reporting live from northwest washington, andrea mccarren, 9 news now.ou, bruce. >> andrea, if you know the answer to this, what prompted them to move tonight? i know yesterday you were talking to the deputy mayor, but also it was a week or two ago we went to one of abra's meetings. we talked to them. they said they tried to put somebody in to buy liquor. it seemed like that was the end of it. has something happened within the past 24 hours since you talked to the deputy mayor? >> reporter: i think the deputy mayor promised a thorough investigation. they called us. went in for a variety of attempted buys tonight. police and abra were on the scene simply observing a short time ago, observed a carload of three young men, also 17 and 18- year-old high school students from arlington. there's a telephone pole behind me. officers observed from that point, could see the counter of town square market. they watched the young man go in, buy alcohol, and come out. they stopped him out here in the parking lot. asked him for identification. he was carrying identifica

upper northwest washington. a number of neighborhoods not used to this kind of violence. a troubling spike in robberies recently, and a good number of armed robberies in neighborhoods throughout this part of the district has many people deeply concerned. they were talking about some of the tactics they were using to halt these crimes. talking about how they have reassign nearly 300 police officers to focus on this concern. many are concerned armed robberies could escalate further. >> my sympathies go out to people who have been robbed or have had their property taken of course. fortunately to this point, there has been no serious injuries. >> a couple of the robbery victims were at this meeting. they were very candid. they said in the situations in which they were victims of crime happen in a relatively busy areas up and northwest that were poorly lit. there have been a number of arrests, but authorities were honest in saying primary suspects probably remain on the loose. >> thank you. we are on your side to tha

andrea joins us live from northwest washington to show us a place teenagers have allegedly been buyingohol for years. >> reporter: anita, i'm on macarthur boulevard in front of town square market. the mother of a 16-year-old tipped us off to this liquor store after she learned her daughter was buying vodka and beer here every week. a place like this do you even need a fake id? >> usually no. >> reporter: for several weeks we watched and videotaped dozens of teenagers buying alcohol at town square mark in northwest washington without being asked for identification. >> i'm 18. it is very easy. we've been buying here for like almost two years. >> reporter: in those two years have you ever been asked for id? >> like once. >> reporter: night after night, with the help of a 23-year-old 9 news now staff member we interviewed the young buyers using a hidden microphone. >> i heard this is a place to go without an id. >> it is. >> without one or -- >> i'm just looking for a place to buy. >> either way. you can give it a shot. >> really? have y'all done it before? >> reporter: most told us they w

murder of his ex- girlfriend. >> and what accountsa council member is doing to fight crime in northwest washingtonng to have a bridge to nowhere. >> it may have been their last chance to address a national audience before some critical contests. good morning washington at 5:00 a.m. begins now. >> live and in hd, this is "good morning washington," on your side. >> good morning, washington. it's thursday, february 23. glad you are waking up with us. i am cynne simpson. >> i'm steve chenevey. traffic and weather every ten minutes. lisa baden in a moment. first, adam caskey.

police arrested two protesters during a demonstration in northwest washington last night. several had set up camp outside 15th street. they took away a tent and this comes just after one week after the u.s. park police raided the camp site of mcpherson square. prosecutors say sarah williams joined -- gunned down the trooper in june 2010. the jury heard opening statements yesterday and another man is already pled guilty to being an accessory in connection. breaking news from the white house. the president is speaking out as republicans and democrats scramble to keep millions of americans taxes from going up. republican leaders are offering a deal. brianne carter is live with what the president had to say just a moment ago. >> president obama says this is a make it or break it moment for the middle class. the president says he sees progress on the issue but warns nothing is final if the tax extension is not passed. his speech comes one day after the house republican leaders offered to continue the payroll tax cuts without demanding spending cuts to pay for it. the two sides

delia live this morning in northwest washington. we'll see you in just a bit. kang 9 we want to note -- channel 9 we want to note had been a partner with komen and the race for the cure many years. komen serverred that relationship late last year. >>> new at 6:00 a.m., more than 20 people are forced from their homes this morning by a fire. this was the scene overnight along 6th street and n streets northwest. the d.c. fire association reports on twitter the fire began on the first floor. more than 60 firefighters responded to the blaze. one person was treated for smoke inhalation. >>> doctors are trying to save a transjennerred woman -- transgendered woman stabbed in the head. a man dressed in women's clothing had an altercation with another man on east capital street and then that second man stabbed the victim in the head. police are releasing few other details about the case. >>> montgomery county police are asking for help finding a 14-year-old and her 6-month-old baby. shaney cox and her daughter were last seen yesterday along georgian way in wheaton. polic

