mike hellgren, eyewitness news. >> thank you, mike. is scheduled to be in court this month. >>> a former prince georges county councilman is waking up behind bars. leslie johnson started serving her one year and one day sentence yesterday. she was convicting of stopping a investigation that involved her husband, jack johnson. he began serving his seven year prison stint last month. >>> a sky high h.i.v. rate. baltimore is a hotspot for the virus that causes a.i.d.s. meghan mccorkell explains. >> reporter: good morning. those numbers surprised eve then researchers. that risaying the most venerable population here in baltimore, black women. the study cup ducted by johns hopkins researchers finds the number of new h.i.v. cases in baltimore is five times higher than cdc estimates for black women nationwide. doctors are calling baltimore a h.i.v. hot spot with five other cities on the east coast. henry has been living with h.i.v. since 1995. >> i had to make a decision to enter live or -- or die. >> reporter: now, she serves as a patient ad

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mike hellgren explains the policing has no confidence in leopold's leadership. >> reporter: the aclu is demanding what they call a county executive. the state prosecutors claim leopold has security details to keep on political opponents. >> it's expressly forbidden by the law, so how is a top ranking government official spending time on this conduct is just outrageous. >> reporter: two got leopold to step down. the head of the international brotherhood of police officers is outraged at the protection staff to drive him to clean up his urine. >> the county will become once word spreads of the indictment to the country. >> reporter: follows a no- confidence vote. >> i was surprised to see 100% of the members who voted to vote that way. >> reporter: leopold had denied wrongdoing. he told wjz, i continue to work with the members and honored to serve as police chief and continue to have faith and confidence in all police department members. >> if there were reports of police officers turning a blind eye, i would say, shame on the chief. >> reporter: the aclu is especially worried about wh

. >> i'm mike hellgren. accused of using cops as spies to pick up political dirt on his opponents. now who's on that growing list of names? >> we have the complete weather forecast coming up next. complete coverage continues with denise koch, vic carter, kai jackson, and first warning weather with and sports ,,,,,,,, ♪ [ camera shutters clicking ] ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] announcing southwest airlines nationwide sale, with flights all over the country starting at only 69 dollars one-way. hurry and book now, only at southwest.com. ♪ >>> it's 65 degrees and clear in central maryland right now. the complete central warning forecast is coming up. firefighters in chile are facing a daunting tax. this factory goes up in flames. the fire and smoke fills santiago. hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze. some homes were evacuated, but they carried away the more populated areas. >>> new denver raging law fire killed two people in homes. dozens of them. more than a thousand people have evacuated. they contained the six-mile blaze. it was reignited by high winds and banned people from sett

mike hellgren has the latest. >> reporter: and this is the letter state police have denied the chief's request, saying the state prosecutor is already working on a similar investigation. >> reporter: anne arundel county's police chief is now asking state police to investigate whether his officers improperly used a state criminal database. in a letter to state police, chief james tier wrote tthat possibly violates state and federal laws. leopold is under indictment for misconduct in office and misappropriating state money. they used the criminal data basis to keep files on his political enemies, including political activist carl snowden. >> this is unprecedented. no other political activist has done this. >> if these charges are true, john leopold is not fit to hold office, and he should resign immediately. >> reporter: chief tier's letter comes after a no- confidence vote on him by two police unions, alleging that he turned a blind eye. and a subpoena from the county council who unanimously demanded tier testify before them under oath, about what, if anything, he knew at a special meet

mike hellgren is in west baltimore, where one of the rallies will be held today but we will start with mark strawsman from sanford, florida, the community that has been forced into the national spotlight with martin's death. [ singing ] >> reporter: last night dozens gathered outside a gated community where 17-year-old trayvon martin was shot and killed a month ago today. the shooter, george zimmerman, claims he fired in self defense and remains free. >>> sunday church services from florida to chicago turned into calls for justice. >> we can't do it by ourself, we need you god. >> reporter: in eatonville, florida, reverend jesse jackson implored the faithful to look at his killing as a new wake up call in a new battle for civil rights. martin's death and zimmerman's conditioned freedom has morphed from a criminal case to a national cause. trayvon's dad, tracey martin, thanked the miami heat for their support. friday star lebron james tweeted this picture of the basketball team wearing hoodies, a show of solidarity for the teenager. in dc hundreds rallied in the rain saturday. a day aft

mike hellgren explains why firefighters want the county leader out of office. >> reporter: firefighterce unions overwhelmingly voted they have no confidence in their leadership in the indictment against john leopold. some citizens are fed up too after the state prosecutors lured that the security detail was driving him to sexual encounters and keeping tabs on his lovers and political o opponents. >> i'm losing faith, not just in an official, a grown adult man, needs a code of behavior. >> reporter: there's a picture him on the job with business as usual on the police inspired chief vote. they've done an excellent job of maintaining public safety despite fiscal challenges. >> i think he should be given his day in court. he wants to resign. there's a lot of petty stuff going on because they didn't get the increases. >> reporter: the rhetoric. >> he's a failed leader. it's time for him to step aside. >> he doesn't want the moral authority any longer to do his job. >> reporter: mr. leopold said he has no intention of stepping down. legal experts say fighting an indictment like this can be

mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >>> all right, thank you very much mike. as a result of this case the maryland black legislative caucus is also asking the department of justice to review stand your ground laws in 21 states that give room for people to use deadly force instead of retreat during a fight. >>> an emotional town hall meeting and rally for trayvon the martin on the streets of sanford florida where a teen was killed walking home. complete coverage continues now with more on the outrage. >>> the parents of trayvon martin gathered with supporters at a church outside of sanford florida to defend their son. >> they've killed my son. and now they're trying to kill his reputation. >> reporter: the unarmed 17- year-old was gunned down last month in a suburban neighborhood. the shooter, neighborhood watch volunteer george zimmerman claims he fired in self- defense. zimmerman has not been arrested or charged. >> even in death, they are still disrespecting my son. >>> the family lawyer admits trayvon was suspended from school because traces of marijuana we

i'm mike hellgren.e arundel county executive is diewz accused of using top -- cops as spies to dig up political dirt on his political dirt on his op it's oysternomics 101. you start with a u.s. senator named ben. by helping restore thousands of acres of oyster beds, he kept hundreds of oystermen on the job... which keeps wholesalers in business... and that means more delivery companies... making deliveries to more restaurants... which hire more workers. and that means more oystermen. it's like he's out here with us. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. >>> coming up right now on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. abuse of scandal. tonight, the growing list of names. >>> justice forever phoenix. the retrial begins for twin brothers accused of setting a pit bull on fire. i'm weijia jiang with the latest next. >>> midair meltdown. the pilot wrestled to the ground by passengers and crewmembers. the charges he's facing. >>> showers and the rain. don't miss the updated first warning weather forecast.

mike hellgren is live in howard county, where that honor student grew up. mike? >> reporter: and police also searched his family's home here. in the end, it was a collaboration between university i.t. professionals, police and several social media websites that got to the bottom of these threats. >> reporter: time was critical. police at the university of maryland college park, believe someone was seriously planning a massacre at the heart of their campus. but the only evidence was anonymous threats on two social networking websites. within 13 hours, they were able to track down alexander song, the student accuse accused of making them. how did they do it? jim is an associate professor. he has decades in law enforcement and explains why no threat is truly anonymous. >> whenever you log onto the internet, you leave a digital footprint. with that i.p. address, the police are able to pinpoint a street address. it doesn't typically take the police a whole lot of time to narrow something like that down. this is an everyday occurrence across america. >> reporter: polic

mike hellgren has the county executive's response to the union. >> mr.eopold has been adamant there is no leadership. he praised the fire and police chiefs but union leaders are at their breaking points. firefighters and police unions in arundel voted they have no confidence in their

reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. kai? >> reporter: mike, thank you. >>> police are not releasing the children's names because tay are charged as juveniles. >>> baltimore police are searching for a sexual predator, after a woman says she was attacked in her bedroom. jessica kartalija is in the newsroom with more. jess? >> reporter: the woman tells detectives, the intruder broke into her north baltimore home late last night. it happened in the 3300 block of frisbee street. the victim said the man sexually assaulted her. she describes her attacker as 6 feet tall. he was wearing a black mask with gloves and a hooded sweatshirt. police are asking for help identifying that suspect. denise? >> thank you, jessica. if you think you have information, you're asked to call baltimore police. >>> today, the family of a man who killed trevon martin is speaking out in his defense. randall pinkston reports for wjz, from sanford, florida. >> reporter: george zim areman remains free and is not talking about the shooting death of trayvon mart

mike hellgren has surveillance video of that kidnapping. mike? >> reporter: kai, that child was okay. he was found in an airport in nevada. it was seven hours before anyone noticed him missing. that's when his dad went to pick him up at school yesterday. >> reporter: this is surveillance video of 9-year- old wilbert garcia, being kidnapped from his school. dodge park elementary in landover. authorities say his mom sylvia, who did not have custody, went to the school and claimed he had a doctor's appointment. she then left with the third grader, and there are serious questions about how someone, without custody, was able to walk out of a maryland elementary school, with a child. >> in this case, we were not fully aware of the circumstances. >> reporter: about 15 hours later, police found wilbert unharmed. thousands of miles away from home in reno, nevada, where they took his mom into custody. it's unclear why she took him all the way to nevada. the case prompted an amber alert, with highway signs lit up across maryland in the frantic search for wi

reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. mary? >> all right. mike. thank you. >>> new at 6:00, more reaction on the calls for leopold to step down, including why some believe this exposes the county to national ridicule. >>> an assistant principal at a howard county high school is accused of stealing from coworkers. 40-year-old40-year-old patricia murray is on paid administrative leave tonight, after she was charged with stealing credit cards from her colleagues. police say she admitted using one of them to buy christmas presents from her family. murray is a 12-year veteran of the school system and became a principal last year at howard high school. >>> the math shows the candidate who that will win the region. but romney's rivals they they're -- say they're not going anywhere. >> reporter: romney's associates say tuesday's primaries mean he'll be the last man standing. >> we're counting up the delegates for the convention and it looks good. and we're counting down the days to november and that looks even better. >> romney won six out of 10 of the co

i am mike hellgren at the anne arundel center where the county council called a special meeting afterf refused to testify. what they are going to do now. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. a masked man attacks a student at a local high school and all caught on tape. i am monique griego and we will show you that video. >> reporter: some stores will no longer tell the product because it gets stolen. >> as a nationwide spike in stolen laundry detergent continues police here crack down on a theft ring. >> and sharon gibala here with wjz traffic control. if you are about to head out this morning it is another foggy one. we will take a look at our speed censors in a few. right now over to tim. >> in for marty bass at the first warning weather center. you may be surprised at how warm it gets. we will have your forecast in a few moments. >> he is the lead college basketball analyst for cbs and has got a special interest in rooting for tonight's sweet 16 match ups, when his son will take to the hardwood. clark kellog will join us on this morning's coffee with. stay tuned the eyewitness news

mike hellgren is there

mike hellgren investigates the criticism. mike? >> reporter: kai, the manufacturer took caffeine out of four loko. but some, including maryland's attorney general, say it's still too strong with alcohol. and he would like to see the portion size downsize said. >> reporter: it's nicknamed blackout in a can. and the furor over four loko has reached a fevered pitch. saying a settlement with the maker over its packaging and marketing doesn't go far enough to regulate the drink. four loko gained notoriety, over several deaths in maryland, including that of courtney spery in 2010. >> she blacked out within 30 minutes of having the alcoholic beverage. >> and 30-year-old michael trulock. >> it could have been any of these children out here. >> reporter: the government will mandate labels, saying it contains the same amount of alcohol as 4 1/2 beers. they're also requiring resealable cans. but critics, including attorneys general in more than 30 states, led by maryland's doug gansler, wrote the ftc, calling four loko, disarmingly sweet, eye

mike hellgren is live with the impact. mike? >> reporter: mary, this could be devastating if he says he was ordered to conduct some sort of elicit -- illicit activity. or he could plead the fifth and say his boss did nothing wrong. >> reporter: the anne arundel county council has served the police chief in the first of what is expected to be a series of subpoenas of county leaders, ordering they testified under oath on illegal and actions. >> it's unfortunate when communities who are otherwise pretty quiet, they're stepping up now and saying more and more that you owe us the answers that we need. and chief tier is the only person that can provide them. >> reporter: the state prosecutor charged leopold with misconduct in office for ordering his police security detail to drive him to sexual liaisons and dig up dirt on his enemies. police unions voted no confidence on the chief. >> it's his prerogative to not answer on the advice of council. and that will-- counsel. and that will provide advice in and of itself. >> reporter: counci

i'm mike hellgren, with it's time to get going.o have the energy to turn a "to do" list into a memory. to put more giddy-up in our get-along. to keep stepping up even in overtime. it's time to start gellin' with dr. scholl's... ... and mix a little more hop in our hip hop. thanks to the energizing support and cushioning of dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles, your feet will feel so good... >>> coming up next on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. the latest on how a police officer is connected to the shooting death of a 13-year-old baltimore girl. >>> the new evidence prosecutors have against documents on barry landau. and who they're asking tonight. >>> in a stunning move, the president announced he was moving the g-8 summit to camp here in maryland. i'm weijia jiang, with how locals are preparing to welcome the most powerful leaders in the world. that's next. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. desire gunfire i think -- >>> gunfire rings out on a pittsburgh campus. >

wjz is downtown, where mike hellgren has their emotional plea. >> reporter: this is legislation that would go beyond amber alerts, making anyone who is 17 and under who go missing a priority. and for barnes' family, it's a labor of love. >> reporter: the latest journey for phylicia barnes' loved ones in their quest for justice is in annapolis. >> i will never forget her. >> it will create mandatory guidelines for missing children, focusing on the first few moments after they disappear. phylicia's case didn't get immediate attention after she went missing. authorities conducted exhaustive searches and months later, found her murdered and floating in the susquehanna river. >> we knew that phylicia's character would not run away. we want to make sure other families do not go what we went through. >> it was at least 4 to 6 hours before something was done, before someone even came out to even inquire about what was going on. >> reporter: under phylicia's law, there would be no mandatory law before beginning investigations, no police rules discouraging filing an immediate report. and state

