news 4s darcy spencer joins us live from bethesda. darcy, this new year is beginning with heartbreak. >> reporter: it is. i was able to speak to the best friend of one victim. he tells me their entire circle of friend is grieving. they're in a state of shock. montgomery county police are investigating to see why the tragedy unfolded here this new year's morning. a man and woman died when the chevy trail blazer they were riding in crashed on the road in bethesda 3:00 new year's morning. nate lucas was friend with both victims.

news 4's darcy spencer joins us live from there with the latest. darcy? >> reporter: aaron, yes, residents are saying this is, in fact, a dangerous stretch. and so far, montgomery county police have not released the identities of the two young people who died in this crash. a short while ago, a young man came here to the scene to pay his respects. he says he knows one of the people who died in the crash, a friend lost at the start of the new year. it was a sudden and violent crash involving only one vehicle, this chevy trailblazer. the suv recked on jones bridge road in bethesda around 3:00 new year's morning, killing two passengers who were in the front and backseat. >> oh, it was a huge smash. i thought my neighbor's roof was falling down because of the new construction. there was class and just a huge smash. and after that, nothing but siren es. >> reporter: police say the trailblazer, which had temp tags, was traveling west on jones bridge road, approaching lancaster drive. that's when the suv drove over a sidewalk, smashed through a fence, then hit a

reporting live, darcy spencer, back to you. >> thank you, darcy. we'll have more on the game coming up in sports. >>> arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords is stepping down this week. she says she has more work to do on her recovery and it's best for arizona if she steps down. >> i don't remember much from that horrible day, but i will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. >> it was one year ago that giffords was shot in the head as she met with constituents in tucson. she will return to public service in the future. >>> in decision 2012 a major victory for newt gingrich in south carolina. he won the gop presidential primary there with 40% of the vote. mitt romney came in second. rick santorum placed third. ron paul finished last. gingrich has momentum going into florida's primary nine days from now. romney vowing to stay in the race after tax questions knocked him off message. he would release his returns on tuesday. he also acknowledged it was a mistake not to release them earlier. rick santorum says he will release his ret

darcy? >> reporter: aaron, i was just able to confirm within the last few minutes that the suspect was brought here to montgomery county today from dare county, north carolina. just within the last couple of hours, he was brought here to the montgomery county detention center. he did appear before a district court commissioner, and he was ordered held without bond. 33-year-old kevin ray is facing multiple charges in montgomery and prince george's counties in connection with three home invasion robberies and two sex assaults. the crimes happened between tuesday and friday of last week. ray was captured in kitty hawk, north carolina saturday morning. he waived extradition and was brought back to montgomery county sometime sunday. according to online records, ray is a convicted sex offender who previously served time after pleading guilty to third-degree sex offense in 2005. police say he committed two home invasion robberies in wheaton and bethesda on tuesday and wednesday, tying up some of hi

but now let's go live to darcy spencer in the alexandria section of fairfax county. darcy? >> reporter: hey there, chuck. we're getting a little bit of something out here. it's hard to say. it's very, very light. but i can see it in the light here shining on me. just a little bit of mist. we're live at the virginia department of transportation here off andorra street. there's been a steady stream of trucks coming here to the facility all evening long to get loaded up. we're told that there are 770 trucks that are going to be out here in northern virginia in the overnight hours. that's in prince william, fairfax, and loudoun counties doing some pretreating of the roads trying to handle some of those slick spots. now, officials are expecting icy road conditions, possibly for tomorrow morning's commute. they're asking folks to delay their travels, as was said, until about 10:00 tomorrow morning if you're able to to give them time to clear the roads. >> we're more concerned with the ice. we're not going to be getting any snow. but the freezing precipitation, it's much harder to

reporting live from alexandria, darcy spencer, news 4.ack to you. >> thank you. >> and stay with news 4 and nbc washington.com for continuing coverage of the winter weather. you can also find chuck's forecast online and e-mail your weather pictures to nbc washington.com. we'll share them a little bit later in the show. >> now to our developing story involving former penn state football coach joe paterno. according to a family spokesperson, the 85-year-old is in serious condition tonight after complications from treatments for lung cancer. he's bhn een in the hospital fo the last week. tonight, his family is denying reports that he had died. his son scott said we continue to ask for your prayers and privacy during this time. jay paterno sent out this the tweet, i appreciate the support and prayers. joe is continuing to fight. stay with news 4 for the latest update oss on this developing story. >>> a remarkable comeback. newt gingrich takes the south carolina primary, giving the already unpredictable gop race a new wrinkle tonight. the part

