montgomery county reporter kevin lewis has the story you will see only on 7. >> what if the bar tender had a child or even gauged? a human being. run her over because of a bill. kevin: miller's ale house, scene of a dramatic dine and dash. police say 22-year-old tracy and three friends entered the sports bar, racked up $33 tab and left without paying. a female bartender chased the college-age kids in the parking lot but tracy was already behind the wheel. she threatened to call the cops so tracy hit the gas and plowed into the woman who hit the car's hood and tumbled in the street. >> no good. they ought to be put away for a long time. they took off. wow! i'm flabbergasted. she could ha $33. >> a howard county college student and babysitter. despite visible car damage her father says his daughter is innocent. >> this woman had fractured bones, contusions, bruised lung. how else would she get the injuries? you believe this is a conspiracy theory against your daughter? >> i think -- [inaudible] kevin: staff members here say that the injured bartender moved back to los angeles to be close

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis shows us the results. vin: two days after "7 on your side" started asking question this impressive stump is all that remains of the timber that had been plaguing homes in the neighborhood. around 6:30 this morning a tree removal company contracted by montgomery county rolls up in an industrial-size crane with chainsaws and woodchuckers to boot. for six hours they disassembled the tree piece by piece. some were so big they wouldn't fit in the woodchucker and had to be transported by truck. residents first contacted montgomery county for help 345 days ago but to no avail. a coun delay was in part due to confusion over whose property the tree was on. >> it was incredible. the next day after it was featured on the news they were here at 6:00 something this morning and done by 12:00. quite amazing to spend a year working on it and then you see the e-mail kick back and forth and drag and drag. feel like you are getting closer, not quite. then in a day, gone. kevin: with a serious threat of severe weather impactin

that is where montgomery county reporter kevin lewis is live with breaking details. is the latest? kevin: well, leon, this happened around 4:10 this afternoon. j2 bus heading westbound on east-west highway. got in to a collision with a white pickup truck on the road and then the bus went off the road and hit an evergreen tree. you can see the two front tires are still airborne. if you look above the tires under the not in service sign there is a laptop. they are re viewing surveillance video from the bus to see what caused the accident. news chopper 7 overhead as the fire crews opt the paramedics took the bus driver off the bus. he was trapped for 25 minutes. he was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. he has been stabilize. that is the good news. there were around 15 passengers on board this metro bus. ten of them were taken to the hospital. the individuals had non-life threatening injuries. if you back live to us, i want to show you metro industrial sized tow truck that just arrived on scene. it is going to begin the very complicated task of pulling this

that is where we find kevin lewis. >> i've been on the streets a very long time. cops arrested 22-year-old calvin davis for dealing crack cocaine. he faced 20 years in prison. >> i feel blessed. kevin: richard was caught dealing marijuana. >> kevin: thanks to a new program called back on track, they will avoid jail instead serving community service, taking college courses, and committing to random drug tests. if they succeed, their felony drug charges will be wiped clean. if you don't have an opportunity come you do what you know. kevin: to be eligible come artistic and have to be between 18 and 26, be arrested for a low-level drug charge with no weapons involved, and have no prior felonies. career ando have a provide for my family the right way. >> i see myself spending more time with my family, definitely on my way to completing my degree at prince george's county community college. kevin: prince george's county plans to enroll up to 30 people each year in this program. if a participant fails, the judge will sentence them to prison for their original drug dealing

kevin lewis live from the eastern market station with a status update. how are we doing so kevin: i think most people are actually pretty positive leon. there is a steady stream of commuters coming up the escalators here at the eastern market station. some waving to us. a loll of them have a confused look on their face searching for the shuttle bus. this is pennsylvania avenue. they have halted service from the eastern market to benning road station. orange line is stopped between eastern market and the minnesota avenue station. this search started saturday and runs through sunday july 3. that is 16 days in total. a typical six-car train in rush hour has 800 people on board. that means wmata need 18 two and a half minutes to keep up with the service. that is impossible. delays are a guarantee. most people we talk to said monday commute was no worse than expected. >> it's not bad until getting out of eastern market. >> i work in alexandria and i live in maryland. i have a nice commute going on. this is my first time going back home. coming here wasn't that

kevin lewis has the kevin: this sleepy silver spring neighborhood consisting of mature trees and cute well-kept homes is distressed. on sunday june 5, a pack of ten to 122 teens attacked a 35-year-old man in a street. they sucker punched him in the face and robbed him. on friday, june 17, only a week and a half later a 19-year-old man was taken down in similar fashion. one block away. >> detectives feel confident that the two incidents are related. >> police believe the attackers are all around 14 years old. their victims had minor injuries. >> we are concerned we have a group of teenagers randomly assaulting citizens on the street. >> detectives are now trolling the internet to see if the culprit posted evidence online. >> in today's world with social media, it wouldn't be surprise me if one member of the group probably videotaping it and putting it out on instagram or twitter or facebook. we ask the public if anybody sees some video of the vents that somebody posted to ple kevin: so far there have been no arrest or clear suspect description. they will up the patrols in a safe and a