. >>> new from overnight, firefighters battled a fire on the 5200 block of 2nd street in northwest washington. the fire broke out on the first level of the two-story home around 2:30 this morning. firefighters say when they arrived on the scene, they saw fire coming from the end of the row house. the fire is now out. no injuries were reported. the cause remains under investigation. >>> today we'll find out what sparked a huge fire in prince george's county that sent seven firefighters to the hospital. and fire officials tell news4 that the cause is "troubling." one of the firefighters, 21-year-old ethan sorrel, left the burn unit at medstar, washington hospital center last night. sorrel suffered burns to his airway while battling the flames at the abandoned house in riverdale on friday. sorrel is expected to speak at this afternoon's news conference when the fire department will talk about the cause of the fire. only one firefighter, 22-year-old kevin o'toole, remains in the hospital. we're told that he is making progress after undergoing skin graft surgery on monday. >>> a controversial bill

for republicans speaking at the conservative political action conference being held here in northwest washington. >> the president's job is to unite the country, not divide it. his job is to bridge differences, not aggravate them. to encourage success, not condemn it. and to honor and embrace the free exercise of religion. >> one thing's for certain -- this attack on religious freedom cannot and will not stand. >> again, president obama is announcing a change to contraceptive coverage rules. and if he speaks before the end of this newscast, we will bring that to you live. howard? >>> yeah, j. c., out here still some sunshine now but clouds are on the increase. we've got cold air and some winds and even some snow headed toward the region over the weekend. i'll tell you about that in just a few moments, we're going to break though with a look at the current temperatures, locally readings now into the lower 40s like 42 in reston. the weekend outlook when 9news now at noon returns. >>> we're going live to the white house where the president is speaking. >> all insurance plans are required to cover p

. >> reporter: jc, a mom tipped us off to a northwest washington liquor store where teenagers have allegedly been buying alcohol for years. she told us that her daughter bought beer and vodka at this one particular liquor store every week, and our undercover investigation backs her up. place like this, you even need a fake i.d.? >> usually no. >> for several weeks we watched and videotaped dozens of teenagers buying alcohol at town square market in northwest washington, without being asked for identification. >> i'm 18. it's very easy, and we have been buying here for like almost two years. >> in those two years, have you ever been asked for i.d.? >> like once. >> hey, what's up? >> night after night, with the help of a 23-year-old 9news now staff member, we interviewed the young buyers using a hidden microphone. >> i heard this is a good place for -- >> it is. >> without id? >> just looking for a place to buy. >> you can -- get it there. >> really? >> most told us they were 16 years old, some were even buying for their younger friends. >> i'm just wondering how you're 16 and you're buying.

one of my favorite places in northwest washington. my colleague andrea roane is going to be there hosting it but i have the foundation president with me. dr. l. c. scott to talk about a voice and how it's helping to preserve history. what is this program about? >> oak, a voice -- okay, a voice is an online digital library we created in 2005 to capture the history of african- americans serving in congress. and to date we've been able to place several exhibits including exhibits on the making of the martin luther king jr. deal. if antiapartheid movement, civil rights and environmental justice. each year we try to add another exhibit and put up original documents, letters from members, letters from people to members, pictures, et cetera. the captions behind the scene and i guess the best example is the making of the martin luther king jr. deal. it took 13 years to get that deal passed and so we've captured that history there including some of the advocacy for people outside of congress. >> this is a wonderful programming the shunts to go

. >> that's what one northwest washington woman says happened to her as she was trying to lay her momo rest. matt dablow picks up the details in a story you'll see only on 9 news now. >> reporter: its been an extremely difficult week, perhaps the most difficult week of her life. >> i feel very sad. >> it all started on saturday at st. john newman catholic church where friends and family gathered to say goodbye to barbara's mother, who died last week, after a brief illness. >> i was in the first pew in the first seat right next to my mothers coffin. >> just a few minutes before the funeral began, the father presiding over the service apparently learned barbara was involved in a romantic relationship with another woman. >> i am a lesbian. >> a life long catholic and former catholic school teacher, barbara says she hadn't considered her sexual orientation would be a problem with father marcell until she stepped forward to take communion. >> he said i can not give you communion because you live with a woman. >> though shaken by father marcell's action, barbara says she tried to compose he

. >> back here at home, two more robberies and northwest washington as numbers continue to climb. we are learning details about some of the people being arrested in what is becoming a serious crime wave. jennifer donelan with the latest. >> we count six robberies in just the last 10 hours, two of them were anin northwest. >> d.c. police converged on our street on another robbery call. it was just before 1:00 today. the victim was a young man. >> we are two college students who walked around and think we're safe. it is scary to hear something like that. >> one hour later they got another 911 call for a snatch and run a robbery right on wisconsin avenue. it >> it is not good for business. we would like to see a different -- what can you do? >> robberies stand at more than 660 robberies citywide. northwest the loans i 600% increase. -- northwest a loan saw a 600% increase. >> i figured that kind of stuff goes with being in a major city. i just tried to do the best i can not to have it happen to me. >> the number of agencies like metro transit police are making arrests. officers arres

