monique griego is live from the fire scene. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, don. good morning everyone. yes, police did arrest a man who was an employee at the shop and this morning one man who knew him says he is not surprised. jason hicks is facing arson charges this morning, one week after a 3-alarm fire destroyed the store where he worked. the flames injured one american and sent smoke in to the county reaching pikesville. >> when i heard a co-worker yell fire , the fire is touching the ceiling. >> reporter: panic, and i told everybody let's get out of here. >> reporter: ruben owns the auto repair shop next door and not surprised to hear of the arrest. >> reporter: maxwell called police several times to deal with hicks and warned the tire store owner. hicks faces a long list of criminal charges, no word yet on a possible mote i have. >> reporter: thank you very much. the shop's building has been condemned. >>> five people are hurt following a car crash, it happened when the cars collided on liberty road. it's not clear what happened. all the injuries should be

wjz's ponique grieg -- monique griego has the latest. >> reporter: investigators believe 42-year-oldavid hang stabbed his stepdaughter to death. and they say dna linked him to the case. >> it's a crime that linked them. jessica nguyen was found stabbed to death inside the town home on raven avenue. >> we were upset. >> neighbors like scott sharpnack waited months for an arrest. then this week, a break. montgomery county police arrested david rich hang, nguyen's stepfather for her murder. >> evidence was discovered which led detectives to mr. hang. >> reporter: investigators say dna found on a knife, sheets and boot prints linked hang to the more murder -- to the murder. they say hang no longer lived in the home, but it has been proved that he and nguyen's mother were going through a messy divorce. >> we don't know the specifics of the divorce, but we do know that hang was also married to another woman. >> police focused on family members and those who may have had access to the house. >> through a process of elimination, detectives were able to narrow down their search. >> reporter:

monique griego has more. good morning. >> reporter: the couple first met hear -- here last students in the 1950s. several decades later fate would bring them together. hundreds filled morgan state university. the couple died when their house caught fire. >> they will be sorely missed. >> reporter: 80-year-old jennye was a retired teacher and principal and a 60-year member of the delta sigma theta sorority. >> they have affected the lives of many, many people. >> reporter: 78-year-old donald also graduated from lower gan state, was an educator and became stawnts superintendent of city schools. he belonged to the omega psi phi fraternity. >> worked very heard with students. >> reporter: the couple didn't marry until 1987 when they worked together at greenspring junior high. >> the students can see what commitment to the community does. >> reporter: we're told the mayor did meet with the family in private before the service. don? >> firefighters still haven't determined the cause for that fire. >>> a drive home

monique griegos has more. >> reporter: gas prices are causing some sticker shock. >> at first i thoughtwas an incorrect prize. >> reporter: aisha williams had to do a double take before filling up at this exxon. >> gas nowadays are is high. it's so expensive. so when you see 3.17 it's out of this world. >> reporter: within the past month gas prices have dropped by almost 30-cents. right now the national average is $3.40 a gallon. in maryland it's $3.32 a gallon. while that's still almost 60 seconds more than a year ago, drivers are enjoying the dip. >> i was surprised, happily surprised. >> reporter: virginia aredelo says the dip is typical for this time of year and could last a few months before rebounding in 2012. >> after any major economic events or even geo political events they will probably continue to decline. many analysts are saying they will get back to that $3 per gallon range and many people are saying they are already there but they're not. >> reporter: gas prices were reporting some places at around $3 or less a gallon. we drove to a few of those stations and found that t

monique griego reports from college. >> reporter: this is said to be home for the students. students were ready to get on board today. but once again, things department go as planned. >> from dorm room to dock side. >> i kind of thought it was a joke at first. >> >> it was the pipes in the ceiling. so we never really saw it. but i'm pretty sure it did. >> students were put up in holts. but they were too far away from campus. so joe fargo said an alumni talked about a vacant cruise ship. >> i think they've done an amazing job of pullinging it altogether in such a short amount of time. >> sounds like they're going to have more amenities on the ship than they did in the dorm. like housekeeping service. >> reporter: just as they were to make their way down the ramp, school leaders announced there was a problem with getting the ship to dock. and that meant their moving day was going to be pushed back another 24 hours. >> i'm ready to be settled somewhere. i want to have a home. >> reporter: allison and the are the students will have to head back to the hotel until their adventure