kevin lewis has more from rockville. kevin: samuel ellis faced up to 20 years in prison. prosecutors were begging for at least 12 years but after a four-hour long sentencing hearing, montgomery county circuit court judge robert greenberg sentenced ellis to four years in prison with the possibility of parole after only one year. prosecutors and the families of both young male victims were certainly taken aback. for one, ellis had four previous run-ins with police for drug possession, alcohol possession, drunken fighting and public intoxication. but the 19-year-old had also made some jailhouse phone calls recently ahead of sentencing during which he bragged about writing a somebody story apology to sway the judge. in another phone call he complained about being locked up, saying he wanted to be at the beach having a, "lit good time." the general consensus is that samuel ellis got off easy. >> i would say that is too lenient only because of his priors, with the possession with intent, this that and the third. >> i don't think it does any justice. two young men were killed. i

kevin lewis is live in rockville. did you find a parking spot there?evin: surprisingly with great ease today, scott. take my word for it, that is typically not the case. we are reporting right now along a stretch "regal row" that consists of a movie theater flanked by half a dozen or so restaurants. this week some of the owners spoke at a rockville city council meeting arguing that the limited parking, aggressive parking enforcement and $40 tickets for an expired meter have eaten away at the res specktive bottom lines -- respecktive bottom lines. after subtracting expenses like respect, utilities he is losing money every month. it has caused him to contemplate shutting down. the ben & jerry franchise says if nothing changes there will be a lot of boarded up store front. as for guiseppe's, the co-owners contend barely a day goes by without a customer lamenting about the cost and the inconvenience of parking. >> they told me, "we still love your place but we got outside and we paid for the underneath the windshield," a $40 ticket. the meal went from $45

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis outside the school. alison: we begin along a winding road where kingstead road and burnt hill road meet. that's where brad bell is standing now. brad? brad: well, this is where that collision happened. take a look at the trees over this is what the pickup truck carrying the three teens slammed into. you can see the flowers, the football balloons have been placed there. this orange vest i'm wearing is company policy near a roadway. we often feel awkward wearing it. here, it's a necessity. this curve is treacherous. cars come flying down this road. police are telling us this is one of the contributing factors. grief-stricken high school students gather at the crash scene. they look at the old trees scarred by the high-speed impact and remember the young faces. jacob dennis, patrick shifflett and cary greene. all juniors at clarksburg high, all killed in the late-night collision. >> these guys were great men. they were leaders on the team on and off the field. they were role models. you could look up to the

that is where montgomery county reporter kevin lewis joins us live at the scene. what happened out there? kevin: well, 12:45 this afternoon, a maryland transportation authority police officer stopped a car that was speeding along the i.c.c. you can see two police officers sweeping the grassy embankment with metal detectors looking for evidence. and just beyond them, you can see where the drive, a 31-year-old silver spring man stopped his black four-door car on the westbound shoulder of the i.c.c. m.t.a. say, police say that is when the driver exited his car, walk toward the officer with a nave in hand. clearly feeling threaten -- with a knife in hand. clearly feeling threatenedened e officer demanded he drop the knife. when he refused the officer grabbed the gun fired one shot. the bullet did not hit the driverer but he quickly and allowing the officer to handcuff him. despite one blocked lane of traffic and the occasional gawker, traffic hasn't been terribly affected by the lively scene. simply because the i.c.c. doesn't handle that much traffic volume. here now i

kevin lewis is there.in: we are at the corner of pennsylvania and north avenues on baltimore's northwest side. this was the epicenter of all of that rioting last april. freddie gray was arrested three blocks down that street. if you look toward the c.v.s. pharmacy, this is the newly reopened pharmacy that last year had ca because of arson. most people were disappointed to learn that officer caesar goodson will not be going to prison. we have not seen violence connected with the verdict. a few small police protest and visible presence in the hot spot areas like the circuit courthouse downtown. and right here in penn north. >> they are never held accountable for what they do to the community. >> the police have zero respect for baltimore citizens. especially people of color. i know for a fact that the general atmosphere in baltimore city has no respect for the police. >> the officers knew they had been disgraced a little bit. they knew they would walk away unscathed. us. kevin: officer goodson is the third o

kevin lewis has the new information on the story. kevin: the fatal crash happened half a mile down the road. crash number two involved a black s.u.v. that turned right onto new hampshire avenue. ran straight in a pole. they are certain both cars were speeding but they pant to know why. >> police are perplexed. 71-year-old victoria hitchens of rockville lost control of her tan toyota camry. along randolph road in colesville. the car flipped on to the roof. she died in the wreckage. then at 6:56, one minute later 20-year-old barry crashed the black mercury mountaineer. three of his passengers bail and cops found drugs in his car. the next photograph, today police shared enlarged photographs of both vehicles which they say were speeding moments before they crashed. they are looking for video to hope of piecing things together. >> randolph road is a major thorouf we spoke to several. >> two days before the wreck, barry crashed in a parked car at the mcdonald's in olney. he was handed five tickets including driving uninsured vehicle. charg

