derek valcourt is there, and has the final arguments from both sides. derek? >> reporter: in closing arguments today, prosecutors called that robocall, quote, blatantly fraudulent. the state saying this is a bunch of bull. right now, 12 jurors are deliberating to decide who is right. >> the political consultant jewelius -- julius henson, there is nothing to do but wait. while the jury looks at the robocal you -- robocall he wrote. >> we're talling to let everyone know that governor o'malley and president obama have been successful. we're okay. relax. everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> reporter: in closing arguments, the state prosecutor said that was election fraud, a scheme by henson and ehrlich's campaign manager, paul schurick, to suppress the african american vote. >> this type of behavior is

derek valcourt has more on the attack and how the victims fought to survive. >> police say the kind of sexual assault that happened in this annapolis alley over the weekend is rare but still alarming. in annapolis's downtown historic neighborhood -- >> i just can't believe it happened. >> reporter: news of the weekend attack on a 21-year-old woman is spreading. after a night out with some friends, along busy west street, the victim began walking home around 1:30 saturday morning as she turned on duke of dplowfter street,

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right, derek, thank you so much. the president's announcement that he supports same-sex marriage comes after north carolina ban same-sex unions and wrote that into their state's constitution. >>> fire officials say they found heavy smoke and fire in a repair shop then it spread to the roof of the building. fortunately no one was hurt and so far there's no word on the cause of the fire. >>> police make an arrest in a deadly stabbing in northwest baltimore. it happened around 2:30 this afternoon on hart heights terrace. a 30-year-old man was stabbed in the chest and later died in the hospital. a possible suspect is in custody being questioned by police right now. >>> several baltimore neighborhoods are on edge tonight. investigators have just released new information about a string of daytime burglaries. >> reporter: in the north har tford area detectives are seeing a trend, home burglaries in the middle of day. >> it's terrible. this is a nice neighborhood. i didn't even know about all of this. thieves struck a home t

derek valcourt covers this case. he talked to henson and the jury. >> reporter: after a two-week trial and a 20-month ordeal, this is a partial victory for julius henson. >> obviously, we're related. >> reporter: jurors found julius henson not guilty of the two most serious charges against him, charges of election fraud and conspiracy for the robocall he wrote on behalf of republican bob ehrlich's campaign. >> the jury has spoken on it, and we respect them on it. >> reporter: the prosecutor tried to convince jurors the robocall was an illegal attempt to trick african americans into not voting. but henson argued the robocall was reverse psychology. and jurors agreed, there was nothing illegal about it. >> when you come down to dealing with voters, and everyone is trying to get folks on their side, it's a tactic, you know. you see it in the media every day. >> reporter: but the robocall did not contain the legally- required authority line, saying it was paid for by the ehrlich campaign. henson said he left it out at hi

live at police headquarters in towson, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. a trial date has been set for may 22nd. >>> florida's a&m university's famous marching band is being suspended for at least one more school year. vic is in the newsroom with more on what is next? the school says it needs time to decide what to do with the band. the band has been suspended since the death of robert champion. the 20-year-old died after being beaten in a hazing ritual on a bus. the band's long-time director, julian white, resigned last week, amid the controversy. >> the university's president says the band will not return until the school hires a new band director. >>> roger clemens faces his chief accuser in court today at a perjury trial. his former strength coach is trying to help the government prove that clemens lied about using steroids. danielle notingham reports from the courthouse. >> reporter: roger clemens entered the u.s. district courthouse monday, to face his chief accuser. on the stand, former clemens' trainer, brian mcnamee. mcnamee's 2008 congressional t

derek valcourt, wjz news. >> police are actively investigating the incident. we'll have the very latest tonight on eyewitness news at 11:00. >>> authorities in kent county tonight are searching for a missing boater. they say a 21-year-old man jumped off a boat for a swim and never came back. it happened near howell point. we'll let you know if we get new information. >>> it is a weekend and i know a lot of you are watching us from the beach and basics include a towel, some sand and great food. a weekend like this brings out the foodie in people. >> reporter: of course shoppers come for the souvenirs and summer sales, but what they can't leave without -- the food. >> palooza pizza is really good. >> ice cream, doesn't matter, all the stuff on the boardwalk for the last 40 years of coming down here. >> reporter: the boardwalk boasts just three short miles but the food goes on and on. >> reporter: of course, calories don't worry on vacation. >> reporter: there's one way to classify the food on the boardwalk and that is, childhood memories. >> candy apples, cotton