darcy spencer, news 4. >> darcy, thank you. >>> tomorrow, police in prince george's county expect to find out whose remains were at the bottom of a well in fort washington. they removed that body late this afternoon. from there, it was handed over to the medical examiner's office. police got an anonymous tip on thursday. detectives from alexandria were on the scene there. they've been looking for an activist lenny harris who's been missing since september. four people are dead after an early morning crash in anne arundel county. it happened about 3:30 east of davidsonville road. police say three people were in a vehicle going the wrong way when it hit another driver head on. one of the cars caught fire. two 18-year-olds as well as a 19-year-old were killed. police have to notify the fourth victim's family before releasing a name. and now to decision 2012. tonight, the countdown to the florida primary is on. and both the romney and gingrich camps are getting in thank you support. tonight, form eer gop candidate her man cain endorsed newt gingrich. mitt romney is getting support from t

news 4's darcy spencer joins us live now from mcpherson square with more on that. darcy? >> reporter: occupy d.c. protesters are now on notice that those inspections are going to begin tomorrow at noon. and the people you see here behind me who were sleeping in tents, they very well could be doing that for the last time tonight. >> i have done nothing wrong! >> reporter: this protester known as lash was tasered by police at the occupy d.c. campsite at mcpherson square. the graphic video was posted on youtube. >> we all know you're coming tomorrow! >> reporter: a news 4 photographer also captured these images of the man after he was tasered. witnesses say he was angry about the signs being posted warning protesters that after sunday night they couldn't sleep here anymore. >> but it did sound like it was -- could very well have been excessive. and i understand he is in the hospital and maybe charged as well. >> reporter: the incident comes as police plan to crack down on what they call camping here at mcpherson square and freedom plaza. national park land. occupy d.c. prote

let's start i want you to go into detail about some of the implications here dr darcy of living in a society where major marketing firms are paid millions to try to convince people not only of their illness but of the prescription that will cure them as well well clearly the outcome is going to be that these these these prescriptions are written with much more. more frequency than than is necessary you're going to see so many more people medicated in society than what we currently have today. and with the the massive amounts of money going into these marketing firms i mean consumers really don't stand a chance against that sort of you know that sort of heavy handedness i think it's a really good point it's like an entire army facing off against single people here dr darcy marina mentioned in her report that even when pharmaceutical companies are forced to you know dole out the dollars in settlements and lawsuits whatever that these companies are so successful doesn't even really hurt that much like pocket change so what do you think is needed what could actually change to make some o

tonight, hi, darcie. >> reporter: everyone is having a great time. i decided to get into the act, i got this nbc peacock, i've never had this done before, it was a fun experience and i like it. in new york, they are doing the ball drop. here in alexandria, they're dropping thousands of these ping-pong balls. here's an idea of what it's going to look like. at the ma sonic temple people danced to live music. it's first night alexandria, the family oriented evint that draws thousands every year fp. >> we're having a good time. it's the holiday season, and we're just starting off right here in alexandria. >> reporter: this was the first first night for the martinez family. everyone got their faces painted. >> tell us about the face painting. >> i love it. i was surprised with mine. >> i decided to get my face painted. take a look. the nbc peacock. maggie, thank you so much, you did a great job. >> there were 18 different entertainment venues for the whole family, especially the kids. >> i got a snake, and it opens when i open my mouth. >> kind of scary?

news 4s darcy spencer joins us live from bethesda.new year is beginning with heartbreak. >> reporter: it is. i was able to speak to the best friend of one victim. he tells me their entire circle of friend is grieving. they're in a state of shock. montgomery county police are investigating to see why the tragedy unfolded here this new year's morning. a man and woman died when the chevy trail blazer they were riding in crashed on the road in bethesda 3:00 new year's morning. nate lucas was friend with both victims. news 4 its not identifying them until police release their names. >> he was my closest acquaintance. like we always used to spend time over each other's houses. she was cool. cool like a little sister. >> reporter: police say the suv was traveling west on jones bridge road when the driver lost control. the two victims who died were front and back seat passengers. three men survived including the 22-year-old driver. >> for reasons still under investigation they hopped the curb went through the chain link fence and came to rest

darcy? >> a news four photographer was here when that incident happened today.here is a lot of profanity and it's quite graphic. what we are showing may be considered disturbing to some. this video posted on youtube shows a protester being tasered by police at mcpherson square. the protester goes down. >> we all know you're coming tomorrow. >> a news 4 cameraman caught part of the exchange between him and the officers. u.s. park police have not returned calls seeking comment about the incident. tensions are building here as park police plan to enforce the no camping rules. on friday park police and rangers began posting notices on tents. they will begin inspections to ensure the rules are being followed. >> you decide to be stubborn and fight about whether or not you should have your stuff inspected or your tent open. >> the notice says all camping materials must be removed from the park. and one side of all tents has to be left open at all times. >> the only issues we have are the people who don't feel like having their door open, leaving their door unlocked or

reporting live from northwest, darcy spencer, news 4.on, back to you. >> darcy, thank you. >> lot of questions to night after some one shot a man as he tried to break into an apartment in prince george's county. before 5:00 a.m. at marlow heights apartments. the suspect had a gun and was trying to break through a back door when somebody opened fire. it's not clear whether the shot came from inside or outside the apartment. the suspect was taken to the hospital. police are not preleasing his condition. we turn to the weather now. take a live look outside. a pretty nice weekend for us. the question now, will it last. meteorologist chuck bell? >> you better have enjoyed yesterday and today. no, really mild weather is not going to stick around for much longer if any longer at all. clear skies out here for this evening. have allowed temperatures to cool off very, very quickly. and there is a little bit of moisture coming our way as well. this will play an important part in our monday forecast. here its a look at live doppler. you can see a fe