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis is live now. this has been going on for over a year. vin: yeah. absolutely, jonathan. this is a limb that snapped off the tree only two days ago. we another tree. i'm 5'11". the limb is well over twice my height. >> we think this could come down at any time. kevin: for more than a year, this troubled timber shed a number of thick branches. >> anybody who happens to be there gets hit. >> parent james edward. >> someone could lose their lives. kevin: and ryan say multiple limbs have come crashing in their yards. both are fathers of young children. >> sum etime they want to be outside. you don't want them outside playing with this every -- over your head. kevin: they called montgomery county 311 to request the dead tree be cut down. but a year later no progress. >> we think it is important to try and, you know, follow the appropriate protocol. but at a certain point you realize that you are not getting anywhere. you have to try to make yourself heard. kevin: so he your side." a day later arborist surveyed the tree to promise to have it cut

live in rockville, i'm kevin lewis, abc7 news. leon: thanks, kevin.olks how 7 can be on your side. call the hotline at 866-236-3401. or send the team an e-mail at tips@wjla.com. alison: $363 million. that is how high the lottery jackpot soared. you have another opportunity to try your luck. two winners matched five numbers for a $1 million prize last night. numbers. so the next drawing is coming up friday night. leon: the next one has nothing to do with money. you can't put a price on the impact of the story. montgomery county high school sets out to help a fellow student and an amazing thing happens. not only does the school make a difference in the person's life, but the people have an impact on the entire school community. meet the "harris' hero." ibra. and the student and staff at watkinsville high school. >> 20-year-old ibrahim has a new independence these days, all thanks to a new set of wheels. >> and the entire high school community. he has cerebral palsy and he can't control his body movements. he and his family moved from kenya six years ago

kevin lewis has more. kevin: the montgomery county parks department plans to kill around 300 canada geese over the next few weeks. they say this is why. recreational areas like the marlin luther king jr. park have become overrun with the water fowl. they sight a number of issue, including dropping and fathers, overgrazing of the grassy area, algae buildup and traffic hazards for the geese marching across the roadways so crews will begin to round up the geese. place them in crates and kill them. the parks department has not told us how they will be euthanized but the u.s. humane society which is adamantly against the plan sagas chambers are a common practice in the country. like many controversial situations, opinions do vary. >> well, it's certainly not humane euthanizationia is how -- euthanasia which is how they refer to it. euthanasia refers to loss of life for an animal or person suffering or in pain. that is not the situation with the geese. they are killed because they are considered a nuance to the p

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis is live in rockville. kevin, some are asking why the judge sealed r that is a move that seems to protect the defendant here. kevin: certainly alison. notably, jailhouse phone calls where mcelroy was record -- ellis was recording telling his cyster he -- anotherer he wanted to be at the beach. they want all 20 hours of his phone calls released to the public. but the problem is montgomery county circuit court judge robert greenberg will not lift the court-ordered seal. kevin: the consensus is that samuel ellis got off easy he had faced up to 20 years in prison for facing two friends in a drunk driving crash. the judge sentenced to teen the four years with a chance of parole after one. >> what is more, ellis had january 2014, marijuana with the intent to distribute. february 2015, drunk, fake i.d. and vomiting in cop car. march 15, possession of alcohol. june 15, drunk fighting in ocean city. >> this kid didn't learn too much. >> bruce stern whose daughter attended wootton high school with ellis watched the en

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis has the story. >> i didn't want to touch it because it smelled awful. kevin: a shattered aquarium, big screen tube tv and broken pool table litter the yard of the olney home. >> a lot of stuff on the lawn. kevin: neighbor lewis filed a complaint with montgomery county. and an inspector later posted this notice on the home's front door but so far financial lender deutsche bank hasn't hiredded someone to truck away the trash. >> the irresponsible people know that the county is just going to be very lax with enforcing the housing code. the ten-day notices and the extensions, they kind of go on and on and on. >> over the weekend he and his neighbors lugged the trash from the curb to the side yard. in part because next door neighbor recently pl >> there is more in the backyard. i understand the shed is full of junk. kevin: montgomery county responds to 7,000 property complaints each year says if the problem isn't resolved by next mont it will fine deutsche bank. >> it affects the property values and contributes to a decline in quality of life in the n

