jane watrel has their story. >> reporter: welcoming a visitor to their new home is a dream come true. amputee is the recipient of a mortgage-free home. >> we are thankful every day. you don't have to be in your legs all day. you have that freedom to relax and be comfortable. >> reporter: comfortable because the home is adapted for him to be totally self-sufficient. >> it's easier to maneuver. i can go around the house. everything is wide enough. i am cruising around and turn around in any area. >> they have given us our life back as a normal, married couple. the worries, the daily worries of leaving and was he able to reach this or do that is no longer there. >> reporter: this is the 101st home built for the homes for our troops. it includes amenities that make lives easier for wounded troops. >> it is an independence. now, i'm able to, when i'm in my wheelchair go into the closet. it's a huge, roll-in closet. >> reporter: in the bathroom, a roll-in shower. small but important details to help vets take care of themselves. >> it helps a lot with soldiers who have injuries with arms. ha

i'm jane watrel. back to you. >> puts things in perspective. thank you, jane. >>> there is a cat in boulder, colorado who refused to be intimidated when a bigger cat came clawing at the door. just the sliding glass separated the cat from the mountain lion on the other side. but that made the cat chill. he was comfortable staring down that animal. after several minutes the lion walked away. that's what you call a cool cat. >> that is a cool cat. >> the cat's name is zeus. >> he knew it was double paned. >> he said i think he bought double pane. i hope he did. >> that's a great picture. >> really great. >> so going to get unpleasant out there tomorrow? >> it will be nasty. we talk about the types of umbrella. tomorrow is a golf umbrella day. not the purse umbrella. you have that outside in the winds it will be blown over. make sure you are the big umbrellas tomorrow. the rain will be coming at us and coming sideways. we have a low pressure coming toward us. out there we saw a high temperature of 74 degrees. a nice afternoon with a lot of sunshine

in fredericksburg, jane watrel, news 4. >>> ahead on "news 4 today" on this tuesday. >> a 9-year-old girl is behind the wheel. wait until you see who is her passengers and why. >>> john corbett and celo will be on tonight's episode of "parent hood." i'm trying to get a look. who is that on his t-shirt? is that like a miley cyrus or something? >> it should be interesting. ce-lo playing himself on tv. he's branching out. it's 4:41. let's check in with tom kierein in the stormcenter. tom, change coming today? >>> maybe not until tomorrow morning. we should stay dry until then. we're down in the 40s in most locations shenandoah valley and into the mountains. but near the atlantic baechls, we're generally in the 50s. 55 at reagan national. parts of montgomery county, frederick county, loudoun county, they're down in the mid and upper 40s. right around the beltway in southern montgomery county, low to mid-50s. low and mid-50s in arlington, fairfax, and prince george's county. over the last 24 hours, cloudiness rolling through here the last few hours. we'll have clouds with us in and out th

mary's, maryland, jane watrel, news 4. >>> stay there.hen we come back on news 4, the dangers the jurors in the casey for a great vacation you can't beat mississippi. sure you can, it's called louisiana. hang on, florida's where folk's want to be. that's only until they get a taste of alabama hospitality. we can't agree on which state's best, but we can agree on one thing, wherever you vacation in the gulf, you'll have a great time. great seafood, beautiful beaches and fun for the whole family. we've got intimate bed and breakfast right on the water. cafe's with views of the gulf. go blue water fishing, ride a kayak, or just enjoy the world's best weather and soak up the world's best sun. we've gone all out to make this year the best ever. and we are 100% open for business. you mean 100% open for fun. here in the best part of the gulf. louisiana, florida, alabama, mississippi. this could go on for a while. >>> just in time for halloween, have we got the perfect app for you. that is if you are still looking for a costume. this is called ha

jane watrel joins us live from a commuter lot in springfield. jane? >> reporter: it was a mess today for commuters. let's get that out of the way. it was raining. there were car accidents and a car fire. lifting the hov restrictions didn't make a difference. a normal one hour commute took two to three hours trying to get into the district. it was a morning northern virginia commuters would rather forget. >> it's real bad. we stopped like almost two hours. >> it's a nightmare getting into d.c. stop, start, stop, start. >> reporter: a headache for transportation officials. we apologize for what happened this morning. it was miserable for commuters. >> reporter: it started around 6:00 after an overnight repair made to a section of i-95 failed. they scrambled to fix the hole in the road. >> it was completely unsafe for traffic. they had to pull everything off. it's where the nightmare began. >> reporter: commuting from d.c. to northern virginia has never been for the faint of heart especially this time of year. the weather may have been a factor in this l

