abc's matt gutman with the story. >> reporter: it's a desperate plea. three stories high jinks and 50 feet across. >> why the billboard? >> well, we tried everything. we tried phoning. we didn't know what else to do. we figured we'd better make some statement. >> reporter: but phil and willy jones say they don't expect their two adult children emily and michael to actually call. >> it has been hard. i can't tell you how many times we've cried about it. >> reporter: they say they're out of the church of scientology after four decades but their children are still in last year and we weren't centei a phone call from michael, he didn't want to have anything to do with never want to talk to you again. >> reporter: the couple says they tried to track him down at the center. >> the security people come up and say you're not welcome here. >> reporter: they claim the church disconnected them. disconnection is say scientology determine for ending communication with those who are antagonistic to the church which says that the choice to disconnect is entirely volun

abc's matt gutman has the details. >> reporter: above ground, this is a tiny tijuana villa.eneath it, a mammoth secret. a drug tunnel, officials say, was over eight football fields long. >> we believe this so be the longest tunnel that we've discovered in this district to date. >> reporter: hacked out mostly by hand, but with lights, ventilation and this freight elevator capable of holding up to ten people. the tunnel stretching from tijuana to the border fence, and then another 500 yards to a nondescript lot near san diego. ending up as a three-foot wide hole covered by a giant dumpster. inside, 2,000 pounds of cocaine. the largest ever coke seizure from a tunnel into california. plus, 14,000 pounds of marijuana. we recently embedded with a border protection tunnel team. you do a 4,000-pound load of marijuana, you sell it, does that pay for the tunnel? >> i'm sure that pays for the tunnel easily. >> reporter: in order to dig that tunnel, 900 feet in that direction, they had to remove hundreds of tons of dirt, and yet the neighbors say they saw nothing and heard nothing. off

matt gutman, abc news, los angeles. >> a speedy recover to all of the people in that area. a houston deputy is recovering after an ambush style attack. doctors say he was shot six times with one of the bullets near his heart and two in his abdomen. police say a gunman came up behind him and the attack was targeted. investigators are questioning a bern of interest in the case. >>> new video on a nashville police officer. officer was trying to make an arrest when he and the suspect begab fighting. when residents living nearby attacked the officer. he was treated for a concussion and is now on medical leave. security has been stepped up in the neighborhood, as well. >> in washington state, seven kidser truck plowed into a school bus stop. four of the kids were hit by the truck and two others by debris from the crash. the 19-year-old driver has a history of seizures and apparently was driving with a suspended license. he was taken into custody. >>> on the east coast, four arm reserve soldiers were hurt when their humvee flipped over on the new jersey turnpike just outside of ne

matt gutman, abc news. >> now we did mention the democratic presidential candidates visiting verizonkers on the picket lines. this morning, nearly 40,000 workers are still off the job after nine months without a contract. verizon wants to hire more contractors. >>> and many retail employers who practice on call scheduling are under the microscope. attorneys general in eight states are investigating the employment practice saying it's unfair to employees who must give up other opportunities for a job that may not provide work. companies like the gap and j. crew have already ended on call scheduling but more than a dozen employers such as forever 21 and payless still use the method. >> i used to have to do on call stuff when i worked in retail at the roosevelt mall. >> of course. just imagine the big hair she had back then working at the mall. >> oh, the bangs. so nobody can argue that technology has its ups and downs but here is an amazing example of the good it can do. >> when a broken neck left a quadriplegic ian burkhart was resigned to living a life with the ability to use his han

matt gutman, abc news, los angeles. >>> when we come back, a miracle moment. the tourists almost taken out by an airplane. >>> and a dump truck causing a deadly chain reaction crash. the details, coming up. i can tell you prolia is proven to help protect bones from fracture. but the real proof? my doctor said prolia helped my bones are your bones getting stronger? do not take prolia if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva . serious allergic reactions, such as low blood pressure; trouble breathing; throat tightness; face, lip, or tongue swelling; rash, itching or hives have happened in people taking prolia . tell your doctor about dental problems, as severe jaw bone problems may happen, or new or unusual pain in your hip, groin or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. prolia can cause serious side effects, including low blood calcium, serious infections. which could require hospitalization; skin problems; and severe bone, joint or muscle pain. only prolia helps strengthen and protect bones with 2 shots a ye