i think it's a really good point it's like an entire army facing off against single people here dr darcy marina mentioned in her report that even when pharmaceutical companies are forced to you know dole out the dollars in settlements and lawsuits whatever that these companies are so successful it doesn't even really hurt that it's like pocket change so what do you think is needed what could actually change to make some of these regulations a little stricter look i think the way we need to address this problem is to go to the source and the source really is within the medical profession profession it's the physicians who are writing the scripts for these and and they really do need to be held accountable for the prescriptions that they're writing and i think that there need to be audit some doctors and physicians in to confirm that that somebody is not coming in for a knee injury or an elbow injury and then walking away with you know and and a prescription for anti-depressants on top of that i mean of course there's going to be a decrease in mood and increase in depressive symptoms when

darcy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, eun., there are two questions. will council member harry thomas resign his position on the city council? will he serve any jail time if he faces criminal charges? now sources are telling news 4's tom sherwood that apparently thomas has talked about offering up his resignation, but the sticking point here is the jail time issue. apparently, he is balking at the notion of serving up to three years behind bars. thomas agreed to repay $300,000 in city funds. he allegedly used on his own lavish lifestyle. but yesterday he failed to make the first installment of $50,000. chairman kwame brown and the mayor are also under federal investigation. yesterday council member jack evans talked about the ethics bill that's being considered today. >> until the investigations by the u.s. attorney are resolved involving the mayor, the chairman, and council member thomas, it's always going to be with us. it's just going to be a cloud hanging over our head. getting into an ethics bill passed tomorrow, it's a f

darcy spencer has more on what the end of the war meant for some service members who got a chance to come home. >> reporter: the last convoy of u.s. troops left iraq at daybreak crossing into kuwait marking the end of the nearly nine-year war. >> it's nice to leave. >> reporter: this says it all. last vehicle out of iraq, written in chalk. there were 500 soldiers involved in the last convoy. >> looking forward to getting home. everybody is going to look back and say we were the last ones there. >> reporter: soldiers have to wait five days in kuwait. they passed the time playing cards and games. >> i can't wait to go home. >> reporter: the war has been costly. it claimed the lives of 4,500 american soldiers. the united states spent $800 billion on the war since the invasion in 2003. for virginia national guard troops, it was a hero's welcome. >> you remember me? >> reporter: first lieutenant frank met his little girl for the firs time. soldiers returning from war to the open arms of loved ones. darcy spencer, news 4. >>> some 4,000 troops will remain in kuwait to help finalize the mov

darcy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, joe. it seems that harry thomas' legal and financial problems are continuing to mount. as you said, now there's word that there's negotiations in the process for a possible plea agreement as it relates to potential criminal charges. we should say that there has been no charges filed against harry thomas. as a matter of fact, he has maintained his innocence throughout this process, but he agreed to pay back $300,000 in misspent funds allegedly taken from youth sports programs here in the district. yesterday he apparently, allegedly, failed to make that first installment on that payback, $50,000, and now could face additional fines for that. he allegedly spent these moneys on a lavish lifestyle, including expensive vehicles. some of those vehicles were taken away during a raid of his washington home last month. kwame brown told reporters that he wants to make sure there's no problems and that he's represented during this political scandal. >> we're going to do everything we can to make sure

. >> darcy sells buicks and gmc trucks.hyundai and vox and volkswagen dealership. >> they aren't afraid to buy something. >> that's given darcy the chance to break ground. >> does that mean more jobs? >> we're going to add another 45 jobs and make that transition. >> overall, the economy grew at its fastest race in a year and half, but much of that was filed by businesses restocking inventories. >> this number not as strong as it was. the reality is that the economy is still struggling. >> gets chicago says the biggest head wind is the gridlock in washington. >> never had to be as much of a political strategist to forecast the economy. >> do you think politics is freezing this economy? >> i think politics is a major negative on this economy. and everyone from leaders in europe to leaders in the middle east to leaders in china, leaders in the u.s. are all to blame. the indecision is discouraging them. >> selling his budget plan. he told kcbs radio that cities complaining about cuts to redevelopment funding need to understand

darcie spencer news 4.to you. >> thank you. >>> a hunter in critical condition tonight after being accidentally shot in the stomach today in prince georges county. the 60-year-old man was deep in the woods near route 210 and old fort road. police are trying to figure out if the huntser shot himself or another hunter accidentally shot him. >>> in the midst of the penn state sex abuse scan dashlgs the university interest university introduced its new head football coach. bill o'brien will lead the nittany lions next season. he replaces legendary coach joe paterno. he was fired in the aftermath of the sex abuse charges. o'brien says he's ready for the challenge of leading the team at a difficult time. >> as the head football coach of this special program it is my responsibility to ensure that this football program represents the highest level of character, respect and integrity in everything we do. >> reporter: o'brien will have to steer his had team through the feds into how the school handled the sandusky al

