county register, he had done research on two victims before the shooting. >>> let's go back to melissa mollet at the live desk. melissa. >> good morning. we're finally hearing from passengers of the crippled carnival triumph cruise ship. it reached port in mobile, alabama after 9:00 p.m. central time. it took four years to get them off. some ran off cheering, kissing the ground when they returned to land. a fire in the engine room forced them to spend days on board with overflowing toilets, little food, no electricity. it was supposed o pull into port thursday afternoon but a tow line connecting to a tugboat snapped. >> it was literally like being in a floating porta potty. human waste everywhere. the crew was great, though. they did a really great job on keeping our spirits up. it was tough. >> many passengers who got off the ship boarded buses to various cities to catch a plane out. carnival now offering them free cruises and cash. at the live desk, melissa mollet, news 4. >>> a family that lost their home to fire says they will rebuild. 66-year-old geraldine key died in that blaze. firefig

melissa mollet at the live desk. melissa?e about 40 minutes away from an expected decision from the oscar pistorius bail hearing. the announcement is scheduled for 7:30 this morning our time. both sides argued a lot this morning over whether he's a flight risk. he's accused of killing his girlfriend on valentine's day. pistorius says he thought he was she was an intruder. his track coach was in court today. he told reporters if pistorius is released on bond, he should begin training again almost immediately. >> i cannot say because i'm not the legal side of it. we can start planning monday if he's out on bail soon. >> we heard more from pistorius' attorney this morning saying his client he thinks should be charged with culpable homicide instead of premeditated murder. of course, we'll have that for you this morning. at the live desk, melissa mollet, news 4. >>> new had morning, a search in the district for a man who pepper sprayed a metrobus driver. it happened just after midnight on pennsylvania avenue southeast. metro trans

at the live desk, melissa mollet. >>> rescuers are using dogs, trucks and a crane to look for survivorsthat deadly explosion in mexico city. this new video just into the newsroom. it shows the explosion near the headquarters of a mexican oil company. that state-owned company is circled here. the arrow points to the explosion in one of their buildings next door. a very quick flash there in the distance. at least 25 people died. more than 100 others injured yesterday. investigators are trying to figure out if that was an accident or a terrorist attack. >>> another developing story. a truck carrying fireworks exploded killing at least eight people in china. some reports say that number is as high as 26. the explosion happened this morning on a bridge in the central part of that country. the blast sent cars and trucks down 100 feet to the ground below. the fireworks were supposed to be part of the lunar new year celebrations. >>> the big game is still more than 48 hours away but the party is well mr way in new orleans already. thousands of ravens and 49ers fans are pouring into the big easy

. >> let's go to melissa mollet at the live desk. melissa? >> right now the bail hearing for olympic sprinter oscar pistorius is well under way. we have video of him arriving at court. nbc news has a reporter inside who says oscar is standing in court crying, his head hanging down, hands to his face. the double amputee is charged with murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend, model reeva steenkamp. he killed her inside his home early thursday. his lawyers arguing against allowing cameras in the courtrooms. his family is there. there was reports of chaos in the courtroom as several fights broke out. prosecutors will oppose bail. we'll tell you what the judge rules as soon as we hear it. melissa mollet, news 4 at the live desk. >>> a woman accused of burglarizing the alexandria home where a 94-year-old man was found dead will a appear in court. she's charged with burglary for a november break-in there. police ruled the death a homicide. but johnson has not been charged in that crime. friend still can't believe anyone would want to hurt th

melissa mollet, news 4. >>> boeing meets with the faa today to get the troubled 787 dreamliners back in the sky. the airline manufacturer set to present its solutions for the battery problems that have plagued several of its planes last month they grounded all of the dream lierns across the world after two separate incidents. boeing is losing $200 million a month in delivery payments until the planes can take off again. >>> nevada police are still looking for one of the cars involved in this fiery crash on the las vegas strip which was the result of a shooting spree between two cars. police say that yesterday morning an argument in the valet area of a hotel led to people shooting at each other in two vehicles. one crashed into a taxi, which then burst into flames. the driver of that car and the driver and the passenger in the cab died. three other cars also crashed and the other car ka involved in the gunfire exchange took off. >>> we're following a developing story in a sign of possible progress to a vied the see questions trags. t t we are still working to find out what the side sa