abc's matt gutman with the underground pictures. >> reporter: above ground, this is a tiny villa. beneath it, a huge secret. >> we believe this to be the longest tunnel that we've discovered in this district to date. >> reporter: hacked out mostly by hand, but with lights, ventilation and this freight elevator capable of holding up to ten people. tijuana to the border fence and another 500 yards to a lot near san diego. ending up as a three-foot wide hole covered by a giant dumpster. inside, 2,000 pounds of cocaine. the largest ever coke seizure from a tunnel into california. plus, 14,000 pounds of marijuana. we recently imbedded with a border protection tunnel team. 4,000 pound load of marijuana, you sell it, does that pay for the tunnel. >> easily. >> reporter: in order to dig that tunnel, 900 feet in that direction, they had to remove hundreds of tons of dirt, and yet the neighbors say they saw nothing and heard nothing. officials say there are likely many others just like it. matt gutman, abc news, los angeles angeles. >>> now, to new developments in that church murder mystery

>> matt gutman leading us off tonight. thank you, matt. >>> and breaking developments this evening in the race for the white house, as well. at the center of this race. the primary in the state, less than a week away now, and the traffic is gridlocked in the city because they're all right here. we have new numbers on hillary clinton at this hour, and donald trump, blasting the republican establishment. tonight, hiring some new players who know the party to help him navigate what could be a contested convention. as ted cruz is surprised not by the questioner, but by his daughters and their correction. and the prosecutor's decision about whether to go after trump's campaign manager, all coming in tonight. abc's tom llamas from a major republican event being held right now in midtown manhattan. >> reporter: tonight, as donald trump takes on his own party, >> we've taken the vote away from great people. we've disenfranchised people. >> reporter: a legal victory for his campaign team. a florida prosecutor dropping a battery cha

>> matt gutman with us tonight. thanks, matt. >>> next, this evening, to chicago, and a scathing report at this hour about race and policing. a study ordered in the wake of police-involved shooting of laquan mcdonald, outlining a deep history of tension between police and african-americans and a lack of accountability. one stark finding of the 404 police involved shootings over the past eight years, 74% involved african-americans. the report comes as new police chief eddie johnson, an african-american veteran of the chicago p.d., now officially takes over. >>> we turn now to the severe weather at this hour, flash flood watches and a new storm gathering strength tonight. already so much rain across the south, and look at this. the roof of this school in mississippi collapsing under the weight. workers right there rushing to escape it. let's get right to rob marciano, tracking it all tonight. hey, rob. >> reporter: hey, david. a strong wave of low pressure along the tail end of the front that brought that crazy hail.

abc's matt gutman in japan. >>> snow danger. the first punch in a triple threat on the move. whiteout driving conditions. nearly a thousand flights canceled. tonight, we're in the middle of a storm. a massive snowmaker. rescue mission pope francis on the front lines of a humanitarian crisis. we'll show you his dramatic act of charity, how the people's pope is leading by example. >>> firefighter down. two shot. one killed. they thought they were answering a call for help. house. >>> and tiger attack. the veteran zookeeper killed by the animal she spent years caring for, tonight, the late nest the investigation and what happens now to that tiger. >>> good evening. thanks for joining us on this saturday. i'm tom llamas. we begin tonight with that breaking news, a nation in crisis, the full scope of the destruction in japan growing clearer by the moment. the twin earthquakes hitting less than 28 hours apart, rattling homes and knocking down buildings. rescuers holding out hope they might still reach survivors trapped and buried alive. in another ominous sign tonight, one of japan

