now they're called layaway angels. >> a lady can come and paid a customer's layaway. the customer behind her happened to be the one they paid off. she broke out in tears. >> reporter: since last week, dozens of layaway angels have come to k-mart stores nationwide paying off more than 1,000 accounts to the tune of more than $412,000. last friday a man walked into the hayward store with $10,000 cash to pay down 63 accounts. and it happened tonight for zorina wilson. she was shocked when she got a call from the store. >> i was like who is this? i asked who she was and she told me. i couldn't believe it. >> reporter: a $177 balance paid in full by a layaway angel. now her five children will have clothes and toys for christmas. >> it's a big difference. because i didn't know if i was going to get it or not. >> i think it's fabulous. i really do. i think it's great. because a lot of people can't afford, you know, to get christmas gifts and stuff. >> thank you very much. i don't know what i would have did without them. >> reporter: do without him, do without her, you know th

they are called layaway angels. and it seems to be happening almost everywhere. >> these are all from saturday. >> receipts on the wall indicate the layaway angels who have flown into the k-mart and conquered paying off thousands of dollars waiting for someone else's debt. boxes waiting for pick up filled with toys and clothes are paid for by strangers. the gesture seems to have started in the midwest last week and has gained momentum nationwide. these angels are making christmas brighter for everybody. >> they look and they say clothes, toys, and they want to pay that off. >> the balance is usually a penny. marty assumes the role of santa's elves to let them know their bills are paid. one man was angry thinking he was being harassed. >> won't you stop calling me. i'm coming in there to pay, just not now. i said, sir, i'm not calling to tell but that. i'm calling to let you know your layaway has been paid off. >> what did he is? >> you're joking? >> reporter: the benefactors are all ages. some give a few dollars, so

lucky and the needy shoppers came here today to find not worry about balances touched by it layaway angelday nothing short of a christmas miracle. for $95 k mart layaway bill paid in full but a complete stranger was going to pick that up today but he called me no kidding i screamed into the telephone at my lucky day >> called the layaway angels anonymous donors marching to kmart counters and clearing account balances. so shoppers who had hoped to finish off paint chips and time for christmas had a happy holiday it wished for. the liberal good news today >> called back and was wondering if it was courtroomtrue it is a blessing keeping the total sum she paid today a secret, cleared the account of four families >> on a daily basis we go out and spend money on things that we do not really mean that much but this means a lot christmas for a family making somebody's day making people believe that there are good people out there >> 12 oz paid at this store alone this week doubled the entirety of last season unidentified crutch which do that left all that she could $25 heartwarming gesture to tho

ann notarangelo is in concord where layaway angels landed on kmart. ann. >> reporter: elizabeth, at this one store alone, about 20 people have had their layaway debt almost completely wiped out. people are walking in and paying somebody else's bill and this feel-good gesture is catching on. >> these are all from saturday. >> reporter: receipts on the wall indicate the layaway angels who have flown into the kmart in concord paying off thousands of dollars of someone else's layaway debt. boxes waiting for pickup like these filled with toys and clothes are paid for by strangers. the gestured started in the midwest last week and is going nationwide. it's making christmas brighter for other families. >> they look, they see clothes, shoes, toys, they say i want to pay that off. >> reporter: the balance is usually a penny just enough that the layaway stays on the books for pickup. marty assumes the role of one of santa's els when she calls customers to let them know their bill is paid. do you love-making those calls? >> yes, makes me cry sometimes. >> reporte

the employees at the k-mart store here say there is no shortage of so-called layaway angels who have been paying off customer accounts. >> i want to say at least a good 30, 40 people, at least. >> reporter: one man, david wilson who owns 16 auto dealerships said he wanted to pay off every layaway account of $100 or less. >> i had to do some figuring and it come to be $15,919.61. >> reporter: then the store employees started calling the 260 customers who benefitted from this. >> the raw emotion. the tears just flow. it's too much to describe in words the emotions we have seen. >> reporter: kristin sepulveda, a stay-at-home mom said she couldn't believe her $151 layaway balance had been paid down to just one penny. >> i'm just happy. it's been a hard six months. it's just so nice to know that people out there care. >> reporter: those layaway angels. >> thank you! >> reporter: whose generosity embodies the real meaning of christmas. george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> and all this week we have been taking a look at some of the top christmas light displays across the country. to cap