melissa mollet with breaking news. >> reporter: good morning. a south african paraolympian has been charged with murder. olympic sprinter oscar pastorius was arrested after a 3 0-year-old woman was shot -- 30-year-old woman was shot dead at her home. the double amputee, nicknamed the blade runner, may have shot his girlfriend to death thinking she was an intruder. he made history at the london games when he became the first double amputee runner to compete on the track. we'll keep an eye on the story. at the live desk, news4. >>> we're awaiting information on a burned out car that belonged to christopher dorner. he barricaded himself. officers fired teargas in the cabin, it went up in flames. they heard a single gunshot after that. >>> this morning, we're learning more about a couple that christopher dorner held hostage on tuesday shortly before his standoff with police. karen and jim reynolds say they went to their mountain cabin to clean it out. when they got there, they found attorneyer inside. he aimed the gun at them, tied them up, and stol

at the live desk, melissa mollet, news 4. >>> we're on top of a developing story in alabama. negotiators are talking with the gunman who has been holding a 5-year-old boy hostage in a bunker for three days now. 65-year-old jimmy lee dykes stormed a school bus in midland city on tuesday. he took a boy named ethan into a bunker. investigators say the boy has medicine, crayons, coloring books and a tv. negotiators have been talking to the man through a ventilation pipe in that bunker. >> it's pretty small. he's been known to stay in there eight days. we've been told. it's 4 foot underground. >> now, dykes is also accused of shooting and killing the school bus driver who refused to let him take the children. >>> today, we're keeping close tabs on the labor department. it will release its january jobs report this morning. economists expect the unemployment rate to stay at 7.8% for a third straight month according to fact set. they believe the economy added about 155,000 jobs last month. it will be an emotional day at the state of illinois department tod -- state department. she'll

melissa mollet at the live desk. >> reporter: that's right.rning, it's official, american airlines and usairways have merged. this leaves travelers four big carriers to choose. from the merged carrier will be the world's biggest and will keep the moirlz name but -- american airlines name but will keep the name. it still needs to be approved. the airlines will continue to operate separately for several months. at the live desk, news4. >>> a local neighborhood is waking up wanting answers. this is a live look at a home where a 94-year-old man was found dead. why police are calling it suspicious. >>> plus, the major role metro could play in moving fbi headquarters out of the district. >>> breaking news on the roads right now. ice all over the place. (woman) 3 days of walking to give a break cancer survivor a lifetime-- that's definitely a fair trade. it was such a beautiful experience. (jessica lee) ♪ and it's beautiful (woman) why walk 60 miles in the boldest breast cancer event in history? because your efforts help komen serve millions of women

. >>> melissa mollet has breaking news at the live desk. >> d.c. fire tell us they're responding to the report of a mercury spill near calvert and a adams mill in northwest washington. that's in the ad apples morgan area. they're on the way to the scene now. when we get more information, we'll pass it along. melissa mollet, news 4. >>> police are looking for several juveniles behind an armed robbery in the district. this happened in the 1500 block of t street. d.c. police are looking for several juveniles wearing school uniforms. at the same time police in the district want to know who is behind eight holdups within hours last night. spread out throughout southeast and northeast washington. at least three of the incidents police are looking for a group of juveniles. >> a charles county family is thanking the community for helping them get through a difficult time. a fire destroyed their home and killed the matriarch of their family. a kerosene heater sparked the blaze that destroyed her home in indian head tuesday night. 66-year-o 66-year-old geral