jane watrel has more on this. >> if he looks like he's in a bit of a daze, he is.ged intruder was stopped cold early saturday morning by a six-stringy tar. victim, sean. >> he came here and tried to fight with me. i went inside to call the police. i sat down on my chair and he comes in through the back door. >> reporter: he hollers for his roommate, composed himself and picked up his guitar as the stranger moved closer to him. >> i keep that behind my chair. it was the first thing i grabbed. >> reporter: the struggle ended in the backyard where jake york saw the whole thing unfold. >> when i came out the second time, i see a guitar overhead and a crack. the guitar smacking in half. >> reporter: he's been the talk of the town, striking a chord at the music store. >> i hate to see an instrument used like that, but depending on the situation, if it's your defense, it's what you have to do. >> reporter: they are okay with him using the guitar for self-defense. >> he was charged with assault to a law enforcement officer. >> sean says he's no guitar hero. it's not what h

jane watrel has their story. >> reporter: a visitor to their new home is a dream come true. former army sergeant and double amputee is the recipient of a mortgage free home. >> we are thankful every day because you are just, you are not -- you don't have to be on your legs all day. you have that freedom to relax and be comfortable. >> reporter: comfortable because the home is adapted for him to be self-sufficient. >> it's easier to maneuver. i can just go around the house. everything is wide enough. i can cruise around and turn around in any area. >> they have given us our lives back as a normal married couple. the worries, the daily worries of leaving and was he able to reach, that's no longer there. >> reporter: this is the 101st home built for the nonprofit homes for the troops. it makes lives easier for warriors. automatic door openers, wider closets. >> right now, when i'm in my wheelchair, i'm able to go into the closet. >> reporter: in the bathroom, a special shower and state of the art amenities. small, but important details to help vets take care of themselves. >> i

jane watrel reports. >> reporter: this was strike two for mineral county. the tornado two months after a devastating earthquake. the tornado came up quickly, catching many off guard. as this phone video knows on i-95 near quantico. hundreds of school children were boarding the buses when the tornado warning came down. here is the principal. >> as the leader, i have to stay calm. some children were shaken and upset. i let them know it was bad weather. we didn't want to send them out in bad weather. >> reporter: many thought it was simply a bad storm, not realizing a tornado touched down nearby ripping the roof off a historic plantation home. >> it started downpouring on us. >> worried about the safety of the kids and i wanted to be done and over with. >> reporter: this is the second traumatic natural disaster for these school kids. in august, an earthquake that registered 5.8 damaging 1300 homes and closing two schools. 37 trailers are home to thomas jefferson elementary students. >> this is our home for the rest of this year. we dubbed it mobile mountain. >

in louisa county, jane watrel, news 4. >>> then suddenly the sun came out. the sky cleared. it was stunningly beautiful. >> for awhile. >> at 2:30 this afternoon. >> it's what happens with these systems. you get all the damp, dreary weather and the skies are crystal clear, nice and blue, then the clouds move back in. now, we are dealing with the wind. we had a nice hour or two. >> yeah, about 90 minutes. >> not nearly long enough. >> i agree with you. >> it was a nice island of calm and beauty. >> something that is going to be good news for the martin luther king dedication on sunday morning. very nice weather for that. a far cry from where we were. we are dealing with the clouds as they made their way back into the region. it's typical. look at the fall colors out there now. a very nice weekend. most likely on sunday to get out and take a look at the fall colors. i think very windy on your day saturday. doppler radar showing light showers. mostly up to the north in frederick and west virginia. you had the up slope showers along the blue ridge and showers in western virginia

in college park, jane watrel, news 4. >>> still ahead, the proposal to raise maryland's gas tax to one of the highest rates in the nation. >>> hi, i'm pat collins. tonight, the story on how this iphone tracked down two robbers more than 200 miles away. coming up, news 4. >>> up next, losing weight can be when you believe in the future, you're always looking ahead... to what's next, to what's possible. confident that taking action now, is the way to create a better tomorrow. that's why we're announcing, that with the planned merger with t-mobile, at&t will begin bringing five thousand jobs to america from overseas. we will invest eight billion dollars more... and deploy the next generation of wireless broadband to nearly everyone in america. this investment will create as many as ninety-six thousand american jobs. here at at&t, we believe in the future. we're not hesitating. we're investing in america now. why? well, we know it's good business. because america has always been... and always will be a smart investment. at&t. >>> today on news 4, we are starting weight loss battle of the a

