Transcripts For WABC Eyewitness News This Morning 20151007

I like when you say that. Im lori stokes. Im ken rosato. Halfway to friday. Youre never more than 7 minutes away from weather and traffic. Weve got some beautiful weather outside this morning, going to be a perfect weather day. Temperatures starting out at 60 degrees. That is really comfortable for this hour of the day. Were looking at 52 up around newburgh. Were looking at 48 around kingston, poughkeepsie. All these are nice, comfortable numbers here, these overnight hours. 54 around belmar. 62 by 10 00, and were looking at 74 with sunshine this afternoon. Already got some problems on the gwb, the George Washington bridge. Debbie duhaime looking at that this morning in for heather. Good morning everybody. Construction just being cleared at the inbound George Washington bridge on the upper level. Moving slowly level getting into town. Lower level under the apartments. Over at the lincoln tunnel, construction continues in both direction. Holland construction continues as well. Lets go to the bayonne bridge. Thats closed until 5 with ongoing road work. At the Brooklyn Bridge construction continues as well. Alternate side parking rules back in effect. Back over to you. Thank you very much. At 4 32 were following a bizarre story out of central park. A man was walking his dog and let the dog run free. Moments later the dog was dead. It happened inside the park near 110th and central park west. Thats where Eyewitness News reporter kala rama picks up the story. Reporter good morning. A few hours ago this whole area of central park was roped off. Were told by police that a man was walking his dog off the leash around 11 00 when something went horribly wrong. When he caught up with his dog, his dog had been killed. Take a look. You can see the Police Police say the call came in as shots fired and reports of a dog suffering head trauma around 11 00 last night. The dog possibly a black lab was off leash and had run down a hill. The dog owner told police he thought something came out of the bushes and by the time he caught up with it the dog was dead. Based on the response you can see police took this very seriously. Officers flooded this area of the park and looked for ballistic evidence but heres the thing. They didnt find any. They didnt find anything in the bushes and the owner never actually heard any gunshots. At this point police cant say for sure if the dog was shot in the head until a vet can go over the dogs head injuries. Later today a necropsy will be done. Hopefully they can figure out the exact cause of death. Also in this area, there are surveillance cameras so police will be going over that later today. Able to see something. Live outside central park, kala rama channel 7 Eyewitness News. Overnight we learned the identity of the woman who was hit and killed by an out of control car in queens. Witnesses say the driver ran a red light and struck three people including a mother and her 2yearold. Eyewitness News Reporter dray clark is live at jamaica story. Reporter all of the people involved in the crash last night were rushed here to jamaica hospital. The 2yearold little girl sustained the most serious injuries. This morning shes listed in critical but stable condition. Her mother and two other people are listed in stable condition, but sadly 52yearold mina mahavier was pronounced dead at the hospital. A driver ran a red light in the Richmond Hills section of queens. The suv was then struck by another vehicle which caused hit a family of three who were standing at the bus stop. A 52yearold woman, a 48year old woman, and her 2yearold baby girl were all hit. Witnesses say the 2yearold suv. They also say the 52yearold woman who was the little girls aunt saved the 2yearolds life because she shoved the little girl out of the way allowing herself to bear the brunt of the crash that killed her. People here heard her screaming. Saved the babys life, yeah, she did. I seen a little girl like under the car and right after that hit, the other woman hit the wall of the building and stopped. You could see the tire marks on her stomach. Reporter investigators say theres no doubt that the driver of that suv ran the red light because when the accident happened there just happened to be an nypd sergeant and another Police Officer there at the intersection, and they saw everything happen. The driver of the suv told police that she was blinded by sun glare and that also the red light is positioned at an awkward angle making it hard to see the light. So far she has not been charged. We should also note the 2year old and her mother are expected to survive. Were live outside jamaica hospital this morning, dray clark channel 7 Eyewitness News. Hopefully theyll get well soon. Thank you very much. Newly released video showing a driver on a Demolition Derby in brooklyn. Dashboard cameras recording the whole thing, a mile long hit and run on saturday night. At least a dozen cars. The driver stops at a dead end street where some people stepped up and tried to intervene. The first night of freedom for a man who spent 25 years in prison for a crime he says he cheers and a hug from his mother greeted johnny kapiay as he walked out of a Court Last Night free on jail. Just hours before a judge threw out his conviction and granted bail. He was one of seven young men convicted for the murder of a tourist in 1990. The first thing that they do is whatever comes in front of them they want to prosecute, and thats wrong. Thats not doing justice. And you know, if youre really going to ascertain information from the beginning to the end, you want to do it correctly and thoroughly. A retrial was granted based on new evidence including testimony from a codefendant who said that capiay is innocent. 4 37. Charges of assault have been dropped against a rutgers Football Player and now he rutgers suspended wide receiver leonte caru. Now the woman doesnt want to testify. A restraining order was lifted because the woman said it was not needed. 4 37. A not guilty plea from a priest in new jersey accused of pointing a gun at an 8yearold boy, dozens of parishioners joined father kevin carter during his arraignment in hackensack yesterday. Prosecutors say carter pointed a civil war era musket. It was apparently over a sports rivalry. The priest is a giants fan, and the little boy is a dallas fan. The family brought the young boy to the rectory specifically and for the sole purpose of engaging in good natured banter. My concern at this moment is for the young boy and his family. Carters Attorney Says eight people were in the rectory at the time. One witness says he didnt see the priest point a gun. 4 39. Investigators looking into that deadly explosion in brooklyn now believe it was not an accident. Officials are focusing on one of the two victims, francisca figueroa. She reportedly had a significant amount of debt and was being evicted from the apartment. Officials are confirming there was no natural gas in the apartment. It had been turned off in june. Debris now being tested for chemicals that may have been used as an accelerant. Two of the biggest sports fantasy websites are under investigation for fraud. Draft kings and fan dual were asked for internal data and details on how they prevent fraud and whether employees won lucrative payouts based on inside information. Both Companies Say theyre temporarily prohibiting workers from playing the games. 