Transcripts For WRC News4 At 11 20150324

And new details about an accident that killed a father his daughter and her boyfriend on route 50 in maryland. News 4 at 11 00, starts now. 19 years old and a promising future but tonight a student at bowie state, maryland is dead after a fiery hit and run crash. Terence lagrue was killed on the baltimore parkway as witnesses say he was forced off the road. Jackie bensen spoke to his family. They join us tonight from Silver Spring. Jackie . Reporter family members spoke to us at this rec center. They say its where they feel closest to terence. They knew him by the nickname t. He was the type of man who walked arm and arm with his mother as he walked through a Shopping Mall and was never happier than playing basketball with family members. His family found a small measure of comfort there today as they face the enormous and unexpected loss of the Bowie State University student a graduate of Blake High School in Silver Spring. He was definitely an inspiration and a role model to my little cousins. We have a lot of little cousins, and they definitely look up to me and t. We were like brothers and sisters. These few seconds of cell phone video show the aftermath of the collision that took the 19yearolds life early last friday morning on the bw parkway witnesses told police that a car struck the mustang forcing it off the road. The mustang rolled over and caught fire. The men in the lincoln abandoned it and fled leaving terrence lagrue to die. Few people expect the loss of a 19yearold. And a go fund me campaign was started for burial expenses. Classmates and friends have given what they could, 10 or 20 at a time along with touching messages. This situation dont really feel like still. Because to be with him, that same day, just doesnt feel real. Reporter the exact circumstances of the crash are still under investigation, but sources tell news 4 police are looking into the possibility that the mustang was forced off the road possibly because of the result of some type of confrontation earlier. No arrests have been announced. Live in Silver Spring Jackie Bensen news 4. Earlier this year a news 4 iteam investigation found that state highway officials are worried that theyre blind to much of what happens on the bw parkway. A state transportation report from 2013 shows concern that there are not enough Traffic Cameras to monitor drivers and accidents there. Maryland does plan to add six new Traffic Cameras on the parkway next year to improve visibility. Checking our weather now. Below normal temperatures today, but its about to get even colder. Doug whats up . About to get even colder for one day across our region. High temperatures today 5 to 10 below average. High of 51 in the d. C. Metro area. But look how many of you were stuck in the 40s. That came with sunshine. 46 in frederick. High of only 41 in annapolis. Its on the colder weve got a storm system moving in. Look snow back towards the west. Could pick up a couple of inches back towards the Allegheny Front western portions of maryland. We could see some very light snow and periods of snow but even Colder Weather tomorrow with that light snow possible. Then the temperatures finally soar. Ill show you just how high they go coming up in a minute. Thank you, doug. Developing tonight, just moments ago the secret service confirmed it is investigating an apparent threat against president obamas niece. The alleged threat led to beefedup security at the ncaa tournament game in college park. But officials were never able to substantiate the threat. The university of maryland said the school got a call from someone who said they received a text the text had said the man had a gun and he mentioned the president s niece. Leslie robinson is president obamas niece. A sheriffs deputy responding to a call about a fight ended up in a hospital and his car ended up like that. The Sheriffs Office said the officer crashed his cruiser into an suv and then hit a telephone pole. That crash happened near Central Avenue and Garrett Morgan boulevard in landover earlier this evening. The deputy were told will be okay no one in the suv was injured. A stabbing on a sidewalk in Silver Spring. The man was still being treated by officers when our news crew arrived on the scene. Little is known about what led up to the stabbing. Police are looking for the person responsible. New details tonight on a tragic crash near annapolis. Were learning more about the father daughter and boyfriend who were killed in that wreck. 