monique griego has the story. >> reporter: good morning everyone.as much as they did a few months ago. the gosh is -- governor is trying to change. that governor o'malley is starring in a new web video supporting same-sex marriage. the naacp of maryland is joining in that support. however, one member said he won't be changing his vote. >> according to the latest gonzales poll, same-sex marriage isn't the only issue voters are concerned w the governor's rating has dipped and the president's approval rating has dipped 5% to 49% in maryland. >>> underground metro stations in the city are open after all eight were shut down. people were complaining of a strong gas like owe door but investigators said they could find nothing dangerous and couldn't confirm where the smell was coming from. up next, show walks away a free woman, but what's next for amanda knox. >>> hear about i will awaken you with a song. i will present your world, at a glance. i will remain untangled and uncomplicated. and let nothing or no one go unnoticed. all from one. all for you. i a

i'm monique griego. coming up, we'll let you know. >>> and it's a gray, wet afternoon. but will the skies clear up tomorrow? bob turk is working on your first warning forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> a tennessee pastor is busted for stealing pills and it is all caught on tape. an elderly woman who takes painkillers for shoulder injuries set up a hidden camera when she noticed her pills were disappearing. when she set the playback, she noticed her priest breaking into her home. the pastor is charged with aggravated burglary. he may have other victims. >>> a call for help from a corn maze. >> i'm really scared. it's really dark. and we've got a 3-week-old baby with us. >> calm down. >> the couple and two children called 911, after hours of trying to find their way out. of this corn maze in massachusetts. it is massive. police arrived a few minutes later to help them find their way to the end. >>> a virginia father builds a treehouse for his two sons, just as he promised after he returned from iraq. but as lindsey mathis reports, he may have to break it down. >> it was p

monique griego is life live on story. >> reporter: police say the man arrested was an employee at theis facing arson charges afa 3-alarm fire. the flames injured one person and september motor vehicle to the county reaching parts of pikesville. -- sent smoke to the county reaching parts of makes pikesville. hicks is facing a long list of criminal charges. >>> investigation underway after police shoot a man. last night responding to reports of a armed person on st. victor when the man aimed his gun at home. a officer told him to drop and when he didn't and opened fire. i he is listed in critical condition. >>> speed cameras in baltimore are working today. three cameras in baltimore relocated. today howard county will begin using two mobile speed cameras in school zones. drivers will be cited if they are going over 12 miles per hour over the speed limit. hey, what are you drinkin'? i'm drinkin' dunkin'. coffee -- black, straight up. extra cream, three sugars. french vanilla. iced coffee for me. iced coffee with a turbo shot. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunki

wjz's monique griego lets us listen in. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: philadelphia freedom, with a charm citywist. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: as the baltimore symphony orchestra joins john cavanaugh with the music of elton john and more. >> i get to sing the songs i grew up with, the songs i love. >> reporter: cavanaugh is kicking off the super pop sears this weekend. he and the band will perform the greatest hits with the orchestra's help. >> reporter: they say this takes them to another level. >> when you add, you know, the baltimore symphony behind it, it's a whole new experience. >> reporter: cavanaugh, who plays the guitar and piano, knows he has big keys to fill. >> i'm going to stay true. i'm going to do the song justice, to the best that i can. >> reporter: whether he's playing your song or another, cavanaugh promises even elton's most devoted fans won't be disappointed. >> if i don't have them out of their seats by the end screaming, i feel like i haven't done my job. >> reporter: monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. ♪ [ music ] >> great. the music of elton john and more debuts tonight