4 39. This was not the scene the yankees wanted played out on their own home field. The Houston Astros celebrated a 30 win in the bronx to end the yanks season. The astros Dallas Keuchel struck out 7. After it was over a quiet yankee clubhouse reflected on the very short playoff run. Its baseball, i mean, the team fought hard all year, and sometimes it comes down to one game, and today wasnt our day. This was a club that fought all yearlong, and theres a lot of character in that room, and this hurts. Houston meets kansas city in one al division series. Toronto plays texas in the other. Bummer. 4 40. Youre never more than 10 minutes away from weather and traffic. Hey, lets go mets. Yes. Here we go. At least we have an alternative. We have another team in there. Clear skies this morning, 60 degrees, very comfortable all around this morning. Temperatures 60 right around the five and 40s to the north and west. Beautiful day today, a perfect weather day. Just a few clouds are here. Cooler drier air to the north that will slide down. You can barely see the line around the front here heading towards ottawa. This will come through tonight virtually unnoticed, except tomorrow will be a little cooler. Eventually theres a front along calgary. We have a couple of great days of weather still ahead. 67 by noontime, 74 by afternoon, a perfect day. Debbie duhaime says the George Washington bridge is getting all cleared up now. Theyre just cleaning up that construction. Overnight construction cleared on the upper level heading into town. It was 15 to 20 minutes. Thats easing out to a 5 minute delay inbound. Lets go over to the maps, outbound lower Level Construction continues. Still construction at the lincoln and at the holland tunnel and at the ed koch 59th street bridge into queens. Alternate side parking rules are in effect. Back to you. Thank you. 4 42. Still ahead on Eyewitness News this morning, the death toll continues to climb as dams break in the wake of that devastating flooding thats going on in the carolinas, and this morning officials are saying the threat there is threat of more flooding and that still looms. 6,000 federal drug offenders will be set free from prison in just a few weeks, and that number is expected to grow. Were going to tell you why. And it takes stock legs to strong legs to play soccer. 4 44 were seeing the incredible damage left behind by historic flooding in South Carolina. A drone shows roads washed away and some homes still submerged in water. 17 people have been killed in the carolinas, and Officials Say the threat of flooding isnt over. 11 dams have already been breached, and another 18 dams are on the brink of bursting. Just one disaster scene after another. This. Absolute mess. We were so lucky to be spared entirely from that. 4 45. Meteorologist bill evans with the accuweather forecast. Its a crazy weather phenomenon called a river of moisture. It happened to land between three weather systems right in that area. We have a Beautiful Day today, a perfect weather day is on tap for you. Degrees. The humidity dry, 67 . The winds northwest at 3, and thats our mark of fair weather. Yesterdays high was 73. Does anybody recall the forecasted high yesterday . 73 bill . Yeah. It was 73. Now the suns going to come up just before 7 00. Temperatures today are going to peak past 73, maybe 74, but tomorrow were even at 70. Rain returns friday afternoon. Rain exits friday night early weekend. 52 in sayreville, 54 wrightstown. 54 around monticello, 48 poughkeepsie. A Beautiful Day today, light winds out of the northwest, pretty across the area. I added the wind. Little wind barbs to show you that light northwest wind. Sunny and nice today, were at 74. Patchy clouds and comfortable tonight. 56 around the five boroughs and then sunny skies, a bit cooler tomorrow. The high is 70. Heres your accuweather seven day forecast. Its going to be warm on friday. Were looking at 76, and the rain starts really in the afternoon. There might be a couple showers in the morning. The rains in the morning and evening. It clears up and gets out of the way. Saturday, breaks of sun, 65. And 66 on sunday. There you go. Thats not so bad. Pretty nice weekend. Debbie duhaime youre looking at decent mass transit. Thats for sure. Everythings on or close to schedule. Lirr, metro north, new Jersey Transit, on or close to schedule to start the morning off. Also on the a train downtown express on the, 125 to 59. Thats overnight track work. Hudson river crossings, traffic is very light. The 59th street bridge headed into queens has ongoing maintenance. Over at the bayonne bridge they just reopened the bayonne bridge. The overnight construction cleared. Goethals bridge and the outer bridge okay. Lets take a look at the fdr drive southbound getting into the 70s. Ongoing construction down through the 70s. Well keep an eye on that as well. As we head to our other camera, the inbound George Washington bridge, the overnight construction completely cleared from the upper level. Alternate side parking rules are in effect. Back over to you. Back over to you guys. Debbie thank you. Its 4 48. The new jersey man returning from peru was stopped at Newark Airport after police say he had cocaine stuffed inside food products. William Anthony Sanchez was busted for hiding 10 pounds of coke inside cheese, coffee and other food. They pulled him inside after spotting 88 oxycodone tablets in his bag. It is 4 48. And its going to be an early thanksgiving for thousands of federal inmates. Theyre getting an Early Release from prison. Close to 6,000 federal prisoners convicted of drug crimes are going to go free next month. Its being done under a cost cutting measure intended to reduce the prison population. Students joined First Lady Michelle Obama at the white house in the vegetable garden for her annual fall harvest. Mrs. Obama in 2009 to highlight healthy eating. It led to her lets move campaign. Sweet potatoes, carrots and peanuts were among the produce pulled from the ground. Some of it went to a lunchtime chicken vegetable salad. Yum. Looks beautiful. Its 4 49. Federal prosecutors put the former president of the u. N. General assembly behind bars. Ash reportedly used money for custom made suits, rolex watches and a private Basketball Court built at his home in dobbs ferry. He served as president of the General Assembly from 2013 to 2014. It takes quick reflexes and strong legs to be a star in soccer. Emmanuel hilton is doing just great without legs at all. A year ago he was in a orphanage in the african nation of congo. Now hes a junior in beaver falls pennsylvania. Hes the soccer teams goalie in spite of being born without legs. My mom take care about me and she didnt like me because i was a handicap and then she thrown me in the middle of the night in the road, and then she on the middle of the road like when the car passed somebody can hit me and i can die. A lot of love right now though. Emmanuel was rescued by a woman who took him to an orphanage and that led to his adoption and his pennsylvania. Hes learned english, and his teammates say hes an inspiration. World. Yep. Theres a reason why hes 4 51. Coming up on Eyewitness News boosting your brain power is not a game. Do controversial video games make you smarter. The ntsb has launched an state ford dealers thank you for helping protect our children. 