Transcripts For WRC News 4 At 5 20120410

you see why essentially the republican race for the white house ended today. >> steve, what happens to delegates committed to santorum now? >> that's a good question. i don't know what the actual delegate rules are. but we know that he never would have made it. the way it works at the convention, they cast their votes, then they're free. i don't think it has a whole lot of bearing on exactly what they do in their first ballot. jim, it looks like mitt romney, it will be a lot easier for him now, is going to finally get those 11,044 sometime in june. we are also following breaking news involving george zimmerman. he's the florida neighborhood watch volunteer accused of shooting trayvon martin. zimmerman's attorney, craig sonner, just announced he has withdrawn from the case because they have lost contact with zimmerman. we've also learned that zimmerman contacted the special prosecutor who will decide on charges against the advice of his lawyer. this development comes as we are waiting for a news conference about this case. going to bring you more details when we get them. now to the tragedy that shocked a local neighborhood and school officials. a 6-year-old accidentally shot and killed himself yesterday with a gun he found in a spiderman backpack. news 4's erica gonzalez is live in clinton with more on how the community is trying to cope. erica? >> reporter: jim, 6-year-old amari perkins was a first grader here at james ryder randall middle school in clinton, maryland. we just got a press statement from the superintendent of prince georges county public schools informing us that counselors and psychologists have been on hand today and will continue to be in order to help teachers and students cope with amari's loss. this photo of amari perkins was taken less than two weeks ago. a happy child, according to family. today, a stuffed animal sits at the foot of his home on 613 arbitus lane in clinton, maryland. amari died here monday afternoon after police say he came across a loaded gun in his home and accidentally shot himself. he was there with two other siblings and his grandmothers. >> the child, a first grader, found the gun inside a children's spiderman backpack which was left on the floor. >> police say 20-year-old raymond allen brown, who lived in the same home as amari, has been arrested for reckless eng dangerment and firearm access by a minor. one family member who did not wish to be on camera tells me brown is like family. and says the tragedy was an accident. she tells me the backpack was brown's and that amari who has a similar bag may have confused it for his own and opened it. she says brown who was not there when the gun went off but arrived shortly after was shaking when he saw what had happened and offered to help in any way. steven roach is a parent to one child at amari's school and says because of cases like this, he's ugh taught his children the dangers of weapons. what do you do when you see a gun? >> run and tell an adult. >> reporter: meanwhile, prince georges county police tell me that they are still investigating who the gun belonged to. we're live in clinton, maryland, erica gonzalez, "news 4." we now know the name of a man killed in a police involved shooting yesterday in prince georges county. an officer shot and killed 26-year-old michael anthony bailey in landover last night. police tell us the officer spotted bailey and two other men acting suspiciously. they say the officer got into an altercation with bailey and used a stun gun on him. the officer reportedly fired when bailey reached for a gun of his own. police describe the officer as a three-year veteran of the force. a surprise suspect. police arrested a 20-year-old waldorf man and accused him of selling drugs out of an ice cream truck. authorities say a tip led to the bust. "news 4's" darcy spencer has our report. >> reporter: when the ice cream truck comes into your neighborhood kids come running for this and for this. police here are saying one local operator was selling more than sweet treats. it was here at bayswater court and sheffield circle in waldorf. a 20-year-old man was operating an ice cream truck. but police say he had a little side business going, too. selling pot. >> he really was selling ice cream also? >> ice cream or marijuana. you can take your pick with this guy. >> reporter: police say they received a tip through crime solvers on march 30th that alexander huskins was dealing drugs. they stopped the truck and a drug detection dog alerted on the vehicle. police say they found cash and baggies of marijuana in the suspect's underwear. >> you would think he would hide it somewhere inside the truck. but rather he put it in a plastic bag and then hid it in his briefs. >> reporter: police say hoskins was selling to teens and young adults through word of mouth. he's been charged with possession of intent to distribute marijuana. >> a lot of people have corrupt minds. and i'm just -- i'm not surprised. not surprised at all. >> very unusual. there's not a lot that goes on here. it's quiet. it's not even many kids that play around here. you know, for something like that to come to this area, you know, somebody just trying to expand their business, and it's wrong. >> reporter: the suspect is currently out on bond. police are saying he's also out of business. he won't be selling ice cream again any time soon. darcy spencer, "news 4." >> darcy spoke with the suspect's grandmother who declined to go on camera but says hoskins is a good person who would never do what he's been accused of doing. high winds and bone dry conditions are fueling fires up and down the east coast this afternoon. 