wjz's monique griego is there, as hampstead hill students head to the white house. [ kids screaming ] >> reporter: kids can't always control their excitement. but for these students, the frenzy is for good reason. >> because we're going to the white house to meet the president and michelle obama. >> reporter: kevin is one of the students from hampstead hill academy who hopped on a bus to meet the first lady. >> she's trying to break the guinness book of world records for number of kids jumping jacks. >> go. >> it's all part of michelle obama's let's move program, an initiative that finds innovative ways to get kids active. and these students seem to love it. >> it's an effort to prevent childhood obesity. >> childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years. and around 17% of kids, ages 12 to 19. hampstead school garden is one way they're getting kids to eat better. >> it's very nice. we get to eat healthy foods. >> jalapenos. there's a lot of healthy stuff in our garden. >> reporter: this isn't the first time that this has had the white house calling. >> reporter: and they have been

monique griego has the answers. >> reporter: pumped up recently? you might get a pleasant surprise. >> well, if the gas prices were a little bit lower, $3.31. >> reporter: the price for gas is the lowest it's been in seven months. >> great, great. and beautiful. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the national average dropped 17 cents in the past month to $3.45 a gallon. >> reporter: for drivers in baltimore, pumping up was even less painful, with drivers taking advantage of prices around $3.30 a gallon. >> yeah, i just filled up my tank all the way now. >> triple a says the drop shouldn't be a shock. >> we typically see the gas prices coming down somewhat. >> and filling up could cost more in the coming months. >> that being said, they don't want people to become too comfortable because they're also saying that those prices will likely rebound by the beginning of 2012. >> the gas prices go up and down. they have to each it out somehow. >> reporter: prices at the pump may be going down. but they're still not necessarily low. >> the national average is still

monique griego sits down with two of the show's stars. >> what ain't we got?'t got -- >> reporter: soulful sailors are only part of what you'll get in the south pacific. >> just covers life and love in wartime. >> reporter: on stage, katie reid and marcelo gusso transform into a u.s. navy nurse and french plantation owner, who fall in love in south pacific. the broadway musical, which is set in world war ii, debuted university at the hippodrome. [ singing ] >> reporter: while love is the major part of the show, it also tackles the topic of war and racial prejudice. it it's those themes and the messages behind them that cast members say keep the play current. >> i think in that way, it's never outdated. >> there's still racial tensions. there's still this idea of becoming bigger than yourself, and questioning what you've been taught. >> reporter: while this south pacific play is based on this production, cast members tell us they try to make the performance into their own. >> this is a version that has never been done before. >> it's the costume set designs, an

monique griego got a glimpse of their rehearsal. ♪ [ music ] >> philadelphia freedom, with a charm citysic ] >> reporter: as the baltimore symphony orchestra joins michael cavanaugh for the music of elton john and more. >> i get to perform the songs i grew up with and love. >> he performs this weekend. he and his band will perform greatest hits with the orchestra's help. cavanaugh says adding the orchestra to these already great songs just takes them to another level. >> we're not changing elton's music that much. but when you add the baltimore symphony behind it, it's a whole new experience. >> reporter: cavanaugh, who plays the guitar and piano knows he has big keys to fill. >> i'm going to be me but stay true to the song and do it justice to the best he can. >> reporter: so whether he's playing your song or another, cavanaugh promises even elton devoted fans won't be disappointed. >> if i don't have them out of their seats by the end of the night screaming, i feel like i haven't done my job. >> reporter: monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> and the music of elton john and more run

monique griego is live in the newsroom with more. >> reporter: mary, libya's transitional government is not burying the body, according to islamic tradition. and we want to warn you, some of this video is graphic. the huknow maright -- human rights is investigating how gadhafi died. they said they did not know gadhafi was in the vehicle. nato's top commander said he is recommending the alliance end its mission. >>> and president obama is already having conversations with french and british leaders. mary? >> monique, thank you. britain's libyan plans to declare the country free on saturday. >>> today, 29-year-old walter bishop began the fight for his life in court. bishop is charged with shooting and killing towson gas station owner ray porter. jury selection is under way in harford county. police say carla porter hired bishop to kill her husband. >>> stabbed to death while on the phone with his mom. today, a judge sentences the man responsible for the murder of hopkins' researcher stephen pitcairn. weijia jiang has more on how john waggoner will pay for his crime. >> reporter: john w

