his arrest warrant became public with more specific allegations of a confrontation with his wife on new year's eve. according to an of a gave vit, -- to an affidavit, they were on their way to a restaurant for lunch when low peases asked to -- when lopez asked to visit after the inauguration. he started to scream "f-you,"" f-you." she -- he stated som

. >> i'm carolyn johnson. their interruption was brief, and the focus quickly returned to the millions of dollars cities across the state will lose in redevelopment funds by the end of the month. in oakland, the hit is particularly hard. $28 million. tonight city leaders are scrambling for ways to fill the budget gap. alan wang is at city hall where those layoffs are looming. alan? >> carolyn, the meeting just finished up within the hour. and they decided to delay this very crucial vote. and that's because dissolving a $28 million redevelopment front is a very complicated process, and they don't want anyone to lose their jobs if they can prevent it. despite interruptions by occupy protesters, the city council pressed on. time is running out. >> we have never done anything this big, this fast. >> the council is under pressure is slash possibly 105 jobs that includes 20 city administrator positions by the end of the month. the loss of $28 million in redevelopment funds has the mayor proposing huge cuts in slashi

i'm carolyn johnson. dan ashley has the night off. he is charged with three misdemeanors. he faces one count each of domestic battery and endangering a witness. he surrendered where he was booked, photographed and fingerprinted. thomas roman is live at city hall. thomas? >> it has beg -- been quite a day. he was booked in the san francisco county jail by the same sheriff he is supposed to supervise. today's charges ended some speculation that as an elected official he would thought beheld accountable. he was looking tired and he stated he just received confirmation from the district attorney's office. >> it has been assigned to me. >> reporter: he quickly stated he will be vindicated of all wrongdoing. >> i believe that these charges are very unfounded. and we will fight these charges, and i am confident that in the endt we will succeed. >> reporter: george gascone is confident that the photographs that were submited and a text message conversation will be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. >> our decision here is just like in all domestic violences cases was based on the a

carolyn johnson has the night off. a man wanted for several sexual assaults among other crimes is now under arrest. thomas roman is live with the story. thomas? >> the 32-year-old san francisco resident the police arrest said being charged with four felony counts including sexual assault robbery and kid p thating. -- kidnapping. they began on 24th and potrero. and san francisco police say women in the area can now breathe a little easier. people especially women in the fair oaks area or who cross through the area daily are relieved that the man wanted in three brutal sexual assaults in the area has been caught. >> i am extremely happy that he was caught. it is such a quiet, very quiet, nice street. >> it is a sigh of relief. it is unnerving to know that there is somebody out there and it is great. >> they are happy, but still cautious. >> good news. >> going to change your behavior a bit? >> probably not. there is always the possibility there is somebody else. >> members of the special victims unit says the arrest of t

i'm carolyn johnson. >> and i'm dan ashley. the theme of tonight's address was an economy built to last. >> and the subtext was the key themes of his re-election campaign, jobs, taxes and the disparity between the rich and the poor. abc7's johnal stone was here with more -- john alston was here with more. >> the president pushed for more manufacturing jobs and help for high-tech companies that gives help to those in the u.s. he promised to help homeowners and those in college. >> echoing the focus of his re-election campaign, president obama challenged congress on its own turf. >> but intend to fight obstruction with action. and i will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place. >> the president again said he would increase taxes on the wealthy 1% while giving americans a break. >> if you made more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30% in taxes. >> mr. obama is pushing congress to approve a plan he says would let homeowner saves about $3,000 a

i'm carolyn johnson. >> i'm dan ashley. for a marin county man 90 years old is not too old to fight. >> he opened fire when an intruder broke into his home. the suspect fired back. ama dates is live where the victim and the suspects are. ama 1234*. >> reporter: carolyn and dan i am told they are both recovering tonight. the suspect had surgery and is recovering now. the suspect is from novato or petaluma and he does have a violent criminal history. he went into the house with a gun, but he likely had no idea what he was walking into of the police worked this crime scene well into the night. it was after a morning burglary lead to a shootout pitting the homeowner against the intruder. >> the suspect kicked in the front door. when he went inside there was one man living at the residence. >> reporter: that 90-year-old man was jay leone. but he was not home alone. sara lives downstairs. >> all of a sudden i heard a boom. >> reporter: she initially thought leone was moving furniture. he was a former law enforcement agent and for

carolyn johnson has the night off. man wanted for several sexual assaults among other crimes is now under arrest. thomas roman is live with the story. thomas? >> the 32-year-old san francisco resident the police arrest said being charged with four felony counts including sexual assault robbery and kid p thating. -- kidnapping. they began on 24th and potrero. and san francisco police say women in the area can now breathe a little easier. people especially women in the fair oaks area or who cross through the area daily are relieved that the man wanted in three brutal sexual assaults in the area has been caught. >> i am extremely happy that he was caught. it is such a quiet, very quiet, nice street. >> it is a sigh of relief. it is unnerving to know that there is somebody out there and it is great. >> they are happy, but still cautious. >> good news. >> going to change your behavior a bit? >> probably not. there is always the possibility there is somebody else. >> members of the special victims unit says the arrest of the