thanks so much. >>> let's check in with melissa mollet at the live desk. ood morning. >> good morning. this is just into the newsroom right now. a 7.1 magnitude earthquake has just hit off the solomon islands. no word at this point on damage or injuries from this particular quake. this comes after wednesday's quake where 19 people were killed. it generated a 5-foot high tsunami. damaged dozens of homes and businesses add left others missing. the area is so remote that we're just getting this video in now. before the first quake, many villagers had headed to higher ground as a precaution. at the live desk, melissa mollet, news 4. >>> 6:47 is our time. more than a thousand police officers involved in a manhunt for a former l.a. cop wanted for killing three people, including another police officer. last night investigators found christopher dorner's burned-out pickup truck two hours outside l.a. near a ski resort. his home was raided in las vegas. dorner shot and killed a couple last weekend and then ambushed four officers yesterday in two incidents. one offic

at the live desk, melissa mollet, news 4. >>> new this morning, prince george's county police helping university of maryland police track down the man who robbed a woman on campus. the victim says she was walking through the kk lot near the chemical and nuclear engineering building. this was just after 10:30 last night. a man pulled a gun on her. she says he took cash, gift cards and other items and took off. the victim could only give a vague description of the robber. >>> an investigation under way after a pedestrian is struck by a train. the impact the accident had on local train service. >>> also ahead, no laughing matter. the meeting bringing stephen colbert to our region today. >>> the age group that has the toughest time dealing with the pressures of everyday life. >>> a live look outside where you'll be dealing with rain and snow. we learned that culpeper county public schools are closed today. the impact this winter storm might have on your commute with weather >>> folks up and down the eastern seaboard preparing for a massive winter storm. we're talking about the northeast i

melissa mollet at the live desk with breaking news. melissa, good morning. >> we got this into the news room. the american legion lot in laurel is being shut down this morning because of severe flooding over the river. take a look at the area. this is how it looked late last night. it cuts capacity by 40%. they're warning there may be no parking spots left after 6:00 this morning at the laurel station. at this point, they're asking passengers to allow extra time and drive either to savage or the mer kirk station. tickets will be honored there. melissa mollet, news 4. >>> a developing story in mexico. rescuers are searching through rubble for survivors from a deadly explosion. happened near the headquarters of a mexican oil company. a bomb exploded there, killed at least 25 people. injured more than 100 others as well. this happened yesterday next to a 51-story tower that houses mexico's state-owned oil company. the first floors of that building collapsed. v investigators are trying to figure out if it was an accident or terrorist attack

breaking news, melissa mollet is at the live desk. melissa. >> a couple minutes ago, arguments in the oscar pistorius bail hearing wrapped up. we expect a decision whether the olympian will be released at 7:30 our time. the prosecution argued over whether he's a flight risk. he, of course, is accused of killing his girlfriend on valentine's day. pistorius thought she was an intruder. his attorney saying his client should be charged with culpable homicide and not premeditated murder. melissa mollet, news 4. >>> new this morning, metro transit police looking for a man who pepper sprayed a bus driver. this happened just after midnight on pennsylvania avenue southeast. investigators say the man tried to get the bus to pick him up where there was not a bus stop. the driver refused and that's when the man attacked the driver with mace. the driver didn't suffer any other injuries. police are not releasing a description of the man they're looking for. >>> today in montgomery county a 14-year-old charged in the death of his baby sister will be

. >>> melissa mollet joins us from the live desk with breaking news. melissa? >> at least 26 people have been killed, dozens hurt after back-to-back bombings targeting shiite muslims in baghdad. it went off at a pet market this morning and about a minute later, 100 yards away a second blast went off in a parked car exploded. melissa mollet at the live desk. >>> prince george's county police helping university of maryland police track down a man who robbed a woman. she was walking through the lot near the chemical nuclear energy building last night. a man pulled a gun on her. she says he took cash can, gift cards and other items. the victim could only give detectives a vague description of the robber. >>> this morning, we're getting a new look at the man police believe has groped more than 20 women in the past five months. fairfax county police released this new police sketch yesterday. take a look. investigators believe the man is behind 18 different instances of women being grabbed as they walk through the town of springfield. with no forensic evidence, the in