reporting live in northwest washington, suzanne kennedy abc7 news. >> still had on abc7 news tonight, one of the most recognizable pieces of art is going on the auction block. jummy screaming and find out how much it is expected to go for. -- you may scream. >> captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> you are watching abc7 news at 5:00 with leon harris alison starling, tim brant, and downhill. this is abc 7 news at 5:00. >> another day and more armed robberies in the district. >> the problem continues to escalate and police are getting help on the street. jennifer donelan is live from northwest washington about this crime rate. >> they are seeing these kinds of crimes and yesterday overnight, just a few hours ago d.c. police were being called in for more robberies. as of monday, there were 625 robberies on d.c. streets since january 1st. 625 and it took two months to be on alert. >> it's distressing. >> the numbers keep growing. the guardian angels hit the streets of northwest this morning. >> we are passing them and making them aware of what's going on. >>

. >> we're in northwest washington with details. >> it was a pretty eye opening day.everal people who ride city roads on two wheels, and they tell us they do the same thing all the time. a mangled by in the intersection of 11th and u streets nw. sources say the 28-year-old man riding the bike collided with a lumber truck and was crushed underneath the truck's two rear tires. sources say the man has a crushed pelvis, ankle, an unknown internal injuries, but he was alive. sources also tell us he was ticketed for running a red light. >> we have had more than a million and a half rides since we launched in 2010, and we have had 17 reported crashes. >> officials say safety, like abiding by city laws, is stressed. but we talked to a random cyclists and many said they do not stop for red lights. >> do you stop for all stop signs and red lights? >> no. >> you readily admit that? >> yes. >> if i know the inner section really well and i am in a hurry i might flow through a stop sign. >> if there is no traffic coming, i know a car has to do that. >> a bike has to do that too. >>

. >> the rash of robberies in northwest washington is sparking growing concern among residents. d.c. police say there have been 600 reported robberies across the city so far this year. in upper northwest, robberies are up 250%. most of them have taken place at gunpoint on neighborhood streets. police chief kathy lanier says they have made 100 it. -- 150 robbery arrests. >> the maryland state senate is purring to take up the same-sex marriage debate. they can vote as soon as tomorrow. and it will go to the full senate floor. last year, they easily passed a similar bill. garvin are martin o'malley sponsored the bill as part of an ongoing push for same-sex marriage in maryland. -- gov. martin o'malley sponsored the bill. >> rick santorum is on the defensive about remarks concerning president obama. he has strived to explain a number of comments about president obama's agenda. santorum continues to surge in many polls. scott thuman is live in the news room with the latest from the campaign trail. >> a lot of talking about the comments from santorum. as a matter of fact, president oba

news4's tracee wilkins is live in northwest washington with more on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it's an exciting day because now the african-american experience and the african-american narrative will have a place here on the national mall. let's take a look at what this museum is expected to look like. the national museum of african-american history and culture will be the smithsonian's 19th museum, and it's claiming the last available five acres on the national mall. this will be the first green museum among the smithsonian's buildings. it will be located on constitution avenue between 14th and 15th streets in northwest. that's between the washington monument and the national museum of american history. this will be a seven-level structure with most of the exhibit space underground. it will be the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of african-american life, art, history, and also culture. president barack obama and former first lady laura bush will be speaking at today's ground breaking. this is a private cere

today at friendship collegian in northwest washington, 19 student athletes including eddy goldman.guys got scholarships today. basketball is on the road. both are 3-3 in conference play. game they'rewin a , and they are win going to be seriously challenged in miami. >> you cannot take anybody lightly. you cannot worry about the next game. about the teamry front of you. will be a big one for us. georgetown is at home tonight against you, huskies. the boys are trying to right the ship. .ome fans say here we go again hopkins says i cannot worry that, i have to worry just about connecticut. some say let's look of the overall big picture. we do stillart is have this to prove it. meanwhile, the wizards are in orlando tonight. they have lost the last 47 of 50 games. use someone like this. how about this guy? he is a high school guy. had two of these in the first half. duncan in the second half. jud ise the patron saint of lost causes. if you want a ticket to the the cheapest ticket is $2,275, and that is for you proceeds. want this week, they're $400,000. for think you. what makes the sle

in northwest washington, abc 7 news. >> the tv show jeopardy is coming to the capital appeared 15 contestants will be selected. did they will conclude authors and journalists. they will all be playing for the chair -- charity. >> the highest success rate in testing for people who want to be on jeopardy is in the washington d.c. area. >> the pressure is on. the shows will be taped april 20 and 20 per. if you'd like to be in the audience, applied for tickets. >> the high success rate right here. >> it is 52 degrees on this friday. >> still ahead, a far from pottering recognition for the >> coming up a big victory in the push for the rights for same-sex couples to marry in the state of maryland. >> we are hearing from a juror in the uva murder trial. what they're saying about the decision to convict george huguely of murdering his ex- girlfriend. >> [inaudible] >> disappointment for hundreds of sneakerheads. they decided not to release the highly anticipated nike galaxy sneakers. people had been camping out for these. some customers did not get the memo and are still at the shopping mall this mo