4 54. Welcome back. In this mornings health alert do not let your kids see or hear this, especially if theyre sitting near their xbox. Researchers at the university of wisconsin have found that video games can improve brain power. All of that action, especially in First Person Shooter games such as call of duty apparently improve cognition and critical thinking. We have to keep track of lots of moving things at once. You have to identify targets among clutter. You have to make very quick decisions. Researchers also found no connection between violent video games and increase in aggression. All those moms out there who tell their kids stop playing that violent game, ill never hear the end of it today. It just doesnt stop. 4 55. Youre never more than 7 minutes away from weather and traffic and bill. Its like having an 8year old next to you. Maybe not the game but that invokes violence i guess. [ laughter ] heres whats going on this morning. Take a look at temperatures, 60 right around manhattan this morning. It cools off around sussex, 49, over to newark and the urban areas of new jersey. Jamaica queens and over towards jfk. A little northerly wind, a nice morning but taking the ferries moderate. The wind is light and now the northwest going to be a great ride. 74, sunshine, pleasant today, a perfect day. Suns up just before 7. Heathers got the day off. Debbie duhaime talking the commute this morning, hows it looking out there . Everything still moving smoothly, lirr, metro north and new Jersey Transit. On the a train downtown express, overnight track work. Hudson river crossings minor with construction wrapping up. Outbound george, lower level, lets go outside. Wyck. The van wyck northbound moving smoothly into kew gardens. Alternate side parking rules are in effect. Back over to you. Thank you. A student at Fordham University is sending a big thank you to tom hanks after the oscar winning actor went out of his way to return her lost id badge. Now this out of the incredible but true file. You see hanks found a students id badge on the ground yesterday in central park with the name lauren on it. Yesterday he tweeted a message saying lauren, i found your student id in the park, if you still need it my office will get it to you. Hanks. A short time later, a girl tweeted hanks saying lol, this is my friend. When lauren found out she says she was shocked and a little bit skeptical. I guess i was a little apprehensive. I didnt know okay is this really him. I dont have twitter but i think thats what it is, this little blue check. I was hoping for that and then seeing how many retweets there were, i was like okay, wait, this is probably really tom hanks. You can catch the full interview with lauren today on good morning america. What a story. It really is. It is coming up on 5 00 this morning. We have a lot ahead on Eyewitness News. A late night walk turns tragic for one dog owner after his dog mysteriously dies. And Police Release Surveillance Video in their string of car breaks in that turned deadly in brooklyn. The centers for medicare and Medicaid Services recently asked patients to rate the quality of over 3,500 hospitals. Fewer than 10 received 5 stars. Among them was Cancer Treatment centers of america in philadelphia. Traveling through seas of oats and berries peaches, pumpkin seeds, and cherries i say to the bowl are you trying to temp me . The bowl says come on down to the land of plenti. Yoplait plenti, with oats, flax, and pumpkin seeds. This is new yorks number 1 news, channel 7 Eyewitness News with lori stokes and ken rosato, Heather Orourke with traffic, and bill evans with the exclusive accuweather forecast. Now Eyewitness News this morning. Good morning, its 5 a. M. Developing right now police are investigating a frightening incident at central park where a minnesotas dog was mysteriously killed during an evening walk. Police trying to find two thieves accused of opening fire while breaking into cars in brooklyn killing one man and hurting a 13yearold. Plus candidates fighting for the white house put their focus on gun control after last weeks deadly shooting at a College Campus in oregon. Good morning im lori stokes. Im ken rosato. It is wednesday october 7th halfway there, and you are never more than 7 minutes away from weather and traffic. Meteorologist bill evans with the exclusive accuweather forecast. You know, you started saying that on monday. Yeah, i did. I wasnt halfway there then. Its like a yogiism. Its monday, were halfway to the weekend. Look at this, 60 by 8 00, 70 by noontime today. 74 this afternoon, a really pretty morning, going to be a gorgeous day. Youve see we got those clear skies. Light wind out of the its weather then heather every 7 minutes. Debbie duhaime is talking about the merritt parkway in connecticut. Hows the nutmeggers doing up there. Some volume on the merritt parkway heading through new canaan. Stick with 95 at this point. Lets see whats happening right now as you take it over to the fdr drive south into the 70s wrapping up some construction as well. And over at the ed koch 59th street bridge its ongoing maintenance heading into queens. The inbound bqe slowing down at the Brooklyn Bridge, inbound Brooklyn Bridge ongoing construction. Still okay lirr, metro north and new Jersey Transit. Alternate side parking rules are in effect for today city wide. Back over to you. Lori, ken. Thank you. At 5 02 were following a developing story in Police Investigating the mysterious death of a dog during a late night walk. It happened last night at 110th street and central park west. Kala rama live at the scene with the latest information. Ken, just a few hours ago, this whole area of central park was roped off here by police tape,s something so bizarre happened while this guy was walking his dog. He let him off the leash. The dog runs down the hill, and by the time the owner caught up with his dog, the dog was dead. Now police are trying to figure out how this could have happened. Take a look here, you can see police say the call came in as shots fired and reports of a around 11 00 last night. The dog possibly a black lab was off the leash and ran down the hill. The dog owner told police he thought something came out of the bushes, and the next thing you knew by the time he caught up with the dog the dog was dead. Based on the Response Police took this very seriously. Officers flooded this area of the park and looked for ballistics but didnt find anything. Thats whats so bizarre here. Even though this call came in as shots fired, police did not find anything in the bushes. The owner said he never actually heard any gunshots either. At this point, police cant say for sure if the dog was actually shot in the head until a vet can go over the dogs head injuries. Now a necropsy will be done later today to hopefully figure out an exact cause of death of this dog. Police are still investigating the area wondering where shots could have came from if any at all or if the public could be in danger. Were live here in central park on the upper west side. Kala rama channel 7 Eyewitness News. Thank you. Theres new video and pictures this morning of two of the suspects police say used deadly force when they were caught breaking into cars. Investigators point this men from