monique griego explains how low prices will go. how long the drop will last. >> reporter: pumped up recently? you might get a pleasant surprise. >> well, if the gas prices were a little lower, $3.31. >> reporter: the price for gas is a little lower than it's been in seven months. >> you are great and beautiful. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the national average dropped 17 cents within the past month to $3.45 a gallon. >> reporter: for drivers in baltimore, pumping up was even less painful, with drivers taking advantage of prices around $3.30 a gallon. >> yeah. i fill up my tank all the way now. >> triple a says the prices shouldn't be a shock. >> we typically see the prices coming down somewhat this year. >> and filling up could be even less in the coming months. analysts say the prices could flirt with being less than $3 a gallon. >> that being said, they don't want people to get too comfortable, because they said the prices will likely rebound at the beginning of 2012. >> doesn't surprise me. gas prices always go up and down. >> repo

monique griego has a story of brandon car bony. he was diagnosed with nonhom hodge -- nonhodgkins lymphoma. and his friends are doing something extraordinary. >> reporter: 10-year-old brandon carbonni is a fifth grader. nonhodgkins lymphoma took away his hair, but not his friends. >> he's just a happy go lucky kind of kid, everybody's best friend. >> reporter: days before the school year, brandon was getting increasingly nervous about going to school with no hair. >> people would make fun of me. >> i felt like, i don't want to do this anymore. probably i want to be home schooled for a while. >> reporter: a baseball coach dreamed up an idea. what if a couple of brandon's friends did something drastic to look like him. so one by one, brandon's friends shaved their head, 13 boys in all. he would no longer stand out on that first day of school. >> i felt happy that people would do that for me. >> it was probably the most emotional day in my life. it was a tough day in a very positive way. >> off came the hair. baldness overshadowed by

monique griego tells us what we can expect the next time we gas up. >> reporter: gas prices are causing some sticker shock. at first i thought it was an incorrect price. >> aisha williams had to do a double take before filling up at this gas station. >> gas these days is very high. when you see $3.17 it's out of this world. >> reporter: in the last month, the price has dropped almost 40- cents. in maryland it's $3.32. while that's still almost 60- cents from a year ago drivers are enjoying the dip. >> i was surprised, happily surprised. >> reporter: the dip is typical for this time of year and could last a few months before rebounding in 2012. >> after any major economic events or geo political events they will continue to decline. many analysts are saying that they will get to that $3 mark. many are saying that they already are but they're not. >> reporter: we drove to a few of those stations and found that the prices didn't really match what was on the website. >> they're not quite as $3 a gallon we can only hope and pray for that. >> reporter: exxon had a few stations at $3.17 that's

i'm monique griego. tell you how the igniz interlock system is expanding to first offenders. >>> cause of death. a final determination on how amy winehouse died. ,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> it is just before 6:30. partly cloudy. 58 degrees. good evening, everyone. thanks for staying with wjz. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. we finally now know how grammy award-winning singer amy winehouse died. the medical examiner says it was extreme alcohol poisoning. >> reporter: a british coroner says singer amy winehouse died from drinking too much. the official cause is death by misadventure. the coroner says winehouse voluntarily consumed alcohol and risked the consequences. the 27-year-old grammy award winning artist was found dead at her london home on july 23rd. many had assumed she had overdosed. she battled drug problems for years. but at an inquest wednesday, a patholgist testified, winehouse was more than five times over the legal drunk driving limit when she died. and her parents learne