news 4's darcy spencer joins us live from police headquarters in palmer park. darcy? >> reporter: wendy we looked up kevin ray's criminal past online and he has quite a violent past dating back more than ten years. in fact, one of the cases you can see online involved a homicide that happened right here in prince george's county in 1995. today the police chief says what he's accused of doing is nothing short of evil. police say 33-year-old kevin ray had an accomplice when he committed a home invasion robbery and sexually assaulted a housekeeper in a bathroom on barr barton road in bethesda last wednesday. the suspect has not been arrested so far the second suspect didn't go in immediately. he went in after some period of time and joined the first suspect in the house. >> reporter: ray is charged in three home invasion robberies and two sexual assaults that happened in wheaton, bethesda, and temple hills from tuesday to friday of last week. in the friday attack, he tied up six residents, including a 7-year-old, and sexually assaulted a woman in the home. >> as you look

reporting live from bethesda, darcy spencer, news 4. aaron, back to you. >> darcy, thank you. >>> the man suspected of slashing the butts of nine women in fairfax county could soon be back in the u.s. he's in cust i can right now in his native peru. he was arrested yesterday at a shopping mall there. police say he ray tacked women who were shopping in fairfax county last year. d.c. police want to warn ewe as two criminals who dressed up as cop so they could rob a man. this happened this morning in d.c. they had a car with flashing lights and wore vest is -- that said police. they ordered him out of his car and demanded his money. 40 people are still missing after a cruise ship overturned in italy. we have the report tonight from italy. >> reporter: many of the passengers are now heading to the city of rome from which they will go back to their home countries much earlier than they expected, offcourse, but the story here in porto sant porto santo stefano isn't over here. there are reports that two people might have been found alive insid

all i can keep saying is i'm so blessed, i'm so thankful to be back. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news 4. >> the girls plan to go to college together. and they say they both want to become doctors some day. >>> a chauffeur from rockville is now one of our area's newest millionaires. still ahead, why the virginia lottery winner almost didn't collect his winnings. >>> plus, we'll tell you why northern virginia could soon be getting paid to drive to work. >>> imagine getting paid to ride to work. that'll soon be the reality for thousands of defense workers and government contractors taking part in a new ride-share program in northern virginia. it's for those who work at ft. belvoir, quantico, the mark center, and arlington hall. drivers would be paid $25 in gas per month. this program is sponsored by the northern virginia regional commission. the sign-ups begin in march. >>> it is the end of an era in old town alexandria. a theater that first opened its doors back in the days of vaudeville had its lights dimmed for the last time this week. derrick ward got one last look inside the old tow

all i can keep saying is i'm so blessed, i'm so thankful to be back. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news 4. >> the girls plan to go to college together. and they say they both want to become doctors some day. >>> a chauffeur from rockville is now one of our area's newest millionaires. still ahead, why the virginia lottery winner almost didn't collect his winnings. >>> plus, we'll tell you why northern virginia could soon be getting paid to drive to work. so, this is delicious okay... is this where we're at now, we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. hey, i love your cereal there-- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way. lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one. when you first find out you have breast cancer, you feel

. >>> i'm darcy spencer in bethesda.ember two young people who lost their lives here on new year's morning. i'll have the latest on the investigation coming up on news 4 at 6:00. >>> people staying at a hotel on new year's eve who got locked out of their rooms. >>> coming up in sports, trevor price joins me at redskins park for another miserable redskins season. we'll hear from london fletcher, we'll hear from london fletcher, a free agent going from the bedroom you could see the fire and that work me right up. and it was absolutely terrifying. we got out of there as quickly as we could. i'm watching the house burn up and i'm sitting there saying, there goes everything. these days you don't have to lose your house in a fire to know what it's like to be left on the edge in the cold. the shelter gave us a place to stay. and citizens energy helped the shelter with heat. i'm excited to finally have a place of my own. citizens energy is helping us with the oil. citizens energy was created to help the forgotten ones keep warm.