20 states including maryland, virginia and the district are under a red flag warning. a brush fire up in connecticut caused delays on amtrak between new york and new haven last night. service today returned to normal. in long island, fast moving flames charred 2,000 acres. new jersey also feeling the heat. at least 25 homes damaged in brush fires there. meteorologist veronica johnson is tracking it all from the weather center. j.v.? >> that's right. so many areas from the northeast through mid-atlantic states are abnormally dry to moderately dry. january, february, march among the top ten driest such periods on record for at least seven of the northeastern states. all we have to do is look around here. i took this earlier today. this is patapsco river in howard county. see right along the banks there, it's getting pretty low. we need some rain, folks. i'm going to have more photos coming up, or you can like me on facebook. that's right. it runs 39 miles out of baltimore into howard county and frederick. red flag warning here today because of the dry conditions. breezy, too. it's blowing around the pond. we're at 436. at least we're seeing that pollen count on the decline. but what about the rain? when's our next best chance? i'll have it for you coming up in just a couple minutes. >> all right. thank you. they call themselves the three amigos. two public schoolteachers and a school administrator from baltimore have come forward to claim that record mega millions jackpot. pat collins has their story. >> reporter: they hid behind that big check. they even wore gloves to disguise their identity. they could be our best new baltimore buddies. if we could just find them. finding these winners could be most difficult. it could require special investigative techniques. let's go. >> they were modest. they were, i think, humbled by this stroke of luck that they have -- they've received. >> reporter: they call themselves the three amigos. they don't want to be identified. they're splitting all this money. hey, what about us? clue. the three winners are all maryland teachers. one works at an elementary school. the winning ticket sold at this 7-eleven on liberty road. have you seen any schoolteachers hanging around at this 7-eleven. >> no. >> reporter: no? >> no. >> reporter: you know, people often buy their tickets near where they work. 7-eleven here. elementary school there. >> they hope to take a backpacking trip through europe with their brother. another winner wants to pay for his daughter's college educations and buy his sister a new house. >> reporter: we all could go down the ocean. crabs for everybody! they're all teachers. but at the news conference they say they work at different schools. puzzling. clue. the winners, a woman in her 20s, a man in his 40s, a woman in her 50s. what could possibly bring them all together? mega ball. you saw them, didn't you? are they related? do they live in the same neighborhood? are they on the same bowling team? hostile witness. are they happy? >> yeah! >> reporter: can i just rub this for luck? in baltimore, pat collins, "news 4." >> if pat can't find them, nobody can. next at 5:00, a former teacher at a prestigious private school in the district is now on the fbi's most wanted list. plus, new efforts today to combat cell phone thefts. how wireless companies are making the stolen devices useless to criminals. a startling new study may make you think twice before letting your child get routine in news 4 your health tonight, new questions about the safety of routine dental x-rays. a study has tis covered a link between dental x-rays and the most common type of brain tumor. yale university researchers found people who had so-called bite wing x-rays were twice and likely to develop the tumor. people who had panoramic were three times more likely. however, medical experts say dental x-rays are still safe for most people. federal regulators are now warning some popular birth control pills are putting patients at significant risk for developing blood clots. 