Tensions escalate internationally, im kristen. Im dan ashley. The operatives behind the cyber attack are increasing levels of distrust between the two countries. The issue has been deepening. Abc reporter spoke with the consum Russian Federation in San Francisco. She joins us live in the newsroom. Leeann . The consul general called all these allegations of hacking and then, of course, posting things on wikileaks, he called them, quote, ridiculous fantasy. Now, he told me these accusations only make both countries move further apart. Now, russia, he says, doesnt want to go back to the days of the cold war. Until they are Proven Guilty in the court of law. Reporter thats the russian consul general responding that the agency filed criminal charges against two russian intelligence agents and hackers worker for them. They sold private information of millions of americans after hacking the yahoo account. Lets not talk about them like criminals. Reporter the consul general in San FranciscoSergey Petrov would go no further. Not even to say russia would hand over the two intelligence agents if found guilty. He was adamant, though, that russia had no influence in the november u. S. Elections. As far as i know, my government approached the u. S. Government requesting this evidence and we never received anything. Reporter he is cautiously optimistic that under President Trump the relationship between the two countries will improve. He insists that under president obama things deteriorated. Towards the end of his administration, mr. Obama ordered the expulsion of some Russian Diplomats in the united states, including a few from the San Francisco office. I wouldnt use word offended. I would use a word disappointed. Reporter there is a large russianspeaking community in San Francisco concerned about whats happening between the two countries. A lot of people protest in america. No, they dont know what their future. Reporter some fear there will be some animosity towards them. In San Francisco, leeann me len des, abc 7 news. Happening now in palo alto, Police Continue a massive search with dogs and helicopters for suspects in a hit and run. Sky 7 was first over this on abc 7 news at 5. About an hour ago police say a bicyclist was hit by a car on homer avenue near emerson street. The cyclist went to the hospital with major injuries. Officers have arrested two people. They are searching for up to four more suspects. San jose police shot a man after he allegedly went on a naked rampage this afternoon. Officers spotted the nude man acted erratically near a park in campbell. Police say he got into a truck and rammed a police car as he sped away. Officers followed. They say the man crashed into another car during the chase. It ended outside the safe way on Stevens Creek boulevard where officers opened fire. Our officers attempted to make the car stop and take the suspect into custody. During that encounter, multiple officers fired at the suspect. He was struck at least once. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital. A witness posted video to snapchat. Officers have not said if the man was armed. His injuries are considered lifethreatening. Today only abc 7 news spoke with one of the Napa High SchoolFootball Players expelled after reported hazing incidents over the pastwo t years. The student was expelled just last night. Abc 7 News ReporterWayne Friedman spoke with him today and joins us live. Wayne . Reporter well, dan, the story keeps going on and on. This is a student who told us today that he thought he was just messing around with his friends. He says it was just horseplay. He trusted that the district would do the right thing and exonerate him. Instead, it expelled him. He says his life and his future may be ruined. It may have looked like a field day outside napa Union School District headquarters this morning until one read the signs and realized that, in fact, this was a student walkout and protest. Expulsion is harsh because that will ruin their lives. Reporter no one appreciates that more than High School Junior alan knowing he will never again play football in this stadium because the School District expelled him last night. I felt like i was wrongly accused. I felt like this whole process was rigged from the start. I move for the expulsion of student b. Reporter the board expelled two students actually bringing the total to three with six more pending for hazing incidents on the Jv Football Team in 2015 and 2016. Parents continue to question the boards methods. Theyre ruining our kids. They are ruining our community. They are the bullies. My question is when are they going to be suspended . When are they going to be expelled . Reporter yesterday napa superintendent told us parents do not have all the facts. He said the board had no choice but the d. A. s Office Investigating a possible 16 felony victims in the past two years. There are certain areas that are mandatory, theyre called mandatory expulsions by the state of california. Reporter expulsion would be mandatory for use of a firearm or a knife or for sexual assault. But the board charged him with battering, with bullying and hazing for an incident in 2015. It would seem that the board might have had some discretion. I think the district should have focused more on everyones best interest and just not them, theirs, you know. I feel like they kind of wanted to save their jobs. Reporter that from a High School Student with a 3. 