wjz and derek valcourt are live outside the courthouse. good afternoon. >>> reporter: jurors are going to be looked at the intent behind those election night robo calls in 2010. prosecutors say the campaign consultant julius henson intended those robo calls to suppress voter turnout but the defense says that henson has been thrown under the bus and left holding the bag for the bob ehrlich campaign. the robo calls had 112,000 registered democrats in predominantly african-american cities. before the polls were closed the calls suggested governor o'malley had one and no need for anyone to vote. those calls never mentioned they were really coming from the camp of republican bob ehrlich as required by law. henson contends the calls weren't meant to suppress voter turnout but inspire more people to vote for ehrlich. henson believes he is being targeted for prosecution by the democrats because he went to go work for a republican. meanwhile they are already calling witnesses in this case. the jury is getting an ear. and we will have an update at 5

we're live derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. national safe boating week runs through this saturday. by the way you can log on to wjz.com for more information. >>> a verdict for the man charged with killing a glen bernie dentist in a murder for hire plot. denise is in the newsroom with more on the jury's decision. >> reporter: an anne arundel county jury returns a guilty verdict for dante jeter. jeter was accused of killing dr. roe. prosecutors say one of roe's dental assistants hired jeter to murder her ross because roe caught her stealing from the practice. that medical assistant testified against jeter at his trial. >> reporter: police are issuing a renewed plea for information about two of jeter's friends who participated in the murder. they have not yet been caught. >> dozens of police officers will be on patrol at the inner harbor this summer following a series of violent i -- i -- incidents in the area. >> reporter: groups of fighting teenagers and several stabbings during the st. patrick's day weekend have police beefing

derek valcourt has more on the brazen home invasion. derek?se, you're about to hear firsthand from one of the women who was inside that house when masked robbers barged in with a gun and knife. >> i was scared to death. >> her name is sharon. and though she would not share her last name, she did share what happened inside her daughter's home, sunday morning, at 10:45. that's when two masked robbers broke into the house, identifying themselves as police officers. >> came running up the steps with a gun. and had it on me and her. and the one behind him had the knife. >> she said the robbers were demanding cell phones. and the violence began when she tried to kale 911. the robbers shot her daughter's boyfriend and stabbed her daughter amy. >> she threw herself and said, you're not stabbing my mother, you're not stabbing my mother. and i think that's how he got stabbed. >> reporter: the home invasion is upsetting to neighbors who say they're worried about crime in a community loaded with kids. >> it's scary. because you want to be able to let the

derek valcourt has an update on efforts to reach a verdict. derek? >> reporter: well, they just sent out a note, a little while ago, from the jury. they said they were tired. they wanted to go home after nearly eight hours of deliberations. still no verdict. >> reporter: as democrat martin o'malley and republican bob ehrlich squared off in a 2010 rematch. ehrlich's campaign consultant, julius henson, wrote and sent a robocall to thousands of democrats before polls closed on election night, suggesting there was no need to go vote because o'malley was already winning. >> relax, everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> reporter: prosecutors argue that robocall was an illegal attempt to supress african american turnout through deceit. and they say the call was misleading because it did not require the legally-- did not have the legally required tag line saying it was the ehrlich campaign. >> we think it was fraud lent. it wasn't just political speech. it was fraudulent speech. >> reporter: but henson says it was reverse ps

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right, derek. thank you. >>> a separate jury convicted campaign manager paul schurick in december. he served one month of home detention and must complete 500 hours of community service. >>> one of the women murdered inside a howard county church is laid to rest. this afternoon, the family gathered at the home of reverend mary marguerite turnage. >> seems like everyone i spoke with at that funeral today, used the same words to describe reverend cone. warm and caring. >> reporter: sad hearts today outside of the cathedral of incarnation, as hundreds turned out for the funeral of reverend dr. mary cone. >> what kind of loss disowng this is for the -- do you think this is for the community? >> last one. >> st. peter's episcopal church in ellicott city, had been feeding douglas jones regularly. but he was turned away, after becoming belligerent. and he came back with a gun. >> she was very spiritual. she was very giving. >> reporter: reverend cone just married this couple a couple of years ago. >> is i

i'm derek valcourt at the courthouse, with a live report.up. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> drug discovery. a major marijuana operation, in a local home. >> the man accused. and his ties to the baltimore police department. >> hi, everybody. i'm mary bubala. >> i'm kai jackson. here's what people are talking about. >> half a million dollars worth of more marijuana, growing inside a laurel home. investigators say the suspect used to work for police. we'll is live at howard county police headquarters. weijia jiang has more on the drug operation and the man facing charges tonight. weijia? >> police say this is one of the biggest drug busts in howard county history. and we've just confirmed, the suspect used to help another maryland police department solve crimes. >> reporter: 30-year-old menag uni is the le

i'm derek valcourt, with the harsh words both sides had for each other in closing arguments.coming up on eyewitness news. check in for more on these stories and more on the breaking news. >> eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> bold declaration. president obama takes a clear stand on same-sex marriage. >> what led to his announcement just months before the election? >> hi. i'm kai jackson. >> updating the breaking news we just brought to you. president obama says he believes same-sex marriage should be legal. he's the first president ever to take that position. randall pinkston reports for wjz from the white house. >> reporter: president obama is declaring his support for same- sex marriage.