in northwest washington, darcy spencer, news 4. >>> a lot of questions tonight after someone shot a man as he tried to break into an apartment in prince george's county. this happened just before 5:00 a.m. at the marlo heights apartments on 28th avenue in temple hills. police say the suspect has a gun and was trying to break through a back door when somebody opened fire. neighbors heard the commotion. >> i heard a couple shots, and you know, you normally hear it from time to time in this area, and next thing i know, the patrol, police officer, sirens and everything. >> reporter: the suspect was taken to the hospital. police are not releasing his condition tonight. we don't know if that shot came from inside or outside the apartment and police say it's unclear if the person who shot the intruder lived at the apartment complex. >>> now to decision 2012. we are just two days away from a new hampshire primary now. and this morning the republican candidates faced off in their second debate in 12 hours. during today's debate on "meet the press," mitt romney tried to contrast himself with pres

news 4's darcy spencer has more on the investigation. >> reporter: a man and a woman died when a chevy trailblazer they were riding in crashed on jones bridge road in bethesda around 3:00 thursday morning. nate lucas was friends with both of the victims. news 4 is not identifying them until police release their names. >> he was definitely my closest acquaintance. like we always used to spend time over at each other's houses. she was cool. she was cool, like a little sister to me. >> reporter: montgomery county police say the suv was traveling west on jones bridge road approaching lancaster drive when the driver lost control. the two victims who died were front and backseat passengers. three men survived, including the 22-year-old driver. >> for reasons still under investigation, they hopped a curb, went through the chain link fence, and came to rest against a tree. >> reporter: thomas quinn says he came to the scene to pay his respects. he says he was friends with the male passenger who died. >> i just knew him from the skate park and around. we had a bunch of mutual friends. >> report

. >>> i'm darcy spencer in southwest washington. federal offices opened two hours late today because roadways were expected to be slippery. we're going to have reaction coming up on news 4 at 6:00. >>> coming up in sports the ravens are devastated. tom brady is still not satisfied. and on the ice, alex ovechkin getting physical. but what will it cost the caps captain as news 4 at 6:0 i want a baby. a baby? but we were gonna see the northern lights in alaska. and go spelunking with the guys. yeah, i said it-- spelunking. [ whirring ] and i still haven't built one of those fighting robots. come on. it's pretty awesome. okay. just a few things we need to do first. [ laughs ] [ announcer ] before you make your leap, make a list. then get going in the completely redesigned cr-v. all new, from honda. >>> there could be fireworks when the republican presidential candidates meet for a debate in florida tonight with momentum on newt gingrich's side. the florida primary may be a make or break contest for mitt romney. both candidates spent the

darcy? >> reporter: doreen that 84-year-old woman came here to the scene today. that's the bank where this all happened, to tell her story in her own words, how she tried to help a woman who had those children who she said hadn't eaten in days and they took advantage of her good nature. take a good look that the woman shown in surveillance video from a local bank. police say she forced an elderly woman who withdraw several thousand dollars. >> not doing that well right now. >> reporter: 84-year-old victim suspect doing so well because she was robbed of her life savings by that woman, who claimed she needed help. >> were you scared, ma'am? >> yes, ma'am, i'm still scared. i keep looking around, thinking that they are watchi me and that they will follow me home. >> reporter: it all happened last thursday at noon. the victim was here at murry's steaks in tacoma park when the robber asked a victim to cash a check this robber wasn't alone, she had another woman with her and three small children, two toddlers as an infant. she said the kids hadn't eaten in days. the vi

reporting live from alexandria, darcy spencer, news 4. >>> all right, darcy. thank you. d.c. police have identified two men killed in a crash yid. it happened after a man flagged down police on georgia avenue northwest to report that someone in a burgundy van was shooting at them. police say they later saw that van speeding nearby and started to chase. they say the driver lost control on taylor street northeast, hit a tree, then slammed into a police car. two officers were slightly injured. 19-year-old thaddaeus howard and 18-year-old william adams were killed. a third juvenile is hospitalized in critical condition. >>> fairfax police tell us the suspect in a standoff this weekend near the courthouse was armed with a loaded gun. it all began saturday afternoon here. a distraught 54-year-old man barricaded himself inside a vehicle in the parking garage at the fairfax county courthouse. he said he was armed. authorities say he threatened to kill himself or hurt anyone who came near him. police were able to get him to surrender after a six-hour standoff. no one was injured. when

. >>> i'm darcy spencer live in northwest washington.eclared bankruptcy, customers were told their gift cards were no good. i'm going to have the story coming up and some results on news 4 at 5. >> and it's a great week to dine out in d.c. we'll tell you where you can find the restaurant week deals coming up. i want a baby. a baby? but we were gonna see the northern lights in alaska. and go spelunking with the guys. yeah, i said it-- spelunking. [ whirring ] and i still haven't built one of those fighting robots. come on. it's pretty awesome. okay. just a few things we need to do first. [ laughs ] [ announcer ] before you make your leap, make a list. then get going in the completely redesigned cr-v. all new, from honda. on my journey across america, i've learned that when you ask someone in texas if they want "big" savings on car insurance, it's a bit like asking if they want a big hat... ...'scuse me... ...or a big steak... ...or big hair... i think we have our answer. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car

darcy spencer, news 4. >>> stocks wound up on a flat note. concerns over the yur euro, the dough ended up 10 points. 2011 was a good year for u.s. auto makers. chrysler, ford and gm saw an increase in sales. we have a look at why they did so well. >> reporter: for car dealerships happ happy days were here in 2011 for domestic and foreign brands. all driven by a more confident consumer. >> the big story is the economy. the economy is improving and we ended the year on a high note. >> reporter: the strong december set sales up 11% for the year selling fords for the first time since 2007. general motors sold over 2.5 million new cars and trucks last year. a 13% increase over the year before. >> every single one of our brands, chevy, buick, gmc and cadillac was up. chevy started to drive the business. >> reporter: chrysler sales were up 26%, selling more than 1.3 million vehicles. auto industry analyst says demand and the desire to finally replace ageing autos are helping the sales increase. >> there's about 4 million buyer that is haven't bought