i'm mike hellgren. anne arundel county. with fallout against county executive john leopold.unions have voted no confidence in him and want him out. ,[ male announcer ] for the saver, and a big first step. for the spender who needs a little help saving. for adding "& sons." for the dreamer, planning an early escape. for the mother of the bride. for whoever you are, for whatever you're trying to achieve, pnc has technology, guidance, and over 150 years of experience to help you get there. ♪ >>> coming up on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. it's a new fallout from the indictment of ann arundle county executive john leopold. what lawmakers and union leaders are saying. >>> dead at 13. a young girl's body found in this darling neighborhood alley. i'm derek valcourt. the search for answers coming up on eyewitness news. >>> first tornadoes. now snow. widespread destruction across the midwest. and snow slows the cleanup. >>> this is mark viviano with the orioles in sarasota. it's spring training. but many an lifts say it won't be a winning season ahead for the orioles. these players can

mike hellgren, eyewitness news. >> officer-involved suffered shoulder injuries. no charges have been filed. >>> package forces police to evacuate a grocery store and a school. roland park avenue was shutdown for several hours. when the bomb squad checked out a backpack. police gave the all clear. that is because the bag was filled with books. >>> there is a growing trend in the workplace. it involves social media. more employers are asking job applicants for their facebook passwords. in hoping of getting more insight before they offer anyone a new position. right now there is nothing stopping them. but lawmakers in annapolis are pushing for a bill to block employers from asking for your log in information. >> i think it is very invasive. so many people have a lot of personal information on the social media site. it is like taming a phone. >> the bill has passed in the senate. it is currently awaiting a vote from the house of delegates. >>> a historic bell is headed back home back home to townsend university. that sound will soon ring through tow send, when the 97

reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right mike, we can hear members of the rally clearly. >>> as a result of this case the maryland caucus is asking the department of justice to review stand your ground laws in 21 states to give room for people to use deadly force instead of retreat during a fight. >>> well thousands of people including ravens star ray lewis are also turning out for a rally tonight in the city where trayvon martin died. complete coverage from sanford florida. >> reporter: the parents of trayvon martin gathered with supporters at a church outside sanford florida to defend their son. >> they've killed my son, and now they are trying to kill his reputation. >> reporter: the unarmed 17- year-old was gunned down last month in a gated neighborhood. the shooter claims he fired in self-defense. zimmerman has not been charged. >> even in death they are still disrespecting my son. >> reporter: news that trayvon martin had been suspended from school because they found traces of marijuana in his notebook. >> whatever trayvon was suspended for, it doesn't matt

reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you.g even more files than it believes the county executive ordered on other politicians and their families, both democrat and republican. >>> a plane is forced to make an emergency landing at bwi marshall airport. the single-engine aircraft collapsed this afternoon. the two people on board escaped without injury. just a short time later, police responded to bwi for an unruly passenger on a different plane. they escorted a man off a southwest airline flight and took him into custody. we're working to get more details for you right now. >> an unusual accident causes a fire and big delays on the beltway this morning. this morning, a load of hay in the back of a tractor-trailer went up in flames. the mess blocked the entire outer loop on i-65, near green spring avenue. sky eye chopper 13 is over the scene as baltimore fire crews spray the hay with water and use shovels to clean it up. no injuries are reported. >>> president obama comes to maryland to try to cap the political fallout. the pres

mike hellgren is live outside of city police headquarters with new reaction rom the mayor. good afternoon, mike. >> reporter: good afternoon, don, good afternoon everybody, the mayor is disappointed and blames in part the warm weather but says she is committed to keeping downtown safe. during a beautiful weekend at the inner harbor, police had to work to disperse a crowd of hundreds, young people gathering downtown. likely an event organized on social media and runted in ten arrests, mostly for curfew violations. it's not the first time. last april a similar sprik break meet up ended with a teenager stabbed and officers tried to get crowds under on control. some were unruly and media partner, the ballet nor sun reports an officer used a taser saturday, unclear if it's related. the sun reports streets were blocked off and arrests for assault and disorderly conduct. the inner harbor drawn focus after several tragedies in the past year, including violence after the 4th of july fireworks the that left a man dead. police flooded the area and enforced the curfew to keep the neighb

mike hellgren has new reaction to the scandal for us. mike? >> reporter: mary, -- more than 500 officers are casting their votes. those votes should be in by 10:00 tonight. and we have all new reaction on the scandal that is making waves throughout the county. >> reporter: anne arundel county executive john leopold faces another no-confidence vote. this time, from a rank and file police officer. the state prosecutor claims leopold used his security detail for demeaning personal tasks, including driving him to secret sexual encounters. >> the state prosecutor saw it as an opportunity to fire a shot across the bough of other politicians who might be tempted to misuse state employees in similar ways. >> reporter: legal analyst andrew levy believes the state tax on the prosecutor's team, the same office who brought down former baltimore mayor sheila dixon, are unfounded here. >> you don't have to go back very far before you can find democrats who are the target of the office, as well as republicans. >> reporter: and the allegations go beyond sex.