. >> concerns about a huge spike and armed robberies in northwest washington is prompting an urgent community meeting tonight. city-wide robberies are up more by 650 this year. prepvictims are often robbed with electronic devices distracting them. a meeting will be at 7:00 tonight. >> new developments -- two u.s. troops have been killed over the growing unrest over the burning of islam's most holy book. the taliban has called on moslems to attack databases and convoys and rhee -- retaliation for the burning of the koran and other religious materials. >> there is no indication that these are anything other than popular expressions of outrage over this incident. >> investigators say the two soldiers killed today were shot by a man wearing an afghan national army uniform. both the u.s. and nato have apologized for the destruction of the koran saying it was unintentional. >> manning was formerly charged in court today. the 24-year-old faces 22 counts including 80 in the enemy. charges against him carry a maximum of life in prison plus 150 years. >> the former mistress of john edwards is not a leg

in northwest washington, jay korff, abc 7 news. >> culpeper official speaking about the controversy surrounding last week's deadly police involved shooting. police chief chris jenkins issued a statement acknowledging the loss of patricia cook and says that the mayor has asked us to be patient and allow the virginia state police to conduct its investigation. witnesses said the officer opened fire as " tried to drive away. it's not clear what led to the shooting. the officer remains on administrative leave. members of congress want to extend the payroll tax-cut extension to the president as early as this week. talk yesterday produced a tentative agreement to extend a tax cut through the end of the year. the cost would be added to the deficit. jobless benefits for the long- term unemployed would be renewed as well. vote 2012, the latest republican surging in the polls. rick santorum in a virtual tie with romney nationwide poll after wins in minnesota missouri, and colorado. this staff is plotting a strategy to challenge romney in michigan and beyond. santorum is underfunded and out manned by the r

. >> police are investigating three reports of armed robberies in northwest washington. they all happened at the dupont mattress station -- metro station. these attacks themdays after three other armed robberies blocks from each other. 10 armed robberies in the west and northwest area since january. >> a hall was evacuated after a carbon monoxide scare. it happened on 24th street. one person was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. the source of the leak is not yet known. >> an unexpected delay in the murder trial. defense cut-council fell ill. but medical experts attended to chip away at times that george huguely killed yeardley love. one witness testified he believed that love died from suffocating on her pillow. >> george washington university is warning its students to take precautions after dozens on campus came down with norovirus. more on the growing i outbreak and the impact it is having. >> officials at george washington university are trying to figure out what is behind a recent outbreak of norovirus. >> i have heard that people are getti

tracee wilkins is live in northwest washington with a preview of today's groundbreaking ceremonies. >> reporter: good morning. this is a historic day. and one that folks have been waiting for for a very long time. a famous historian once said, what you call black history, i call the missing pages of world history. of course t veit is important t african-americans and americans can vhave a place to learn abou the african-american experience. this will be the smithsonian's 19th museum. it's claiming the last five acres that are available on the national mall. this will be the first green museum among the smithsonian's buildings. it will be located on constitution avenue between 14th and 15th streets, between the washington monument and the national museum of american history. joining us to tell us more about the museum and what we can expect today is the deputy director for the museum. thank you for joining us early this morning. >> it's my pleasure to be here. >> reporter: tell us weather and traffic can we expect? we know that the ceremony's pie invitation only. what is the expectatio

is not this from northwest washington, abc 7 news reporting. >> are hospital's ready for hacking attack? >> and a big bank with a foreclosure investigation. linda bell has more from new york. >> we have the foreclosure deal finally expected to happen today. all 50 states have been investigating practices that led to homes being foreclosed illegally. the nationwide settlement is or that least $25 billion. that depends on whether all 50 states are on board to sign the deal. there will be requirements set in place on how the banks will conduct foreclosures moving forward and it provides mortgage refinancing for underwater borers. some hospitals are getting more high tech, using digitized data for patient charts, but this gives hackers the opportunity to steal patient data orchestra treatment. one institution using the technology is george washington university hospital, where patients have included ronald reagan and dick cheney. another designer causing a frenzy at at target stores. details coming up in the next hour. live that bloomberg headquarters in new york, linda bell reporting for a

about 400 gathered outside the conference in northwest washington yesterday.oday, demonstrators will march from malcolm x pack to the marriott. the march starts at noon. >>> police in culpepper are investigating a deadly shooting involving one of their own. it happened on northeast street on thursday. police say an officer shot and killed a woman. after an altercation in a school parking lot. there are questions if that actually happened. >> reporter: 54-year-old pat cook, a retired cosmetologist, shot and killed by a culpepper police officer. it happened in the parking lot of a catholic school. they say someone complained of a suspicious person in the car in the lot and the cop went there to investigate. police say the officer fired a shot after pat cook closed the window of her car on the officer's arm and started to drive off. but chris buckly, he's an eyewitness. he says it didn't happen that way at all. the officer's arm caught in the window of the driver's side. >> no, sir, not at all. >> reporter: where was his arm? >> on the door handle. >> reporter: t