neighborhood summers videos. A gang of thieves had been operating when the men in the meadow shop spotted them and chased them off, and thats when one of the thieves opened fire wounding two people including a 13yearold girl. He also killed one of the metal shop workers, 53yearold michael matusiak. You injured him. You didnt have to kill him. That was my man. Man. Police hope someone will recognize the men in a new video and the photo. Its 5 04. Now to the latest in the race for the president. White house hopefuls are joining the gun control debate after last weeks mass shooting at a college in oregon. Republican candidate ben carson is facing criticism for his comments on gun control. Reporter gop white house hopeful ben carson is now making bold statements regarding gun rights from to preferring a body full of bullet holes over gun control. Dr. Ben carson with his soft spoken style is leading in the polls and now topping headlines when it comes to gun control. Gun control only works for normal lawabiding citizens. When asked how he would reacted if he had been sitting in that classroom at the Oregon Community college with the shooter pointing a gun at him, he says hed fight back. I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say hey guys everybody attack him. He may shoot me but he cant get us all. Take action. Not everyone is laughing. Carson is now being called insensitive by critics. On fox news last night he said he wasnt judging the victims. I want to plant the seed in peoples minds so if this happens again, you know, they dont all get killed. The gop candidate also bashing president obamas plan to visit with victims saying if he were elected hed be too busy to go. I would probably have so many things on my agenda id go to the next one. Jeb bush also criticized days after the oregon shooting for his comments. Look, stuff happens. Theres always a crisis and the something. Its not necessarily the right thing to do. And others like donald trump saying new gun laws are not the answer. This isnt guns. This is about mental illness. On the democratic side Hillary Clinton and Martin Omalley speaking with their plan on stricter gun laws. Ben carson is standing by his words and so is the largest association representing federal Law Enforcement officers. In a newly released statement may seem tactically reckless but they actually have great merit. In washington im Stephanie Ramos channel 7 Eyewitness News. Happening today, thousands are expected to take part in a pro Charter School rally. Parents, students and educators are gathering at brooklyns plaza at 9 this morning. Theyre calling on mayor bill de blasio to honor his promise to end inequality in the citys school system. After the rally the crowd will head across Brooklyn Bridge to city hall. 5 07. And there is no joy in yankee land this morning. The yanks lost to houston in last nights American League wild card game. That sends them home for the wintered. The astros picked up the only run they would need on a 2nd inning homer. The yankees managed three hits off four houston pitchers after they were shut out 30. That left fans shaking their heads. What offense. I mean seriously. Obviously it is their last game so now its tough. They didnt show up. Fans showed up. They didnt. A stadium crowd actually booed as fans will do in the bronx. The yanks have lost five straight playoff games. Ouch. Didnt mince any words. 5 08. Youre never more than 7 minutes away from weather and im with him. I stayed up late last night watching that, three and a half either. [ laughter ] swing the bat. Heres whats going on this morning as we take a look outside. We have clear skies, partly cloudy skies, a beautiful view here from the Empire State Building all the way south down island. 59 degrees, partly cloudy skies, light northerly wind. Beautiful day today. A little cold will come through tonight making it cooler tomorrow. This front comes through on friday. Its up there around calgary and edmonton. That will bring us a shower friday afternoon. Feels, 70, 74 this afternoon. A perfect weather day. Weather and traffic together every 7 minutes. Debbie duhaime up in the Traffic Center. Ill tell you whats happening. Theyre wrapping up that construction on the merritt parkway. As you head southbound, that construction just wrapping up. Now heading into the bronx of the new england thruway southbound slowing down into conner street, construction being cleared from that stretch as well. Inbound Brooklyn Bridge, its that ongoing road work as well. If youre heading over to the gowanus, traffic is moving slowly on the inbound gowanus by 92nd street. Thats ongoing construction as well. Were going to keep an eye on that for you. Lets go out to the l. I. E. Camera. The l. I. E. Westbound moving okay getting out towards commack road. That overnight construction cleared out of the way and going over to our other camera, the new jersey turnpike moving fine here up through 14 heading right through newark. Alternate side parking rules are in effect for today city wide. Back over to you. Ken, lori. Still ahead on Eyewitness News this morning, its anything but smooth sailing for a driver trying to avoid getting taken into custody. And a police chase comes to a very interesting end. Stay with us. Im michael douglas, and new york is my home. Theres no place like it in the world. And theres no time to see it like the fall. Take metro north to take in the beautiful fall foliage from high above the hudson. Swing a club at one of americas greatest courses. See spectacular sights underground. Or thrilling sights above it. Theres so many incredible ways to experience the fun of fall in new york state. Plan your trip at iloveny. Com. 5 12 and there are new images from the search for a missing cargo ship. Still no sign of the vessel. Coast guard yesterday released photos from the spot where the el faro is believed to have sunk near the bahamas. 33 people including two with ties to our area were on board the container ship when it left florida eight days ago. It disappeared during hurricane joaquin. The suspect driving away choice to say the least as he tried to take a look at this driver in australia trying to dodge police on the beach. Two hours this happened. He ran out of clever ideas, he then decided to take the car for a dip in the ocean. Cars dont usually do well in water. Waves crash into the white suv. The driver climbed out. Officers dove in and made an arrest. Yeah, unless its one of those go go gadget cars that doesnt usually work in the water. Nope, it didnt work there. Thats for sure. Go go gadget boat. We take a look outside. Weve got a beautiful morning, partly cloudy skies. [ technical difficulties ] hows that . Better . Were looking at skies that are partly cloudy, a nice visibility down to Staten Island. Its a morning where we have low humidity, a temperature around 59. Hours. Weve got a light northerly wind and the pressure steady at 29. 99. 