11 brands of pills containing the synthetic hormone will now carry a warning label informing people that studies show their risk of clots could be tripled when using those medications. this is compared to older forms of the pill. this comes after a december fda review found the benefits of these pills which include the popular yaz and yazman outweigh any risks. a new study tonight is look agent the safety of prostate cancer surgery. doreen gentzler joins us with detail. >> the most common cause of cancer death among older men. that's why it's important to get regular screenings. when it comes to streeting the decide there have been a lot of questions raised regarding the safety of newer, less invasive procedures for removing tumors. now doctors hope a new study will shed some light on the best way to treat men for this potentially deadly disease. >> it was a really life changing moment at that time. i didn't know -- i didn't know what to do. >> reporter: prostate cancer is something 53-year-old warick mcpherson is all too familiar with. his father died from the disease and his brother is still suffering effects effects years after dwigs and treatment. when he was diagnosed earlier this year, he was worried. >> i'm thinking about my daughter. you know, if i'm going to be there for her wedding day. >> reporter: there was one big difference in mcpherson's case. his doctor wanted him to have his tumor removed through robotic surgery. a less invasive technique that requires only a few small incisions. >> generally there's less bleeding and less pain and quicker recovery for most patients. >> reporter: now a new study of 78,000 men with prostate cancer is finding that the less invasive robotic procedure is safer than traditional open surgeries where patients are cut through the abdomen to remove their tumors. >> the complications from the open procedure actually increased other time. >> reporter: researchers found over the course of four years patients who underwent the open surgery had a 32% increased risk of developing complications, including death. for those who had the robotic procedure, the risk actually dropped to 19%. complications included urinary problems, erectile dysfunction, and bleeding. >> the number one thing about the study is it's so large. it's really more of a reflection of what's going on in the community. >> reporter: warrick mcpherson had his surgery last february. he was ready to leave the hospital the next day and returned to work in two weeks. >> that made me feel much, much better. i was just so relieved. because i didn't want my life to be put on hold for such a long period of time. >> doctors told us they believe the robotic surgery may be safer because they have better visualization inside the body. they use powerful cameras to get a close-up look at what's happening during surgery. whereas with traditional open surgeries, the surgeons are really doing the procedure just with their bare eyes. more precision with the robotic method. barbara? >> that's great news. thank you, doreen. veronica's here now to talk about the wind we had out there today. >> it was windy again. just a tad lighter, though, than yesterday. i'm online right now, guys, looking at one of noaa's map. national oceanic atmospheric administration showing how dry it is through the east. it's not just a pattern we're in now. it's the fact we didn't have much snowfall through the winter. that's why red flag warning here with the threat of brush fires. all the way into the northeast. let's head outside right now, check on how strong that wind is around your neighborhood. right at reagan national, we've got wind gusts at 20 miles per hour. so yesterday, you know, we had winds still riding as high as 35 and 40 miles per hour. your temperature is at 66. so it is a little on the nippy side when you get in that wind without the sunshine. when you're in the shade. here's a look at winds through the area. as high as 23 mile per hour gusts being reported in frederick, maryland. still at 28 in leesburg. higher gusts just west of us coming off the ridges. still breezy for 5:00, 6:00, 7:00. probably going to need the jacket when we turn into the later hours here, around 7:00, 8:00. 59 degrees at 7:00. 50 degrees by 11:00 p.m. we're at 61 degrees in frederick, maryland. good afternoon to you. a big good afternoon to you, folks. culpeper, 60s to low 70s. a few sprinkles up to the north and hagerstown. not enough to help this. again, a look at the patapsco river. the panoramic showing just how dry it is and the fact that we do need some rainfall around here. what we're going to get tomorrow, not enough to help this. our rainfall deficit, look at the range. more than 4 inches. we'll probably pick up .10 inch. only in oisolated locations. as far as our forecast goes, we're expecting some rain tomorrow between about 2:00 p.m. and about 6:00 p.m. scattered showers. that's it. then we're back to this big old fat area of high pressure that is going to move in. for your evening, jacket required. 50 to 55 degrees. that wind goes from 15 to about 25 miles per hour down to about 5 to 15 miles per hour by tomorrow morning. we're going to be starting out between 37 and 42 degrees. my kids, i didn't stop them this morn ing. they're teenagers. they left out the house this morning with short pants on. i'm like, okay. >> i know. >> don't check the forecast. don't ask me. fine. that's fine. it's going to be a little nippy tomorrow. 