one person was hurt in a fire in northwest washington. it happened around 2:30 this morning on the 600 block of o street. more than 60 firefighters responded. the fire happened on the first floor and the cause is under investigation. >>> right now montgomery county police are looking for a missing 14-year-old girl and her baby. the two went missing yesterday afternoon in wheaton, maryland. shanee cox and her 6-month-old daughter noveo were last seen yesterday in the 2200 lock of georgian yeah. police believe the two are still in the wheaton or glenmont area. and the family are concerned about her and the welfare of that baby. if you have information call police at 301-279-8000. >>> today president obama heads to virginia for the second time this week. the president is expected to discuss a new economic initiative in arlington. he will speak this morning at fire station number 5 near pentagon city where he will talk about a plan to help returning military veterans become firefighters. on wednesday, he announced a new mortgage refinancing p

. >>> a biker in northwest washington this morning tried to beat a truck making a turn through an intersection. the biker lost and he's lucky to be alive. it happened at 11th and u northwest. pat collins is there with an interview with a witness who saw it all. >> reporter: wait until you see the pictures of this bike, and hear the story about what happened. a near death experience right here on u street. this is what the capital share bike looked like after it collided with the truck. >> it was crushed up like a pretzel. i mean, it was bent up like this. >> reporter: the truck, a big truck, a big delivery truck, a big lumber delivery truck, the kind with a forklift on the back. the rear of the truck here. the front of the truck way down the there. a big truck. the bike, a fraction of the size of the truck. and when a truck like that collides with a bike like this -- it happened on 11th street. they say the truck was coming down this way, the bike on the inside. the truck tried to make a turn, the bike tried to beat the truck. well, alfred sam is a security officer at the bank. he saw the whol

. >>> police are investigating three more street robberies in upper northwest washington now. they all hammed monday and in two cases a gun was used. the robberies happened this time near river road and 46th street along wisconsin avenue in friendship heights and on warren street. police say in all three atabs there were three robbers wearing ski masks and driving a dark colored vehicle. investigators are already looking into at least half a dozen other robberies in the area. >>> the montgomery county school board has approved the superintendent's $2.13 billion budget request. superintendent joshua star says this budget allows the school system to keep up with the growing enrollment while meeting the minimum requirement to fund students' education at the same level. now the school budget goes to the county council and ike leggett for final approval. >>> president obama's budget proposal does not include any new funding for d.c.'s private school voucher program. d.c. is the only place in the country where federal tax dollars subsidize private school tuition. students can receiv

it happened early sunday morning near the intersection of 34th street and n street in northwest washington. that's where kristin fisher joins us live with the latest on the investigation. kristen. >> well, the suspect is still at large. the victim is recovering. but people here are really worried, especially because of where this happened. right in front of me is an elementary school, four blocks this way, that's where wisconsin avenue is and that's where all the popular bars and restaurants are. a block in this direction is campus. so this sexual assault literally took place at the intersection of where campus meets the rest of the community. >> on the weekends if i go out, then this is the route i take. >> i live right here. it makes the walk three to four times a day. >> students at georgetown university are rattled that something so violent that happened here on a street that is one of the main gateways to campus. there's an emergency call box on the corner. >> that makes me nervous. i know i live with four other girls and we are 20, 21. we go to bars. >> in fact, it happened around th

continues at 11:00 and online all the time at wjla.com. " it's a disturbing experience in northwest washington, a rash of robberies in communities that normally do not see this kind of crime. last evening, three robberies took place within blocks of each other. the thefts happened on warren street garrison street. 10 armed robberies have taken place in the friendship heights area since the start of this year. >> we have the latest on the death of pop singer wtitney houstonl -- whitney houston. despite reports yesterday of a public memorial, the family says there will be no such event at this time. she was found dead in a hotel bathroom on saturday. the exact cause of her death will not be known for weeks. >> the payroll tax cut battle may soon be over. president obama and the republicans are on the verge of a deal to extend the cuts. they asked congress to pass the middle class tax cuts and the extension of unemployment benefits. he outlined what this would mean for the average american. >> 160 million americans keeping a close eye on this one. we just have two weeks before the cuts expired. t