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis is live in potomac with more. kevin?evin: it may be dead but the tree is still very mighty. estimated to be more than 75 feet tall. in fact, if it fell right now its branches would hit me standing two houses away. folks in the neighborhood refer to the fall radius as living in the line of fire. this saga dates back to the winter of 2014-2015. when the tree started to shed large branches. some more than ten feet long. because it sits on montgomery county property, residents call 311 last june. requesting that the tree be taken down. the county put the request in a queue. but now 11 months later no progress. "7 on your side" started to ask questions. today montgomery county arborists surveyedth expedite the removal request and promised a key armed with chainsaw and cherry pickers would be out here tomorrow and the job completed by the end of next week. >> there has been a lot of puppetting back and forth. the -- punting back and forth. the response since calling "7 on your side" is fantastic. if they follow through and get

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis was at the commencement ceremony where opinions were mixed. kevin: after a year of deadly alcohol-related crashes and underage drinking parties partin montgomery county, the principal here wanted to ensure her students were kept safe at prom. so anyone who planned to attend senior prom had to sign this contract, which included a clause planning students from bringing drugs or alcohol or being you remembered the influence. the contract stated violators would not walk at today's graduation. in the may 6 prom at the omni hotel in woodly park, six seniors were found consuming alcohol. the principal kept to her word banning all six students from commencement. the kids and their parents appealed that decision. the petition landed on interim mcps superintendent larry bowers desk. his decision, let the kids walk. he cited policy that bans blanket disciplinary measures. >> we had to sign a contract. it was in black and white. we simply stated if anyone had a question about it. there were e-mails and senior meetings. >> it's her school and she is a princ

new at 4:00, kevin lewis along happened. kevin, police are hoping that this will slow down what has been a very much a rising trend in crime. kevin: that is the desire here. today police chief cathy lanier acknowledged that the benning road corridor historically has been a problem for crime and heroin is making it a lot worse. chief lanier making the announcement flanked by some of her department brass. she reveals details of a month-long joint operation that m.p.d. had with homeland security and immigration. together, undercover officers confiscated more than 40 kilos of heroin, which translates to 88 pounds. according to chief lanier, they would use commercial mail carriers to shift the highly addictive drug from african nations and india to the district and sell it along benning road. yesterday, police had four addresses connected to the ring and arrested ten people >> ironic i testified today on the hill about the impact of synthetic drug and heroin and the impact on the communities. all around the country. sitting next t

tim coverage continues with kevin lewis, who explains how students are processing this unexpected loss. kevin: around 400 clarksburg high school seniors, their friends and family in tow, entered the athletic complex here with mixed emotions. graduation ceremony at this small frederick county college started around 10:00 this morning. clarksburg high school principal may some brief remarks about the crash last night that killed current juniors jacob dennis, patrick shiplett, and carry green. the principal then asked for a moment of silent. the tone then switched to a celebration. overcome the achievement that is receiving your diploma. the ceremony wrapped up around 11:30 a.m. this morning. the principle is expected to all a press conference at any moment now. he will be sharing thoughts about this tragic loss and more information about the three crash victims. now back to you. jummy: we are following a developing story out of culpeper this new. that is where two men have been shot and killed, one of them by police. this happened late last night on race street. police say willis walker

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis explains. a year of dead -- kevin: after a year of deadly alcohol-related incidents the principal at bethesda chevy chase high school drafted an edict in part banned students from bringing drugs or alcohol to prom. the contract required a signature and stated violators would not walk at on prom night at the omni shoreham hotel in woodly park, six b.c.c. students were found from consuming alcohol. but were barred from commencement but they appeal and the superintendent reversed the principal's decision in this letter. >> it's her school and her jurisdiction. >> the parents rachel and benita say administrators bowed to pressure and by doing so undermine b.c.c.'s principles. >> when the assistant superintendent put out his letter. it was to me a little cowardly. because it was just before the memorial day weekend. and concerning because it happened during prom. prom was three weeks ago. kevin: graduating senior hotsman said second chances are important. >> i'm friend with most of them. they are ac

our kevin lewis digging into this case for us tonight. vin: montgomery county police hired dunk dunk in february of 2014. most recently assigning him here to the bethesda station. this evening he is behind bars of prince william county on no bond status and the own department placed him on unpaid leave. montgomery county police officer christopher dunkes would start and end his work shift here, at the second district station in bethesda. today, however, he appeared in prince william general district court on charges of child solicitation. >> we don't want to conduct the operations. but it's not the age we live in. kevin: last week, prince william county undercover detectives placed ads on craigslist, posing as a 15-year-old girl. all six of these replied, including officer dunkes who e-mailed and texted the fictitious teenager suggesting they meet at a target store to engage in oral sex inside of his personal vehicle. >> this isn't a prince william problem or a region problem. this is a nationwide problem. this happens everywhere, in every