52 to 57 for the afternoon. we could be looking at some sprinkles by the afternoon. we'll take a look at the rest of the weekend, guys, in just a cup minutes. >> they're going to be hearing a lot of told you sos tonight. >> teenagers. >> a lot of us decide we're ready for spring. >> they're moving on. regular versus premium. is it really a myth or can drivers lower their grade of gas to soften the pain at the pump? we find out tonight. it hit an apartment complex. i saw the -- i saw the pilot bail out! >> 911 calls reveal the chaos and confusion moments after a navy fighter jet slammed into an apartment complex in virginia beach. a baseball manager sidelined by controversy. what he said about fidel castro that got him suspended from the team and sparked pr all right. turning to sports tonight, we're talking women's la crosse. >> yeah. this is really cool. because they are the best team in the area. >> oh. >> yeah. over the last three years. hands down. the maryland women's la crosse team in their last three full seasons, the terps an incredible 64-4 with the national championship. their leader head coach kathy reese who takes the term working mother to the next level. zachary keesh has more. >> yeah! here we go. get involved, white! lots of crisscrossing in here. >> reporter: commitment to family and passion for la crosse go hand in hand for kathy reese. the ever attentive mother and head coach of the university of maryland la crosse team has made a habit of winning at both. >> flip it and catch it yourself. >> reporter: reese a former standard at maryland returned to her alma mat ner 2007 with two musts. have fun and prepare young women to succeed after the game. oh, yeah. i forgot about the championships. >> i don't know why anyone wouldn't want to come to the university of maryland. i did, and it was the best choice i ever made. i was fortunate to win four championships here as a player. for me, recruit wk it's a great place to play. it's a great place to be a student athlete and a great place to compete. >> reporter: in the five complete seasons since her arrival she's led the terps to at least a share of the conference championship all five years. and the 2010 national championship. what's more impressive is that she's done it while balancing a growing family. >> it's -- it works. you know, i'm fortunate to be surrounded by great people. i have wonderful assistant coaches i work with. a great husband. family around. it all works out. i think when you coach a team of college girls, they're all excited to be around the kids and the babies. he's my youngest of four. the girls love him, which is great. >> reporter: the newest addition is her 6 1/2 week newborn baby boy. >> braxton, are you awake? no. he's still sleeping. this is little braxton. he has been to practice every day for the last five -- 5 1/2 weeks. yeah. our kids are surrounded by la crosse. all the time. >> reporter: it's not that they're winning, but how they're winning that might surprise you. the environment that coach reese has created inside the terp's locker room on game day giving new meaning to home field advantage. ♪ >> once we get in the locker room, we do a lot of dancing. kathy, she's done cart wheels before. anything, she'd probably kill me if i was telling you this. >> everyone just has an exciting -- just has a good time together. that's what it's all about. >> kathy is like a second mom. she knows all of our problems. if we have, like, academic problems or just, like, having a bad day she'll be like, what's wrong? i don't know. it's just nice. not that she's like our friend, but she kind of is. >> reporter: zachary keishc, news 4 sports. >> what a fun story. maryland 11-3 this season. ranked fourth in the nation. they have about five or six games left in the regular season before they get into tournament play. you asked again what their record was over the last few years. 64-4 not including this season. i wonder if little baby braxton is going to be a la crosse player when he grows up. >> how can he help it? >> that's cool. >> they have fun in the locker room, don't they? >> that, they do. >> they can move. >> looks like a cool team to play for. coming up next, smartphone protection. tonight local police are teaming up with wireless companies to keep thieves from cashing in on stolen gadgets. i'm in reston, virginia, where the fairfax county board of supervisors says they are all in for phase two of the silver line. i'll explain why it still could stop short, coming up. on the road to recovery. a local shelter is trying to help these abused and neglected animals find loving homes. fast forward through the headlines now. rick santorum has suspended his campaign for the republican presidential nomination. the announcement came late this afternoon in gettysburg. his exit leaves mitt romney as the likely nominee. but newt gingrich is still in the running. new details in the accidental shooting death of a 6-year-old boy in clinton, maryland. police say amari perkins found a loaded gun in a spiderman backpack in his home yesterday and shot himself. authorities arrested 20-year-old raymond brown, a man who was staying at the house for reckless eng dangerment and firearm access by a minor. three baltimore public school workers who wish to remain anonymous are now each $35 million richer. they hit last month's mega millions jackpot and just claimed their prize of the $656 million ticket. despite their big win, all plan on keeping their day jobs. now let's fast forward to the weather. this time tomorrow, something unusual may be happening in your neighborhood. right now, though, our temperatures are in the 60s. even close to 70 down to the south around fredericksburg. 