darcie spencer is live in palmer park with the new developments for us. darcie?er: police are saying one arrest has been made, but they made it quite clear additional arrests are coming, and possibly as soon as today. we also know what the motive was behind the shooting death of lenny harris. they say the motive was robbery. the suspect was identified today as lin wood johnson. he's 49 years old and lives in oxon hill. he's been charged with murder. police say he did know the victim, lenny harp is, but they're not saying how. harris disappeared in december last scene at a rec center in alexandria where he lived. police were called to this well by an

darcie spencer is live outside the courthouse in rockville, darcie?scribed kevin ray as a dangerous man with a violent past. we were able to get our hands on these court records dating back to a 1995 home invasion. there was a sexual assault that happened in 2005 fp he w. he was released from prison in september of 2010 after serving his entire sentence. according to prosecutors, kevin ray confessed to committing a series of home invasion robberies and sexual assaults. >> he did admit his involvement in montgomery county cases. >> he committed the crimes in wheat wheaton, bethesda and temple hills where he was captured saturday 37 he appeared before a judge for the first time today. his face bandaged and he's using crutches. police say he was injured while resisting arrest. >> prosecutors provided harrowing details of the crimes. in the wheaton case, they say the victim was holding her infant child when ray confronted her in the garage. i told her, don't scream, don't make a sound or i'm going to shoot you and your baby. he locked the woman and her ba

. >> i'm darcie spencer in gaithersburg.s air force captain surprised her daughters by coming home early from afghanistan. there are more special twists to this family reunion. >>> paying to park in handicap spaces. meters are going up on hundreds of handicapped spots across the district. >>> they bounced my family to the sixth floor. >> once jay-z and beyonce go back to their fabulous lifestyles, we're still going to be the parents going to the nicu to >>> in upper marlboro, a man was sentenced to 100 years in jail today for being a serial criminal. his crimes include more than 550 burglaries, home invasions and carjackings. scott is a suspect in two double murders. >> voters are still at the polls in the nation's first primary. mitt romney had a strong lead going into the polls. >>> it could cost you more to ride metro. a 5% rate hike for bus and rail fares. the increases are 23450eded for continued safety and rehabilitation projects. there will be public hearings to discuss the proposal in february and march. and now, let

for now, darcie spencer reporting live from palmer park. >> darcie, thank you. a fatal crash is stalling traffic right now on the baltimore/washington parkway. all southbound lanes of route 50 are shutdown. there are few details of what exactly went wrong, but chopper video does show one vehicle flipped upside down. another one ran off the road. we will bring you more details as they come in to news four. >>> a bill that would legalize same sex marriage in maryland is gaining momentum. last year the marriage equality act passed in the senate. today governor o'malley called on lawmakers to support his bill that would give same sex couples the same protections as husband and wife. chris gordon has more from annapolis. >> reporter: maryland residents for and against the marriage equality act began lining up three hours before the hearing. martin o'malley is sponsoring the bill to legalize same sex marriage and was the first to speak before the committee. >> we all want the same thing for our children, the opportunity to live a loving, caring stable homes. it is not

darcy spencer. >>> and now to decision 2012. a major endorsement for rick santorum, a group of 150 influential christian conservative leaders decide to back santorum. the primary in north carolina is next saturday. 60% of carolinas voters call themselves evangelical christians. >>> the words originally came from a speech that king gave back in 1968. you might remember it, he said if you want to say that i was a drum major, say that i was a dprum major for justice, i was a drum major for other things. i was a drum major -- that paraphrase makes king sound arrogant. they have given the national parks service 30 days to find an alternati alternative. why the golden globes could be unpredictable this year. >>> plus getting a move on. we'll tell you about all the fun at the nbc 4 health and fitness expo. >>> and a four-legged visitor v visits the school today. >>> oprah winfrey is in south africa to see her first class of students graduate. one of them said in her commencement speech said she thought her education could help her be p

reporting live from northwest washington, darcy spencer. >>> a man charged with three violent home invasions in our area is on his way back to maryland tonight. kevin darnel ray was arrested friday night in north carolina. police say he's responsible for a home invasion in wheaten on tuesday, one in bah nez na, and one on friday. a d.c. nightclub could soon reopen. the control board decided to reinstate mood lounge's liquor license. it's on ninth street. the liquor license was revoked after two people were stabbed outside that club two weeks ago. >>> now to decision 2012. with less than a week before the south carolina primary, gop candidates are hoping to get support among voters. they took part in a faith in freedom breakfast. both rick santorum and rick perry took the opportunity to reach out to voters in south carolina. >> i know the values of this state and i know the values of the people who will be voting in this republican primary. >> you don't have to let the popular media tell you who is best prepared to beat barack obama. peer into your heart and think about the values that are im