melissa mollet has breaking news. >> that's right. good morning. this is just in. 12 people have been killed after a bombing in northwestern pakistan. dozens were hurt. the bomb was placed at the exit of a mosque as friday prayers were letting out. no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. at the live desk, melissa mollet, news 4. >>> new this morning, a fireworks truck exploded along a bridge in china killing at least five people. it happened earlier this morning in the central part of that country. the blast sent cars down 100 feet to the ground below. crews are still searching for survivors. there's reports of conflicting numbers of casualtie some as high as 26. >>> happening today, nasa will observe a day of re remembrance for the tenth anniversary of the space shuttle columbia disaster. nasa officials will hold that observance at the astronaut memorial in arlington national cemetery. a wreath laying will take place at the kennedy space center. there will be ceremonies honoring the 17 people who died in the apollo 1 disaster and the cha

. >>> i'm melissa mollet at the live desk.know the woman allegedly shot by olympic sprinter oscar pistorius was his 30-year-old girlfriend. this is her facebook page. the paraolympian is being charged with murder. steinkampf of shot dead at his home early this morning. some outlets report that the double amputee known as blade runner may have mistaken her for an intruder. he's expected in court later this afternoon. we'll keep an eye on the story for you, of course. >>> the manhunts for former lapd officer christopher dorner may be over, but the investigation is far from complete. detectives are now looking into what caused the cabin dorner had barricaded himself in to go up in flames. police say they fired teargas inside the home on tuesday. the cabin caught on fire a short time later. officers say they heard a single gunshot and police found human remains in the burned out building. they are still working to confirm that the remains are, in fact, those of dorner. >>> a husband and wife that dorner held hostage on tuesday are

at the live desk, melissa mollet, news4. >>> today vice president joe biden heads to connecticut for a conference on gun violence where he'll sit alongside the parents of a sandy hook elementary shooting victim. they'll join a number of lawmakers and gun control advocates to discuss tightening the gun laws. the conference is happening at western connecticut state university. that's the college gunman adam lanza attended as a teenager and is just 15 miles from the site of december's deadly shooting which killed 26 people. >>> 6:18 now. also today, maryland governor martin o'malley's sweeping gun control reform faces a preliminary vote. a senate panel expected to vote today. the bill includes a ban on assault weapons, establishing licensing provisions, and requiring background checks. >>> this morning, university of maryland president wallace lowe is endorsing that gun control legislation. this comes just a week after the apparent murder/suicide involving several students in college park. lowe will formally endorse the bill in a column to be published in today's issue of the campus new

melissa mollet joins us. >> reporter: we just speak with investigators they tell us the two little girls who died were ages 3 and 6, sisters. chopper 4 flew over the house a little while ago. take a look. this fire broke out in the two-story home in highland avenue. when firefighters arrived the heavy flames and instability of the house hampered they are rescue efforts. that blaze so intense, it continued to burn for an hour and a half. dozens of firefighters responded. four others were if the house with those girls including a 33-year-old man, 33-year-old woman, 8-month-old and 7-year-old who had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. the victims' names have not been released and investigators woring to determine the cause. >>> other news, it's been a rough morning in northern virginia. this was the dulles toll road. traffic was backed up for nine miles after several accidents. that was all the result of a fast-moving storm that caught many drivers by surprise. news4's tony tull is in virginia county with more. >> reporter: yesterday, we had temps in the 70s, this morning, we're dea

news 4's melissa mollet joins us now with the latest. melissa, what can you tell us? >> good morning. an olympic athlete now accused of killing his girlfriend. here's pistorius leaving the station early this morning. he was heading to court. his first hearing was scheduled for this afternoon. it's now been postponed until tomorrow to give forensic analysts more time to investigate. police say pistorius shot 29-year-old reeva steenkamp at his home in a gated complex early this morning. she was hit four times in the head and arm. right now they're interviewing witnesses they say heard things that happened there earlier in the evening. at a press conference this morning they answered questions about previous calls made to that house. >> related to the person who's been arrested but i can confirm that there has previously been incidents at the home of mr. oscar pistorius. the allegations of domestic nature. >> now some media outlets were reporting that 9 olympian may have shot his girlfriend after mistaking her for an intruder. already her facebook and twitter pages have