66 now. it is breezy. we're going to watch the wind, once again, die down a bit as we head toward the and through the evening hours. chilly for tomorrow morn ing. 5:00 and 7:00 a.m., jacket required. 43 to 45 degrees. to the north, 36 to start in frederick. 39 in fredericksburg. high, 57. tomorrow this time, a few showers may be coming through the area. we'll take another look at that seven-day forecast in a few minutes. >> thanks, veronica. it's a list of suspected drug dealers and murderers. now a former d.c. private schoolteacher is on the fbi's radar. >> eric toth has just been added to the fbi's ten most wanted list. he's been on the run for years now. tonight his picture is being plastered on billboards and on bus shelters. >> news 4's melissa molet has more on why the fbi made the decision to add his name. >> for nearly four years, eric toth has eluded capture. he was trusted by parents. someone kids looked up to. a kid counselor. a teacher. now he's on the fbi's top ten most wanted list. >> reporter: $100,000. that's the cash reward the fbi is now offering for information leading them to eric justin toth. he's being sought for allegedly possessing and producing child pornography. the investigation into toth began in june 2008 after police say they found pornographic images on a school camera he had been using. he hasn't been seen since then. the day he left his job as a third grade teacher, a school on the grounds of the washington national cathedral. it's believed one of his victims was a student there. >> it is our belief and our concern and why we're discussing this case today that someone like toth, if he hasn't found new victims and isn't closing in on new victims already, his psyche, his psychology, will cause him to do that in the future. >> reporter: take a closer look at the many faces of eric toth. she's 30 years old, 6'3" and thin. he has a noticeable mole under his left eye. investigators say he has also used the name david busone. he faked his suicide at one point. they think he's traveled through illinois, indiana, wisconsin and minnesota. possibly living in arizona as recently as 2009. they consider toth a computer expert with a vast understanding of internet security and also a chameleon of sorts who can blend in with various soes owe economic classes. the fbi warns he might advertise as a tutor or nanny. >> she's masmart. he's able to blend into his environment. he's been successful at grooming both parents and presumably children. >> reporter: toth is now profiled on the fbi's website, facebook and twitter. investigators hope by putting him on one of the most infamous lists in the world, someone somewhere will recognize toth and have the courage to turn him in. >> take a look at this person's picture. take a look at his physical prescription. and pick up the phone. >> toth is the 495th person to be placed on the fbi's ten most wanted fugitives list. 465 fugitives have been apprehended or located. anyone with any information about toth's whereabouts is asked to call police. there's been a mistrial declared today in the case involving an acid attack on a mother and daughter in prince georges county. prosecutors say tamara jackson arranged for another woman to throw a chemical on katrina watts who was carrying her daughter in a parking lot in oxen hill back in 2010. the mother and daughter were burned across their faces. jackson's trial was scheduled for today. but the judge reversed his own ruling because the victims were allowed in court during testimony and called a mistrial. a new trial is set for may 1st. local police are joining forces with the wireless industry to make stealing smartphones less profitable. a new plan announced today would make the electronic devices useless once stolen. within six months, stolen phone and tablets can be entered into a national database and remotely deactivated. the gadgets are not only expensive, they contain our most personal information. the fcc also aims to educate the public about how to protect people from being a victim of theft. >> why don't i have a password? i didn't really know i needed one. >> out of the gate, that is sort of north of 90% of all consumers in the united states will be supported by this. >> european carriers are already using a similar system with big success. this u.s. plan could take up to a year and a half to get up to full speed. it's a doom's day budget scenario in the state of maryland. lawmakers there failed to reach a deal and the result could mean deep cuts in montgomery and prince georges counties. chris gordon is in annapolis with more on the fallout tonight. >> reporter: maryland governor martin o'malley calls it the low point of his experience in annapolis. to see the legislature adjourn last night with unfinished business that could result in cuts for schools and higher education. >> despite the fact that we had the number one public schools in america four years in a row, despite the fact that we were really alone amongst states in making college more affordable for more people, the legislature failed to enact an operating budget that was anything like the plan that either house came up with. and it was pretty far away from the plan that i submitted to the legislature which is really a damn shame. >> lawmakers leave a doom's day budget which mandates deep cuts in spending and state aid to counties. brins georges county executive baker tells us what this means. >> we've already asked every department with the exception of public safety and education in prince georges county to cut by 5%. the doom's day budget would mean that we would go back to those departments and actually start cutting not only departments, but personnel. so devastating for us. >> reporter: the so-called doom's day budget with cuts to state services and state aid to the counties goes into effect on july 1st. unless the governor calls legislators back to annapolis for a special session. other items failed to pass the legislature before adjournment including the proposed prince georges county casino with table games and slots at national harbor. and another important issue? transportation congestion. >> we never got to issues about how we're going to finance infrastructure improvements in our region and, frankly, if we come back for a special session, i would encourage the governor to put that on the agenda as well. >> reporter: but governor o'malley left today without committing publicly to calling a special session. in annapolis, chris gordon, news 4. next on "news 4" at 5:00 tonight, a police chase in the district ends in the reflecting pool near the capitol. find out what investigators discovered inside the car. plus, a crucial hurdle has fairfax county is all in. leaders today gave the green light for financial support for phase two of the silver line metro project. julie carey has details. >> reporter: into construction under way on the dulles toll road it's clear to see where phase one of the silver line ends. today the fairfax county board of supervisors took an important step to push the silver line construction forward to phase two. six more stations running to dulles international airport and on to two stops in louden county. in a unanimous vote the board reaffirmed its financial commitment. of the estimated phase two cost of $2.7 billion, fairfax county would fund up to $498 million. >> this is the doorstep to the world. so i think it's far past time that our premiere international airport be served by a rail line like it is in most other industrialized countries. >> reporter: but the unanimous approval, supervisor john cook tried to amend the measure to provide the funding only if the metropolitan washington airports authority drops an incentive for contractors to use union labor. a so-called project labor agreement. >> if that language doesn't come out, the state's not going to pay the 150. louden county's not going to stay in. like it or not, that's what's going to happen. it's going to fall apart. >> reporter: while other board members agreed the union labor incentive should go, they didn't want any springs attached to their support. the amendment failed. >> i don't want anyone to think that fairfax county is equivocating in any way. >> reporter: but even with fairfax county's renewed financial commitment, there's still a chance the new silver line could stop right here and not even make it to the airport unless louden also gets on board. louden county's board chairman says he's confident his board will also eventually back phase two. but only if mwal removes the union labor incentive. >> i do not sense but maybe about three votes if they still have anything that looks like, smells like a pla in their protect. >> reporter: the louden board has until july to make its decision. in reston, virginia, julie carey. fairfax county also approved the names. they are mclean, tie sons corner, greensboro park, spring hill, wiehle-reston east, her n herndon and innovation. the county and metro used an anline survey with more than 16,000 responses to generate the latest list of names. metro board will get the final say on station names later this year. still ahead, abused, neglected. now on the mend. soon these adorable dogs will be up for adoption. getting a lower grade of gas could soften the pain at the pump. is it a good idea? the experts weigh in. first, here's veronica. >> yeah. brush fires and high pollen across the area. we're looking for some rain. i'll tell you on the other side of the break when's our next best chance of getting some rain. we'll talk more about this. azaleas and tulips around the area. the government is making new recommendations for air race pilots today. in the wake of last week's -- last year's