. >> and i'm carolyn johnson. it has been a good night for rick santorum in particular. >> and a bad one for newt gingrich with 99% of the vote counted mitt romney and rick santorum are separated by a 10th of a point. texas congressman ron paul is third. >> followed by former house speaker newt gingrich, texas governor rick perry and minnesota congresswoman michele bachmann. >> abc7's john alston has more on what has really been an exciting night. >> rick santorum seen as the big winner, but whether he has the money and the organization to capitalize on the strong finish is a question mark. also tonight we may have seen the beginning of the end of rick perry's candidacy. >> game on. >> rick santorum came from behind to find himself in a dogfight for the top spot of the iowa caucuses thanks to the support of the tea party and the other social conservative. >> we will be in new hampshire and we will leave tomorrow and spend our time there, and with your help and god's grace we will have another fun night a week from

i'm carolyn johnson. >> i'm cheryl jennings.ncisco new sheriff faces criminal charges tonight. >> sheriff ross mirk reeny has been told to turn himself in, stemming from charges of domestic violence on new year's eve. vic lee is live at the hall of justice, vick? >> sheriff mirkarimi charged with three counts, one count of domc

. >> good evening, i'm carolyn johnson. >> an fran sheriff ross mirkarimi will not be allowed to go homesoon he made appearance on domestic violence charges and the judge extended that order that keeps him away from his wife and child. we are live in san francisco with what is an emotional appearance. >> this was a long day. ross mirkarimi sat from

i'm carolyn johnson. >> i'm dan ashley. too old to fight. >> he opened fire when an intruder broke into his home. the suspect fired back. ama dates is live where the victim and the suspects are. ama 1234*. >> reporter: carolyn and dan, i am told they are both recovering tonight. the suspect had surgery and is recovering now. the suspect is from novato or petaluma and he does have a violent criminal history. he went into the house with a gun, but he likely had no idea what he was walking into of the police worked this crime scene well into the night. it was after a morning burglary lead to a shootout pitting the homeowner against the intruder. >> the suspect kicked in the front door. when he went inside there was one man living at the residence. >> reporter: that 90-year-old man was jay leone. but he was not home alone. sara lives downstairs. >> all of a sudden i heard a boom. >> reporter: she initially thought leone was moving furniture. hea former was a former law enforcement agent and former vet and is very physically fit

. >> and i'm carolyn johnson. it has been a good night for rick santorum in particular. >> and a bad one for newt gingrich with 99% of the vote counted mitt romney and rick santorum are separated by a 10th of a point. texas congressman ron paul is third. >> followed by former house speaker newt gingrich, texas governor rick perry and minnesota congresswoman michele bachmann. >> abc7's john alston has more on what has really been an exciting night. >> rick santorum seen as the big winner, but whether he has the money and the organization to capitalize on the strong finish is a question mark. also tonight we may have seen the beginning of the end of rick perry's candidacy. >> game on. >> rick santorum came from behind to find himself in a dogfight for the top spot of the iowa caucuses thanks to the support of the tea party and the other social conservative. >> we will be in new hampshire and we will leave tomorrow and spend our time there, and with your help and god's grace we will have another fun night a week from

i'm carolyn johnson. >> i'm dan ashley. about the new year's eve incident that led to arrest of sheriff ross mirkarimi. >> documents revealed verbal and physical abuse documented by a neighbor and accord together arrest warrant there is not the first time the couple struggled with domestic violence. and we're in the newsroom with more. >> this affidavit says ross mirkarimi's wife gave a neighbor what one detective describes as a free flowing narrative on what she says was an assault on nea

. >>> good evening, everyone, i'm carolyn johnson. >> abc's coverage of the state of the union addressins in just a moment. >> first, top stories tonight. police say a 15-year-old foreign tourist swaulted this morning was unconscious when it happened. the person on the stretcher is a suspect, an 18-year-old man from southern california. other members of the tour group called police when she wandered from them. investigators say they found the suspect assaulting the girl in the bush autos san francisco sheriff ross mirkarimi tells abc 7 news he has no plans to step asichld he is set to stand trial on domestic violence charges. mayor ed lee called mirkarimi to city hall to talk about how he plans to do his job during the trial. mirkarimi says he can handle it and adds he will not take pay during time in court. >> apple received a best ever earnings report today, setting new records thanks to