mike hellgren is live with how it unfolded. good afternoon, mike. >> reporter: the chase lasted for a little more than two miles and the identities have not been released. this is what remains of a toyota that crashed in to a tree at the washington dc line after a police pursuit for several miles through maryland. it started just after 1:00 in the morning when police spotted the car with four people inside and noticed it was reported stolen. the officer fouled it down connecticut where the car crashed in to a tree. the boys were trapped in the backseat. the driver and front passenger will survive. >> the driver, driver, i would describe as serious. he was in surgery earlier. the front seat passenger was injured but able to speak to us. >> reporter: one officer was hurt with burns and a shoulder injury but has been released from the hospital. police used fire ex-tipping extinguishers and broke the glass but the flames flared up and they had to back off. >>> no word on any charges in the case. >>> a masked man attack as student ou

mike hellgren has the strong words from the police union head who says this could lead to a public safety crisis. mike? >> reporter: and denise, this all comes as the county executive says this is all running smoothly. but some county employees say that's far from the truth. and the aclu tonight is especially concerned about allegations mr. leopold was spying on his opponents. >> reporter: the aclu is demanding access to what they're calling indicted anne arundel county executive john leopold's enemy's list. prosecutors say he asked for a security detail to keep on political opponents? >> it's expressly forbidden by the law. and to have a top-ranking government official expressing this is outrageous. >> reporter: and two police officers want leopold to step down. the head of the police union. >> anne arundel county will become, once this spreads, the laughingstock of the country. >> reporter: this comes after a no confidence vote from the fraternal order of police. >> like anybody, i think i was surprised to see 100% of the members to vote that way. >> reporter: leopold has denied wrongdo

mike hellgren has more on the allegations and reaction to the controversial arrest. >>> baltimore city police arrested, handcuffed, three 9- year-old girls and an 8-year- old boy at morrow park elementary school, after a vicious fight last week. they're charged as juveniles in an attack on a playground, where according to police, one victim's head was placed under water, and another victim was put on railroad tracks. kimberly regger has children who attend classes here. >> he knows it's not right at all. they should have hand -- handled it a different way. >> the action of the baltimore police department and arresting and handcuffing very young children are appalling and in violation of state regulations, regarding school arrests. >> reporter: they told the baltimore sun, he's upset, because he was not notified of the arrests. >> reporter: he also told the sun it was retaliation, after his son and granddaughters were beaten on the swing set. police defended handcuffing the children at school. >> reporter: certainly, it's our policy whenever someone is arrested, regardless of their age,

mike hellgren explains it is proof popular and stills deadly for teenagers. >> reporter: it is nicknamed blackout in a can and the furor over for loco has reached a fever pitch with an unprecedented number of people writing the federal trade commission saying a settlement with the maker doesn't go far enough to regulate the drink. for loco gained notoriety after several deaths in maryland, including that of courtney spurry in 2010. >> she blacked out within 30 minutes of having the alcoholic beverage. >> and michael just days ago. >> it could have been any one of these children. >> the deposit will mandate new labels telling consumers the drink contains the same amount of alcohol as 4.5 beers and also requiring resealable cans and no images in ads showing people drinking from a single container. but critics including attorneys general in more than 30 states wrote the ftc, calling for loco disarmingly sweet, eye-catching cans, normalizing and promoting binge drinking especially among youths. >> i think it is dangerous to children and that is to whom they are marketing. >> they want the ag

mike hellgren takes us inside a high tech police operation. >> reporter: time was critical. police at the university of maryland college park believed someone was planning a massacre at the heart of their campus but the only evidence was ano, anonymous threats. within 13 hours they tracked him down. how did they do. he is a professor and has decades in law enforcement and explained why no threat is truly anonymous. >> whenever you log on you leave a digital footprint. with that ip address the police are able to pinpoint a street address. it doesn't typically take the police a whole lot of time to narrow something like that down. this is an every day occurrence across america. >> police in college park first made calls to the headquarters of the company in california. >> we were met with unanswered calls and so forth and had to work throughout the night to actually make that contact. >> with the clock ticking the race was on to trace it. saturday night at 9:25 they got their first report of an anonymous threat from a tipster, by sunday at 4:45 a.m. they identified the ip addr

reporting live at the howard cold county police headquarters, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> vanison's next court appearance is scheduled for june 6th. >>> the president of maryland's largest university resigns. >> reporter: senator tom harkin, chairman of the u.s. senate education committee wants umuc to hand over charging documents. senator harkin is asking for records, relating to umuc's enrollment and workplace accusations. he is concerned that susan aldridge face -- forced out dozens, and offered to pay them for their silence. >> umuc enrolls thousands of students, mostly through online classes. >>> two new leaders today. f. dallas dance has accepted the county school board's offer to become superintendent. the 30-year-old is already the chief medical officer. he was also a candidate for the job in howard county. and today, the howard county school board has announced it has chosen renee fiewft. she becomes the first woman to head the school district. >>> take a look outside. it is definitely cooler outside this evening. meteorologist bernadette woods outback. let's firs

mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> the aclu is requesting more files it believes the county executive ordered on other politicians and their families both democrat and republican. >>> we continue to follow this morning's breaking news in afghanistan, where a military helicopter has crashed overnight. we have video just into the newsroom. the chopper crashed into some houses near the afghan capitol of kabul, killing 12 turkish soldiers on board and two young girls on the ground. it is unclear what caused the helicopter to go down. >>> a lawyer for the soldier accused of sharing classified information with wikileaks wants those charges dismissed. bradley manning spent another day in court at fort meade yesterday. the military prosecutor says he downloaded and sent thousands of documents and cables to the antiscreesy website. the judge did not make an immediate ruling on manning's lawyer's request. if he is convicted he would spend the rest of his life in prison. >>> this morning baltimore city police are following new regulations after the death of one of their officers at the hands of

wjz continues to investigate this scandal and here is mike hellgren with the latest developments. >> reporter: the anne arundel county council has served the police chief with the first in what is expected to be a series of subpoenas to county leaders, ordering they testify under oath about possible illegal and improper actions at the direction of their boss, county executive john leopold. >> when he comes to talk to us he will be talking under under the penalty of perjury and we can compel him to testify so i suspect he will be there voluntarily. >> the state prosecutor charged leopold. they voted him no confidence claiming he did nothing to stop him. >> we are moving quickly to get to the bottom of it. >> he says it does not mean he did anything wrong, they just want to know what he knew and when he knew it. >>> also the aclu is demanding they conduct an audito audit of how they used their database. he says he ordered them to use it to check criminal records of his political opponents. public safety told wjz it understands and respects their concerns. if asked the department will c

reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right. thank you very much, mike. leopold is not married. >>> just a short time ago, county executive leopold called into wjz. and i spoke with him live on air about the indictment against him. >> state prosecutor has had his opportunity to present his side of the story. i look forward to my side of the story being heard. in a court of law, all sides have the opportunity to present evidence and argument, as opposed to the grand jury process, which can be manipulated and sold solely by the state prosecutor. i would ask my fellow citizens to reserve judgment until then. and that they be patient until the judicial process takes its course. there's only one proper forum for these issues to be discussed. it's in the court. and i look forward to my side of the story being heard. >> reporter: does that mean you're denying any of these charges? >> i think the proper forum to have all of these issues aired is in the court system. and i look forward to having the opportunity to do it there. >> and at this point, you're planning

reporting live in clinton, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> reporter: all right, mike. thank you. >>> pink was takca ya's first color -- favorite color and many wore it today in her honor. >>> a child was struck by a police car in east baltimore. police say one of their officers hit the child on the intersection of south highland and loveerton avenue. the victim, though, is expected to be okay. we're working to get more detailoss exactly what happened. details on exactly what happened. . >>> political scandal involving john leopold. denise is in the newsroom to explain who is now cooperating with the investigation. denise? >> reporter: well, kai, the anne arundel countiy police department's second in command says he will answer questions about the case. deputy chief emerson davis will appear before the council monday night. he will discuss the pending criminal charges against leopold. he is accused of directing people to dig up dirt. the council plans to question davis about rules and protocols. this comes one week after police chief james tier testified under oath abou

mike hellgren has more on this mysterious death. >> reporter: this was a straight a student, getting ready to go to college in the baltimore area later this year. we know of no preexisting health conditions that led to her collapse on the track here behind me. >> reporter: heartbroken classmates released pink balloons on the tracks. in honor of tacaya. the honor student was set to attend towson university in the fall. her dad said she told a friend she was having chest pains, moments before she collapsed. she danced with him the night before her death. >> you know, we were waltzing last night. and i was teasing her and she was teasing me. >> she was a beautiful person. she was just the nicest girl you could ever meet. even before she knew who i was, she was just so kind. >> reporter: loved ones say tacaya was the picture of health. a vegetarian and an avid runner! we were just laughing about how her diet was so much healthier than ours. >> reporter: as they gather here to honor her, friends and family cried together and held each other for support, searching for the "why" in this tra

reporting live in howard county, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. song faces a misdemeanor charge that carries a maximum of six months in jail. >>> maryland's unemployment rate falls to the lowest level in three years. 5,000 marylanders got jobs in january. the jobless rate now stands at 6.5%. that's below the national average of 8.3%. maryland has added jobs for five straight months. >>> the slowly improving economy has investors in a buying mood on wall street. dow up 218 points. s&p 500 up 25. and the nasdaq up 56. and over 3,000 for the first time since december 2000. >>> well, stocks are up. so are the temperatures. what a way for winter to come to an end. people planting flowers. others unloading for the weekend. so early. enjoying the warmth and sunshine. hard to ask for anything more. a live look outside right now. if we could bottle and sell days like today, bob turk would each be rich -- even be richer than he is, if that's possible. meteorologist bernadette woods and bob turk have the forecast. >> this unbelievable forecast. people are sc