. >> jane watrel is live with the unusual weapon he used. jane?> reporter: manassas police say they have heard of homeowners using golf clubs and bats to fend off intruders. a guitar is a first. if john looks like he's in a bit of a daze, he is. the alleged intruder was x-stri. victim sean. >> he came over here and tried toh me in the front yard. i went inside to call the police and sat in my chair. he came through the back door. >> reporter: he hollered for his roommate and picked up his guitar as the stranger moved close to him. >> i keep it behind my chair. it's the first thing i grabbed. >> reporter: his roommate saw the whole thing unfold. >> when i came in, all i see is guitar over head and crack. the guitar snapped in half over the guy's head. >> reporter: his actions struck a cord with neighbors. >> kind of funny. i don't know. i'm serious, i don't know. >> reporter: it was noted at a local music store. >> we hate to see a musical instrument used like that, but depending on the situation, if it's your defense, it's what you have to do. >>

jane watrel joins us now with more on how police cracked this case. jane? >> police say it took thousands of hours sifting through clues and working with state and federal authorities. today, they revealed, they have a suspect, someone who knew the victim. it was a cold-blooded crime that rocked the frederick community. assistant burger king manager was shot to death while preparing to open the restaurant. the murder remained unsolved until now. >> murder and robbery and related charges. >> reporter: the 21-year-old was a former co-worker of the victim at burger king. customers say they are thrilled a suspect has been identified. >> i think it's great they found him. a lot of this stuff, i don't like. the violence, i can't stand. >> reporter: it took hundreds of hours of leg work to charge the suspect. he was questioned initially because he worked at burger king. under routine questioning, they discovered he was in the country illegally after being deported to el salve dor. >> reporter: the victim arrived around 5:30. she was discovered dead a half hour lat

jane watrel has more. >> the jury took less than 90 minutes to return their verdict.learing susan burke of all charges. in closing arguments, the defense attorney for susan burke told the montgomery county jury there was "no proof the 36-year-old first grade teacher choked her sounds." the jury agreed. >> a lot of evidence was presented. i think the state did an excellent job trying to prove their case. i think the jury did their job and i think justice was served today. >> burke had faced seven counts of second degree assault. the alleged incidents happened at greencastle elementary school last year. she took the stand and denied grabbing her students' necks. >> as far as mrs. burke is concerned, she did all the right things. she's a human being like everybody else. and people make mistakes and i wasn't there. >> prosecutors would not comment after verdict. they had alled that burke would get angry with students at the silver springs school and choke them. six students took the witness stand. but their testimony didn't convince the jury. >> i was by grace of whom eve

in fredericksburg, jane watrel, news 4. >>> a 200 pound orphan who captured the hearts of people in the d.c. metro area. why the pig known as wilbur is wondering no more. >>> first, it's one of the busiest hot spots in bethesda. >>> you probably seen all the red and yellow bikes all over town. they are part of the capital bike share program in the district in arlington county and soon in alexandria as well. short term rental prices are going up to help pay for expansion. tom sherwood reports. >> reporter: just over a year old, the capital bike share program is expanding all over the city, into arlington and soon to alexandria. >> i have seen the bikes. i have my own bike, i don't use that service, but it's great to see people on the street. >> i love it. i plan to get on it this weekend. >> in a warehouse in southwest washington, hundreds of bikes are prepped and repaired for use in the city. >> for our anniversary/birthday, we have 16,000 annual members. exceeded our expectations. >> a new higher at the tourist and casual riders. longer memberships are staying the same price. >> 99% of

live in northeast i'm jane watrel. back to you. >> all right.. >>> an actress is suing amazon.com for revealing her age online. amazon owns the internet movie data base website also known as imdb. the actress is from texas but we don't know her name. she is listed in court documents simply as jane doe. she says she bought a professional subscription to imdb with a credit card and she believes her personal information was taken during the sale. she says imdb posted her age on her profile and then refused to take it off. she believes she has lost income as a result of that. her attorney says the 40-year-old actresses are not in great demand in hollywood these days. >>> actors of a different kind were found along the streets of venezuela's capital city of caracas. 120 mimes were deployed by the mayor to make sure that drivers obey the law. the mimes were very polite and, of course, silent. they corrected drivers who weren't following the rules. pedestrians were helped across the street but they had to wait their turn to cross the road. one mime in

they are facing anywhere from 25 to 40 years in prison if convicted. >> jane watrel. thank you, jane. >>> amanda knox is on her way back home to seattle less than 24 hours after an italian appeals court overturned her appeal conviction. a plane carrying knox and her familiar sly expected to arrive in seattle tacoma airport. the prosecutors plan to appeal the decision to italy's highest court. >> reporter: amanda knox exonerated of murder in a stunning successful appeal in italy now nearing a return home. in rome, ushered by security to her first flight leg, the transition begins with the now 24-year-old dubbed angel face by italian media. spending nearly 1,000 days behind bars, knox has been shielded by the notoriety of her case and impact expected to be immense. but it is her first step closer to home. her first step on a journey to a new forever changed life. knox planned for this day today. she also planned for the alternative. a life behind bars. as noted in a journal she kept. nathanial rich of "rolling stone" interviewed knox's close friend madison paxton. >> on