. >> i'm carolyn johnson.e nmt a community about what could be a huge economic boost. >> that is right. new jobs and tax revenue could be coming to a town that could use both. tonight there is word a major company could be building a facility in patterson. and we're live what w.what could be hunl news for people. >> many here were hoping to hear more about this project at a special meeting but i've just learned that this meeting has been postponed so lawyers can take a look at things. if and when this

i'm carolyn johnson. >> an east bay man pleaded guilty to charges involving a multi million dollar reale scheme. >> authorities made a federal case out of it. it's a story the i team broke. >> it's a story you'll see only on 7 tonight. >> this is a step for investors but they're still feeling impact with savings, gone, and credit ruined. jim used to call himself the leftas

good evening, everyone, i'm carolyn johnson. >> it's not a huge storm, but we can use every drop of ther christian. >> there are many drops on the way now. you can see there is heavy rain north of the golden gate but wide spread skmufing south ward and eastward.

i'm cheryl jennings in for carolyn johnson. >> dan: i'm dan ashley.his possible the ted when it was mistakenly posted on line. it projected $9.2 billion and calls for $4.2 billion in cuts. assumes they will pass higher sales tax increase and in they don't i

. >> i'm carolyn johnson. after weeks of warm weather, winter is reasserting itself. >> it is.rnings in a storm system moving in this week. spencer christian is here. >> yes. winter weather arrived. let me show you the systems producing the flow of cold air coming our way now. this is coming down from the gulf of alaska. we're about to experience coldest weather of the season so far. you've just heard a freeze warning is in effect for a wide expanse tonight beginning at 11:00 tonight continuing until 8:00 in the morning. we'll see low temperatures overnight dropping into teens and low 20s at som

. >> good evening, i'm carolyn johnson. >> something happened today that few people there ever have seen gang member flipped and actually testified against his former friends in a murder case. the victim, a college student visiting san francisco two years ago. vick slee live with the story. vic? >> that crucial witness is a young man who decided to testify against his friends sh we're not identifying him out of concern for his safety. the witness is in his early 20s and says he was with the killer whtz murder happened. the victim was a 26-year-old michael bailey. a college student from louisiana visiting friends in san francisco during christm

health and science reporter carolyn johnson has the story. >>> courtney is warming up for a ride that is weeks away but motivation isn't a problem. >> i was diagnosed with a rare cancer when i was 25. >> the event she is training for is cycle for survival. it was started by her college roommate jennifer who developed a rare form of cancer. while courtney survived her disease, jennifer did not. >> jennifer passed away in july of 2011. so this will be the first year we docile without her. >> five years ago, women formed the indoor fund-raising by this in major cities across the country. health club in san francisco is hosting the bay area event. >> and we will have 100 cycles so i think this club will become like a big cycle studio. >> reporter: betty leads the four-hour ride. >> climbing hills and sprints, standing on the bike. it's really fun. >> reporter: so far the event has raised more than $9 million for clinical trials in what is known as rare cancers. a researcher says funding for those cancers a fraction what is spent on better known diseases. >> the efforts that are being depl

here is reporter carolyn johnson with the story front parted is a little more tricky. >> reporter: theyining young surgeons at the trauma institute at san francisco general hospital. he has been a force exploiting that expertise, teaching doctors from developing countries, as well. >> we tailor the curriculum of the course, especially for these people to be exposed to procedures, techniques they can do at home. >> reporter: dr. gotlin was one of surgeons for launching global orthopedics program and has trained more than 150 suws. we met one of them on a trip to sierra leon. he has says the skills he brought back from san francisco is badly needed at his crowded hospital. >> it's the only trauma center in 6.8 million population. >> it be used for bone fractures. >> while the orthopedic institute is outfitted with state of the art equipment it's rarely used in the training. they focus on techniques for common procedures. >> there is no fancy stuff. we don't show them how to do things that require microsurgery. we teach them basic fundamental, solid techniques that they can apply. >> he be

carolyn johnson, abc7 news. >> it cost less than $300 and can be used several dozen times. >>> nominationshe academy awards will be announced on tuesday. the movie making the most noise is aie. movie. "the artist" was shot in 35 days in black and white. the lack of sound brings back memories of the sigh lept film era where facial expressions and dance moves said it all. >> i looked at "the artist" and i thought, we are missing something now where everything is just shoved in our faces. >> the artist has won several golden globes. the actor in it was once told he would never make it because he was too expressive. >>> kate beckinsale is back with a vengeance. her latest "under world" open had at number one. it is the fourth in the vampire action saga. opening was red tails and last week's number one film, contra brand dropped to third place. it was extremely loud and incredibly close was fourth and "hey wire" wraps up this week. >>> a look at your morning commute and let's go to leigh glaser. >> we will have to through part a bit of rain between now and 4:00 tomorrow morning. maybe a little