i'm gasia mikaelian. this is bay area news at 7:00. authorities in contra costa county are investigating a deadly confrontation involving a tenant and a thief. police say that a home burglary ended with the resident fatally stabbing the intruder. this is our top story. tonight, jana katsuyama is live in pittsburgh to tell us what happened. >> reporter: we've been out here all day, and you can see across the street that a police car is still parked there. they are monitoring this scene and they tell me that they are questioning two people who might be connected with the intruder who was killed. the apartment complex that we're talking about is right across the street there on the first floor right at the intersection of leland road and harbor street. police put up yellow tape at the villa serina apartment complex today. they say at about 10:20 this morning, it appears an intruder was trying to break into a home. >> it appears to be an interrupted burglary. an individual most likely thought no one was home. >> reporter: police say a man

i'm gasia mikaelian, and this is bay area news at 7:00. boy, you can feel it all around the bay area, another night of below-average temperatures and the winter chill is causing some problems. in pleasant hill where the overnight low reached 28 degrees, a homeless man was air lifted to the hospital with burns over most of his body. man told investigators his tent caught fire after he lit a candle inside to stay warm. the cold snap means water heaters are working overtime. crews fixed this one that sent water spilling into the garage. one plumbing company tells us business has gone up 50% since temperatures first dropped last week. >>> and in the oakland hills, news chopper 2 is overhead after police shut down part of claire minute avenue near fish ranch road where police say black ice caused a 7-car pileup about 8:30 this morning. no one was hurt, but several cars were damaged. >> good evening to you, and this is the fourth night in a row we are going to endure frigid temperatures. we do have advisories that will move into place in the ove

i'm gasia mikaelian, and this is bay area news at 7:00. we begin tonight with new information about a mrifrs fatally shot in the central valley today and his ties to a bay area k-9 organization. the shooting happened this morning in the small community of galt. it's located on highway 99 between stockton and sacramento. galt police say officer kevin tonn confronted a burglary suspect. the two got into a fight, then the man shot officer tonn with a handgun. two other officers chased the suspect, but police say the man shot and killed himself. 35-year-old officer tonn can be seen here with his k-9 yaro. now, the small department is mourning its loss. >> everybody enjoyed working with him. he was a hard working officer so -- and he was -- he was a lot of fun to work with. >> we've learned officer tonn was actively involved with the bay area organization called cover your k-9, which provides bullet proof vests for police dogs. tonn and yaro participated at a fundraiser in oakland just last summer. >>> in the bay area, a huge turnout for a gun

i'm gasia mikaelian. coverage continues at 10:00.ht a bay area artist collaborating with colin kaepernick on a clothing line and a new tattoo.

. >> and i am gasia mikaelian. julie haener is off tonight. new developments to report from washington. the white house and the gop have reached a deal on the fiscal cliff. live in washington, d.c. with what just happened. >> reporter: we are waiting for the vice president to arrive on capitol hill. this is his chance to sell the deal to democrats. there is no vote planned on the floor, though one could come at any time after democrats meet. president obama and leaders say they are close to a deal but it is on a smaller scale. a deal would raise taxes on families making more than $450,000 and extend unemployment benefits. >> we will work on finding smarter ways to cut spending. but let's not let that hold up perecing americans -- protecting americas. >> reporter: here is where they have been struggling, automatic spending cuts to the trillion dollars mark. it would effect the defense department and social programs. >> wee using -- we are using an ax instead of a scalp. >> reporter: even if there is a vote tonight in the senate the house still

. >>> good evening i'm gasia mikaelian. >> and i'm frank somerville. julie haener has the night off. the city of piedmont is less than two square miles large. but the new police chief is searching for ways to protect residents after two robberies this week. jade hernandez live where the chief wants to install some new cameras. >> reporter: head north hit oakland, head in the other direction drive deeping into piedmont and in the not so distant future here in piedmont cameras will be installed that will record your license plate. this is the case of location for some. >> piedmont tends to be a very affluent area it's going to be one of those cases that will get targeted. >> reporter: piedmont's recent home invasions made nervous so the idea of cameras like the one mounted on this squad car placed along piedmont city limits doesn't bother her. >> it might deter it some. i don't think that it's going to get rid of it completely. >> reporter: she doesn't think of the cameras as big brother either. neither does the city's new police chief who was sworn into

. >> i'm gasia mikaelian. routine court hearing erupted into a fight between two families in san jose today. one man's family wants justice for a dead father and the other is calling for leniency for the man who shot him. >> reporter: the hearing lasted about a minute while outside was the real drama where supporters from both sides got into a fight. family and friends of 26-year- old ricardo hernandez streamed out of the santa clara county courthouse this afternoon after showing up to support the second degree murder suspect. they were taunted by the family of 36-year-old christopher soriano, the man killed december 31st in san jose in what police describe was a citizens arrest gone wrong. >> i'm a widow with five kids now. >> hey, hey! [ yelling ] >> reporter: soriano's family told us they're upset hernandez is portrayed as a hero seen here in a previous court appearance. police say hernandez was called to the summer breeze apartment complex by his maintenance supervisor after soriano was spotted on the prop

i'm gasia mikaelian, and this is bay area news at 7:00. the fbi is taking the lead tonight in the search for more possible victims. today fbi teams began excavating an abandoned well near the small town in lyn don. authorities education courted one of the speed freak killers from death row to that area and he pointed out the well as a spot where more human remains could be found. the fbi says it is not looking for any one victim in particular. >> no particular individual is associated with this site. to be clear, we only know that this may contain remains. >> the fbi -- fbi is taking over the search following criticism of the san joaquin county sheriff's office handling. the remains of two women were identified and no identity has been determined for a third set of remains. a bay area mother is waiting anxiously as that well is being excavated. wondering if her daughters' remains are at the bottom of that well. >> mckayla garrett's mother read me those words today her nine-year-old daughter wrote more than 24 years ago. early sharon found