kevin lewis now live in rockville with more on this. kevin, what is the big deal?in: all right, leon. the problem here is downtown rockville parking is quite limited. even when you find a space the meters don't take credit card. so the drivers are forced to use quarters or an unpopular cell phone app to pay. i know a lot of customers are taking the business elsewhere. >> it's a real deal-breaker. kevin: parking in downtown rockville can be pains-taking. street spots are limited. parking enforcement is aggressive. exre >> people get upset about it. i would, too. >> they own guisippe's pizza ryia where customers grumble about the tickets. >> the meal went from $45 to $85. we didn't see them after that. kevin: business is worse at california torttyia where he is losing -- california tortilla where he is losing money. others say vibrant store front will be replaced with the -- something. >> they have granted permit for buildings here. they built up a bit. >> rockville city leaders are considering solutions. they are granting a five-minute grace period. reserving parkin

kevin lewis has a look at the investigation happening now. kevin? kevin: well, leon and alison, police released preliminary crash report this afternoon. the four-page document shows basic diagram showing how the ford f-250 pickup truck crossed the center line and hit that tree. more thorough analysis, however, that may take months to complete. >> these were good kids, presumably coming from a social event, trying to go home. kevin: montgomery county police captain heart-breaken about tuesday's triple fatal crash that killed clarksburg high school juniors jacob dennis, pa cary greene. >> police say an officer ticketed jacob dennis for speeding near blackhill regional park. police say in october cary greene crashed his ford pickup truck while driving along this hilly stretch of needsville church road in germantown. the pickup hit the tree head on. greene and three of the four passengers took hospital. seven months later they were leading the societal. >> go out and the collision but this really inspires me to recognize that we have to do more. >> now

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis is digging into the case and joins us live. topher dunkes is a patrolman assigned to the second district station in bethesda. today, however, he is locked up in northern virginia. being held without bond. that is because last week dunkes allegedly replied to a craigslist ad that undercover detectives in prince william county posted to the popular website. the 27-year-old officer allegedly proceeded to e-mail and text who we believe to be a 15-year-old girl. they say dunkes arraigned to meet the fictitious minor at a target store where he planned to receive oral sex in his personal car. instead the off-duty officer was arrested and charged with three counts of using a communication device to facilitate a certain offense with children. police want parents to notice. >> if you look at the mugshots of the individuals that we arrested in connection to the case, there is no set -- like you were saying there is no set mold. there is no set look. it could be anybody. any occupation. that's why it is important for us to conduct the opera

kevin lewis live in silver spring to explain the controversial option on the table to get rid of themvin? kevin: the montgomery county parks department is planning to kill 300 canada geese in next few weeks and they say that is why. parks like this one are becoming plagued by the awfully territorial >> there are too many of them here for the small pond. kevin: visit martin luther king jr. park. you will see the canada geese outnumber humans. side effects include excess droppings and feathers, polluted pounds, over-grazed grass. >> there are feces all over. you can't walk without stepping on it. >> walkers like john young were saddened yet relieved to learn montgomery park is preparing to kill around 300 geese this summer. >> even walking they don't get out of your way. they make noises at you as you walk by. it seems to me that we could use -- fewer would be better for everyone. >> it's completely unnecessary. >> animal rights groups contend the parks department could use nonlethal method, such as disturbing geese with specially trained dogs or lasers or placing corn oil on >> euthana

montgomery county reporter kevin lewis was there for the graduation and he joins us live from the school. there had to be a lot of sad thoughts shared there. kevin? kevin: absolutely. clarksburg look poolesville and damascus is tight-knit community. live moves more slowly up here. tonight it is all but standing still. only moments ago a man was sitting indian style. his right-hand pressed up against his forehead. his left-hand clutching onto the clarksburg high school sign. he and others are grieving. kevin: nestled inside the athletic center on the mount st. mary' excitement mixed with sorrow. 400 clarksburg high school seniors donned baby blue caps and gowns. the closest family and friends proudly perched in auditorium bleachers but front and center in most everyone's mind the sudden death of the clarksburg juniors jacob dennis, patrick shifflett and cary greene. >> they are good kids. kevin: clarksburg principal whiting called for moment of silence at graduation. he knew the teens well. >> i was the principal of the middle school when they were in middle school. kevin: dennis and shif

kevin lewis covering metro for us now live from the eastern market station. give us a sense of how it is going tonight? kevin: it's all right so long as people don't run into me and my photographer travis washington. it is rush hour. no unexpected issues. a number of metro employees. some are passing out the pamphlets that outline all 15 surges. we are in the middle of surge two that impacts part of the orange, blue, silver line. on the blue and silver, the train traffic stopped between the eastern market and the benning road station. on the orange line nothing is moving between own market and minnesota avenue station. this 16-day outage started saturday. it will continue through sunday july 3. metro has warned people to take altna transportation. evidently, some people listen. this morning the ridership was down 65% on the orange, blue, silver line trains operating east of this closure. metro did, however, record a big surge on the green line today as the people use unobstructed line to access d.c. from prince george's county. >> today is a relatively slower

