consumer reporter john matarese show us what can happen and how you can pro your money. john: you have a debit card linked to checking account we have a warning for you. wait until you see what a surprise charge did to a woman's account and it could happen to you. >> nightmare scenario for everyone with a debit card. unexpected charge hits your account draining it to zero. her account was empty and she started to bowen the check. >> -- bouncing the check. >> i'm out $134. three debit transactions i didn't authorize. there is an overdraft fee for identity protection. john: we called her credit union and learnedded she okayed id theft protection when she bought >> i shouldn't pay for someone else's transactions and the overdraft fees. john: the credit union removed the overdraft fees after we got involved but there is a lesson. if you use debit monitor your account daily. set up alert on the phone and link it to a saving account or credit card for backup protection. one unexpected withdrawal and everything can bounce. set up protection so you don't waste your money. i'm joh

consumer reporter john matarese shows when uncle sam can keep some of it so you don't waste your moneyohn: tax day is almost here. you may have your refund by now or if you haven't filed yet it should be on its way soon. but some taxpayers are getting a shock when they check their bank accounts. discovering that the government kept some of their money. if you are planning a beach vacation with the tax refund or hope the pay off some debt there is nothing more frustrating than learni cnn money says there are four reasons uncle sam can legally keep your tax refund. delinquent student loans. failing to pay the obamacare penalty if you did not sign up for healthcare. overdue state income tax. past due child support. from the doesn't that stink file, what happens if your refund is not enough to cover your debt? if you owe more in delinquent loans, taxes or child support the refund amount, you'll say doesn't that stink? the i.r.s. will garnish next year's refund to get the rest of what you owe. bottom line if the government or court says you owe money you have a right to dip in the refund. d

i'm john matarese. abc7 news. alison: tonight, law enforcement in the line of fire.abc7 looks at the local tragedies to see how they compare to a national trend. a 4-year-old goes for a walk with her mother and ends up in a body cast. >> he didn't say sorry. he just rolled away and simple request. cutting ties. why d.c.'s mayor told north carolina we won't be visiting anytime soon. >> now "abc7 news at 5:00". on your side. leon: first tonight the warm sunshine we have enjoyed today is giving way to storms in the area. alison: our chief meteorologist doug hill is tracking it for us tonight. what is the latest? doug: a couple of storms turned severe. we have a cluster of storms northwest of the metro area. a little orange box you see is an area under severe thunderstorm warning for 15 more minutes. stretching now from jefferson, maryland, through frederick. southeast of there. racing northeastern toward eldersburg and carroll county, maryland. otherwise only a few additional showers are expected with the cold front through the everything hours. some of the storms could

i'm john matarese, abc7 news. alison: a field trip scare for students involved a bus accident. a run-in with a light pole and why it sent so many to the hospital. plus the tow truck driver that helped rescue a trooper from the beltway crash it will be a busy weekend in d.c. what you need to know about the big events and how to navigate around them. announcer: now "abc7 news at 5:00". on your side. alison: we are getting new perspective tonight of yesterday's horrific crash that critically injured a maryland state trooper and shut down the beltway. new perspectives from witnesses including the man that possibly saved that trooper's life. maryland bureau chief brad bell live where they are fighting for their life. brad: we are at the shock trauma center and we have seen the troopers coming and going. the maryland state police family of the young man. they are telling us they are happy he is still with them. they talk about the speed with which he was able to be extricated from his car and brought here in large part thanks to the work of a good samaritan >> for the first time the

i'm john matarese, abc7 news. leon: a fire department in shock. one rescuer dead. another injured. both shot on a routine call. nightmare. leon: why the man who pulled the trigger is not charged with a crime yet. plus -- >> a no win is what it boils down to. leon: a surprise guilty plea from a former fairfax county police officer after he kills an unarmed man. where the case goes from here. >> get out of the car. you got to get out. leon: the television news crew becomes more than just eyewitnesses. >> now, "abc7 news at 5:00". on your side. leon: it's described as a terrible tragedy spawned from the terrible mistake. tonight we are learning more about the shooting that claimed a prince george's county firefighter life and left two other men injured. right now the man accused of firing the fatal shot is not facing any criminal charges. maryland bureau chief brad bell joins us live to explain why. brad? what is the story here? >> it looks like this is just a case of mistaken identity. a man who was terrified for his own well-being opening who we will call the shooter who is not bein

i'm john matarese, abc7 news. >> it's 50 times more powerful than morphine.n: it can turn users into tonight only on abc7 allegations from inside d.c. fire and e.m.s. of medication gone missing. the red line. it's like a broken record. the trouble this time that made riders furious. and tough love from a baltimore mom who made headlines in the riots. the difficult decision she has made to keep her son safe from the mean streets. announcer: now, "abc7 news at 5:00". on your side. alison: we begin with serious allegations from within the d.c. fire department of misconduct and a possible coverup. it all essentials -- stems from accusation that a vile of a highly powerful drug used on patients in extreme pain is now missing. stephen tschida is outside fire headquarters now with the story you will see only on 7. stephen: the drug is phentonal the highly powerful, addictive painkiller. sources within the department says a large vile vanished from a fire station. we can tell you since we began asking abo higher-ups here at department headquarters acknowledge they ha

i'm john matarese, abc7 news.eon: tonight -- >> we will thoroughly investigate and look into the matters. leon: days after the death of a local firefighter a promise from the chief to find out if there are bullies within the ranks. an odd tweet brings sky watchers to the area of a brush fire. >> thought we'd have a look. leon: was it fire from the sky? and who knew bed favorite colors? the ones they are attracted to d the ones that could keep them away. announcer: now "abc7 news at 5:00". on your side. leon: fairfax county fire chief is promising a thorough investigation into a firefighter's suicide. this is after abc7 first reported that nicole mittendorff may have been a victim of online bullying. the community meanwhile preparing to honor mittendorff's life. northern virginia chief jeff goldberg is live in tysons corner. tell us what did the chief have to say to you? jeff: well, leon, the virginia state police is investigating this case. chief richard bower says that investigation will certainly reveal plenty o