51 around bridge water, 54 around hackettstown, 53 around montclair. A 3 miles an hour wind here white plains, 2 to 5 miles an hour wind around wrightstown. A light northerly wind over us. Were looking at that wind valley. Weve got clouds and well have sunny breaks. Beautiful skies as we get closer to 7 00. Back across to the west, a High Pressure ridge comes in, makes for great weather as we go into tomorrow. Friday night into saturday, were going to be a cold front moves through and get to the coast. There will be a low running up that front. Its possible the front goes far enough east that doesnt affect us on saturday. Our futurecast shows sunshine today. Here comes that front, makes it cooler tomorrow and then here comes the front for friday. About noontime that front gets near and about 5, 6, 7 00 its right over us friday night, and then you see it pushes off the coast saturday morning, and clouds. 74, jackets and sweaters this morning kiddos, a little breezy and cool. By afternoon well be looking at a nice warm afternoon, a perfect day with sunshine and clouds. The front moves through cooler. Were at 70 degrees. Nice days. Patchy clouds and comfortable as we go into tonight. Well have about 46 in the suburbs well north and west. Then were looking at a cooler day tomorrow with a high of 70. Heres your accuweather seven day forecast. Theres the rain for friday evening, friday night. Cloudy skies and breaks of sun on saturday and 65, 66 on sunday. All right. Well be changing the microphone as the crew comes throughout the cabin, pass around some orange juice and coffee. Well leave you be. Ill let you get your stuff together. Debbie duhaime youve got gowanus issues today. Good morning ken, lori, bill, good morning everybody. Heading to the airports on time but lets go right over to the map and ill tell you whats happening here on the inbound gowanus. Traffic is moving really slowly through bay ridge by 82nd street. Its construction slowing everybody down. Lets also see whats happening here as you head to the bronx. The new england thruway southbound to conner Street Construction being cleared. Taking it up to the merritt parkway southbound through new canaan by exit 37. That construction wrapping up. Lirr, metro north, new Jersey Transit all running on or close to schedule. Hudson river crossings very light, george, lincoln and the holland still moving smoothly. The outbound george lower level, that construction wrapping up under the apartments. Lets go outside and ill show you a look at the gowanus. Heres the volume getting up through bay ridge. Very busy because of this ongoing construction, and finally going over to our other cam remarks the Grand Central parkway. Alternate side parking rules are in effect for today city wide. Back over to you. Thank you so much. Its 5 17. Still ahead on Eyewitness News this morning, defense secretary ash carter speaks out about the deadly u. S. Air strike in a hospital in afghanistan that claimed more than 20 lives. Also ahead, police have a clearer picture of the car theyre trying to track down in relation to a deadly hit enough pressure in here for ya . Im gonna take mucinex sinusmax. Too late, were about to take off. These dissolve fast. Theyre new liquid gels. And youre coming with me. You realize i have gold status . Mucinex sinusmax liquid gels. Dissolves fast to unleash max strength medicine. This is mineral build up it collects leaving gross germridden stains. Clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach is no match for that. But lysol power toilet bowl cleaner eliminates mineral buildup effortlessly. 5 20. Welcome back, and Police Release new Surveillance Video of an suv they say was involved in a deadly hit and run in queens. Authorities say a dark colored late model Jeep Grand Cherokee dragged 41yearold 20 feet. Contreras died at the hospital a short time later. We learned overnight police have arrested a long island man accused of burglarizing homes in floral park. Stanley vasquez is being charged with five burglaries on hudson road weeks. Police tracked vasquez down to his home early yesterday. Defense secretary ash carter is offering an apology for the u. S. Military air strike on a hospital in afghanistan. On saturday a u. S. Gun ship Doctors Without Borders in kunduz. Afghans are battling to recapture the city from the taliban. More than 20 people have died from the air strike and dozens more were wounded. The Defense Department deeply regrets the loss of innocent lives. After so many videos of isis flexing its muscle, counterterrorism experts have a question, where do all the toyotas come from. Toyota picks up toyota land vehicle choice. The toyota says its not aware of any of its dealerships violating Company Policy not to sell to terrorist groups. The question about toyota is part of a broader effort by the Treasury Department to keep isis from being able to equip and resupply its army. 5 21. Youre never more than 7 minutes away from weather and traffic. Meteorologist bill evans with the accuweather forecast. We have a beautiful morning, a nice fall morning, a cool morning. 59 degrees, partly cloudy skies, going to a high today of 74. Taking the ferry over from jersey city, a little light wind there, and across back and forth from port jeff to bridgeport looking at temperatures in the water about 64. The waters really cool, a light east, northeast wind here. A light wind all the way around. By afternoon were looking at 74 degrees. 67 to 70 at lunch, 74 this afternoon. Going to be a gorgeous day, a perfect day. Well talk about rain for friday and the rest of your weekend coming up. Debbie duhaime in for heather looking at everything for you right now. At the gowanus . Still talking about the gowanus. Overnight construction as we head to the maps. The inbound gowanus moving slowly out towards 92nd street. Its ongoing construction slowing you down. Okay across the verrazano. Watch for construction on the new england thruway southbound after conner street in the bronx as well. Alternate side parking rules are in effect for today city wide. Back to you, ken, lori. Thank you. Still ahead on Eyewitness News this morning, a big deadline for volkswagen. We now know when the automaker will start a massive recall following that devastating emissions scandal. Also ahead, toysrus may be we are the largest and most Diverse School district in america yet we are one one point one Million Students one thousand eight hundred schools sharing one common goal. Help all kids succeed. Were new York City Public School teachers. Taking learning to the next level. And parents and the community are on board all coming together. As one. To celebrate the passion and promise of our public schools. On the money this morning, asian stocks are showing gains. Japans nikkei closed up a fraction. Hong kongs hang seng rose more than 3 the dow starts up 13 points at 16790, nasdaq positive and s p 500 begin slightly lower. Cold cash savings are heating your home will likely cost a little less this winter. Candace gibson and reena ninan have this mornings business headlines. Good morning, topping costs this winner. Heating oil prices are expected to be down 25 , propain 18 and natural gas 10 but electricity 3 less than last year. Energy prices are down and a mild winter is forecast. Volkswagen is ready to 11million of diesel power cars rigged to cheat. The worldwide recall will start next year and could cost vw 30 billion. And this years top gift in the Neiman Marcus christmas catalog is a trip, price tag 720,000. Ouch or a bargain at 150,000 you get a motorcycle designed by keanu reeves and go on a trip with him. Thanks americas money. Wow. The American Dream project under construction in the meadowlands could be a dream location for toysrus. The