19yearold susanna batters would leave college every weekend and return to her home in manchester maryland to help her father raymond batters who was having health problems. Raymond, susanna and Jason Simpkins were driving on route 50 on saturday when state police say an offduty Police Officer with takoma park slammed into the back of their car. Were obviously very devastated to have lost my dad and susanna and jason, and grateful for their lives and for the time that we had. State police say it may take weeks before the Anne Arundel State Attorneys Office can determine whether charges will be filed. The fraternity accused of a gang rape in a nowdiscredited article in Rolling Stone magazine said it is pursuing its legal charges. It said false accusations have been damaging to our entire organization. The investigation into the rape is being suspended because the facts simply dont add up. And the alleged victim only known as jackie is not cooperating. We were very distinctly and succinctly told that she would not talk to us that she would not file a report that she did not want to investigate, and we were not to talk to her again. Chief Timothy Longo said suspending the investigation doesnt mean jackie wasnt a victim and encourages other sex assault victims to continue to come forward. Fairfax county wants to examine its Police Departments use of force practices and how that Department Releases information to the public. At a meeting tonight the commission highlighted cases such as the one on august in 2013 when john gere was shot and killed while he was unarmed. Our shomari stone spoke to one man whose son was also shot and killed by Fairfax County police. I live with it every day. Reporter he still mourns the death of his son salvatore. A Fairfax County Police Officer shot and killed him in 2006. He was unarmed. The county agreed to play the colossi family 2 million to settle a lawsuit. He should still be here. I mentioned that in there. Reporter they are sitting on a commission to look into the Fairfax County Police Departments use of force practices and how the Department Releases information to the public. Out on february 20th, which was the day that i established the commission. Our board has been taking a hard look at our policies involving the timing and the manner of releasing information. Reporter Fairfax County police are surrounded in controversy over the way the Department Released information after the shooting death of john gear two years ago. Officer adam torres who fired the fatal shot told investigators he saw gears hands go towards his waist as if he was reaching for a gun. But gears father told us his sons hands were up. I hope to understand and get a full explanation as to what those policies and procedures are that govern use of force. In a separate case Natasha Mckenna died five days after police used a stun gun on her while she was at the Fairfax County jail. Police said she refused to listen to officers commands. The Fairfax County Police Department started an investigation into mckennas death to see if there was any criminal liability in what happened. Sources told news 4 Police Detectives were initially denied access to the countys Detention Center but were given access after she died. Tonights meeting was more of an introduction. Its one of three meetings. The next one is on april 27th at 7 30 at night and its open to the public. In Fairfax County shomari stone, news 4. New at 11 00, hundreds have signed a petition to get d. C. s mayor to crack down on crime in their neighborhood. Concerned citizens in petworth have gathered more than 300 signatures. They say in the past Months Police have responded to 17 reports of shots fired. Residents are calling on mayor bowser to address the issue and to take action to make their neighborhood a safer place to live. Turns out that weve got a report tonight that robert durst may be linked to a cold case in vermont. Police in middlebury said that durst owned a business there at the same time an 18yearold College Student was reported missing back in 1971. Earlier today a judge in new orleans ordered durst held without bail on a weapons charge. The judge called him a flight risk. Durst is accused of killing his friend susan berman 15 years ago in los angeles. Tea Party Senator ted cruz is trying to get a jump on the competition declaring himself the first candidate for president today. He made that announcement in lynchberg. Tomorrow cruz and his wife heidi will give their first interview since announc exclusively on the today show. You can see it right here after news4 today. The district has lost a career educator credited with making major contributions to local schools. The Washington Post is reporting that Floretta Mckenzie died in Silver Spring. She was superintendent of schools in the 80s. She set a curriculum requiring students to master certain skills to advance to the next class. She was 79 years old. Next at 11 00, danger on the tracks. Accidents caught on camera and a new warning about how many people are getting hit. Black mold growing inside a maryland classroom. Why one concerned parent said it led to a child becoming agitated at home. He came home with a tantrum and started making all these things. An iconic business closing its door. We report on the final days of the cozy inn and restaurant. And as we head to the break, heres a traffic alert. We do have overnight road work. 395 south. A local School System is apologizing tonight after failing to tell parents that mold had been discovered in a classroom. Prince georges county Officials Say it should have