layaway angel, thanks so much for your time and your generosity. you made so many people happy and have made this a very special season for so many. thanks so much. and we're going to have much more right after this. this is $100,000. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. >>> checking our top stories, the u.n. secretary-general is highly alarmed at the events unfolding in egypt this weekend. three straight days of clashes there have left ten people dead and hundreds more injured. one disturbing piece of video acquired by cnn showing uniformed egyptian security forces beating and stomping on a woman demonstrator. a cnn news crew caught in the chaos say they saw riot police beating children and elderly people. >>> no more u.s. combat troops in iraq this morning. the remaining american units deployed

the employees at the k-mart store here say there is no shortage of so-called layaway angels who haveustomer accounts. >> i want to say at least a good 30, 40 people, at least. >> reporter: one man, david wilson who owns 16 auto dealerships said he wanted to pay off every layaway account of $100 or less. >> i had to do some figuring and it was $15,919.61. >> reporter: then the store employees started calling the 260 customers who benefitted from this. >> the raw emotion. the tears flow. it's too much to describe in words the emotions we have seen. >> reporter: kristin, a stay at home mom said she couldn't believe her $151 layaway balance had been paid down to one penny. >> i'm just happy. it's been a hard six months. it's just so nice to know that people out there care. >> reporter: those layaway angels. >> thank you! >> reporter: whose generosity embodies the real meaning of christmas. george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> and all this week we have been taking a look at some of the top christmas light displays across the country. to cap off the week we head to a cul-de-sac in the s

. >> they are called the layaway angels. seven of them visited three different area kmart closing this one paying off people's bills. >> reporter: this room stores thousands of holiday gifts waiting to be paid for through kmart's layaway program. many area families can pick them up free and clear because of someone else's generosity. >> at the parkville store, three different so-called layaway angels came into payoff hundreds in unpaid bills. it's the store manager helped the anonymous donors. >> they pretty much wanted to come in here and make sure the kids had a good christmas. >> similar accepting this are happening across the country. layaway gifts are paid off by total strangers. >> i was crying because i was so happy. people don't do that nowadays. >> kmart representatives insist they didn't start the trend, they say it just been word-of-mouth. >> whatever the reason, local shoppers say it's great. >> it's exciting. that's what christmas is all about. >> everybody is having a hard time with the economy the way it is now

hard to believe it. >> the bay area's layaway angel says he's going to do something lice every year. he says it doesn't need to be thousands of dollars, that even $20 can help somebody. >>> new at 11:00, a look at how the rise of two republican presidential candidates might be helping and hurting their chances. >>> and good news if you're looking for a job. we break down the latest unemployment numbers and tell you where prospects look promising. or creates another laptop bag, or hires another employee, it's not just good for business. it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities. that's why we extended $13.2 billion to small businesses across the country so far this year. because the more we help them, the more we help make opportunity possible. >>> new details on california's unemployment problem and the news is good for now. we learned friday that the state unemployment rate for november was down to 11.3%. that's down from 11.7% in october. and if we focus in here on the bay area, unemployment rates here local

most of the layaway angels look for accounts with toys or childrens' clothing. and most of them choose to remain anonymous. don't you love that story? >> layaway lottery winners there, but really nice that you know people still are stepping up and surprising -- surprising others. >> yeah. i like that. i'm going to surprise you one day. >> that's a good thing, surprise me every day. there's a good surprise at that. we like a good surprise. in the sense i guess that temperatures got milder than i thought this morning if you were watching 9news now early. i was thinking we'd be near 50. already 55. the sprinkles didn't materialize, without the rain showers or the light sprinkles temperatures able to just inch up a little bit. for the afternoon as we look at the day planner, plenty of clouds and might see a peek of sunshine down south. temperatures slowly dropping from the mid 50s into the upper 40s this evening and then tonight cloudy skies and we'll have of thes down low -- temperatures down low 40s in town and maybe some upper 30s far north of us. but winds easter