we are live in baltimore, i'm kevin lewis, abc7 news. leon: thank you. as brad mentioned right now, four trials still scheduled related to freddie gray's death. the next one is set to start in a week and a half. we have coverage right here. you can get breaking news alert on the trials and everything else from abc7 news. sign up for them at wjla.com. alison: now we have new information tonight in the investigation into a sexual assault in arlington. it happened near fourth street north and gleeb road. this was on sunday morning. the woman told police an attacker entered her apartment, then threatened her with a weapon as he sexually assaulted her. today police released this composite sketch right here of the attacker. the victim was able to break free during herself in a bothroom and yell for he -- bathroom and yell for help. that is when the man ran off. anyone who might recognize him is asked to call police. leon: police in prince william county are investigating a sexual assault. the suspect got in an apartment on kilmer lane in triangle and went in t

live in colesville, kevin lewis. jummy: breaking news. regarding stormwatch. the latest. >> northwest of hagerstown, just got a warning, the national weather service entered -- issuing a severe thunderstorm warning washington county, northwest in frederick county, morgan, jefferson,, a storm track on this for you and this system is capable of producing winds in excess of 60 miles per hour which could cause significant damage. .et indoors to a sturdy shelter the warning in effect until 12:45. town, longmeadow at 12:31. towards bruins borough p.m. storms intensifying quickly, we will update you on updates. policedo fairfax county, looking for a man who sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl over the weekend. police say this man approached a girl at a target on district avenue and touched her backside. the girl did not tell her father until they got home and he call police and surveillance video confirmed the assault, the man that target driving in a burgundy ford mustang. senator susan collins of maine expected to introduce legislation to block suspected terrori

kevin lewis tracking the developing story this evening. kevin: based on the confiscated devices consumed large quantities of jihadi propaganda online. including isis beheading videos. investigators are also questioning mateen's wife wanting to know if she was aware of the planned attack. >> he is shooting everybody already dead on the floor to make they are dead. >> angel colon survived the worst mass shooting. >> i'm thinking i'm already dead. i don't know how by the glory of god he shoots toward my head but hits my hand. >> today in washington, president obama had scathing remarks for donald trump. president obama: we now have proposals from the presumptive republican nominee of the united states to bar all muslims from immigrating to america. >> victims said omar mateen pledged allegiance to isis. but so far there has been no conclusive link. there are allegations he may have been confused with his own sexuality. club. this man claims mateen had messaged him on a gay dating app. >> i clearly remembered his picture. i showed them how i wa

kevin lewis joins us live from where the teacher worked. what have you learned. kevin: 49-year-old john vigna taught here for 25 years. highly esteemed third grade teacher which makes this news the more upsetting for parents, children and other teachers alike. according to police he fondled two 11-year-old female students in the last two school years. all of the alleged incidents took plac were completing schoolwork nearby. one student notified an employee. the second victim revealed the abuse to her parents. they placed him on paid leave and now there have been four sex abuse charges against him. >> it's been slipped under the rug until it can't anymore. that is why everyone is so shocked. why so long? he was put on leave months back. why so long? >> i have talked to him for several times. i had parent-teacher meetings with him. he seemed like a nice enough guy. the kids all seemed to like him. kevin: now vigna also worked at nearby paint branch high school where he coached j.v. baseball last school year and was affiliated with theo at 5:00 i'll share details fro

kevin lewis is in clarksburg. as we search for answers we are learning more about the driver and the passengers, right? kevin: yeah. absolutely. i'll tell you. the deaths of jacob dennis, cary greene and patrick shifflett have really rattled the community. everyone we interviewed including the principal here at clarksburg high school spoken so highly of the young men. police do believe that speed and inexperience behind the wheel led to the fatal crash. police telling us that jacob in november. they go on to say that one week before that incident on saturday, october 24, cary greene was driving his ford pickup truck along a hilly stretch of needsville road in germantown when he crashed into a tree head-on. paramedics had to take him and three passengers to the hospital. so many teens struggle with driving a vehicle but they understand the importance that they can be lethal weapons if they are not treated with respect. >> this happens if they don't have courageous conversation to remind them to be safe and come home