reporting live in howard county, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> we'll have new reaction to this story coming up at 6:00. >>> new reports surface about the night trayvon martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch captain in florida. randall pinkston reports for wjz. details of the police investigation is being leaked as the case sparks new protest negligence our nation's capital. >> reporter: hundreds of people rallied in front of the department of justice in washington. demanding justice for trayvon martin. >> reporter: sanford's new acting police chief says the investigation of trayvon's death death is now in the hands of florida state authority. >> we're waiting on the outcome of those investigations, whatever they may be. >> reporter: the sanford police department is under criticism again, after the police report from the night of the shooting was leaked. george shrimper --ivismerman said he exchanged words with officers who then alleged -- martin, who allegedly punched him. >> we are looking for the the so-called leak if you will. >> reporter: a neighbor called 911.

here is mike hellgren with more on her mysterious death. >> reporter: heartbroken classmates released pink balloons on the track in honor of the student who died here while jogging during gym class. the honor student was set to attend towson university in the fall. her dad says she told her friends she was having chest pains moments before she collapsed. she danced with him the night before her death. >> you know and we were waltzing last night and i was teasing her and she was teasing me. >> the she was a beautiful person. she was the nicest person you could ever met, even before she knew who i was, she was so kind. >> loved ones say she was the picture of health, a vegetarian and avid runner. >> we were just laughing about how her diet was so much better than ours. >> it is going to be hard. >> as they gathered to honor her friends and family cried together and held each other for support, searching for the why in this tragedy. >> she had such a wonderful spirit we can't help but celebrate who she was. >> we never know what is going to happen so we have to just live our lives the be

reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. today is romney's anniversary. his wife is campaigning. stay with wjz for complete coverage of campaign 2012. for results and live updates on the campaign trail, log onto wjz.com. >>> putting baltimore on a budget. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake reveals a spending plan for the city that is lawyer causing some controversy. week is live tonight at city hall. political reporter pat warren breaks down the ins for us. pat? >> that's right. mayor rawg is looking for something to give a 2% tax. >> the first 2% installment to reduce property taxes. it will eventually be offset by slots revenue. >> we knew that the slots would not be open. so we knew we could do that. through some of the innovative ways. >> the city employees will not be getting a cost of living raise. but for the first time in year the, they won't have to take mandatory furlough days. the mayor will stop the rotating fire company closures and permanently close three fire companies. the budget also eliminates 231 positions, mo

i'm mike hellgren at the mitt romney town hall in arbutus. i'll explain maryland's influence on ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, it's oysternomics 101. you start with a u.s. senator named ben. by helping restore thousands of acres of oyster beds, he kept hundreds of oystermen on the job... which keeps wholesalers in business... and that means more delivery companies... making deliveries to more restaurants... which hire more workers. and that means more oystermen. it's like he's out here with us. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. >>> coming up on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. mitt romney in maryland. his message to voters. >>> who benefits? and who loses. i'm pat warren. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake outlines her new budget proposal. >>> hi, everyone. i'm jessica kartalija. we're in washington, d.c., where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. more from the cherry blossom festival coming up. >>> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> ladies and gentlemen, governor, soon

reporting live at city police headquarters, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. police say they made more than 10 arrests before the crowd dispersed. attorneys are asking for a new trial for george huguely, the man accused of convicting baltimore county native yeardley love. >> well, mary, we have been expecting this. and huguely appeared in a prison jump suit and handcuffs. his lawyer is asking to set aside time for a hearing on a motion for retrial. a judge found the former lacrosse player guilty in the beating death of yeardley love. huguely is also fighting requests for media outlets to have several pieces of evidence made public. the defense argues that the release of that evidence would make it difficult to seat a trial if they are retried. >> he was sentenced to 24 years, but he's still waiting to formally be sentenced by a judge. >>> right now, police are looking for a man who ran off the eastern shore. jessica kartalija is monitoring this manhunt. >> reporter: good evening, kai. goodgood evening, to everyone. police believe that man is in came bridge or

reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> the aclu is calling the police chief's refusal to testify inexcusable. >>> chaos at long reach high school in howard county. punches are thrown between an adult and a teenager on school property. wjz is live. weijia jiang explains what sparks the violence, and how it's affecting students there. weijia? >> reporter: students and parents say what they find most appalling is that the adult is an outsider. he walked right on the campus with no problem, with a dangerous mission in mind. >> reporter: cell phone video captures the terrifying moment an intruder, wearing a black ski mask, arrives at long beach high school in columbia. police say the man you see in blue only identified as an adult from baltimore, threw a punch at a 16-year-old junior, a member of the football team. when the student strikes back, the adult drops to the ground, unconscious. >> he just knocked him out. >> reporter: the video posted on the website, world star hip- hop.com, has gone viral. many viewers are stunned. >> it is a frightening situation for the studen