now, they are being called layaway angels. >> a lady had come and paid a customer's layaway.he took off. the customer behind her happened to be the one that paid it off. she broke out in tears. >> since last week, dozens of layaway angels have come to k-mart stores nationwise paying off more than 1,000 accounts to the tune of 11 $2,000. last friday, a man walked in with $10,000 cash to pay down 63 accounts. it happened tonight for zarina wilson of richmond. she was shocked. >> i was like, who is this? the voice didn't sound familiar to me. so i asked her who she was and she told me. i couldn't believe it. >> a $177 balance paid in full by a layaway angel. now, her five children will have clothes and toys for christmas. >> it makes a big difference. i don't even know if i was going to get it or not. >> i think it is fabulous. i really do. i think it is great. a lot of people can't afford to get christmas gifts and stuff. >> thank you very much. i don't know what i would have did without her. >> that was our cheryl herd reporting. >> we here about celebrities and athletes helpi

>> i was told that an angel came to kmart and paid for my layaway. isn't that great? got very, very emotional. very happy. means a lot because, i'm poor. that's why i put two lay an -- layaways. >> single largest donation was for more than $20,000 at a kmart in baltimore, maryland. >>> tense moments for police in southern california because an area surrounding a us bank in van nuys had to be blocked off and they had to call the bomb squad after a suspicious package with the word "bomb" written on the front was found outside the bank last night. a robot was brought in and crushed the pack . as you see, nothing went boom. -- still no word on what was inside the box that said boom on the outside -- bomb on the outside, excuse they. >>> across western washington strong wind storm left thousands without power this is what it looked like yesterday, trees snapped now we are lines and crushing poles around seattle a driver trapped in his car for an hour until crews could ensure the lines were off. those still without power this morning say they are optimist tobacco the lights

abc2's don harrison is looking for this layaway angel. >> reporter: with a few shopping days left the crunch is on. how to pay for the remaining gifts is a con certain for a lot of us. not at this kmart. an anonymous donor gave more than $20,000 to cover layaways for customers and workers. >> it made a lot of christmases that wouldn't have happened. >> i've been in retail 35 years and have never seen this. >> reporter: she wasxd going to but not now. most wonderful thing i have seen. as much as the kids will be a pirks the amount of stress and anxiety he's taken off parents and grandparents is amazing. >> reporter: maria brown was surprised when she learned her layaway bill is just a dollar. >> wow, amazing. it's good to know. >> we told her her balance was $1.06 and she broke down and cried. >> it makes me feel a little christmas elf. i get to deliver the good news. >> this makes you realize there are people in the community that care about others. >> when a miracle happens to you, you don't know what to think. >> reporter: christmas came early for a lot of shoppers. over 150 people

it's been dubbed the layaway angels. people are going to stores randomly picking a layaway account and paying cash for them. it's a huge surprise to the people given this gift. >> reporter: it's usually -- >>it's usually disbelief at first. they wonder if someone is pranking them. when it settles in, there's a lot of joy and happiness. >> good reasonable. most of the layaway angels look for accounts with toys or children's clothing and most choose to remain anonymous and most aren't wealthy people at all. >>> 6:07. you've all seen people do it. maybe you've even done it. coming up in four minutes, we're talking about a new effort to put texting behind the wheel to an end. >>> we'll be joined by the head of the national transportation safety administration. learn what's being done to keep us all safe. >>> it is a lot warmer outside than it was 24 hours ago. rain is on the way. your weather first when 9news now continues. keep it here. >>> my name is amanda. i'm currently stayinged at anderson air force base guam. wants to

the 2011 holiday season will be remembered as the season of the layaway angel.a trend that started with one woman in michigan who paid off the layaway balances for three strangers at a kmart. since then, anonymous donors have been pouring into kmarts and wal-marts and toys are -- toys "r" us stores asking to pay remaining balances for customers who put gifts on lay away. >> i was told that an angel came to kmart and paid for my layaway. that get? i got very, very emotional, happy. >> it means a lot because i'm poor. that's why i put layaway. a little bit at a time. >> single largest donation was for more than $20,000 at a kmart in baltimore. >>> if you get a call from a loved one this trouble it is a good bet would you do anything to help. one elderly bay area woman was sure she was helping out a favorite nephew. it was really a schwinn that cost her a bundle. michael finney -- tells us what to watch out for. >> reporter: the phone call came out of the blue. when she answered, beverly heard a frightened voice. >> my nephew says i wasn't drunk but they through al