i'm derek valcourt, coming up on eyewitness news. >>> and baltimore's top cop explains.o retire. >> eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> murder in a safe place. two women shot inside a church. >> what police are revealing about the suspected gunman. >> hi, everybody. i'm mary bubala. >> i'm vic carter, in for kai jackson. here's what people are talking about. >> howard county police believe an angry homeless man killed a reverend and woman before taking his own life.

i'm derek valcourt.ain coming up on eyewitness news. >> tax hikes two words no one wants to hear. i'm weijia jiang. the two should prepare to shell out more money next. >> storms moving this way. the first warning weather team is tracking live doppler radar. >> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> scare in the skies. fighter jets escort a diverted international flight. >> tonight, a baltimore businessman talks about what really happened on board. >> hello, everybody. i'm denise koch. >> and i'm vic carter. here's what people are talking about tonight. >> midair scare. a woman on an international flight always cas a-- causes alarm, when she claims to have a surgicallypl

derek valcourt has more on what hipson is saying in front of the stand. >> reporter: both in front of a jury and camera today. hipson continues to point the blame for the robocall legal problems on paul sherick. >>> julius hinso n said he wrote the robocall in three minutes. >> the call was not to get people not to go vote. >> reporter: prosecutors disagree. they say the call was an illegal trick to try to get democrat voters to stay home by telling them governor o'malley had already won. >> we're okay, relax. everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> reporter: hinson told injuries he was instructed by paul shorick not to include the line saying it was paid for by the ehrlich campaign. saying he everyone tried to get a second opinion from ehrlich's campaign. >> he said he liked the call and i asked him, do you need a tag for this call. he said i don't need a tag. >> he's saying you never had that conversation and that he assumed you would put that tag on there. >> the reason why that doesn't measure up to the truth, he got the test call, heard the test c

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. henson faces sentencing in his criminal case, june 13th. >>> it is the 8th day of deliberations in the john edwards corruption trial. the north carolina jury will work extra time today and tomorrow, unless they can reach a verdict in the complicated case. edwards is accused of using -- using campaign funds funds to hide his mistress. for the first time, we are hearing an apology from the gers student convicted of spying on his roommate. dharun raffy. he walked -- >> reporter: he walked into a new jersey courthouse. he is expected to start a 30- day jail sentence. ravi said yes, as his lawyer and the judge made sure he understood the consequences. the former rutgers student is giving up his right to remain free, while the case is appealed. he could be punished twice for the same crime if prosecutors succeed. ra vi was convicted. using a web cam to spy on his gay roommate, tyler clementi, who later committed suicide. prosecutors want ravi to spend longer time in state prison, rather tha

derek valcourt has the latest on the scare. derek? >> reporter: police confirm they have been questioning this student. they say they caught up with him in baltimore county. and say that gun they were so worried about was actually a starter pistol, not capable of firing any bullets. >> reporter: a warning of a possible gunman on the umbc campus went out through text alerts. >> police in the area of west hill apartments, and walker avenue, for a report of a man with a gun, stay inside and out of area. >> reporter: those texts, triggered by an early-morning 911 call, from a female student, who said a man she knew showed her a handgun while they were sitting in a car, near the on-campus student apartments. >> it was in not a threat. a person just displayed the handgun. and the female student saw the handgun. so there was no threat involved. >> reporter: when police arrived, they found the car and the gun they were looking for but the man the woman identified could not be found. >> reporter: as police began searching for the suspect, cell

derek valcourt has a look at the service and some of the remarks from the new archbishop. >> reporter: pomp and circumstance, and a new welcome for archbishop laurie, who promises to fight for catholic values and religious liberty. >> reporter: hundreds on hand for the follow official installation ceremony for archbishop william laurie. >> we have a real deep devotion to him because he's just been a really wonderful leader of the flock for so long now. >> he came from connecticut, where he last worked. >> we are going to miss him tremendously. >> to lifelong friends from his home state of indiana. >> me and dave went to grade school. >> he became the 16th archbishop of baltimore, the oldest diocese of the country. laurie replaces outgoing cardinal edwin o'brien, who leaves for rome thursday. >> now, dear friends, you and i must be loyal americans, by being bold and courageous catholics. >> reporter: in his first homily as archbishop, laurie called on catholics to bring their faith and values to the public square. >> to proclaim the person of christ, to teach the values that flow from

derek valcourt has more on the attack and how the victims fought to survive. >> police say the kind of sexual assault that happened in this annapolis alley over the weekend is rare but still alarming. in annapolis's downtown historic neighborhood -- >> i just can't believe it happened. >> reporter: news of the weekend attack on a 21-year-old woman is spreading. after a night out with some friends, along busy west street, the victim began walking home around 1:30 saturday morning as she turned on duke of dplowfter street, she noticed the man following her. >> whoever was behind her, ended up grabbing her from behind, dragging her into an alleyway. he ended up assaulting her and sexually assaulting her. >> reporter: the victim was able to fight her way to freedom. her attacker took off running, leaving police and those who live in the neighborhood, wondering who he was. >> a lot of people out that night. so it could have been anybody. >> it all unfolded in an area full of historic homes and professional offices, making it all the more unsettling to the women who walk around here. >> our