jane watrel. thank you so much. >>> now we have a breaking news story out of new york city where divers are searching the east river for the victim of a helicopter crash. it happened just before 3:30 this afternoon. the tourist chopper was taking off from a heliport on the east side of manhattan when something went wrong and it went down. it sank to the bottom of the river just minutes later. there were five people aboard including the pilot, four were pulled from the water, and they were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. >>> expert witness took the stand today in the carmela dela rosa murder trial. at question whether she knew right from wrong when she threw her 2-year-old granddaughter off of a sky walk at tysons corner last november. dela rosa pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. julie carey is live outside the course at this hour ands that latest on this case. julie? >> reporter: the last week and a half we heard carmela dela rosa's friends and families, doctors and psychologi

jane watrel in northwest d.c. thanks, jane. >>> president obama is in the second day of a three-day bus tour to talk about his jobs plan. at this hour he is in emporia, virginia, the president speaking to a crowd at greenville county high school there. this morning the president visited a ymca in jamestown, north carolina to talk about his jobs plan and also took part in a round table meeting with educators at guilford technical community college in jamestown. the president's expected to wrap up his visit to emporia within the hour and it's back to the bus tour. the republicans claim this is a campaign trip at taxpayer expense. mean while tonight the republican candidates for president will face off in a debate in las vegas. nevada's unemployment rate is above 13% and is the highest in the nation. the state also has some of the country's highest foreclosure numbers. so the economy is expected to dominate the debate along with immigration and border security issues. one republican who will not be there tonight is f

news 4's jane watrel has the story from fredericksburg. >> high five.eah. >> reporter: john delacy and his dog chloe are quite a team, catching a burglar who broke into their fredericksburg home in broad daylight. it happened during the redskins game. >> around the end of the third quarter, she started acting real funny. she got halfway off the couch and started doing her bark, and i told her to zip it. she was sitting there and doing this weird -- it wasn't like an outright bark. it was more of like i smell something, i guess, kind of bark. >> reporter: curious, delacy headed downstairs with chloe right behind. >> he was standing about right here, and i just quickly moved in. you know, not only just questioning who the hell are you and why are you in my house, but you're not leaving. >> reporter: but 41-year-old robert white had other ideas. >> he put his chin down so i couldn't get underneath it. as he was trying to scurry out from under me, i was trying to stay on top of him. we went from this room all the way through over here into our bedroom, in w

jane watrel reports he stopped a thief who hit another house in frederick burg, virginia. >> reporter: catching a burglar who broke in their home in brad daylight. it happened during the redskins' game. >> at the end of the third quarter she was acting funny. she got half way off the couch and barking. she was doing this weird not like a bark but nor of like a -- i smell something i guess kind of bark. >> reporter: he headed down stair, curious with chloe right behind. and he was standing here and i just quickly moved in not just questioning who are you and why are you in my house but you're not leaving. >> reporter: but robert white had other ideas. >> he put his chin down. as he was trying to get out i was trying to stay on top of him. we went through over here into the bedroom in which i finally was able to pin him down. >> reporter: his girlfriend called 911 and white was arrested. police say the suspect may be responsible for a series of day lie burglaries including one that happened here about 30 minutes before police say he broke into this home. he says he is no hero especially

jane watrel, news 4. >>> on october 24th, a fund-raiser will be held for our charity. can find the information on www.nbcwashington.com. >>> one of the biggest banks in america says their website is back to normal now after experiencing slowdowns. for the past six days, customers of bank of america have had trouble assessing -- accessing, that is, their website accounts. problems began a day after the company said it would start charging a $5 debit card fee. there were rumors that hackers were to blame for the slowdown. bank of america says it's because of system upgrades and heavier than usual traffic. >>> friends of john wayne got a chance to get their hands on highly prized memorabilia, that good stuff. old stuff today. the screen legend's family auctioned off his personal belongings to fans at a hotel in los angeles. somebody paid $150,000 to buy john wayne's famous green beret from the movie, green beret. the money raised will go to several charities including the john wayne cancer foundation. >>> with the baseball playoffs in full swing, "money ball" is one of th

in rockville, jane watrel, news 4. >>> susan burke was a teacher in the school system for ten years. she's been on administrative leave since february and is no longer with the school system. >>> a trial date has been set in miami for the four men charged in the murder of sean taylor, the washington redskins safety. he was shot and killed in miami in 2007 during alleged attempted robbery. all four suspects pleaded not guilty. a fifth man is already pleaded guilty to murder and burglary charges and likely to testify against the others. >>> a stranger came to the aid of a young girl screaming for help as she was being sexually assaulted. the victim was just ten years old. it happened yesterday just before 5:00 in the afternoon in hill crest heights area near scottish avenue. we have more reaction from a witness. >> reporter: police are saying that witness is a hero. a lot of people who live in this neighborhood of hill crest heights are on edge right now. they are furious, angry. a lot of kids walk up and down the block going to and from school. when they find out something like this h