we have seen the work of the layaway angels that paid off layaway bills and this week a big family donationa check in to a salvation army kettle, anonymous donor slipping a $10,000 check in to a red kettle in menlo park. thought to be the largest donation in california in the 110-year history. enough money to put up more than 160 homeless people for a night. >> it was a personal check that was typed and the people from carmel that left the check and left a donation. >> that donation comes three days after another anonymous donor dropped $5,000 in front of a safeway in redwood city. >>> well, american troops are back from iraq celebrating with family, there are still 90,000 u.s. championship in afghanistan. about so 0 gath everied at nato's main headquarters in kabul today to sing christmas carols and celebrate midnight mass. some say while it's difficult being away from home they're happy to celebrate with their second family. >> it is sad being away from family at christmas but nice to be here with my brothers and sisters in the armed services from the u.s. and all of the various countries

the secret santa is better known as layaway angels. and a proposed map for legislative maryland districts. and how anthony allen is continuing the lessons he learned about charity and giving. for these stories and more read tomorrow's baltimore sun and look for the updated forecast from the first warning weather team. >>> and it is a tradition for more than half a century. ron matz takes us inside to show us what make this is train garden so special. >> reporter: the holiday train garden at the glenn avenue fire station is right on track. now in its 56th year, the longest continually operating train garden in baltimore. four trains running constantly, the set-up begins in october. >> a small scene can take 10-12 hours to do, much less getting the other stuff ready. so just the scenes themself take up a lot of time. >> reporter: it's 40 by 15 feet, from harry potter to winter wonderlands and even mr. bo. the display takes up half of the firehouse. at glenn avenue, it is all about tradition. >> some people generations after generations s

here's natalie. >>> ann, thank you, good news as christmas approaches, so-called layaway angels are going around paying off accounts for total strangers. kmart alone says anonymous benefactors have been doing it to the tune of $450,000 and the same thing is happening at other retailers. here's nbc's george lewis. >> reporter: in costa mesa, california, hospitalworker monica diaz was overcome with emotion. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> reporter: she found out a total stranger had paid off her $85 layaway bill, a simple act of kindness that made a world of difference. >> it does feel like an angel, i told my daughter it was an angel that paid off her gifts. >> reporter: now she'll be able to afford a ham for the family's christmas dinner. the employees at the kmart dinner say there's no shortage of layaway angels paying off customers' accounts. >> at least a good 30, 40 people at least. >> reporter: one man, david wilson, who owns 16 auto dealerships said he wanted to pay off every layaway account of $100 or less. >> so i had to do some figuring and come to be $15,919.61. >> report

they are called layaway angels. strangers paying off thousands of dollars in someone else's layaway debt now taking off in the bay area. angels paid the money and most of the donors aren't rich. >> he told me, i'm not rich, don't take me wrong. but i have a little extra to give so i want to give. >> the idea seems to have started in the midwest last week and has gained nationwide he would mentum. >>> a lot of people feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to finish christmas shopping. count me. >> probably too many hours of the day. >>> toys 'r us has a solution to. that start, at 6 a.m. today, toys 'r us will be open for 112 hours straight up until 10 p.m. on christmas eve. this is the second year they are offering 24 hours shopping and this year, 14 macy's stores are doing the same thing. >>> time now 4:45 a.m. and the new list of the worst christmas movies has been released of all time. >> and we have a dramatic chase in southern california. the driver clinging to his 4- year-old daughter. the quick decisio

that is including right here in the bay area they're being called the layaway angels. people are paying off the balance is on some of the oldest account at kmart. they are from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. many people say they have been struggling to pay their bills. the layaway angels have help customers in cities like san mateo, san leandro and hayward just to name a few. we will take a quick break to show you what is happening on the james lick freeway traffic is light in the temperatures are cool, we'll be right back. >>stanley: check out this suv park on chestnut street in the marina district of san francisco. he does has on--he does have on his i am park illegally light. this is a driver waiting for a sandwich at the sandwich shop. he comes out only to check that his car did not get told. notice that this was has to wait while he is blocking traffic. and this guy fast asleep with his smart phone on his belly. and this guy with his bag just sitting there. take a look at this, she wants to park but her pesky phone is in the way finally she goes hand

. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with the layaway angels from around the country who are doing theirto give those in need a very merry christmas. ♪ [ male announcer ] these days, even your trash can be a gold mine for identity thieves. ♪ we don't believe your garbage should be used against you. [ alarm blares ] we're lifelock. go to lifelock.com and join the fight against one of the fastest growing crimes in america. lifelock. relentlessly protecting your identity. call 1 (800) lifelock today. lifelock. relentlessly protecting your identity. shop kmart and get after christmas prices now... at the winter apparel blowout sale! take up to 60% off... outerwear for the whole family... and up to 60% off cozy sleepwear and robes! plus get thousands of gifts under $10. now that's kmart smart i couldn't sleep right. next day it took forever to get going. night after night, i sat up. sprayed up. took a shower... or took a pill. then i tried drug-free breathe right advanced. and instantly, i breathed better! i slept better. it felt...better. thank you, breathe right! [ male announcer ] breathe

>>ysabel: the layaway angel plans to do something similar every year. he is encouraging other people to do the same. he says, it does not have to be thousands of dollars, even as giving $20 can help. >>marty: it is the third month of the occupy movement protest schedules across the country including here in the bay area. we will have a live report coming up. a >>ysabel: welcome to our third hour of the kron4 news we will bring you up- to-date on what the senate extension means. >>marty: there is a push to buy american to. we're going to talk to waste. >>jan: one of our best entertainment and comedians and singers sharon 9 will be here. i will tell you about the of one hotel. it is amazing. everyone has been there from judy garland to lucille ball and now, me. we will talk a little bit about the allied a hotel. >>marty: this is the approach to the bay bridge. the sun is up. >>janu: clear skies and a chilly start. we're dealing with the deaths of tens of blue skies. a dry weather pattern, temperatures outside are pretty gillian south of santa rosa in fair

layaway angels. they're appearing across america. ous donors stepped in to pay off the bills of some kmart shoppers, then a few more. tonight, kmart says more than 1,000 of these angels have paid off several hundred thousand dollars in bills. abc anchor dan harris has more on this outbreak of altruism. >> reporter: across america, people are being told that complete strangers have paid their layaway bill. >> what? >> no way. >> yes. >> seriously? >> seriously. >> oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh. i can't believe that. >> reporter: it happened to kristen in a kmart in costa mesa, california, where she and her daughter were overcome. it happened in low country, south carolina, too, to this grandmother, battling cancer. >> it couldn't have happened at a better time for me and i very much appreciate it. >> reporter: and in ft. wayne, indiana. >> kind of been like a snowball effect right now. >> reporter: snowballing, a vit viral phenomenon. an army of anonymous donors bringing cheer to the saddest part of the store, the layaway desk, where presen

it's called being a layaway angel. a kmart in indianapolis says a woman walked into the store and paid off credit balances for dozens of customers and that enabled them to get their gifts in time for christmas. earlier this month a person pulled off a similar act of kindness at a kmart in michigan. >>> well it's a record attempt to ring in the holidays. this slavation army bell ring erin san francisco is one of 24 people trying to set a record for continuous hand bell ringing by a single person. the current record is 36 hours with no food or sleep. you are allowed to drink and have bathroom breaks every four hours. maybe one day there will be a record for listening to continuous bell ringing. >> wow. >> car people tunnel, too. >> good for them. >> good for them. i hope th,,,, so, if the mint makes this hot chocolate cool, does the mint hot chocolate make me cool? not really. the new mint hot chocolate from dunkin' donuts. grab the cool sensation of mint today. he's driven a tank. he's done two tours overseas. but until