derek valcourt has more on what rhonda russell said in court today. derek? >> reporter: well, she told the jury that she was following orders from her boss, when she recorded that robocall. but unlike henson, she has immunity, in exchange for her testimony. >> reporter: it was rhonda russell's voice, heard by thousands of registered democrats, in a 2010 election night robocall, suggesting that democratic governor martin o'malley was winning ask there was no need to go vote. >> we're okay, relax. >> reporter: russell said the call was said to be a form of reverse psychology, meant to inspire votes for ehrlich. >> that's what was the motivation by my boss, julius henson. and that's what we're sticking to. >> reporter: but prosecutors say it did not contain the legally required tag line, identifying it was paid for by the ehrlich campaign. on the stand, russell arc knowledged the robocall needed the tag line. but said, i asked mr. henson. and mr. henson told me the client didn't want the tag line. speaking to wjz, henson also blamed the ehrlich campaign. >> i t

i'm derek valcourt. i'll tell you what happened this time coming up on ey,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> coming up now on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. downtown disturbance. a flash mob robbery inside this 7-eleven. and once again, rowdy teens are being blamed. >> reporter: heartbreak on the farm. i'm mike hellgren, with a tragedy that cost a dad and his teenage sons their lives. >>> in the red. i'm weijia jiang in baltimore. where the city-owned holt has yet to make any money since it opened. next, what that could mean for taxpayers. >>> summer like spring evening. stick around for the updated first warning forecast. >>> check in for the day's stories all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> convenience store chaos. dozens of teens rushed downtown 7-eleven. >> they came that way. and i guy was trying to catch them. there was so many. >> the wild scene that followed. the latest in a string of disturbing downtown incidents.

live at the courthouse, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> doreec -- derek, thank you. henson faces the possibility of up to a year in jail and up to $1,000 in fines when he's sentenced june 13th. >>> new charges are filed against a man accused of shooting an assault rifle. denise is in the newsroom with more developments. >> a new indictment adds firearms and injury to a dwelling. to the charges oscar ortega hernandez is facing. he is charged with using an assault rifle to fire a series of shots at the white house in november. one of those shots struck the mansion. nobody was hurt. and the president and first lady were out of town at the time. at a status hearing today, his attorney entered not guilty plea for the additional charges. >>> police who know him say ortega became fixated on president obama before the shootings. >>> on edge, tonight, there's growing concern over school violence, after a 7th grader is beaten inside her classroom. wjz is live at garrison middle school, where it happened. mike hellgren has the outrage. mike? >> reporter: kai, you're right about

we're live, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. the jury is expected to begin deliberating the case next week. >>> yeardley love's mother -- yeardley love, of course, was the cockeysville native murdered at college, is taking more legal action. yeardley love's on again, off- again boyfriend was convicted of second-degree murder in february. now, love's mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university of virginia men's lacrosse team coaches. the amount being sought is not known. >>> a surprise honor for two social services workers who helped save the life of a baby. they took swift action after a mother stabbed her during a visit. wjz spoke with a social worker who was in the room. >> reporter: denise, she was only about 5 feet away. this case has prompted a review of security at the facility. today, though, those who rescued the child, got some major recognition. >> reporter: the governor and baltimore's mayor honored two social services workers as heroes for their calm. >> where's the baby? >> the worker got the ba

derek valcourt explains what happened with the jury today. derek? >> reporter: well, the jury asked really only one question of the judge. they wanted to see if they could get a written copy of the legal instructions that the judge read to them in court. other than that, it was quiet from that jury, still no verdict. >> as democrat martin o'malley and republican bob ehrlich squared off in a 2010 rematch. ehrlich's campaign consultant, julius henson, wrote and sent a robocall to thousands of registered democrats, before polls closed on election night, suggesting there was no need to go vote because o'malley was already winning. >> relax, everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> reporter: prosecutors argued that robocall was an illegal attempt to suppress african american voter turnout through deceit. and they say the call was misleading because it did not contain the legally required authority line, identifying it was paid for by the ehrlich campaign. >> the first amendment does not protect nod fraud lent speech. we th