darcie spencer, news 4. >> darcie, thank you. >>> park police are investigating what led up to a deadly crash on the baltimore-washington parkway overnight. it happened just before 3:00 this afternoon bringing traffic to a crawl. all southbound lanes south of 450 are shut down. we're unsure what happened here, but helicopter video shows one vehicle flipped upside down and another one ranp off the road, stay with news 4 for more developments on this. >>> a surprise resignation that may be linked to the scandal that forced former d.c. councilmember harry thomas from office. the d.c. director of homeland security and emergency management abruptly resigned today. mill sent is not accused of any wrongdoing, but she says she doesn't want to be a distraction. thomas plead guilty to two felonies and is awaiting sentencing. mayor vincent gray had no comment on her stepping down. >>> a confrontation between occupy d.c. protesters and a local resident who said he's fed up with residents defacing the area. today he tried to do something about it. pat collins has more on the story. >> reporter: high

darcy spencer spoke with some of anderson's former co-workers. >> reporter: margaret andersen is then duty at mt. rainier national park new years day. >> she was great. she was spunky. she was one of the nicest, sweetest people you'll ever meet. >> reporter: ally worked with her at the national historical park where she patrolled the grounds up until a few years ago. >> there have been so many e-mails floating around from volunteers to staff members. everybody remembering margaret. and everybody climbed of asking, you know, is that our margaret? so yes, it is. >> reporter: andersen was also an emt, often providing first-aid care to those injured at the park. police believe this is the man responsible for her death. benjamin barnes, an army veteran also suspected in a quadruple shooting. police say he shot andersen while she was a check point at the park. barnes' body was found on park grounds, apparently succumbing to the cold. >> she was outstanding. i think in this world, there are some people that make the world a better place. and she was one of those. >> reporter: the ranger als

darcie spencer is live where there's a debate on this. >> there are signs like these around the countyot pass a stopped school bus. believe it or not, a lot of people are doing it, and they want to put cameras on buses and catch those drivers, is $250 too much? steven has three children who attend montgomery county schools. every day he sees drivers pass the school bus that's picking up his children. >> you've stopped people yourself? >> yes, i have. >> how do you do that? >> i just stand in front of the bus and tell them to stop. and then they apologizapologize tell them not to do it again. >> he supports a proposal to put cameras on the outside of county school buses. those who don't hit the brakes when the lights and stop signs are deployed would be fined. >> do you think this is a good idea as a former bus drive summer. >> absolutely, it can't do any harm to try to convince people who are careless about the lives of children that they have to pay if they mess up. >> reporter: some of the buses here in montgomery county are already equipped with cameras on the outside of buses. if s

darcy spencer is live with the latest. >> reporter: we're on judicial drive, we're just down the street fwra the fairfax courthouse. if you look up the street, that's where the investigation is taking place. i was able to talk to a fairfax police spokesperson who said they received a call right around 3: 30 from a man threatening to harm himself. he was apparently in a vehicle at the top of the parking garage at the fairfax county courthouse. that's a large judicial complex. police will not say any additional details about this. there was a call that came in, they have cordoned off the area, this is a barricade situation. all the roads leading into the journal complex have been blocked off. >> let's get to sports. >>> >>> local sports in action. the georgetown hoyas begin to be one of the biggest surprises in college basketball. remember, preseason polls had them tenth in the big east. now at the end of january, they barely beat rutgers just by two points. they proved you can't sleep on any team in the big east. the panthers play well at the peterson event center. 11 and 0, pate goes in

. >> darcy sells buicks and gmc trucks. also a hyundai. >> what are you seeing? >> we're seeing the people are more confident in making the big purchase. they aren't afraid to come in. >> that's given dorsey the confidence to break ground on a third dealership. >> does that mean more jobs? >> yes, we're going to add about another 45 jobs when we make that transition. >> overall, the economy grew at its fastest rate in a year and a half, but much of that growth was fueled by businesses restocking inventories. >> this number is not as strong as it looks. >> it is still below what people had hoped. the reality is that the economy is still struggling. >> economist gets chicago's financial says the biggest head wind is still the gridlock in washington. >> never had to be as much of a political strategist to forecast the economy. >> do you think politics is just freezing this economy? >> i think politics is a major negative on this economy and everyone from leaders in europe to leaders in the middle east, to leaders in china, leaders in the u.s. are all blank. >> ranke