communicated that students were moved from a classroom at dodge park elementary after that mold was found in a wall. One parent told us he found out when his autistic son came home quite upset. He came home with a tantrum. Felt that there was a change in school. And like i said since my son is autistic he does need a routine on a daily basis. It is important to get that information out, and we do apologize for that. Two Staff Members have complained of respiratory issues. It is unclear if that is connected to the mold. Months after a news 4 iteam investigation, the federal government is set to convene a special hearing into the high number of pedestrians killed on Railroad Tracks. Our iteam found more than a hundred people in the d. C. Area had been hurt or killed while trespassing across tracks. Nbcs tom costello has a look at the alarming national numbers. Reporter in georgia the chilling final moments of a film crew trespassing on a trestle seconds before a Freight Train plowed through killing 27yearold sarah jones. Whats going on . Well, someone got hit by a reporter the films director randall miller, now sentenced to ten years for involuntary manslaughter. In indiana 13yearold Jeffrey Billinger killed after taking a shortcut from School Across nearby tracks. Also in indiana a close call for these two women who somehow survived being run over by a train. The ntsb says train accidents involving pedestrians jumped sharply last year with 945 people struck by trains, two to three every day, and more than 500 killed. Beautiful girl. Talented. Smart. My guess is she froze. Reporter walter gaffneys 17yearold daughter mary was killed while walking down the tracks wearing headphones. As the signs warn, trespassing is illegal, but over several hours in maryland this morning we watched more than half a dozen people cut across the tracks. Some listening to music, some on the phone, others dodging between cars. Its not the safest thing to do. Reporter why do you do it . Impatience. You know, im off, im trying to go home. Reporter now the ntsb is looking at ways to keep people off the rails. But theres roughly 200,000 miles of Railroad Track in this country. Fencing it all off and maintaining it simply isnt practical. People think that surely ill hear a train coming, but people dont hear the trains, and they get struck and they get killed. Reporter the safety reminder tonight, tracks are for trains, not pedestrians and not a playground. Tom costello, nbc news, beltsville, maryland. Were back in a moment with this is the last week of business for an iconic hotel in maryland. The cozy country inn is scheduled for demolition. That according to the Frederick News post. That hotel has hosted president s and other World Leaders when they visited nearby camp david, the president ial retreat. The business of nearly 180,000 in federal and state taxes. The owner says he doesnt have the energy to keep it going. End of an era in thurmont. So we keep hoping its going to be the end of the winter but it keeps coming back to bite us doesnt it . Its the same pattern that weve really seen for the last month and a half. I think that pattern may actually stick around for another half a month, if that makes any sense. Another two to three weeks potentially a little longer. So well stay on the cool side as we make our way through the next month or so but there will be a few warmer days. Weve got a couple warmer days in this forecast. Right now, though anybody but warm. A very cool day today. High temperature 42 the current temperature. Winds out of the southeast at 3 miles per hour. Its that easterly component that will bring us a little bit more moisture. Look at what it does. Huntingtown, 33 a little of that wind coming off the cold chesapeake. 38 down to the patuxent river. A very cool night tonight. Take a look at the radar. Rain and snow back towards the west back towards Morgan County West Virginia heads up into the mountains there. You can see it on the wider picture here too. Not a very organized system. Now, earlier this was a very organized system. It dropped up to a foot of snow in the minneapolis area 3 to 6 inches in the chicagoland area. Now really starting to fall apart. Its going to be very hard to get any of this rain or snow across the mountains. The mountains act like a sponge wringing out the moisture over the mountains. Does not allow that moisture on the east side. We may see a few of those snow showers. Take a look at future weather. Chilly conditions now. 7 00 a. M. You dont really see any. You see the cloud cover, snow up towards the Mason Dixon Line but thats about it. A few showers, a few sprinkles, maybe a flurry or two of snow thats it. Not a big deal at all. I do not think well have any problems out there on the roads. The big deal again is the very chilly numbers. Because of the clouds well stay even colder. So tomorrow were talking 10 to 15 degrees below average during the day today. That puts us in the 40s. Now wednesday we start to see rain move in. Heres 1 45 in the morning. Rain to the south, then rain at 8 00 a. M. Coming through the area. Thats actually a warm front. That warm front will really start to warm things up late wednesday. But tomorrow no. 43 gaithersburg 42 back towards annapolis. You cant put away those sweaters and jackets just yet. Youll need them tomorrow. Thinking about doing a little exercising flurries in the morning, afternoon sprinkles, but not to worry, it will not be that big of a deal. You wont even need the umbrella. 