. >> reporter: monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> u.s. track to spend $490 billion on gas this year. that's the most in history. >>> engineers are once again inspecting the earthquake- damaged washington monument. the earthquake caused numerous cracks. and the engineers are removing loose stone and mortar. because of the weather-related delays, it's unclear now when this work will be finished. time now for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in the baltimore sun. the rising popularity of novelty t-shirts that celebrate all things baltimore. which teams are on top in this week's high school sports polls? for these stories and a lot more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team. >>> charm city residents lace up their sneakers to promote good health. jessica kartalija aren'ts, it's all in an effort to get fit physically and mentally. >> reporter: on this monday morning, in front of baltimore city hall, monty sanders, trainer for ray lewis, and ed reed, get

i'm monique griego. she'll let us know how her recovery is going. >>> i'm mike schuh, in baltimore county. what a day it is. for maize, corn and fall foliage and pumpkins. >>> getting ready for an early taste of winter. stick around for the updated first warning weather forecast. , >>> two months after the incident in the south pole. she speaks. renee nicole desewer's amazing recovery. >> reporter: after two months awaiting treatment, she was very happy to be at hopkins. >> reporter: still wearing her south pole coveralls, renee was all smiles knowing she was under the care of doctors at johns hopkins hospital. >> i had excellent care. and it's the best choice that i have done. >> reporter: it's hard to imagine, just two weeks ago, desewer was here. isolated and recovering from a stroke with no medical care. >> i'm going to sayiz wasn't scared at all. >> reporter: she doesn't start to worry until she learned bad weather would keep help away for months. at the time, she had bad vision, speech and memory l

i'm monique griego.e'll have the latest coming up. >>> check in for more on these stories. >> all right, vic. thank you. >>> still to come tonight. the ravens coaching staff, under fire still after the monday night flameout. >> that's right. cam cameron answers the critics today. mark has the latest coming up ne,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> well, the ravens are preparing for the game against arizona. there is still plenty to talk about from their loss monday night. sports director mark viviano has more. >> offensive coordinator, cam cameron says he didn't listen to newspaper comments. that being said, he realizes he is the subject of much discussion. cameron has been on the receiving end of fan discontent off and on for a few years. and the criticism toward him peerked -- peaked monday night. cameron stepped up to the microphone to say he and the team are working hard to correct what went wrong. and focus now is forward. >> offensively, we know we have to go to work. i think that's the bottom line. and we g

monique griego is live from the trial. >> reporter: the attorney said his client, quote, "lost it" followingangry fight with jayna murray. murray was found at the store, she had been beaten to death. norwood's attorney says she did not premeditate the killing, and therefore should not be found guilty of first-degree murder. >> and the state's attorney says norwood attacked norwood with at least half a dozen weapons and then staged the crime scene to make it look like they had both been attacked. >> thank you. norwood faces life in prison without parole. >>> student loan debt. it's a worry for many families. today, president obama unveils a plan designed to help americans better plan retirement. >> reporter: president obama ended his three-day western swing in front of a cheering crowd of university of colorado students. eager to hear his plan to help americans drowning in student loan debt. and when a big chunk of every paycheck goes fors student loans, instead of being spent on other things, that's not just tough for middle class families, that's painful for the whole economy. >> reporter:

reporting live, monique griego. >>> the relocation is expected to cost st.y's, around $1.5 million. they hope to have the mold cleaned up by the start of next semester. >>> roads, bridges and tunnels will get better than expected tomorrow. that's because the toll increases will be better than expected. it will now be $4 to cross the bay bridge. state officials say the price hike is needed to pay for repairs to the aging infrastructure. >>> the two ceos, working to merge constellation and exelon energy spend their day trying to convince regulators, it's a good deal for bge customers. alex demetrick reports, the company is offering a quarter billion dollars to show their good intentions. >> reporter: mayo shaduck is the owner for constellation energy which owns bge. chris conner is a shock-based company. maryland's public service commission brought them together to answer a very basic question. >> how will bge be treated in a post-merge. >> consumer groups are watching closely. and some are outright opposed to this. >> when you're selling off or selling out, a

monique griego has more on the food truck phenomenon. and where you can get a taste tonight. >> reporter: fine food from a full-sized kitchen, in a truck. >> it's probably one of the hottest new trends in america now. what you can do is you're able to get gourmet quality food on the street. >> reporter: bill irvin helps run cooper's chows hound burgers wagon. it serves up gourmet burgers from various locations city wide. and the customers are coming. >> it's, you know, economical. it's delicious. >> and not to be confined to a rest rant is -- restaurant is one of the biggest attractions. >> reporter: but getting people to buy fine food from a wagon wasn't easy. >> we started going and they were like, it's a roach coach. then all of a sudden, they're like, that's really good. >> reporter: that roach coach stigma steams -- seems to be stamped out. >> it's just as good as a restaurant, if not better am. >> we serve lobster rolls, lobster mac and cheese with a truffle. >> reporter: damian started the silver platter a few months ago. and righ