in potomac, darcy spencer, news4. back to you. >> thank you. >> the way the u.s. overseas could be changing due to budgets cuts. leon panetta is putting together a budget that is set to be released on thursday. it is expected to be slashed over the next ten years. the white house says the plan will balance new national security threats with economic realities. coming up at 6:00, brian moore will have a complete report including specific concerns from military experts. >>> it was the final move-in day for thousands of federal workers relocating to the new marc center in alexandria. that men more cars creeping along 395. 6,500 employees are now housed at the complex. they estimated 200,000 people. those who want to dodge the traffic are relying on public transit. others who get behind the wheel say they're pac their patience and so far, they've been surprised by their ease of travel. >> so far it hasn't been bad. people have been off on vacation and stuff so we'll see. >> yeah. they're back now. to curb traffic nightmares, congress recently capped the null of spaces

in bethesda, darcy spencer, "news 4 today." >>> an elderly couple is in the hospital after being hit by a car that somehow ended up on a sidewalk in kensington. a man and woman, both in their 70s, were walking on the sidewalk in kensington avenue when they were hit. the woman was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. paramedics also transported the driver. she's expected to be okay. the victims' names have not been released. so far no arrests have been made. >>> a howard county man managed to save their horses just before their barn was destroyed by a fire. the two alarm fire sparked around 1:00 yesterday along jennings chapel road in woodbine. it took more than 60 firefighters from three counties to battle the flames. it's unclear how many horses were inside the building when the fire started. no one was hurt. the cause of the fire is under investigation. >>> investigators are trying to figure out what sparked a fire that destroyed a row house in northeast washington. it happened yesterday morning on "m" street near gallaudet university. firefighters say, when they got to th

darcy stepper is there now with a clue that police are hoping will crack this case. darcy? >> reporter: hi, wendy. i was able to meet this

. >> darcy censer has been out braving the elements for us tonight. she joins us live from falls church, with a look at conditions out there. >> reporter: braving it is the right word, because i'm really not a fan of cold weather. but it's not too bad out here. but take a listen to this, if you're out walking around, very crunchy under step, if you're walking around on any sidewalks that haven't been treated or shoveled, or grassy areas, there's still a lot of ice out there, so potentially slippery. people weren't doing a whole lot of complaining, because after all, it is winter. if you had to get out this snowy saturday, that meant shoveling and scraping your way out. >> snow, i don't care about the snow, but the ice, that scares me a little bit. >> reporter: snow fell in the overnight hours, then it was topped with a coat of ice. it was frozen solid on cars, sidewalks and parking lot. brian removed snow at fairfax corner. >> not what we expected. in some cases we expected a second wave, but the first wave hit us harder than we anticipate. >> he's ma

in bethesda, darcy spencer, "news 4 today." >>> d.c.two men who pretended to be cops and robbed a man. investigators say the imposters pulled him over in southeast early yesterday morning by putting a flashlight in their dashboard. they even had guns and jackets that read "police." detectives say the men then ordered the driver out of his car, went through his pockets and stole his cash. police have not released a description of the two men that they're looking for. >>> win >>> prince george's county discovered a body wrapped in plastic. he was perry earl hunt. police say maintenance workers found him wrapped behind a dumpster on doewood lane early friday morning. investigators are trying to figure out who killed hunt and why. if you know anything about this case, you're asked to call prince george's county police. >>> new this morning, rescuers found a third person alive on a cruise liner that capsized near italy. it comes as authorities investigate the captain for possible misconduct. the "costa concordia" hit a reef off the tuscan co

in alexandria, darcy spencer, news 4. >>> a scary encounter for kids at a northern virginia shopping center. the loudoun county sheriff's office just released this sketch of a man they say threatened some teenagers. it happened at the ashburn shopping plaza on january 22nd. nobody got hurt. if you recognize this man though you should call the loudoun county sheriff's office. >>> jessica buchanan is on her way back home. buchanan is the american relief worker who was rescued by u.s. navy seals last week. she and danish colleague were kidnapped in somalia and held hostage there for three months. buchanan was taken to a u.s. navy base in italy after her rescue one week ago. she has been undergoing physical and psychological exams and she has been debriefed by military and fbi investigators. it's not clear exactly when buchanan will arrive home. her family lives in bedford, virginia and they have asked for privacy. >>> next at 6:00 new details in the cruise ship disaster off the coast of italy. why the wreckage won't be removed for almost a year. >>> a maryland man is facing charges in h

news4's darcy spencer has their story. >> reporter: john bailey and juanita coy bailey tied the knotne of 2007 and they credit the health and fitness expo with making it happen. >> if i had not been there that particular saturday when i ran into her, i don't think we would have been together. >> reporter: the baileys met 30 years ago through a mutualal friend and then in 2005, a chance encounter at the expo led to a marriage proposal. well, sort of. >> i walked over to say hi to her and when i saw her, i said, hello, hi, juanita, how are you, i'm gonna marry you, and i don't know where it came from, but it just came out. >> he announced to me, not asked, announced that he was going to marry me. >> what did you think? >> he lost his mind. >> reporter: but john bailiffs serious and later, he asked her to take his hand in marriage. >> after we went out a few times and we really started talking seriously, i did propose the proper way. >> and she did -- >> she did accept. >> reporter: bail his are long-time volunteers at the expo. he represents howard university. she's there with her nurs