. >> that's what one northwest washington woman said to her as she was trying it lay her mom to rest. matt jablow picks up the story. >> i was stunned. >> it's been an extremely difficult week for johnson, perhaps the most difficult week of her life. >> i feel very sad. >> it started on saturday at st. john newman catholic church in gaithersburg, where friends and family gathered to say good- bye to barbra's mother who died last week after a brief illness. >> i was in the first pew in the first seat next to my mother's coffin. >> a few minutes before the funeral began, father marcel learned that barbra was involved in a romantic relationship with another woman. >> i am a lesbian. >> a former catholic schoolteacher, she aren't considered her sexual orientation would be a problem until she stepped forward to take communion. >> he said i can't give you communion because you live with a woman. >> although shaken, barbra said she tried to compose herself to give her mother the dignified funeral she deserved. a few minutes later, barbra began her eulogy. >> at which time father marcel left

as well as here in northwest washington. and last night, there were three robberies in northwest involving three suspects. a group of three suspects. in two of those cases, those suspects pulled a gun. now police believe that the two incidents involving the gun, those incidents may have been committed by the same group of men. now it all began last night right around 5:30 in the 3800 block of warren street in northwest washington. three robbers jumped their victim and punched him before running from the scene. now in that incident no gun was drawn. the victim did not see any weapon. then several hours later, only about a mile away, there were two more robberies. one in the 4300 block of garrison street, that's just off of wisconsin avenue, and another in the 5200 block of western avenue. that's just a few blocks away. now those crimes involved three suspects again. the thieves pulled a gun and police say that at least one of the men was wearing a mask. now there have been no arrests in any of these cases. residents are asked

. >> a robbery spree across northwest washington. has happened once again this evening. >> residence in two neighborhoods remain on high alert. in this one, like you said, were three armed robberies. tonight two similar incidents nearby. according to district police, suspects committed two twoeries in a span of only minutes. thought thatt have of this place. >> i was a long to hear a about it. you have to watch your back. since january been 10 armed robberies in an area unaccustomed to of violent crime. cases masked gunmen approached victims, took their money and cell phones and escaped in a nearby getaway car. three robberies occurred monday night. was only one block away from tom's house. >> it is disturbing because i just 45 minutes after that. been me or mye wife. >> so far nobody has been injured. neighbors fear those terrorizing could bethe city capable of escalating matters. >> what has read as -- residents neighborhoods concern they believe the most suspectsn prison remain on the list of the hour. violent and most brazen on t

. >> ann stock what's a local group is doing to fight back against a robbery spree in northwest washington> . and what lebron james did to make two children cry. why the children's father is saying no harm of al, no foul. "good morning washington at 5:00 hourbegins now. i am cynne simpson. >> i am steve chenevey. first, meteorologist adam caskey >> . very good tuesday morning to you. 31 in arlington

town square market on macarthur boulevard in northwest washington has been exposed for underaged alcohol sales. >> reporter: we watched and videotaped dozens of teenagers buying alcohol. >> reporter: first documented by reporter andrea mccarren earlier this month selling to kids as young as 14, but don't take our word for it. montgomery county police have issued at least 38 violations in the last two months to teens who allegedly bought alcohol here and took it across the district line into maryland. >> the whole time we were down think don't think i saw one of age person go into that place. >> reporter: in january store owner 57-year-old richard dan ki kim of springfield, virginia, denied it all and threw mccarren out of the store. he kept on with business as usual with montgomery county police busting two more 19-year- olds february 11th. finally saturday night metropolitan police arrested kim after district officers busted a 17-year-old virginia high school student who allegedly bought alcohol and was in possession of someone else's id. it happened after police and d.c. alcohol regula

. >> and now we turn to the crime spree causing serious problems in northwest washington. it appears police have made significant progress to combat the surge of armed robbery is sweeping through the district. officers have made 155 arrests in robbery cases so far this year. according to their statistics, 46% jump from last year. 300 officers patrolling the streets reduced the chance of mugging. the district has had 670 reported robberies in the first two months of 2012. sources tell abc seven news over half of those arrested were juvenile. >> we are on storm watch tonight after a messy afternoon commute. for many of us the rain has moved out of the region. we have to keep a close eye on strong winds. bob ryan is here with a first look. >> while my forecast this survey was a bust for the high temperature, it was a really warm day. look at the wind gusts. still 41 miles per hour wind gusts out of martinsburg. windchill earlier with 75 in fredericksburg. it feels like it is 45 degrees. doppler is picking up what may be a few snow flurries. there will be since no doubt in the

live view from our skywatcher camera high above northwest washington. sunrise at 6:52.orgeous sunrise underway on this cold tuesday morning. sheer your day planner. we will have sunshine this morning, mid 30s by mid morning. then by noontime, mid 40s with increasing clouds. looks like a cloudy afternoon. we'll have the winds picking up out of the south, gusting to around 20 miles per hour. highs reaching near 50. now a look at your evening planner. sunset at 5:52. getting later and later. we'll have a cloudy evening, down to near 40 by midnight. near dawn, the mid 30s. then a warmup on the way tomorrow. some sunshine back. we'll claim to near 60 with a southwesterly breeze, into the mid 60s on thursday. low 60s friday with a front coming through. likely showers, maybe thundershowers. we'll drop out of the 60s down to the 30s by saturday morning with some gusty winds. and a chilly but dry weekend to follow. danella, how's traffic? >>> good morning. if you're traveling in silver spring, have an accident eastbound, university boulevard at dennis avenue. only the left lane'