matt gutman, abc news, japan. >> miku looking very cute there. thanks, matt, for that report. >>> back here at home, more than a dozen people injured in a city bus crash in las vegas. police and bus passengers say a pickup truck ran a red light and rammed the side of the bus. one of the passengers in the truck was taken to the hospital in critical condition. she had not been wearing a seat belt. police say the driver of the pickup showed no signs of impairment and suffered only minor injuries. >>> well, today is patriots' day. that means a couple of things, one, a late morning start for the red sox game at fenway park and, of course, the boston marathon. >> it is a big day there. more than 30,000 runners will take part in the race's 120th edition. many of them carb loading at big pasta dinners across the boston area yesterday. >> i did that part with them, too. >> did you? except not the run? >> right, exactly. this is the third anniversary of the boston marathon bombing. there will be about 5,000 police officers along the 26.2 mile course. race

matt gutman, abc news, los angeles. >>> now, to new developments in that church murder mystery in texas. police going frame by frame, through this surveillance video. the suspect, you see the person there in s.w.a.t. gear, accused of killing a mother of three. investigators now trying to determine if the killer is a man or a woman. abc's kayna whitworth is in texas tonight. >> reporter: tonight, authorities scouring this latest video for clues to the identity of the murder suspect, dressed in full tactical gear, calmly looking around a texas church. pacing the halls for 30 minutes before police say killing 45-year-old mother of three, missy bevers. the atf with a canine unit seen today at the screen of the crime. was the beloved fitness instructor at the wrong place at the wrong time, or was she targeted? also unknown, the gender of the suspect, concealed by a helmet and bulky armored vest. authorities are hoping someone will recognize the distinctive walk. bevers' husband at a prayer vigil, with one of their three daughters on his lap -- >> you guys -- you guys embody the spirit of my

here's abc's matt gutman. >> peek boo street was an american sweetheart rocketing downhill right intorooms. winning world championships, olympic gold in 1998 and american hearts. >> get the healing power. >> reporter: she seed to have it all but that arrest and ma mugshot for the first time revealing a dark secret. >> this has been a long road. and even at the pinnacle of my career, i'm in japan, i've just won my olympic gold medal and i realize it's been an hour and a half and i haven't seen my dad. and i just that pit in my stomach, it's like no, not here. not here. my dad bonked me. >> bonked is the term the family coined to refer to her necessary's fits of rage just before he went into diabetic rage. his bonking had been a family secret till december 23rd of last year. >> i put him down stairs. i don't know what he's doing. >> what do you mean. >> peek-a-boo's mom dewas slated to have double hip replacement surgery that day. there was a blizzard out but nearing diabetic shock again, ron who was living in her house under her care decided to drive his wife to the hospital himself. i

abc's matt gutman is in japan with the latest. >> reporter: that army of rescuers in blue scouring rivers of mud for the missing, a last ditch effort of recovery after the spasm of earthquakes swallow ed heys and homes. mother nature rising up against southern japan. the biggest quakes striking in the dead of night. saturday so violent they sent the cameras spinning. the hardest hit townhouse after house crumbled. it was where this scene unfolded two days ago a 9-month-old baby girl trapped for hours. out of the wreckage and the darkness gingerly cradled. they found smoke was coming out from inside, they are trying to make sure nobody is left under the rubble. it was then that a man came up to us. he was the baby's grandfather. her name baby miku. >>> you knew she was alive because you reached in and touched her and she grabbed her hand. he told me he could ski her and he hopped in the tiny pick up and drove up through the cracked streets. as we walked up to the shelter -- are you the father? >>> yes. hello, baby. all chubby cheeked and full of energy and completely unscathe. >>> what a b

abc's matt gutman with the story. >> reporter: it's a desperate plea., we tried everything. we tried phoning. we didn't know what else to do. we figured we'd better make some statement. >> reporter: but phil and willy jones say they don't expect their two adult children, emily and michael, to actually call. >> it has been hard. i can't tell you how many times we've cried about it. >> reporter: they say they're out of the church of scientology after four decades, but say their children are still in it. >> our daughter got married last year and we weren't told. we don't know when exactly she got married. >> reporter: they say both of their children work within the church. their son at scientology's celebrity center, which has hosted some of hollywood's biggest stars. >> when i did finally get a phone call from michael, he didn't want anything to do with us. he said, i never want to talk to you again. >> reporter: the couple says they tried to track him down at the center. >> they won't allow us on the property. the security people come up and say, you're