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. a trial date has been set for may 22nd. >>> the fallout begins at jp morgan chase, after the bank loses $2 billion in investments in a matter of weeks. alexis christoforous reports from the new york stock exchange. a top executive is out. can there are calls for tighter federal regulations. >> reporter: the white house says jp morgan chase's huge losses highlight the need to protect taxpayers when wall street makes mistakes. during his commencement speech at barnard college in new york, president obama called for more financial regulations. >> we know that we're better off when there are rules that stop big banks from making bad bets with other people's money. >> reporter: but traders worry about too much regulation. >> it make its more difficult for those firms to function and perform their duty for the shareholder value. it drives competition to other places in the world. >> reporter: ceo jamie diamond said the bank lost $2 billion in when tried to hedge its bets. the group that mad

derek valcourt filed this from the courthouse. >> reporter: henson's cross- examination, at times, contentious, as prosecutors said that henson intended that call to trick voters into staying at home on election night. >> the call was to get people to go vote. >> reporter: julius henson told jurors, the robocall was meant to be a form of reverse psychology. he felt by telling voters that democrat martin o'malley was already winning, those voters might rush out and support bob ehrlich. he was instructed by ehrlich's campaign manager, not to include the legally-required authority line. identifying it was paid for by the ehrlich campaign. >> when i read this, he said he liked the call. and i said, well, you need a tag for this call. he said "i don't want a tag." >> reporter: but prosecutors say all of the facts together point to an illegal conspiracy, between schurick and henson on election night to suppress voter turnout and help ehrlich win the election. >> at the courthouse, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> and we'll have more on today's testimony, coming up all new at 5:00 and 6:00. >>

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right. thank you very much, derek. anyone with information on this crime is urged to call baltimore county police. >>> america's fallen heroes are being remembered in memorial day ceremonies around the country. president obama joined military leaders at arlington national cemetery to honor the war dead at the tomb of the unknowns. >>> and in maryland, dozens gathered for one of the oldest memorial day celebrations in the country. mike schuh reports from westminster, where veterans received a warm welcome on main street. >> reporter: in westminster, maryland, generations have come to know exactly what is going to happen on main street on the last monday in may. >> 145 years. >> what does it say about westminster? >> westminster, as much as we grow, we can still be a small town. >> reporter: big enough to line a mile of main street. small enough that the hometown vets can get a special delivery during the parade. >> it's overwhelming. it shows that we have a country that cares about their veterans. >> reporter: back on t

. >> reporter: derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> henson faces sentencing june 13th. >>> traffic is finally moving after a terrible crash. that car was crushed by a tractor trailer this afternoon. rescuers flew the victims to the hospital. >>> spying in the bathroom stall. city police say they have caught a peeping tom who was frightening women. officers arrested david night. he is accused of using a cell phone to take a picture of a 15- year-old girl using the bathroom. several calls from women who called knight creepy and this surveillance video helped catch knight. >>> wjz was first on the scene, megan mccorkel is live with new evidence. >> reporter: police served a search warrant this morning. inside they made a gruesome find. disturbing discovery, parts of a human body found at this home along terrapin county. >> very terrifying. >> reporter: police came to search the house where cody lived. the 37-year-old vanished without a trace from his home last friday. it was here the detectives found a horrifying scene. >> they were able to locate evidence of a crime to include human

derek valcourt has more on what happened. good afternoon, dreshg. >> reporter: one of the victims is in critical condition here at shock trauma. he was one of four people inside the house when two robers broke through the door. we spoke with one of the women inside. she said all about her frightening or deal. >> it's pain. it's hurlt hurting -- hurting bad. i'm scared to death. >> sunday morning took a terrifying turn for sharon. she asked not to reveal her last night. she was visiting her daughter's house when two men busted through the back door shouting. >> baltimore city police. they came running up the the steps where a gun on me and her and the one behind him had the knife. >> the robber stabbed her 28-year-old daughter, amy and shot her daughter's 30-year-old boyfriend justin. she said the robers kept asking where's the money. >> i hurried up and called 911. the one with the knife saw me and lunged at me with the knife. my daughter got in between us and said you're not stabbing my mother. >> neighbors reported seeing t

at the white courthouse, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> henson faces the possibility of up to 12 years in prison. ehrlich's campaign manager, paul schurick, was sentenced to home detention and community service on the charges. >>> a carroll county man admits lying about a shooting shooting that forced several schools into lockdown. at first, 51-year-old john coker told police he had been looking for a shooter. but coker later admitted that he had accidentally shot himself. he is now charged with making false statements statements to an officer. >>> baltimore police commissioner fred bealefeld talks about his retirement. in a surprise move, the mayor announced that baltimore's top cop is calling it quits. pat warren talks to the commissioner about his reasons for leaving. pat? >> reporter: that's right. commissioner bealefeld says there is no drama in his decision to retire, other than the fact that he's turning 50 in august. and he's ready for the next phase of his life. >> reporter: commissioner fred bealefeld commands the 8th largest police agency in the country. and he stil