. >> some call them layaway angels. the anonymous donors paying for strangers' gifts.lizabeth cook. >> i'm allen martin. >>> we begin this special newscast with a developing story. traffic on westbound 580 in castro centrally is an absolute mess right now. this follows a high-speed police chase that

layaway debts. it's taking off here in the bay area. angelsd layaway debts at a kmart in concord and most of the donors aren't even rich. >> he told me, i'm not rich. don't take me wrong. but i have a little extra to give so i want to give. >> the idea seems to have started in the midwest and gained momentum nationwide. >>> 6:26. coming up, the ten best gadgets of the year. we'll have more in studio with that. >>> three men pull off a daring robbery in silicon valley. >>> 49ers fans were literally left in the dark twice at candlestick park. we'll have more about monday night football's blackouts and why police were taking those indents seriously. the full story coming up. >>> oakland city council says it's time for oakland police to be more aggressive with "occupy" protestors. the resolution being introduced tonight at city hall. the full story just ahead. can now be enjoyed in your coffee only international delight puts the real flavours from your favourite treats inside >>> your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. >>> good morning,

despite half a million dollars in layaway angel purchases, kmart acquired by sears six years ago, reported a 5% drop in electronics, apparel and layaway purchases this quarter. which stores will close is not yet known but with as many as 120 on the chopping block, numerous people could quickly find themselves unemployed. >> that's very devastating. i myself was out of work for almost two years. i understand the effect of that. it's not good for the economy. >> reporter: sears says they could stand to make between $140 million and $170 million in liquidation sales alone not counting the money they could make in the sale of their properties or even the rental of them. we're live in landover this evening, news4. back to you. >> thanks, erica. >>> still ahead on "news4 at 5:00," a major data breach over the weekend by a hacking group, there's a warning that more attacks may be on the way. >>> investigators have determined exactly what it was that caused that house fire on christmas day in connecticut. >>> chuck will be back with more on our wet weather and more moving through the area. he'll t

even layaway angels can't save k mart and sears stores.more across the country will be out of work. how the rich are getting richer if they are a member of congress. all that and more straight ahead. we go back to the breaking news. senator ben nelson of nebraska, the two-term democrat will not seek reelection. he was a top republican target after the health care fight. joined by nbc news director mark murray. first of all, let's start with what it means for democrats in the senate. >> just on paper, it will be harder for democrats to hold on to. it will be a tough and tough poll numbers that they were contending with. it becomes an easier pick up opportunity for them and of course a democrat can get a slam dunk recruit and person whose name is mention side former nebraska senator bob kerry. he would fit the bill and it could be a competitive race. you have battle royals that would occur in missouri. you end up having clair mchask il in a fight for her life. this all depends on control of the senate. republicans need to pick it up and if p

. >> reporter: despite half a million dollars in layaway angel purchases, kmart acquired by sears six years ago reported a nearly 5% drop in electronics, apparel and layaway purchases this quarter. which stores will close is not yet known but with as many as 120 on the chopping block, numerous people could quickly find themselves unemployed. >> that's very devastating. i myself was out of work for almost two years. i understand the affect of that and it's not good for the economy. >> reporter: sears says that it could stand to gain anywhere from $140 million to $170 million in liquidation sales alone and that's not counting what they could make if they rent or sell the properties where those stores are located. back to you. >> thank you. >>> investigators in frederick county are trying to figure out what sparked a pair of garage fires that are considered suspicious. first one broke out last night in the 3700 block of singleton terrace. fire crews arrived and saw the second fire in the 3900 block of addison woods road a couple blocks away. in both cases the flames did a lot of damage t

. >>> we're hearing about secret santas and layaway angels this time of year. one mother has the best reason to be glad. listen. >> christmas is not just about presents and what you get. it's doing kind things for others. >> yeah. and just wait until you hear what her son did. stick around for this one. >>> kuwait. i'd like to wish all my family in huntsville, alabama a happy holidays and i love you all and miss you all. make that alabama... make that mississippi. the best part of the gulf is wherever you choose... and now is a great time to discover it. this year millions of people did. we set all kinds of records. next year we're out to do even better. so come on down to louisiana... florida... alabama... mississippi. we can't wait to see you. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. >>> 38 minutes past the hour now. a south carolina boy has decided to help a schoolmate who lost everything in a house fire by donating all of his life savings to the family. we pick up the story from our affiliate, wcsc. >> ready? >> with a few more pieces of t