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i'm gasia mikaelian, and this is bay area news at 7:00. well, high drama tonight on capitol hill. the u.s. house of representative social security in session right now and expected to take a vote in the next hour or so on a measure to pull the nation back from the fiscal cliff. we've been following developments for you and have continuing coverage now from reporter scott live in our washington dc bureau with the very latest. scott. >> gasia, as we speak, nancy pelosi speak to the u.s. house. we now expect the vote to happen at about 7:30. an approval of this now-historic fiscal cliff compromise almost a done deal. >> all night we watched house leaders parade in and out of hush-hush meetings up and down the halways in the capitol. some told me they even took some time tonight to actually read this 150-page-plus bill. a bill that would avert a massive tax increase on nearly every american who earns less than $4 hun thousand. after all the long fierce debate, the u.s. house scheduled a vote for tonight. >> i think we've made gigantic progress. i hope that we can have a by partisan ag

good evening i'm gasia mikaelian. >> and i'm ken wayne. frank and julie are off tonight. a shocking allegation against michael crabtree. san francisco police revealed tonight they are investigating the 25-year-old in connection with an allegation of sexual assault. we get the developing news from ktvu's amber lee. she's live in the city with what we know about the alleged assault and some initial reaction, amber. >> reporter: ken, news that the 49 wide receiver is being investigated for sexual assault comes as a surprise to the 49 fans we spoke to here at momo's tonight. the 25-year-old is having what some would characterize a break out season after being drafted by the 49 in 2009. the alleged assault happened in a san francisco early last sunday just hours after the 4- 9ders played the packers. police did not name the hotel just a short while ago a spokesman for the police department told us investigators interviewed crabtree who had an attorney with him and said the football player was cooperative. >> at this point he has not been detained or arrested. to my knowledge h

good evening, i'm gasia mikaelian. >> i'm frank somerville. julia is off tonight. it's just two hours and counting until 2013 in the bay area. the crowd is really starting to gather along san francisco's waterfront. live at justin herman plaza. that is the prime viewing location for the fireworks. >> reporter: a lot of people are definitely coming out here to check out that show. we watched the crowd steadily grow out here. right next to several muni lines. we can tell you muni is running free overnight tonight. just up market street, that's where bart is. bart is going to be running until 3:00 a.m., tomorrow morning to help people celebrate safely. the light show is just beginning along san francisco's waterfront. a preview for tonight's 15 minute fireworks display at midnight. san francisco police are estimating as many as 250,000 could turn out for the big show. >> just the excitement. it's just the eclectic crowd. the everything. it's the city. >> reporter: restaurants along the embarcadero, like sin bads say the only holiday that can approach new year's eve bu

good evening i'm gasia mikaelian. >> and i'm ken wayne. frank and julie are off tonight. a shocking allegation against michael crabtree. san francisco police revealed tonight they are investigating the 25-year-old in connection with an allegation of sexual assault. we get the developing news from ktvu's amber lee. she's live in the city with what we know about the alleged assault and some initial reaction, amber. >> reporter: ken, news that the 49 wide receiver is being investigated for sexual assault comes as a surprise to the 49 fans we spoke to here at momo's tonight. the 25-year-old is having what some would characterize a break out season after being drafted by the 49 in 2009. the alleged assault happened in a san francisco early last sunday just hours after the 4- 9ders played the packers. police did not name the hotel just a short while ago a spokesman for the police department told us investigators interviewed crabtree who had an attorney with him and said the football player was cooperative. >> at this point he has not been detained or arrested. to my knowledge h

good evening, i'm gasia mikaelian. >> i'm frank somerville. julia is off tonight. it's just two hours and counting until 2013 in the bay area. the crowd is really starting to gather along san francisco's waterfront. live at justin herman plaza. that is the prime viewing location for the fireworks. >> reporter: a lot of people are definitely coming out here to check out that show. we watched the crowd steadily grow out here. right next to several muni lines. we can tell you muni is running free overnight tonight. just up market street, that's where bart is. bart is going to be running until 3:00 a.m., tomorrow morning to help people celebrate safely. the light show is just beginning along san francisco's waterfront. a preview for tonight's 15 minute fireworks display at midnight. san francisco police are estimating as many as 250,000 could turn out for the big show. >> just the excitement. it's just the eclectic crowd. the everything. it's the city. >> reporter: restaurants along the embarcadero, like sin bads say the only holiday that can approach new year's eve bu

. >> i'm gasia mikaelian in for julie haener. it started with a car crash. we can tell you a uniformed police officer now has a bullet wound in his leg. amber lee live right now there at the shooting scene in oakland's fruitvale neighborhood. >> reporter: this is still a very active scene. what started as a car crash involving that burgundy camaro and that suv ended in the shooting of a police officer. a 26-year-old oakland woman was driving this dark green impala with her 19-year-old brother. she told me they collided with a red camaro that ran a stop sign. he said the other driver who identified himself as carlos got out of the camaro and asked if the brother and sister were okay. then he started acting quote, jitter -- jittery and started pacing. shortly after police arrived he took off. the officers at the scene went to investigate. four more shots followed. >> one offer was fired upon by the suspect. even after being shot in the leg and was able to successfully capture him and take him into custody without further incident. >> reporter: the brother and

i'm gasia mikaelian and our coverage continues with the 10:00 news and tonight the bay area high school that plans to offer prizes to keep students from skipping klass. keep in mind we're always here for you at ktvu doiblt and that tmz is up next right here on tv 36.