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> and archbishop laurie is originally from kentucky but has spent the last few years, working in the diocese of bridgeport, connecticut. >>> the wjz family is welcoming a new addition tonight. leah fujii-johnson is the new daughter of our team member andrea fuji and her husband, whit johnson, who is a reporter for cbs news. leah weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces. they say they're exhausted but doing great. >> they're exhausted? she was the one who was born. poor little baby. >> i know. but you know better than anyone, it is exhausting. >> she's adorable. >> it is imawfting to be parents at all times. but she's beautiful. >> a little snuglet. >> and andrea looks good. we miss you all. >> congratulations. >>> straight ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. slapped with steep fines. how much will skechers play for claiming its shoes can help you lose weight? >>> a new lawsuit surrounding fired syracuse coach bernie fine. why his wife is suing a major television network. >>> i'm mike schuh. the feds say they have busted a major pill mill in towson. up to 8 mill

derek valcourt has more of the efforts from both sides of the julius henson case. >> reporter: for the jury, this all comes down to the intent of those robocalls. prosecutors say campaign consultant julius henson intended those robocalls to suppress voter turnout on election night 2010. but the defense says julius henson has been thrown under the bus and left holding the bag. the robocalls were sent to 112,000 in predominantly african american prince george's county, suggesting that o'malley had already won. the call never mentioned that they were really coming from the camp of republican bob ehrlich, as required by law. henson contends that they were meant to inspire more people to vote for ehrlich. testimony resumes at this hour. we'll have an update for you at 5:00. derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> and wjz will have more on today's testimony, coming up all new at 5:00 and 6:00. >>> an investigation today into a marc train accident killed a pedestrian. it happened just after 7:00 this morning near northeast creek road in lows dale, baltimore county. police say the train was tr

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> the couple who lives in that home have one daughter.he was staying with a relative at the time of the home invasion. >>> a baltimore county man was struck and killed in ocean city. police say diego fachinny was speeding early monday morning when he was hit -- when he hit matthew cheswick from cooksville. of witnesses followed him until police arrived and arrested him. he is charged with homicide by motor vehicle while intoxicated. he is awaiting arraignment in court. >>> let's check on the traffic with christy breslin at wjz -- kristy breslin at wjz traffic control. >>> let's take a live look. as you can see, that is 50 westbound, at the kent narrows. and it continues all the way to the bay bridge. we also have a lot of delays on 404. traffic is just packed there. from old trapp e road to east. let's take a look at our graphic here. northbound 95. we have slowing there from 395 to the tunnel. as far as the beltway goes, it's looking great at this point. no delays to speak of, in or around. the harrisburg expressway, the only problem is

derek valcourt is there and spoke to henson today about his case. >> reporter: kai, we've got a bit of a blame game going on here. it was during paul schurick, bob ehrlich's campaign manager. on similar charges. last year, schurick blamed the entire legal problems of those robocalls on jewelius on trial, >> henson admits he wrote the infamous robocall. suggesting that they need not vote because governor o'malley had already won. >> we're okay. relax. >> the calls did not say, do not vote. the calls did not say the election is over. >> it also did not have the legally-required tag line, identifying that it was really from the ehrlich campaign. henson said he blames ehrlich's campaign for that omission. >> i told them to put the tag on it. they refused. i sent it to a second person. they still refuse. why am i responsible for a decision that was not mine to make? >> reporter: in opening statements, his defense attorneys told jurors that his client had been thrown under the bus for the robocall that henson insists was not intended to suppress voter turnout. and i said that was the purpose

derek valcourt has more on what rhonda russell said in court today. >> reporter: well, rhonda russell has immunity in change for -- exchange for her testimony. and today, she told jurors, she was following her boss's orders when she was following that robocall. >> reporter: it was rhonda russell's voice, heard by thousands of democrats in a 2010 election night robocall, suggesting that martin o'paly was winning and there was no need to go vote. >> we're okay. relax. >> reporter: she said the call was intended to be a form of reverse psychology, meant to inspire votes for republican bob ehrlich. >> that's what was the motivation, by my boss, julius henson. that's what he told me. >> but prosecutors say that robocall was really intended to suppress voter turnout, since it did not contain the legally required tag line, identifying it was paid for by the ehrlich campaign. on the stand, russell acknowledged knowing the robocall needed the tagline. but said, i asked mr. henson, and mr. henson told me the client didn't want the tagline. speaking to wjz, henson also blamed the ehrlich campaig

derek valcourt is there on the scene. the suspect has been taken into custody. police will not say where. but they will confirm he is a umbc student. he's currently being questioned by police and has not been charged. the campus has been placed on alert this morning after a woman saw a man with a gun. police did find the gun but have been searching all day for the suspect. much more on this breaking story coming up all new at 5:00. >>> a small plane goes down in utah, killing four people. the bodies of the victims are still being recovered from the wreckage. the faa says the single-engine plane took off and went down near zion international park. four men in their 20s were killed when the plane went down. both crashes are under investigation. >>> two machine charged in the beating of a san francisco giants fan. gigi barnett is live with more on the evidence that prosecutors introduced today. >> well, vic, the prosecution played a phone call that they say holds a confession by one of the accused. ession by one marvin norwood and louie sanchez listened in on a pho