44 tomorrow 55 on wednesday, early showers wednesday, then a good chance of rain and a high of 72 on thursday. Now were talking, right . Well that comes with some showers and maybe even a rumble of thunder or two. Could be thunderstorms on thursday afternoon. Behind that well like i said we get cold again saturday and sunday. High temperature of 44 sunday coming in a temperature of 50 degrees. Theyre putting out they had breaking news going down into the 70s tomorrow in miami. Theyre kind of scared. Poor them. How our hearts bleed. Weve got sports coming up. Marylands women taking care of business des this is the xfinity sports desk brought to you by xfinity, your home for the most live sports. Remember that year when the maryland women won it all . Wasnt that a big one and a good one . Could it happen again. Getting close. Were getting closer. Remember when i took this job my parents reminded me theres a chance that the president could catch one of your sportscasts tonight. Youre probably right. Tonight i hope the president s watching. Heres why. The maryland women went into tonight focused unfazed about what anyone thought about the undefeated princeton tigers. Even if the tigers had support from the leader of the free world. You have princeton advancing against maryland. Maryland ive got to say, im completely biased on this one. What the heck. Youre the president. I can do that. Now, president s pick looking pretty good in first half. Tigers up one. Gets the bucket. She had 26. Princeton up by 4. So later in the half maryland marching back. Gets around to lexie brown. Buries the three. 23 for her tonight. Terps up four. So in the second half terps up two. Kimbra cool as a cucumber. Maryland with a fourpoint lead. Second half terps running away with it. Mincy could not miss from three tonight. 6 of 7 from behind the arc. 27 points for her. On pyre. Maryland beats princeton 8570. Our jason pugh down at the Xfinity Center with more on marylands big win. Dianna when the president picks your team to lose that can motivate any squad, not that maryland needed much motivation today against princeton, but not having the commander in chief in their corner certainly provided it. Sorry, man, but we had to bust your bracket. [ cheers ] im hoping one of these years that he will two times now that we havent been picked but obviously i understand it in terms of the family tie. Is it too late for him to jump on the maryland bandwagon . He still can. Theres still time obviously. He can jump back in and maybe redo his bracket. Have more room on the bandwagon, president obama, sorry that we busted your bracket. Maybe next year youll pick us. Brenda freses squad advances to the sweet 16. Up next for the terps duke. Im jason pugh news 4 sports. I should add that the president s niece played on princetons team. Hence the reason why he was rooting for the tigers tonight. Matt williams had to make a very tough decision. Who would start on the mound for the Nats Scherzer zimmerman, gonzalez but williams going with scherzer. The 210 million man. So scherzer getting the ball. The First Time Since 2011 that Stephen Strasburg does not get the start. Bottom four today doug fister pitching. He gave up four runs. Not great on the mound. But he can hit. Takes this one to shallow right center with two on wilson ramos comes in to score, then Michael Taylor follows him in. A tworun single for fister. Nats go on to win it 76 over the yankees. Matt williams said that he had to talk to Stephen Strasburg a little bit explained why he was going with scherzer. Youre paying somebody 210 million, youre going to work him. Hes got to work. Exactly. Dont you love the maryland women talking smack . That is so cool. They did not hold back at all. The coach leading it all. I know. End of the road for another contestant on the voice, paul fpau lost his knockout round battle. That leaves treva gibson born and raised in frederick. The only local singer left in the competition. You steve from studio 6b in Rockefeller Center in the heart of new york city, its the tonight show starring jimmy fallon. Tonight, join jimmy and his guests january jones, bubba watson musical guest brandon flowers, and featuring the legendary roots crew. Questlove 230 mauritius, madagascar steve and now, here he is, jimmy fallon [ cheers and applause ] jimmy oh thats a hot crowd tonight hot crowd welcome welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome thank you for being here. Thank you. Welcome to the tonight show. Thank you for being here, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] oh, makes me feel good. Its