i'm mike hellgren, with details of an arrest. and a case of an assault on and a case of an assault on school grounds that went ,,,, oh dear... oh dear! ohh dear... i'm not sure exactly what happened here last night. i was out helping people save money on their car insurance. 2 more! you're doing it! aren't they doing great?! hiiiiiii!! come sweat with me! keep going richard. keep sweating!! geico. fifteen minutes could save you sweat! sweat! fifteen percent or more on car insurance. the passat is one of nine volkswagen models named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. not that we'd ever brag about it. turn right. come on, nine. turn left. hit the brakes. huh? how'd that get there? [ male announcer ] we can't hide how proud we are to have nine top safety picks like the passat and jetta. so we're celebrating with our "safety in numbers" event. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 jetta for $159 a month. >>> coming up on eyewitness news at 5:00. details on the man and the charges he's facing for fighting at a loc

mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> reporter: and police have charged song with a misdemeanor that carries up to six months in jail. >> an overly woman, missing and presumed dead in a case. jessica kartalija with the story. >> reporter: today, the pinellas county sheriff's office is second adding $25,000 to the reward. roth welgrew up in florida march 12th, 2011. friends say he was on her way to break up with her boyfriend. roth wel's family says they believe that kelly is dead, but they want to bring her body home. perry moved to new york abruptly, after roth weldisappeared. kai? >> roth welwas training as a police cadet when she disappeared. >>> some good news on the jobs front in maryland. in january, the state added 5,000 jobs, lowering the unemployment rate to 6 1/2%. the figure is the state's lowest since january of 2009. the national unemployment figure is at 8.3%. nearly all of the job growth, 82%, was created in the private sector. >>> looks like winter is over, despite what the calendar says. wjz is in towson today and found people outside enjoying the above-average tempe

reporting live in city police headquarters, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. vic?ke, thank you. the house judiciary committee held hearings on phylicia's law, throughout the afternoon, and advocates hope it passes during this legislation. >>> and state legislators are also trying to get parents to stop smoking in front of their children. the state passed legislation, banning drivers from smoking in cars if a child under 8 is inside that car. police will be able to pull smoking drivers over and fine them $50. the house of delegates still has to sign off on the bill. >>> washington monument may be on the move. last year's earthquake may have caused even more problems than we realized. >> reporter: it's hard to imagine anything as big as the washington monument moving. but not if you were up top last august. >> it was absolutely terrifying. they were shaking so violently, to have the mortar falling on your head. the fear was so high, i was sure we were under attack. i didn't realize at first that it was an earthquake. >> a 5.8 earthquake. engineers found structural da

mike hellgren is in the newsroom to tell us who is being ordered to answer questions in this case. >> reporter: the anne arundel county council is ordering lieutenant colonel james pier to appear before them. charges he used his security detail to have officers do his personal errands. the indictment charges chief tier was inappropriate -- was aware that leopold was inappropriately using the security detail but did nothing. >> all right, mike. thank you. >>> and coming up, hear from the aclu on the alleged violation of first amendment rights. that's all new at 5:00 and 6:00. >>> our weather pattern continues now. outside, it's warm and humid for the first full day of spring. wjz has weather and traffic together. bob turk is here with the updated numbers from first warning weather. >> it's just continuing. you're right. the whole eastern half of the country is way above normal. 10, 20, 30 degrees in some locations. take a look at radar. there are just a few light sprinkles and showers to the north of us. we'll take a quick look around. the closest thing i can find, a few very light spr

mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. the aclu is calling the police chief's refusal to testify, inexcusable. >>> the head of a college system in maryland is mysteriously placed on leave and no reason is given. now, one month later, susan aldron says she is stepping down. but there is still no explanation as to why. >> reporter: welcome to the university of maryland, university college. >> reporter: considered a national leader in online higher education, susan aldridge has been president at umuc since 2006. now, one month after the school reveals she was placed on leave, university of maryland system chancellor, william kerwin refuses to answer questions about the abrupt change at the top and will only confirm that aldridge is stepping down. >> reporter: she felt that it was in her best interest and the intest -- best interest of the university to pass the baton to someone else. >> reporter: but in a statement released thursday, aldridge says, given all that we've accomplished over the past six years, i think this is a g

mike hellgren is live with the latest. good afternoon. >> reporter: good afternoon. this is the letter and state police denied the chief's request, saying the state prosecutor is already working on a similar investigation. anne arundel county's police chief is asking state police to investigate whether his officers improperly used a criminal database. in a letter to state police the chief wrote that possibly violates state and federal laws. leopold is under indictment for misconduct in office and missouri appropriating taxpayer money. the state prosecutor alleges he used the criminal database to keep files on his political enemies including carl snodwden. >> this is unprecedented and no county executive has ever done this. >> and joan conti. >> if these charges are true, john leopold is not fit to hold office. and he should resign immediately. >> chief tear's letter comes after a no confidence vote in him by two police unions, alleging he turned a blind eye to the county executive's mis- use of his police security detail and a subpoena from the county council who dem