matt gutman, abc news, los angeles. >>> next to outrage from an airline passenger who says he was consisted off a united airlines flight because of his weight. 31-year-old airline was set to return home toe jersey city from las vegas till another passenger complained about his size. at 385 pounds, has never been an issue on the flights before. he called it one of the most humiliating experiences of his life. >> i was embarrassed. i'm already big. you know, growing unyou always get those big jokes and what have you. like 31 years of living with myself, i know how i am, i still look good. >> good for him. >> i make this look good. >> united says it requires customers purchase a second seat if they can't sit with both arm rests lowers and without encroaching on the seats of fellow passengers. he says he has no problem with buying a second seat but rather united's inconsistent implementation of its policy. >> it's true. i deal with this with car seats. sometimes they let one on, sometimes they won't. >> it's inconsistent. >>> speaking of flying, secretary of state john kerry has set a new trave

we begin with matt gutman. >> reporter: tonight, rescue crews racing to save the living, as dead are eased out of the grieving weep. 500 patients evacuated from this kumamoto hospital,eclared powerful earthquake in two days. that 7.0 magnitude quake killing dozens, injuring thousands and displacing nearly 100,000. one of them is american teacher zachary strauss -- >> it was really violent. like, everything fell down, my refrigerator, all of my furniture. everything was breaking. >> reporter: we found him today at a makeshift shelter. >> i literally thought i was going to die. there was a moment i thought, "this was it." >> reporter: both quakes struck in the dead of night. the shaking captured in real time, from this newsroom to this street to this bridge. then in daylight, the grim surveys of damage. this college dorm -- pancaked. the second floor collapsed onto the first. officials say two people killed, survivors camped outside. watch as the camera pans from that devastated college campus to the mountainside, cleaved away by a mudslide. obliterating this bridge, smothering this ro

>> reporter: abc's matt gutman hiked to this dramatic scene. >> reporter: this mudslide was over a half mile wide. it came roaring down this mountain, ripping it in half and then obliterating that bridge and those roads on the other side. >> reporter: those three deadly earthquakes all on the volatile ring of fire, that also includes the west coast of the u.s. so many are asking if we're next. >> here in california, we expect an earthquake the size of the one that hit in japan about once every decade or two. we can tell from geology the pacific northwest, at some point, they're going to have a magnitude nine. >> with so many still missing, the death toll is expected to rise. we're also learning that one american is among the dead but on a brighter note, three people have now been pulled out much a collapsed shopping center where they were trapped for more than 32 wah wah door. >> the scaffolding collapses in toronto sent three people to the hospital. the crash happened yesterday afternoon at a construction site. a mother and baby in a stroller were wreefly trapped in the rubble but late

abc's matt gutman in japan. >>> snow danger. the first punch in a triple threat on the move.driving conditions. nearly a thousand flights canceled. tonight, we're in the middle of a storm. a massive snowmaker. rescue mission pope francis on the front lines of a humanitarian crisis. we'll show you his dramatic act of charity, how the people's pope is leading by example. >>> firefighter down. two shot. one killed. they thought they were answering a call for help.

right to a jury meaning that the verdict will be in the hands of the judge this time and abc's matt gutman has more. >> did you kill michelle? >> absolutely not. absolutely not, and the fact that i'm sitting here and having to go through this is just a horror show. >> reporter: for 15 years cal harris had been adamant he did not kill his wife. >> nobody should have to go through this. nobody. >> reporter: in fact, he has given that same plea not once, not twice, but three times. >> neither a murder weapon nor her body has ever been found. >> reporter: the first two guilty convictions overturned. the third trial ending in a hung jury. through it all his four children supporting their dad. >> it was unfair. we shouldn't have to live at home without both parents, especially because our dad >> reporter: his team confident that new information they've obtained will finally prove harris' innocence. harris' defense pointing to evidence found this january in this outdoor fire pit located in the home once owned by stacy stewart, the man the defense suspects was last seen with michelle harris the da

abc's matt gutman in japan. >>> snow danger. the first punch in a triple threat on the move.arly a thousand flights canceled. tonight, we're in the middle of a storm. a massive snowmaker. >>> rescue mission. pope francis on the front lines of a humanitarian crisis. we'll show you his dramatic act of charity. how the people's pope is leading by example. >>> firefighter down. two shot. one killed. they thought they were answering a call for help. what went wrong inside that house.