that is the latest in arnold, maryland, kevin lewis, back to you. shop inerman mike's sub manassas reopened after this terrifying incident caught on thera, an suv slamming into sandwich shop during lunchtime yesterday, almost hitting a customer who was grazed, she was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, police say the driver hit the gas instead of the brake and was given a citation. coming up, a police chase with a twist after an officer could not take down a suspect, someone else that then, the video and the latest coming up. and a bit later, one father taught his daughter was -- doug: and join me the folk life festival on the national mall, it is underway and the festival celebrating quite a milestone and coming up, we will tell you what regions are being celebrated and what you can see and hear and you can see it, what you can taste. a bit later, one father thought his daughter was taking the celtic race too far and he has gained internet fame. >> on the roads, and accident one laneavenue, blocked, if you are traveling northbound third str

kevin lewis is in montgomery county. tell us, what are you seeing now? kevin: well, we are on 355 in rockville close to the white flint metro station. the rain is lightening up. turn the camera to the north. clearer skies there. that is where the storm came rolling in from. if you look southward you can see the darker, the gray skies in the direction toward bethesda. silver spring. that is where the storm is located now. started to come down around 4:30 here. heavy rain initially. it has tapered off sense. we d no winds. that is good news. clear on the roads as good as it may be on friday afternoon. along rockville pike. send it back to you inside. alison: thank you. plan ahead right now to stay connected with the storm watch weather team all weekend. we constantly update wjla.com. along with the facebook and the twitter pages. you can download the storm watch weather app to track conditions right from your smart phone. jonathan: new at 5:00, the commander of the blue angels now speaking out to remember a fallen colleague. >> the nation has lost incredibl

kevin lewis joins us with reaction on the hill. kevin: we have heard all varieties of opinions on the topic of gun control today. the nra just tweeted out to all 360,000 followers urging them to get in touch with their respective lawmakers, telling those lawmakers that they do not support any sort of gun control measure. on the other side of the aisle, senator tim kaine, who governor of the commonwealth during the virginia tech shooting during 2007, trying to pass a law mandating comprehensive background checks for all weapons purchases, but that measure stalled in the state house. nine years later, he is hopeful that yesterday's 15-hour filibuster captured the attention of senate republicans. the goal -- to pass a twofold federal law that would ban from purchasing weapons in the u.s. and require universal background checks on all potential gun owners. senator kaine telling us that proposed legislation will go through a vote next week. >> americans overwhelmingly support these rules, and gun owners -- and i'm a gun owner -- support

kevin lewis has the story. n: president obama is pushing back against those taking him to task for not using the term "radical islam." instead mr. obama is accusing republicans for fostering resentment against muslims that could in turn generate future attacks. president obama: what exactly would using this label accomplish? what exactly would kevin: today, president obama addressed the term "radical islam." suggesting it unfairly maligns the entire islamic faith. president obama: calling a threat by a different name does not make it go away. kevin: meanwhile on capitol hill, top congressional republicans urge democrats to support a bill to prohibit suspected terrorists from purchasing guns or explosives. >> keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of people who wish to do our country harm is a solution that we should all be able to get behind. kevin: also today emerging questions about orlando shooter omar mateen's sexuality. amid reports he visited the pulse nightclub dozens of times before. >> i have introd

michelle: kevin lewis was on the chainsaws to remove the timber from dizzy route 2. kevin: thiis certainly a freak accident, a large tree toppling onto the transport bus. you can see the heavy front-end damage as the tow truck pulls the bus away. its with the providence center, a center that cares for disabled people. we are told that the driver has very serious injuries and was taken to baltimore shock trauma hospital. his female passenger, who is disabled, was taken to anne arundel medical center with injuries, but less severe. if you walk with me down the southbound lanes of route 2, you can see some of the various to and spray paint markings that the police department investigating have left behind. a maryland state highway administration truck that has been called out here, and they are just now finishing the work, but it was a very strenuous process to cut up the very thick tree that just toppled over for no apparent reason and fell into the roadway, hitting that bus, severely injuring the bus driver. that is the latest, in arnold, maryland. back to you. michell

kevin lewis live i tonight to tell us how they were distributing these. what did you learn about this? kevin: d.c. police chief cathy lanier said the drug only ratives in india and african nation were shifting the heroin by way of commercial providers. by the time it got to united states it ended in the district and sold along the benning road corridor where we are standing now. acting on intel, m.p.d. teamed one homeland security and the immigration months ago. they seized 40 kilos of heroin yesterday that translates to 88 pounds. chief lanier started the morning testifying on capitol hill about the impact of heroin. she returned to m.p.d. headquarters to proudly reveal the major narcotics bust. several months. and the suspects involved in this case coordinated the trafficking effort with sources of supply in india, africa and elsewhere to bring heroin in the united states and the district of columbia through postal and commercial shipping. chief lanier said they tracked increase in crime and hope that the major drug bust will cause illegal activity to dw