butler lived in northwest washington. >>> metro's running on a saturday schedule today. and some stations remain closed. the clarendon and courthouse stations are closed on the orange line. on the read line the grovenor/strath more stations are closed. all three stations should reopen for tomorrow's commute. >>> because of the president's day holiday, all post offices are closed. express mail will still deliver. most banks are closed but not all. you should check on your branch. in the district, traffic meters are not enforced today. hickor stores might be open. -- liquor stores might be open. maryland will operate regular trash pickup in anne arundel, prince george's county, howard, and montgomery counties. in virginia, trash will be picked up in arlington and foreca fairfax counties. alexandria is on a delay. >>> ahead, the sleep study that teenagers need to hear. you might want to wake them up. >>> also, a horrible scene. skiers swept away by an ♪ let me get that door for you... [ man ] i loved my first car... sometimes the door gets stuck... oh sure. ooh! [ man ] ...

will talk about his priorities for the city tonight at the sixth and i historic synagogue in northwest washington. his speech will start just after 7:00 p.m. >>> a massive investigation is under way into the latest city government corruption allegations. 130 people stand accused of collecting $840,000 in unemployment while they were actually working for the city. the department of employment services says the 90 suspects still employed by the city are now on administrative leave with pay. and the employment services director tells bruce johnson these people knew what they were doing. >> they have to certify to those benefits every week, so if you know that you are -- you know, that you're getting a pay check from the d.c. government every week, you have to certify that you don't have any other income. >> the city uncovered this scam during an internal review. >>> his name is ernest evans, but we all know him as the legend chubby checker. coming up he's going to join us and we're going to relive a piece of history. let's do the twist reporter: i'm howard bernstein out on the weather terrace. it's

slow us down them the president was speaking this morning at the national prayer breakfast in northwest washington. >> leaders from around a world gathered there for the annual morning a pretty president urged them not to abandon what he called the moral glue that has guided the nation for centuries. >> lawyers for the occlude -- accused fort hood shooter want to postpone the court-martial. attorneys will appear today for a pre-trial hearing and they say they need more time to prepare. prosecutors are seeking the death penalty which. he is charged with killing 13 people back in 2009. he has not entered a plea. >> this could be major news for thousands of military families. the white house is considering a plan to speed up just how soon the united states and its mission in afghanistan. the u.s. military and nato want to end their combat mission in afghanistan one year ahead of schedule. the obama administration has set a deadline of 2014 to head -- to stop the fighting and leon panetta says he hopes this will shift to a training and advisory position. president obama painted an optimistic picture d

. >> i'm kristin fisher in northwest washington. i'm at the scene of an ugly collision between a lumber truck and a capital bike. >> i was walking in this crosswalk right across the street. >> lee was just a few feet away. this cyclist was taken out by a flat bed truck. >> i have never seen anything like that in my life. >> not only was he hit, the cyclist was dragged 30 feet underneath the truck. >> some of the front wheels hit him. you can tell he was in horrific pain. >> the accident is still under investigation. but it appears that both the cyclist and the truck were heading south on 11th street when suddenly, the truck turned right into the cyclist. >> this cyclist was not wearing a helmet. part of the appeal of capital bike share is the grab and go convenience. now they are trying to extend that to helmets. >> what we piloted so far is make helmets available in some of the hotels in town so that the hotels can provide them to the guests. so, we may hopefully expand that. >> in washington, kristin fisher, 9news now. >> in less

. >>> we've got a two alarm fire in northwest washington that left one firefighter hurt. blaze started this afternoon in an apartment of this high rise in the 4100 block of massachusetts avenue. investigators say it was an apartment kiffin fire quickly brought under control. it's not clear -- kitchen fire quickly brought under control. it's not clear how the firefighter was injured. >>> a massive tree fell through a family's house and a woman was trapped in the bedroom. matt jablow is there now. >> reporter: after seeing this incredible scene behind me, firefighters say nobody was seriously hurt. it happened around 1:00 this morning here on lavery court as the d.c. area was being buffetted by extremely high winds. a 70-foot tree fell on this house in the 5000 block of lavery court. the tree pinned a woman to the floor and trapped a man. it took about two hours to free the couple. the woman was taken to the hospital. the man was not injured. firefighters say they believe the tree was brought down by the strong winds overnight and the impact of the tree coming down moved th