here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: the texas judge stunning a packed court today with that rulingys, then the second 180 days will start. >> reporter: 180 days for each of the four victims. in total, the ft. worth judge ordering the 19-year-old to serve almost two years in county lockup for a probation violation. in 2013 couch was sentenced to probation for killing four people in a drunk driving crash. he was 16 then. he turned 19 on monday. >> this favoritism that he's still a kid, or juvenile, is gone. it expired at 12:00 monday. he's now an adult. he needs to be treated like one. >> reporter: couch has been in jail since january, when he was extradited to texas after fleeing to mexico. with that mop of dyed hair and a shaggy beard, he was directed into court by sheriff dee anderson. >> certainly this time that he spent in -- basically in a single cell, by himself, with no privileges, you know, that's a rude awakening for anyone. >> reporter: especially for a teen whose million dollar legal team argued couch was too pampered to go to jail. as part of his original sentencing, eth

matt gutman on the crisis unfolding right now. >> reporter: that powerful new jolt heaving this massive landslide, pulverizing concrete as if it were papier mache. these shaky images capture the moment the 7.0 quake hits in the dead of night. 1:25 a.m. violently striking the rattled southern city of kumamoto again. even stronger than yesterday's deadly quake, with multiple epicenters. tonight, officials report urgent calls flooding in of people trapped inside buildings. rescuers desperately going door to collapsed door struggling to get through streets clogged with rubble and broken glass. multiple structure fires shooting flames and smoke into slamming tons of concrete on these cars. other apartment blocks seemingly buckled inward. stores gutted. windows blown out as if detonated by explosion. yesterday, we spoke to survivor noel vincent. we found him again tonight. >> wow, there's lots of shaking. >> reporter: capturing the terrifying screams during an aftershock. shoeless and too afraid to go back into his apartment. >> i think yesterday, people were shocked. but i think today, peopl

here's matt gutman. >> reporter: when you're under the knife, you don't expect cutting comments likehis. you can hear them cracking themselves up during surgery on a houston woman. >> this is precious over here, and precious over here. >> reporter: when you heard them saying precious meet precious, did that offend you? >> it was racially profiling me, yes, i was offended. >> reporter: she was arguing when the doctor said he couldn't schedule her sooner. >> she's a hand frl. she had some words for me. >> reporter: a letter from the hospital said that doctors need to be aware of their words. easter says that protect of unkind surgical banter has to end, and she, too, says she's considering a lawsuit. david? >> matt, thank you. >>> when we come back, ivanka trump and the recall involving her scarves. >>> and the car losing control, flipping over on the highway. >>> and amy schumer, calling out a magazine for how they labeled her and other women. and the controversy over this image as well this evening. we'll be right back. like to show off their strengths: 13 name brands. all backed by

here's matt gutman. >> reporter: as the ship plows towards the dock, you hear a man joke. >> park itanywhere! >> reporter: those horns, sounding a mere 12 seconds before impact. watch again. the bystanders scatter as the adventure hornblower steams towards them. >> another guy starting saying, "we got to move. we got to move. it's coming in hot." >> reporter: and that elderly lady in red. her escape, painfully slow. those two men jumping in to help as the 150-foot-long whale-watching ship just misses her. the 144 people aboard jolted. >> these guys were all standing right beside the captain and they said she was -- she couldn't get it out of gear. "i can't get it out of gear! i can't get it out of gear!" >> reporter: san diego fire department said seven were injured and three transported to the hospital. tonight, hornblower cruises telling abc news they're investigating and to say more would be guessing. the company also tells us its first priority is customer safety, but shockingly, david, this is the third incident in 18 months. the ship is banned indefinitely from taking on passen