deadly air show crash in reno. the ntsb says pilots should test out plane modifications and possibly wear flight suits to counter g-force. last september a pilot modified plane took a nose dive into a seating area during an air show, killing 11 people. investigators think some unexpectedly high gravitational forces may have caused the 74-year-old pilot to pass out. we're hearing for the first time tonight the frantic 911 calls moments after that navy jet plummeted into a virginia beach apartment complex last week. >> this is the police. do you know what the address is over there? it's on bird neck road. mayfair muse apartments. senior community. the whole thing is on fire. >> oh, my god. you need to hurry up and get help, sir. i hear some police cars going. i hear police cars. >> it hit an apartment complex. i saw the -- i saw the pilot bail out. the pilot did bail out. i saw it when it hit the apartment complex. >> can you tell me what closest intersection street. >> bird neck road. >> do you see the pilot? >> no. i saw the pilot's parachute come out. there's an explosion, ma'am. >> i understand, sir. we're getting help there as fast as we can. >> people are trying to get everybody out of the building. >> a formal investigation is under way tonight into what caused the crash. fortunately no one was killed. a police chase in d.c. ended with the suspects in the reflecting pool near the capitol. it began about 3:30 this morning when officers tried to pull over two men in a routine traffic stop. the driver took off and police later found the vehicle in the pool near d. street and louisiana avenue northwest. kbarry saunders of northeast washington is charged with a weapons violation for the pistol police found inside the car. when pump prices are on the high side like they are right now drivers look for ways to cut back. some buy a cheaper, lower grade of gas. bob hansen reports on whether that's a good idea. >> reporter: there are lots of cars on the road. most of them taking regular gas. but those who fill their cars with premium gas are paying much more to fill their tank. often 10 cents to 20 cents more a fallen. >> if your owners manual says to it, i would do it. >> lori's gas station sells more regular grades of gas than premium. while some people may be tempted to switch to a lesser grade, it's not always a good idea. especially if your car's owner's manual says high ok tan premium is required. >> you don't have a choice. it's not optional. it's a need. it's a must. you got to have it. >> reporter: but what if your owner's manual says premium is not required, but only recommended? then automotive professor david presiato says it might be worth a little test. >> as long as the car does not start knocking under accelerati acceleration, that's the biggest difference between the different grades. >> fuif you wanted to try a lesr octane gas, listen to your car and see what it does. see what it says. >> reporter: by going from premium to regular you'll certainly save money. but you have to watch your car's performance. by going to a lower grade of gas, could impact your gas mileage. >> of course, everybody wants the best fuel mileage possible. >> reporter: but the savings you get buying regular gas could be wiped out by a loss in fuel economy. you really need to put your individual car to the test. watch the mileage. and listen for knocking or pinging. >> if you hear a pinging, then you have to go to the higher grade. >> reporter: professor presiato says the biggest factor when it comes to gas mileage isn't so much what octane you use, by how you drive your car. >> bob hansen reporting. you can also check your car's owner's manual to find out if premium gas is required or just recommended. three dogs who were once abused are now searching for loving homes. 2-year-old hubert, a jack russell terrier mix, suffered a broken leg after being hit on a car on i-295. he joins a pom rain yan and 5-year-old pit bull mix all awaiting adoption. each animal suffered severe traumatic injury due to accident or abuse. they're making a full recovery thanks to the washington humane society and should be ready for adoption within the next few weeks. last year's caribbean parade down georgia avenue in northwest washington was probably the last. the parade and festival is scheduled to take place in late june. but the organizer of the event says he may have to pull the plug on the celebration because there are just too many challenges to overcome between now and then. cost involved, lack of support from the city and the perception that the event is dangerous. gun violence did erupt after last year's festival. one study shows the festival generates more than $1 million, though, for local businesses. to the high winds, here's veronica with the conditions right now. >> we've had some sun and some wind today. but that's just on the surface, guys. dig a little deeper and you come up dry. because we need the rain. so much of the area, 26% to 50% below average rainfall for just the last 90 tay days. so far it hasn't caused stress to spring flowers and plants. beautiful azaleas of white and pink around the area. bill folsom with his tulips of yellow. i guess you could call that fuchsia. i want to see your pictures. i might be able to put them on. i know they're beautiful. 