company says that by the end of 2017, plans to open a store at the long delayed mall in east rutherford. It would be packed with 55,000 square feet of toys over a threestory layout. It is 5 20. Coming up in our next half hour, a woman is dead after out of the path of an out of control car in queens. Police are looking into whether a misdirected traffic light played a role in that crash. Also ahead, a former prisoner is waking up a free man after spending 25 years behind bars for a crime he says he didnt commit. And meteorologist bill evans returns with one heck of an accuweather forecast, the your body was made for Better Things than rheumatoid arthritis. Before you and your rheumatologist move to a biologic, ask if xeljanz is right for you. Xeljanz is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. Xeljanz can reduce joint pain and swelling in as little as two weeks, and help stop further joint damage. Xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma, hn net 3. Ncers have happened. Dont start xeljanz if you have an infection. Tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts, and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. Your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. Tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. Xeljanz can reduce the symptoms of ra, even without methotrexate. Ask your rheumatologist about xeljanz. Ti now new yorks number 1 news channel 7 Eyewitness News this morning. Developing this morning, police are investigating the mysterious death of a dog during a late night walk in central park. Authorities in the bronx are looking for a sexual predator accused of luring several boys at nearby schools. A rutgers Football Player wants to take the field now that Assault Charges have been dropped. Good morning, im ken rosato. Im lori stokes. Today is wednesday october minutes away from weather and traffic and meteorologist bill evans. This morning were looking at some gorgeous weather. Weve got clear to partly cloudy skies, 59 degrees. 59 around the park and over toward ridgewood queens, 59 around Cambria Heights and 60 around whitestone and 40 towards monticello. 65 by 11 00. 71 to 74 degrees this afternoon, a beauty of a day. Debbie duhaime is up in the Traffic Center. Shes looking at the traffic for you this morning in for heather looking at the commute, and it looks like its going to be a day where we start out with great weather. Maybe debbies busy in the Traffic Center this morning and for heather. Hows it going so far this morning . Its been very busy this morning already. Its busy on the gowanus as we head over to the webcam as well. The inbound side of the gowanus moving slowly getting up there 92nd street, bay ridge. Its all due to this ongoing construction. Its over in the hov lane causing quite a delay. Maps, ill tell you what also is happening. Inbound gowanus moving slowly right out towards the area of bay ridge. Watch out for some delays as you head through the new england southbound. Alternate side parking rules are in effect. Back to you, ken, lori. It is 5 31 developing overnight, police are trying to solve a mystery in central park this morning. A dog was killed during a late night walk with his owner. Eyewitness News Reporter kala rama park with the very latest for us. Reporter its really a bizarre story. The owner was walking his dog in this area. It was roped off by police tape hours ago here. When he let the dog off the leash, the dog ran down the hill. By the time the owner caught up with the dog, the dog was dead. Take a look at the Police Response here. Police say the call came in as shots fired and reports of a dog suffering head trauma around 11 00 last night. Was off leash and ran down the hill. The dog owner told police he thought something came out of the bushes, and the next thing he knew by the time he caught up with it, the dog was dead. Based on the response, police took this very seriously. Officers flooded this area of the park and looked for they didnt find any. They didnt find anything in the bushes. Either. At this point police cant say for sure if the dog was actually shot in the head until a vet can go over the dogs head injuries. People have started coming out here this morning very early to walk their dogs already, and theyre a little skeptical about the whole thing. Its shocking. Im surprised. Like the young lady asked me, was i apprehensive about coming out this morning, when i walk across the street, it makes me wonder is it safe taking him down here. Reporter a necropsy will be done later today to figure out the exact cause of death of this dog. Also Surveillance Video in the area is being collected by police to go over today. Hopefully that could have caught something. If anyones wondering about the laws here, what are the rules for having a dog off the leash, basically you only have to have the dog on the leash from 9 a. M. To 9 p. M. The dog owner was fine having his dog off the leash around 11 00 last night. Live, kala rama channel 7 Eyewitness News. 5 33. A Police Crash Investigation team is looking at whether a misdirected traffic light led to a deadly accident that shattered a family in queens. This happened just before 6 p. M. In richmond hill. An suv ran a red light on atlantic avenue and was hit by a sedan crossing the same intersection. The impact sent the suv on to the sidewalk and into a family waiting for a bus. A mother is in stable condition. Her 2yearold is in critical condition, and mina mahabier the childs aunt was killed. Witnesses say she died trying to push the child to safety. She did. She really did. I seen a little girl like under the car and right after that hit the other woman hit the wall of the building and stopped. You could see the tire marks on her stomach. The driver of the suv says that she was blinded by sun glare and the traffic light was off kilter so she did not see the red light. Police have not yet filed any criminal charges. 5 34. New this morning, a sexual predator is on the run in the bronx wanted for terrorizing children in several incidents near schools. Eyewitness News Reporter dray clark is live in the eden wall section with that story. Reporter good morning ken, that suspect, a man believed to be in his 30s is still on the prowl this morning and that has allegedly happened in this park behind me. This park has two neighboring schools, and there are a lot of children who live in this neighborhood. Take a good look at your Television Screen because this is a good look at the man police are looking for. That bald headed man appears to be again in his 30s, and were told that he speaks with a foreign accent. The touching incidents began in august when he first approached a 13yearold inside the park and offered the teenager money to carry his bags. The teen agreed, and thats when police say the man touched that teenagers back side. A month later he made the same offer to a 15yearold, and police say after the 15year old agreed, he exposed himself and tried to touch the teenager, and just last saturday police say he grabbed a 12yearold boy and pulled him into a wooded area of the park. Again, back here live all of the alleged incidents happening here inside seaten falls park and police say he does the same thing in each and every case. He approaches a young teenager and offers to give that teenager money if they agree to carry