>>> we begin with breaking news from northwest washington. i'm ja c hayward. a cyclist was injured after being struck by a vehicle. the incident prompted several street closures. it happened on 11 and "u" street northwest. our christian is live with more information on what happened. >> reporter: this is a very ugly collision between a lumber truck and one of those red capital biebs. the investigation is still ongoing but it appears that the truck and bike were heading south in this direction on 11th street. the bicyclist appeared to go straight and that's when the truck seemed to turn right into him. you can still see the orange marks in the middle of the roadway. that's "u" street where the bike went down. here is what it looked like an hour ago before police removed the bike from the middle of the street and you can see that the bike is completely mangled and here is where it really gets ugly. the person was dragged under the flatbed truck and run over by all three ackles. they had to flag down the driver who had gone about 30 feet dragging the cyclist down

news4's tracee wilkins has more on the spike from northwest washington. >> reporter: we are already seeing significant jumps in gas prices. in fact, record breaking jumps in gas prices. and now, analysts are saying that we're looking at paying the highest prices in the country in the next few months. according to aaa, the price for regular per gallon in the region could reach up to $4.25 by the end of april. as much as $1 higher than what it will cost in the midwest. here's why -- two philadelphia area refineries are idled affecting east coast supplies and it could get worse if a third refinery in philadelphia does not find a new buyer. that's our future but here's our present where it doesn't look much better. according to aaa, gas prices are rapidly moving toward the $4 mark for regular. february is the earliest gas prices have ever gotten as high as $3.50 per gallon nationally. prices normally don't head in  that direction until the peak summer driving season. national average retail price for regular reached $3.65 per gallon this week, 12 cents higher than a week ago. we are 49 cents

. >>> also new from overnight, a house fire in northwest washington kept fire crews busy. this is along 17th street in the mt. pleasant neighborhood. we're told no one was hurt. the cause of the fire is under investigation. >>> mitt romney got some rock star support ahead of today's primaries in arizona and michigan. ♪ >> that's detroit native kid rock up on stage with the republican presidential candidate in michigan. kid rock sang just one song at this rally last night. polls show romney in a tight race against rick santorum in his home state. romney's home state. with 30 delegates up for grabs. >> romney supported the bailouts for his wall street billionaire buddies but opposed the auto bailouts. that was a slap in the face to every michigan worker. >> and now romney is accusing santorum of trying to trick voters for their support with that robo call. the call urges michigan democrats to vote against romney today in the state's open primary in which anybody can vote. the message says it is supported by hard working democratic men and women and paid for by the santorum c

and a special day here for them in northwest washington, including the free shampoos, haircuts.axing, makeup, plus a bag of goodies for the women to take home. they have donated their time and more than $2,000 worth of services. >> i think that today will be absolutely amazing. i'm touched that all of these businesses will be there and that they did this for us. i don't know if it is necessarily something that we have deserved, but i think that it will be incredible. >> boy, she deserved it. the military wives are not sure when their husbands will be arriving home that they are expected to get 48-hour notice. >>> the rescue dog is recovering from two close calls with death. but was rescued from a shelter in south carolina where he was about to be euthanized. but the lucky dog animal rescue stepped on in and the area here about a month ago. all was well until they got away from the foster home, hit by the car on river road during the rush hour. and that driver was left for dead. but fortunately another driver, they noticed that injured pub and took him to the hospital -- pup and

. >>> new from overnight, firefighters battled blaze on the 5200 block of 2nd street in northwest washington. the fire broke out on the first level of the two-story home around 2:30 this morning. firefighters say when they got to the scene they saw fire coming from the end of the row house. the fire is now out. no injuries reported. the cause remains under investigation at this time. >>> today we are going to find out what sparked a huge fire in prince george's county. it except seven firefighters to the hospital. a fire official tells news4 the cause is troubling. one of the firefighters, 21-year-old ethan sorrel, left the burn unit last night. he suffered burns to his airway while battling the flames at the abandoned house in riverdale friday. he is expected to speak at this afternoon's news conference when the fire department talks about the cause of the fire. only one fire fighter, 22-year-old kevin o'toole, remains in the hospital. we are told he is making progress after undergoing skin graft surgery on monday. >>> prosecutors say the gunman from the ohio school shooting chose his victi

. >>> we're hearing from the local mother who tipped us off to the northwest washington liquor store that has allegedly been selling alcohol to minors for years. monday night the mother returned to town square market to confront the store owner who she says nearly destroyed her family. the maryland mother says the store sold her 16-year-old alcohol for two years and she felt compelled to see the owner in person. >> so i said are you the person who's been in the news, and he said yes. and i said where's the vodka. and he pointed to where the vodka was, and i carried it over to the counter, and he was about to ring it up and i said i'm not buying this, but you sold it to my daughter. and she was rushed to the hospital because you sold it to a 16-year-old girl illegally. how dare you. >> the mother's visit to the town square market came after our series of reports documenting how buyers as young as 14 years old were purchasing alcohol in plain sight. montgomery county police have backed that up with 38 recent alcohol citations to minors buying at town square market and crossing into mar