66 is the temperature right now outside. not too bad. because we still have sunshine, right? once that sun sets, which will be a little later on, the winds going to drop, too. temperatures will start to plummet. as far as the rainfall goes, though, i think our best chance of seeing some rain will come tomorrow after about 2:00. up until about 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. but showers will be light and they will be scattered tomorrow. better chance of rain early part of next week. that's, of course, when the shuttle is in town. the shuttle "discovery" piggy backed on a 74710:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. lots of viewing opportunities. 64 with a few showers around the area. the forecast until then, rising temperatures after a chance of rain tomorrow. a high of about 64 at the end of the week on friday. 71 for saturday. hey, what are you plans, guys, for sunday? we're going to be close to 80 degrees on sunday. then hanging out at 80 on monday. again, with that rain coming into the area. warming up after a chance of rain tomorrow. >> veronica, thank you. people will soon have a rare chance to access the white house grounds. later this month, tourists will be able to walk through the jack lynn kennedy garden, the rose garden, the south lawn and the white hoe kitchen garden, too. weather permitting, the tours will be saturday, april 21st and sunday, april 22nd. visitors can get free tickets on those days starting at 8:00 in the morning at the ellipse visitor pavilion. tickets given on a first come, first serve basis. >> today they'd be sneezing their heads off. in store for "news 4" at 6:00, doreen joins us with a preview. coming up tonight on "news 4" at 6:00, a bride wanted her dream wedding so badly that police say she pretended that she was dying of cancer. there are new developments in the trayvon martin case. surprising developments. the lawyers of florida shooter george zimmerman are pulling out. and for the first time zimmerman is sharing his thoughts on a new website. also ahead at 6:00, we'll share the tributes for the 100th anniversary of the day the "titanic" set sail. those stories and a lot more coming up on "news 4" at 6:00. next at 5:00, out of line. the controversial comments that the baseball manager who created a firestorm when he said he loved fidel castro now calls his comments stupid. >> marlins manager ozzie guillen apologized again today. but that didn't stop his bosses from suspending him. chris clackum has our report. >> i was very stupid, very naive about the comment. >> reporter: at team headquarters in miami, marlins manager ozzie guillen said his comments on fidel castro were not only wrong, but made in the wrong city. >> this is the biggest mistake so far in my life i made. and when you make a mistake this big, you can't sleep. >> reporter: protesters didn't want guillen sleeping. especially the cuban-american community. when guillen told "time" magazine last week that he loved and respected the cuban dictator, they were outraged. and not just in miami. but guillen's old hometown of chicago. >> it hurts, you know. especially from somebody that is not cuban that hasn't really lived where we have lived. it really hurt. it's a blow to us. >> reporter: at the news conference where guillen switched to and from english and spanish, he said what he meant was lost in translation. >> translator: i think what i wanted to say in spanish, i said it wrong in english. >> reporter: he said contrary to his quote in "time" he hates fidel castro. and promised to make amends with miami. >> i'm very, very sorry about the -- the problem. about what happening. and i will do everything to make it better. >> reporter: although cuban-american leaders wanted him to resign or fired, the team is suspending guillen for five games. it's his first season managing the marlins. opening last week at the brand-new ballpark located in miami's little havana section where there's still debate over how long he'll last. chris clackum, nbc news. >> despite this controversy, the marlins do play the phillies tomorrow. right now new developments as republican rick santorum pulls out of the race for the white house. >> here's the very latest tonight on a developing story that will impact the race to the white house. gop presidential candidate rick santorum has suspended his campaign. that move leaves the remaining candidates scrambling for his vote. >> while this presidential race for us is over, for me, and we will suspend our campaign effective today, we are not done fighting. >> good evening. i'm doreen gentzler. >> rick santorum said his campaign ended the way it began. with a family discussion at the kitchen table. his decision brings an end to a bitter personal and ideological battle between santorum, the social conservative, and mitt romney, the

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