his bags, and then police say hell usher the teen to a remote area or wooded section of the park where he then exposes himself or tries to touch the teenager. Police, again, are very concerned that this man is still out here and because of these schools in the area, theyre going to be upping their patrol to try and find him before he does the same thing to someone else. Were live this morning in the bronx, dray clark channel 7 Eyewitness News. Thank you. At 5 36, a man who spent 25 years in prison for a crime he says he never committed is waking up a free man this morning [ cheers and applause ] cheers and a hug from his mom greeted johnny hundred capay as he walked out of court judge threw out his conviction and granted bail while prosecutors decide if they will retry him. Hincapie was one of seven young men convicted of shooting a tourist in 1990. Whatever comes in front of them they want to prosecute, and thats wrong. Thats not doing justice, and you know, if youre really going to ascertain information from the beginning to the end, you want to do it correctly and thoroughly. A retrial was granted based on new evidence including testimony from a codefendant who says that hincapie is innocent. Charges of assault have been dropped against a rutgers Football Player and now he wants to play ball again. Rutgers suspended wide receiver Leonte Carroo after he was charged in a brawl in piscataway. Now the woman he was accused of slamming on to concrete tells a judge she didnt want to testify. Earlier in family court a restraining order against carroo was lifted because the woman said wasnt needed. Two of the biggest Fantasy Sports websites are under investigation for fraud. New York Attorney general has asked draft kings and fan dual for internal data and details on how they prevent fraud and whether employees won lucrative payouts based on inside information. Both Companies Say they are temporarily prohibiting workers from playing the games. Its 5 38, and youre never more than 7 minutes away from weather and traffic. Meteorologist bill evans with the exclusive accuweather forecast. We look outside, and it is not a fantasy. It is reality. It is a really pretty morning, comfortable, light wind, not really breezy or harsh, and the temperature right now is 59 degrees. Going to be a Beautiful Day. Clouds are just kind of over the area. What were seeing all the way back to the great lakes is nice High Pressure, a reinforcing shot of High Pressure will come down out of the north today. It will come through dry with this cold front back in calgary headed towards winnipeg. Thats going to come to us friday. So by noontime today were at 70. Were at 74 this afternoon. Normal High Temperature this time of the year is 67. We have a really pretty day. Kids grab a little jacket this morning, its kind of cool at the bus stop with 40s and 50s in the suburbs. Were looking at 74. I give it an a for the afternoon. Debbie duhaime go out and tell us about the gowanus. The gowanus does not get an a this morning. Were going to show you pictures from our webcam. The inbound gowanus moving slowly through 92nd street. Hov lane is blocked with some ongoing work. Were going to keep an eye on that for you. As we go to the maps, watch for delays on the inbound gowanus up through bay ridge. As you head to 18 southbound getting us to neptune its an accident being cleared as well. Lets go back over to our webcam, and ill show you what else is happening out here this morning. As you take a ride, watch out for stopandgo traffic on the l. I. E. Queens heading right out towards the queens midtown tunnel as well. The inbound George Washington bridge moving okay, no problems George Lincoln or the holland. Alternate side in effect. Back over to you. Thank you debbie. It is 5 40. Still ahead on Eyewitness News this morning, the fdny make room for diversity. Devastating images out of South Carolina where deadly flood waters are leaving behind it took the rockettes years to master the kick line. But only a few moves to master paying bills on chase. Com technology designed for you. Welcome back, we are seeing the incredible damage left behind by historic flooding in South Carolina. A drone shows roads washed away. Some homes still submerged in water. 17 people have been killed in the carolinas. Officials say the threat of flooding still not over. One river expected to crest 5 feet above flood stage 11 dams have already been breached, another 18 on the brink of bursting. Its 5 42, and following the lead of the nypd, the Fire Department is starting diversity training for all 10800 of its firefighters. The ndny is overwhelmingly white and male. The new training is an effort to make it welcoming to women and minorities. Wall street journal reports the program is part of the 98 million legal settlement last year with a ewe of black firefighters. Meteorologist bill evans with the accuweather forecast. And a look from the Chrysler Building this morning as we start our day with partly cloudy skies. Chrysler building lights are on. Somebodys home, and were looking across the east river, Roosevelt Island out towards flushing bay. Looking from brooklyn across the east river to lower manhattan, a beautiful morning as we look at 1 world trade, partly cloudy skies, 59 degrees. The humidity is dry. The winds are north at 3, and the pressure has been steady right at 30. High yesterday 73, normal 67. Temperatures peak today at 74, and even tomorrow is still around 70 and thats above normal. Rain is going to return friday afternoon. We could get a few tenths of an inch of rain, maybe a half inch if were lucky. Were still short rainfall about 6 1 2 inches of rain. That rain exits early saturday morning. Skies brighten. It looks like the rain depending on timing might exit friday night. The pollen count low to moderate. Thats going to be the principal participant in the count. Were looking at 57, smithtown and babylon, brook haven is 53. Hampton, 47. Especially when you have a clear sky, calm wind, all that heating from yesterday. 54 around monticello, just a northwest wind. Going to be a great day. You can see weve got clear skies back to the great lakes. This little area where you see sprinkles, this is a reinforcing shot of dry, cooler air that comes in tomorrow. This front comes by on friday. Your weather system moves fast in the fall as we head into winter. First front goes by. Heres the second front. That will start bringing a couple of showers friday morning. Its friday afternoon into friday evening. After sunset we get those showers. After school kiddos, its gorgeous weather. At 74 degrees, sunny and nice. Tonight were at 56. 