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> julia henson faces two charges related to voter fraud. >>> the northbound side of the highway will be closed overnight around 29th street. crews repair a collapsed drainage pipe and thursday night, only one lane of the southbound jfx will be open. find a detour by going to wjz.com and clicking on the news tab. >>> a dangerous dash. out-of-control fans at the game. players are sounding the alarm. megmegan? >> reporter: there are warning signs to not jump on the field. there are somewhat harsher penalties for those that do. a shirtless fan flies in. and later, the umpire gets him. 23 year old chris now faces multiple charges. he's the fourth person this season to jump the fence, including this guy dressed as batman on opening day. >> i enjoyed it. the crowds went crazy. >> reporter: but security guards say it's not joke. >> we've seen sporting venuing themselves where the athletes are at risk. >> reporter: he sounds off to the media partner, the baltimore sun, i advocate that people get tased. you don't just disturb a game that's going on. it's pri

derek valcourt has the latest from the clarence mitchell courthouse. >> reporter: julius henson told jurors he wrote the election night robo call in three minutes on a napkin having lunch with his granddaughter at mcduendes'. >> the call was gazements to get people to go vote. >> reporter: prosecutors disagree. they say the call was an illegal trick to try to get democrats voters to stay home by telling them governor o'malley already won. >> we're okay. relax. everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> reporter: henson told jurors he was instructed by the campaign manager, paul schurick not to include the legally required line. henson even tried the get a second opinion from ehrlich's adviser and confidant. >> when i read the call to paul schurick over the phone, he said he liked the calm. and i said you need a tag for this call. he said i don't want a tag. >> you've aware that in paul schurick's trial he essentially said that you never had that conversation and he essentially assumed you would put that lag line on there. >> the reason why that's not the

derek valcourt is there. just finished speaking with police. >> we can tell you that police will only confirm that that suspect is in fact, a student here on campus. and they say that gun he was wielding was actually a starter pistol. makes a loud noise like a gun. not actually capable of firing bullets. >> police swarmed around the umbc west hill apartments after a student called to report a man she knew and had been sitting in a car with, showed her gun. >> it was not a threat. >> immediately sent out text message alerts to all students. >> police in the area of west hill apartments and walker avenue, for a report of a man with gun, stay inside and out of area. >> reporter: when police arrived, they found no -- the gun but not the man they were looking for. >> reporter: as police began looking for the suspect, cell phone text messages warn students who were not yet on campus to delay their arrival, and warned those who were already here to stay indoors. >> the first thing i thought, i was really shocked. i

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. a separate jury convicted paul schurick. he served one month of home detention and must complete 500 hours of community sense. >>> sky eye chopper 13 is over the scene and captain mike perry has more. >> we are at franklin and monroe, denise this. is in southwest baltimore. where a baltimore city medic unit, as it was transitioning through a center, was struck on the side by a sport utility vehicle. we do know of several injuries. apparently none of the persons on board the medic unit. they did, however, have to call a second ambulance to take their patient, which they were apparently transporting to a local area hospital. several ambulances were called for the vehicle that struck the ambulance. we know those several people were taken from that vehicle. and then taken to a local area hospital. no word on their condition. city police have pretty much closed off monroe, or franklin and monroe here. mostly monroe street, southbound. so you can expect delays coming southbound out of the north section of baltimore, as police cont

derek valcourt has the story. >> reporter: the blame for the legal problems with that robocall should fall on julius. julius has been told jurors he wrote the election call in three minutes while having lunch with his granddaughter at mcdonalds. >> the call was not put together to get people not to go vote. >> we're okay, relax. everything is fine. the only thing left is to watch it on tv tonight. >> reporter: henson told jurors he was uninstructed by paul shorick not to release the authority line it was paid for by the ehrlich campaign. he everyone tried to get a second opinion from greg massoni. >> when i read the message, he said he liked the call and i said you do you need a tag for this call. he said i don't need a call. >> he says you never had that conversation and that he essentially assumed you would put that tag line on there. >> the reason why that doesn't measure up to the truth is because he got the test call. he heard the test call. masonni heard the test call and there was no tag on it. if that call was incorrect he had an opportunity to say, wait a minute. let me put a