>>catherine: first layaway return for the holiday season and now, layaway angels are popping up and pain of the accounts of unsuspecting people. it reportedly started in a kmart in michigan. nichole shanafelt visited a hayward store and found some very happy recipients. >> god is good. my grandkids have been blessed. >>nichole: a kmart employee called his home is a that santa claus paid off for the way down. family, pick up your layaway, santa claus has paid it off. i started crying tears of joy. this is a big purchase. i have four grandchildren. i made sure that they thought everything i think they needed it everything i think they wanted. toys, bikes, >>nichole: her leeway balance totaled $700. she is one of dozens of lucky recipients at the start. if you very generous secret santas have come into this or contributing more than $11,000 to pay off the leeway for complete strangers. >> it is a big deal for me because i have never won anything. >> bless secret santa. he just does not know how grateful he has made my grandkids christmas. >>nichole: these and thankful customers carried out

. >> reporter: tonight, kmart items us they've had more than 1,000 so-called layaway angels donatingthan $400,000. the place where holiday wishes sometimes come to die transformed. >> oh my god! you got to be kidding us? is this a joke? >> reporter: today, we skyped with one of these secret santas a man from california, who gave more than $15,000 after hearing a radio report about a woman who had done the same in michigan. >> i thought, i should be could that. i can do that and i should do that. and what a wonderful way to spread some christmas cheer. >> reporter: why is it so important for you to remain anonymous? >> true charity is anonymous. this isn't about me. it's about the fact that we can help, you know hard-working honest americans at a time when the economy hasn't been very favorable to us. >> reporter: this, by the way, is the man who paid off kristen's bill. >> i can't believe it. i'm so happy. thank you. i have two coming home from college and two cars just broke down and -- just great. thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> i would like to thank the person who did thi

here's natalie. >>> ann, thank you, good news as christmas approaches, so-called layaway angels are going around paying off accounts for total strangers. kmart alone says anonymous benefactors have been doing it to the tune of $450,000 and the same thing is happening at other retailers. here's nbc's george lewis. >> reporter: in costa mesa, california, hospitalworker monica diaz was overcome with emotion. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> reporter: she found out a total stranger had paid off her $85 layaway bill, a simple act of kindness that made a world of difference. >> it does feel like an angel, i told my daughter it was an angel that paid off her gifts. >> reporter: now she'll be able to afford a ham for the family's christmas dinner. the employees at the kmart dinner say there's no shortage of layaway angels paying off customers' accounts. >> at least a good 30, 40 people at least. >> reporter: one man, david wilson, who owns 16 auto dealerships said he wanted to pay off every layaway account of $100 or less. >> so i had to do some figuring and come to be $15,919.61. >> report

layaway angels we are calling them and now we are hearing it's starting to spread. >> i have had one d paid on a layaway last week. when i was calling to inform her, she thought i was going to tell her that we had to return her other layaway and i told her it was actually paid off so she started crying right there on the phone. >> shepard: you can imagine. reports of these donations spreading spreading from midwest to california. k-mart is a favorite spot because they have had layaway plans for decades. folks in norway now resorting to extreme measures to get their butter. there is a national shortage of butter and prices are as high as $32 a pound. four sticks for 32 bucks. so how far are they willing to go? that's coming up on route to mr. bill. i wouldn't do that. pay the check? no, i wouldn't use that single miles credit card. hey, aren't you... shhh. i'm researchg a role. today's special... the capital one venture card. you earn double miles on every purchase. impressive. chalk is a lost medium. if you're not earning double miles... you're settling for half. was that really neces

you never know. >>> holiday layaway angels. we've been asking you to weigh in on this story. you, what is maybe the sweetest thing anyone has done for you or you plan. here is one saying a few of us have adopt add family with eight children. we tried to get the kids everything they want. so santa has a full sleigh. more of your comments. i am so glad to get rid of it. just to be able to wake up in the morning on your own. that's a big accomplishment to me. i don't know how much money i need. but i know that whatever i have that's what i'm going to live within. ♪ ♪ your new progresso rich & hearty steak burger soup. [ dad ] i love this new soup. it's his two favorite things in one... burgers and soup. did you hear him honey? burgers and soup. love you. they're cute. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. >>> as we get close to the top of the hour anonymous donors paying off layaway with families struggling. they are asking people pay kindness forward so we, to jump off this story, asked you. what is something you plan to do nice for somebody this holiday seas

california. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: cnn was there when anna rodriguez got her gift from a layaway angelht from a kmart representative and i was told that an angel came to kmart and paid for my laiaway. isn't that great? it really helps. >> reporter: even during the tough economic time, kindness can be contagious. >> happy holidays. >> reporter: alison kosik, chn c cnn. >> a great story. >>> and should the evidence hold up or pus away suspects for life? a closer look at how the dog are trained and how reliable their sense of smell really is. 47 minutes after the hour. >>> 49 past the hour. here's what you need to know to start your day -- iowa is up for grabs. eight days to go from the iowa caucuses. ron paul on top with 21% of the vote followed by mitt romney with 20% and newt gingrich with 19%. >>> syria accused of intensifying a bloody government crackdown even at arab league observers head to country today. 13 more people died. one activist says attacks by government forces continued nonstop for more than three day. >>> christmas day church bombings kill at least 25 people in nigeria

it was a christmas phenomenon this year, layaway angels, people all over the country who paid off thewants to remean somewhat anonymous. he said he paid her bill to show his kads lesson in christmas kindness. >> i wanted to meet the family or person who made my christmas very special this year and i was very -- it was very special to me, very special family. this will be the best christmas of my 64 years that i'm alive, this is the best christmas i've had. >> she's a very special lady and very special family. i think it was meant to be. >> the true meaning of christmas right there. >> coming up for you, new year and a new outlook on the houses market. why some believe it might be on the rebound in 2012. plus the u.s. troops take out the most wanted terrorist after nearly 20 years on the run. a look at some of the defining moments of 2011. nick, what are you doing? oh, there's still a few more days of chevy's giving more. got to stay loose. how do you do it? i have my little helpers. boop. oh. [ chuckles ] [ male announcer ] hurry in to chevy's giving more. these savings are almost ove

visibly shaken. >> reporter: this associate had her layaway paid off by the angel. she owed more than $100. >> what does it mean to you? >> wow. it has meant a whole lot. i wish i knew who did it. i have to say thank you. that's all i can say is thank you. >> reporter: the store managers have contacted all of the lucky customers. now all they have to do is come into the store and get their items in time for christmas. their bills now have a zero balance. darcy spencer, news4. >>> the search is on tonight for the thieves who ripped open hundreds of letters and packages meant for families in our area. police say the thieves rummaged through mailboxes in the area of waldorf and stole mail and packages looking for gift cards and things of value. anything they didn't want was dumped in a park. >>> two baby jesuss are missing days after this one was recovered by police. officers are trying to track down stolen figures from the south point shopping center and from a furniture store off route 3. the suspected prankster last week was caught after posting a picture of the bab

layaway at kmart. a man store employees are calling an angel provided $20,000 to pay for christmas layaways for about 150 people. layaways for things like toys and clothes. this woman showed up at the kmart to make her payment for christmas gifts only to find the $300 bill had been paid in full. >> how surprising or shocking? >> i am so shocked. i'm sweating. i feel like crying. i'm just really blessed right now. >> the man who gave the donation told kmart to take care of the kids and make sure that they had a very good christmas. wow. >> a lot of good going around this season. >> a lot of examples of wonderful christmas spirit. >> and i'm so happy to see this happen in our area. we've heard of these stories happening nationwide, and generosity has made its way to the metro. >> stay with us. "news 4 today" continues right now at 5:00 a.m. >>> right now deal

layaway at kmart. an employee called an angel providing $20,000 to pay for christmas layaways for 150 people.clothes. one woman showed up with her children to make a payment on her christmas gifts to find the $300 bill had already been paid in full. >> i'm so shocked. i'm sweating. i feel like crying. i'm really blessed right now. >> the man that gave the donation told kmart to take care of the kids and make sure they had a very, very good christmas. >>> let's talk about the stories coming up later this afternoon. here's pat lawson muse with a preview. >> a holiday producer that work on "survivor" is fighting extradition to mexico where he's accused of killing his wife and a search for a missing woman who made a final chilling phone call to her family and news4 at 4:00, you're planning to be a good employee and show up for work despite sneezing and coughing but will your co-workers appreciate your action? at 5:00, news4 your health, a new treatment that could stop brain aneurysms before they rupture. very important health news there. those stories and more coming up at news4 at 4:00. >>> let'