40s in the suburbs. Tomorrow weve got sunny skies. Its a little cooler with temperatures around 70, and then were looking at that rainfall friday afternoon. You need your rain gear friday afternoon and friday night. Thats gone friday night, and then weve got nice weather for the weekend. Nice. Good. Not so bad. At all. Hopefully our rain gear is dried out from last week Debbie Duhaime right . As long as the weekends nice were in good shape. Living for the weekend. Thats for sure. Good morning lori, ken, bill. Were going to start off by showing you some pictures of the fdr drive from our webcam really moving slowly through the 70s. Its overnight road work. Watch for delays on the fdr drive. You may want to hop to the west sided in. Lets go to the maps again. That fdr drive southbound moving slowly through the 70s with construction and still heavy on the inbound gowanus up by 92nd street towards bay ridge with construction in the hov lane. Were going to keep an eye on that as well. 18 southbound in neptune reports of an accident getting out towards wall. Inbound george, lincoln and the holland look good. Metro north alternate side parking rules are in effect. Still ahead on Eyewitness News this morning, dozens of parishioners show their support for a priest accused of were hearing from an nfl im bobby flay and new york is my home. Theres no place like it in the world. Come fall, i like to get a taste of everything the state has to offer. Like this famous winery nestled in the hudson valley. Or the awardwinning vineyards of long island. This cooperstown brewery you can even try new yorks exceptional cider and spirits. This fall, drink in the beauty of new york state. Plan your trip at iloveny. Com. Theres something for everyone. Discover the latest from the amop\ premium foot care line, to see why women are admiring their beautiful nails. They have good reason. Introducing the latest innovation from amop\, the new electronic nail care system specially designed for your toenails and finger nails with 3 heads for filling, buffing and shinning. An easy way to have natural looking shiny wow nails. Wow the new electronic nail care system from amop\. Tristate ford dealers thank you for helping protect our children. 5 49. A not guilty plea from a priest in new jersey accused of pointing a gun at an 18year old boy. Dozens of parishioners joined father kevin carter during his arraignment in hackensack yesterday. Carter pointed a civil war era musket at the boy in the rectory of st. Margaret of qitona church in little ferry. It was apparently over a sports rivalry. The priest is a giants fan and the boy is a dallas fan. The family brought the young boy to the rectory specifically and for the sole purpose of engaging in good natured banter. For the young boy and his family. Carters Attorney Says eight people were in the rectory at the time. One witness says he didnt see the priest point a gun. Its 5 50. Investigators looking into that deadly explosion in brooklyn now believe that this was not an accident. Officials are focusing on one of the two victims, fran he is figueroa. She reportedly had a significant amount of death and was being evicted from the apartment. There was no natural gas in the apartment because it was turned off in june. Debris is tested for chemicals that may have been used as accelerants. A texas man who lost everything he had to a gun waving thief is now grateful to an unlikely hero. Lazel koby delivers newspapers in the neighborhood. When he saw there were he stopped. He had found the mans stolen car registration, his wallet, even a 750 cashiers check meant for rent money. It gives you some perspective and also shows you how like a random stranger can help lift you back up in the worst of times. Isnt that something. Police even found the mans stolen car with its glove compartment filled with marijuana. It must have been left there by the thieves. 5 51. When you lose something important, the hope is someone else will find it, get it back to you. Getting back her id isnt the only thing thats making one fordham student smile. Its the person who found that id for her. Its 5 53, and youre never more than 7 minutes away from weather and traffic on Eyewitness News this morning, im meteorologist bill evans in the weather center. The temperature 59 degrees, a high today of 74. Its 47 at river head, 53 down the jersey shore. 57 newark, elizabeth, and Staten Island with a little light northerly to a northeast wind. The humidities are where they should be for the morning hours, kind of drying out. Great ride on the ferries today. Got a beauty of a ride. Going to be a gorgeous day with a lot of sunshine. 70 at noontime, 74 this afternoon. Debbie duhaime is looking at things for you this morning in the commute in for heather. The ferries are running on time. Problems with metro north on the harlem line. Delays of 30 minutes, lirr new Jersey Transit on time. Watch for a problem on 18 south and neptune as you get into wall township, a collision there. Hudson river crossings moving smoothly. Stop and go southbound fdr drive into the 70s with construction, and the inbound gowanus by 92nd street, its emergency construction in the hov lane. Lets go to the webcam. This is that inbound gowanus moving slowly through bay ridge. Emergency construction in the hov lane. Alternate side parking rules are in effect. Back over to you. Thank you. Newly released video shows a driver on a Demolition Derby in brooklyn. One car after another slammed. Dashboard cameras recorded the whole thing a mile long hit and run on saturday night. At least a dozen cars were damaged. The driver finally stopped at a dead end street where some people tried to intervene. The driver faces a dwi charge. A student from Fordham University sending a great big thanks to tom hanks after the oscar winning actor went out of his way to return her lost id badge. Mr. Hanks found a student id badge on the ground in central park with the name lauren on it. Yesterday he tweeted a message saying hey lauren, i found your student id in the park. If you still need it, my office will get it to you. Hanks. A short time later a girl tweeted hanks saying lol this is my friend. When lauren found out, she says skeptical. Apprehensive. I didnt know, okay, is this really him. I dont have twitter but i think thats what it is. I was hoping for that. Then seeing how many retweets there were i was like, okay, tom hanks. Shes so cute. And you can catch the full interview with lauren today on good morning america. Preservation group is suing the city of los angeles for demolishing a home where Marilyn Monroe lived for one year. The lawsuit says the l. A. City council violated state and city laws when it allowed the demolition to go forward to clear the way for condominiums. The home was torn down days before a hearing on whether to make it an historic landmark. The cost to visit nikkis tomb town and tomorrow land is on the rise. Disney land increasing the price of its annual passes. The jump in some cases is more than 35 . Disney points out premium passes will offer new benefits including access to water parks and golf courses. Just ahead on Eyewitness News this morning, were live are investigating the mysterious killing of a dog during a late night walk with its owner. New this morning, something to think about as you are preparing your breakfast. Low fat milk, is it really the best option for you. And you can leave home with a big smile on the face because meteorologist bill evans will accuweather forecast. Stay with us. Itll be here before you know it. Hello, halloween. When everybody dresses up. And that includes dinner. Unleash the power of dough. Give it a pop. I would kill for something sweet. Wanna split that . No. Soooo much fat. Dont fight your instincts. With 150 calories each, try our new rich creamy cheesecakes. Los permanezca nos engaan. This is new yorks number 1 news, channel 7 Eyewitness News with lori stokes and ken rosato, Heather Orourke with traffic and bill evans with the exclusive accuweather forecast. Now Eyewitness News this