monique griego is there, as halfstead students headed to the white house. >> reporter: kids can't always their excitement. but for these students, the frenzy is for good reason. >> because they're going to the white house to meet the president and michelle obama. >> kevin counselor is from hampstead hill's academy, who hopped on a bus. >> she's trying to break the records for numbers of kids' jumping jacks. >> reporter: the principal says it's part of the michelle obama's let's move plan. these students seem to love it. >> it's an effort to end childhood obesity and promote healthy eating and nutrition. >> reporter: childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years. in maryland, it affects 9% of kids ages 6 to 11. and 17% of kids ages 12 to 19. >> it's very nice. we get to eat healthy foods. >> jalapenos, tomatoes. there's a lot of healthy stuff in our garden. >> but this isn't the first time hampstead's garden and the healthy eating have had the white house calling. >> and they were invited to the white house town hall meeting with michelle obama. and a white house chef toure

monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> and prosecutors have not said if they will seek the death penalty> baltimore county police are investigating a murder in pikesville. a 21-year-old man, earnest bo gales in woord lawn is -- woodlawn is found dead. around 10:30 last night. gales had been shot multiple times. police had been searching for a suspect and a motive. >>> tonight, there's new hope for an unsolved murder from nearly four decades ago. denise is in the newsroom with more on how a cold case is being. >> in march of 1974, someone stabbed 23-year-old phyllis bohle with a fireplace poker. her house was ransacked but nothing was stolen. police never found the person responsible. today, bohle's father is offering a $10,000 reward, hoping to generate new leads in the case. detectives have scoured police reports for anything that may have been missed. modern dna testing has failed to turn up a suspect. >> anyone with information is asked to call metro crimestoppers. >>> people who live in zaneville, ohio, are still shaken up after exotic animals escape from a farm. sheriff's deputies k

monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> food truck rally is tonight in fells point, from 5:00 to 10:00. >> it's going on right now. >> that's right. >> i want to get there. >> i can smell those burgers, the breeze coming up. >> i know. >> let's take a look at this. great night to have a nice little dinner outside. 69 degrees right now. east winds at 7. well, actually, the wind will be blowing in toward catonsville. barometer, 30.44 inches, way up there. we'll come back and take a look at a great weekend after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] starbucks via® is planted the same... ♪ ...harvested the same... ♪ ...and roasted the same as our other premium coffees. ♪ it only makes sense it would taste the same. so, try it for yourself. buy a pack of 100% natural starbucks via® ready brew. we promise you'll love it or we'll send you a bag of starbucks coffee. it's the starbucks via® taste promise. >>> beautiful out there. >> yes. >> i'm still thinking about those burgers. >> severe clear. >> it is. >> like this. not a cloud in sight. >> gorgeous. >> just amazing weather. >>> and after the kind o

monique griego has more. >> reporter: the couple met in the 1950s as students.8-year-old donald graduated from -- must mu. he, too, was an educator. >>> criminal charges have been filed against the owner of a horse farm. the owner faces more than 100 counts of animal cruelty. >>> the ravens are becoming more and more popular it seems. out of the 32 nfl teams a new poll ranks our purple birds as 14th. the seam poll names the ravens as one of the teams it win the super bowl. >>> up next, a look at apple's future without its wizard, steve jobs dying yesterday. from combat to comedy, meet a ♪ >>> welcome back to "the early show." the reservoir at central park looking a little green this morning. maybe it's the light. welcome back. i'm chris wragge along with erica hill. >> we have been talking about the life and legacy this morning about about steve jobs. >> joining us again is wilson tang of c-net and leigh gallagher and bill werde. where does apple go without steve jobs? i know he has relinquished control the past few months. where does the company go? >> this is