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> thank you very much, derek. henson faces sentencing in his criminal case june 13th. >>> a peeping tom, preying on women. kai has the story for us. >> police are thanking them. he is accused of trying to take pictures inside a bathroom stall. security cameras captured him going in and out of the bathroom. knight faces a number of charges, from peeping pom to childs -- charges of child pornography. >> an investigation is under way into a serious crash on i- 95 in harford county. skysky eye chopip -- chopper 13. no word on injuries at this point. several lanes of the highway were shut down for several hours, causing major backup. >>> in an extremely rare move, a woman's fatal drug overdose is ruled a homicide. and now, someone else could take the blame for injecting her with heroin. wjz is live in west baltimore. mike hellgren is at the medical examiner's office, with details in this unusual case. mike? >> reporter: denise, in so many of these cases, it is very hard to prove who gave the deadly overdose. no charges

derek valcourt has more on the victims and how the accident happened, derek. >> reporter: police sayrs involved in this crash and they have not yet ruled out the possibility that alcohol may have been involved. >> may day, may day. >> reporter: the frantic call for help came second after this boat slammed into a concrete pier. damaging the pier and injuring the boat's owner and

as derek valcourt explains from the metro courthouse, all parties are confused by the jury's decision. >> reporter: the two-week trial and 20-month ordeal ends with a partial victory for julius henson. >> obviously, we're related. >> reporter: jurors found julius henson not guilty on the two most serious charges against him, charges of election fraud and conspiracy for the robocall he wrote on behalf of republican bob ehrlich's campaign. >> the jury has spoken on it and we respect their verdict. >> reporter: prosecutor paul erit tried to convince the jury that the robocall was to get african americans not to vote. but the henson defense said that it was reverse psychology. and the jury agreed, saying there was nothing illegal about it. >> it's a tactic. you see it in the media every day. >> reporter: but the robocall did not contain the legally required authority line, saying it was paid for by the ehrlich campaign. henson said he left it out at his customer's request. >> i told them the correct thing to do. they refused to do it. >> reporter: but jurors faulted henson, finding him gu

but derek valcourt reports, it quickly got out of hand. derek explains, the entire incident is caught on video. derek? >> reporter: well, city police and the 711 shore manager -- store managers would not let us see the surveillance video from inside the store. but there were plenty of people inside that busy downtown, and saw it all unfold. >> reporter: a nationwide 7- eleven free slurpee giveaway brought 35 to 40 kids inside the store on wednesday. >> it was a lot of kids and they were out of control. >> reporter: while some lined up for the free slurpee, witnesses saw other kids raiding the shelves. >> they went in, they would grab things and run out. and i knew they didn't buy it because they just ran out. >> then a store manager blocked the door to keep the rested kids from leaving. but those kids got so mad the door was locked they started pinching the store manager. >> he couldn't kept getting beat on. so he eventually let them out and they just ran. >> reporter: what happened at this 7-eleven is the latest example of large groups of

derek valcourt is covering this. >> reporter: henson is pointing the finger in this case. originally, bob ehrlich's campaign had blamed julius henson for the legal troubles related to that robocall. now on trial, henson blames the ehrlich campaign. >> reporter: political consultant julius henson admits he wrote the now-infamous robocall, suggesting that they need not vote because governor o'malley had already won. >> we're okay. relax. >> the calls did not say don't vote. the calls did not say the election is over. >> reporter: the robocall also did not require the legally required tag line, identifying that it was really from the ehrlich campaign. henson told wjz today, he blames ehrlich's campaign for that omission. >> i told them to put the tag on it. they refused. i sent it to someone else for a second look. they still refused. so why was a responsible for a decision that was not mine to make? >> reporter: his defense says henson had been thrown under the buzz and left holding the bag by the ehrlich campaign for the robocall that henson insists was not intended to supp

i'm derek valcourt, coming up on eyewitness news. >> written enough law enforcement history to retireer fred bealefeld explains why he's leaving. >>> it is a humid and cloudy day. will thunderstorms wash out our weekend? find out in your first warning forecast. check in for these stories stories and the breaking news. wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> sanctuary shooting. two women are shot inside a church. >> tonight, what we're learning about the suspected gunman. >> hello, everybody. i'm denise koch. >> and i'm vic carter. here's what people are talking about tonight. >> investigators say an angry, homeless man opened fire inside st. peter's episcopal church in ellicott city, hurting those who were trying to help him. wjz is live. meghan mccorkell is at church tonight. but first, mike hellgren has the latest on the investigation. >> police say this man just shot at anyone inside the upper which. church. and one

we're live at the courthouse, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> paul schurick has served one month of home detention for the same charges. >>> governor martin o'malley outlines the game plan for raising taxes in the general assembly session that begins monday. wjz is live. political reporter pat warren has more on what to expect next week. >> reporter: that's right. the special session is expected to take the doom out of the day. they were supposed to pass the revenue package. and left a budget with a big, $512 million hole. >> i'm joined to my left by speaker mike bush. and to my right, senate president mike miller. >> reporter: the governor, the senate president and the speaker of the house, have agreed on what maryland taxpayers will have to pay to feed the government kilt -- kitty. >> we will be moving forward with a revenue package that will call upon about 16% of us who are in the top earning brackets of our state, to pay a little more. and that's the primary revenue measure that will be adopted here. >> reporter: the increase will help prevent $512 million in cuts to k throu