live in silver spring, i'm kevin lewis, abc7 news. alison: covering metro now. where 500 jobs are expected to be slashed. metro released a memo to indicate this is a financial move. paul wiedefeld plans to meet with department head to identify non-essential vacant positions that can be eliminated first. coming up the transportation reporter brianne carter explain what other jobs could be cut. leon: continued fallout from great britain's decision to leave the european union eased slightly on wall street. these are the closing numbers today. dow is off 260. the nasdaq is over 100. and the s&p, 36. not a pretty day for traders. brexit. standard & poor's downgraded the u.k. perfect credit rating from triple-a. now down to double-a. it's not all about the dollars and cents. the vote to leave the european union was a statement in the war on terror. scott thuman recently went to london and explains. scott: there may always be the trademark red phone booth and black caps of britain, the times are changing. victors behind brexit said leaving european union leaves them mo

kevin lewis tracking the developing story this evening. kevin: based on the confiscated devices

we are live in derwood, i'm kevin lewis, abc7 news. alison: thank you. meanwhile we have new developments tonight out of joint base andrews. which was locked down for about an hour and a half this morning. this is after reports of an active shooter at the malcolm grow medical center on base. brad bell was there as the situation unfolded this morning and he is live there now. what have we learned about all of this? brad: what we learned is there is a tremendous coincidence here. a planned drill. just as it was getting ready to start, somebody called in from real concern. from beyond the perimeter fencing we can see the tense situation unfolding. heavily armed military personnel. clearing the base hospital, the malcolm grow medical center. people walking out the front door. hands in the air. being led away from the building. >> take things very seriously. brad: base worker brad jordan turned away at the gate in the lockdown. >> the messages coming through on my phone is this is not a drill, this is real. if you are on base, shelter in place. if you are try

our kevin lewis is headed to the accident.e will have a live report on the scene as soon as he arrives. right now we want to check in on how this is all affecting traffic with our jamie sullivan. jamie: we are seeing backups in the area. typically you do see in silver spring, east-west highway, a main thoroughfare for everyone to get from silver spring to bethesda. this is grubb road. you can see the metro bus. grubb road is completely closed. it's the westbound lanes that are still blocked off on aest-west highway. eastbound lanes we are seeing a big backup. let's move to the map to talk about the alternate for you. if you are leaving silver spring now, head north on colesville and get to the beltway and then contue

came to the aid of jose gallegos and peter lewis that day in 1991 are killed at the world trade center on september 11th, 2001. patty brown promoted to captain. kevinwdell. and patrick o'keefe. the loss is felt by their families and colleagues and also by jose gallegos, who developed a lasting friendship with the men who saved his life. >> i don't have any words to express how i feel about these guys. they live in my heart. i carry them in a very special part of my heart. >> although he now lives in his native colombia, gallegos has come back to the building where he once feared his life would end. >> it was very hot. there was a lot of smoke coming out of all the windows. >> and we have a surprise waiting for him. on the corner of 7th avenue and 48th street. >> oh, man. >> hi. >> how are you? >> it's kevin shay, now retired and living in montana. shay and gallegos haven't seen each other for many years. >> what a great surprise. >> yeah. >> wow, man. i'm so happy to see you. >> yes. it's a great surprise. >> for these two men, the experience on the 12th floor of this building has created a bond that will never fade away. >> doesn't it feel much be

kevin. everyone at the white house, including the president, was hugely supportive of congressman lewis' leadership on this. the president sent out a tweet as a small gesture of support, but the president's record on this and views on this are well known. my colleague, josh earnest, spoke of the senate vote as a shameful display of cowardice. house republicans have found an even new low. they wouldn't even call for a vote. it was a humiliating moment for republican house leadership. if the speaker believes that, again, someone who is too dangerous to board a plane ought to be able to purchase firearms, he should go ahead and make a floor speech and call the yeas and nays. he should have the vote. he should make case. if he believes that not everyone should be subject to background checks before purchasing a firearm, make the case, have a speech, call the vote. i looked up that 85% of the people of wisconsin believe in universal background checks. he should have to answer for that. his caucus should be accountable for what they believe. thanks. john. >> one more question about brexit. you -- >> i do

looked like, what was it, kevin bacon at the end animal house screaming for order and being run over last night. i understand he's doing his job. after the american life john lewisblicity stunt. you have to show john lewis more respect than that. sometimes you have to show more respect than that for the rules of order. this was a huge week in the congress of the united states because at least in those senate votes, people had to raise their hand and stuff that they did will now go on their permanent record. and nothing is asking -- the biggest lie in american life is if you stand for any gun sanity that you're looking to overthrow the second amendment. that's not just a lie. >> you threw out the name of a republican who -- there are republicans trying to move to the middle of this and protect people's due process. talk about that, though. there is a bill out there that would accomplish both ends, right, protect due process and limit access of people on that list. >> i talked to bill king about his bill the other day. do you think it will ever get to the floor. he said get to the floor? he laughed at me. it will never even make it out of committee. he said i've g