3 gpa who was taking advance placement honors classes. He wants to be a chemical engineer and now now were dealing with reputation, people talking about us, people looking at us differently. Reporter in napa, Wayne Friedman, abc 7 news. A man who ran childrens outreach programs for may rinne Film Institute was a rained on child pornography charges today. Police arrested 71yearold John Morrison at his home in San Francisco monday after a search found numerous devices with images of minors involved in sex acts. Here he is leaving court today. Morrison has resigned as education director for the california Film Institute. There is a crime that is happening with alarming frequency, and its on the increase on bay area free ways. Shooting incidents. This year alone there have been 19, and two of them fatal. Abc 7 News Reporter is live in concord with new information the chp just released. Laura . Reporter kristen, highway 4 here has been one of the hot spots for these shootings and cameras, they say, would help a lot, but they say the biggest help is when witnesses come forward. People need to feel safe as they drive down the free ways of the bay area. Reporter the chp for all nine bay area counties says its become one of their top priorities, cushing the rash of freeway shootings, especially in contra costa county. These arent random shootings. They are shooting at somebody else they know and they have animosity towards, or they mistakenly fire at somebody thinking its somebody they know. Reporter in 2015 there were 37 shootings on bay area free ways, in 2016 that number jumped to 55. Already this year there have been 19. Some deadly, like last weeks incident that killed 24yearold demarcus daus on interstate 80. Others involve bullet holes or shell casings left behind. But investigators say they are taking all of nemanja seriously. Our call to action is that we need drivers and passengers to be good witnesses should they see an incident occurring. Reporter this week 24yearold elliott John Henry Johnson was a rained for murder in the death of daus. Two alleged accomplices, both 17yearold boys, could be tried as adults. Investigators say one of the teens was the shooter. All information that we have is the victim was in this case was absolute innocent victim. Reporter next week local sheriffs are meeting with cal trans officials to discuss installing cameras along troubled stretches of freeway. But so far theres no state funding available. In concord, laura anthony, abc 7 news. Happening tonight all of westbound interstate 80 will be shut down for a few hours in fairfield so cal trans can install new signs. This is the second of two straight nights of closures near green valley road. All westbound lanes will close at 11 30 tonight and should be reopened by 4 00 a. M. Tomorrow. This is part of a big project that cal trans is doing to improve the interchange of i80, 680 and highway 12. Tonight abc is airing a special two hour documentary on charles man son, his cult of volers, and the grizzly murders in los angeles. We were the First Television crew on the scene. We had no idea what we were walking into. Reporter al wine man was just 29 years old when he covered the case. He helped find crucial evidence. The killers bloody clothes. The time, how long it takes me to undress and redress, and i put the stopwatch on and ran it for six minutes and 20 seconds. And at that time when it hit 6 20, i said, okay, where are we . We stopped and got out and looked over, i said, my god, those have to be the clothes. Pretty smart. Other details of the gruesome crimes will be revealed in tonights documentary. Truth and lies the family man son heirs 9 00 right here on abc 7 followed by abc 7 news at 11 00. Jcpenney is closing its doors at the hill top mall. Its a loss for richmond, but also an opportunity. What the city and members of the Community Want to see in its place. All right. This sounds like something only San Francisco would do. Conduct a census of everyin they find out what surprised them when the data crunching was done. More than 100 Jcpenney Stores nationwide will close down, including one thats an anchor store at richmonds hill top mall. The mall itself, in fact, is up for sale. As abc 7 News Reporter mel any woodrow explains, everyone from city officials to commercial real estate brokers, even customers has ideas about what theyd like t see at hill top. Reporter this somewhat empty parking lot outside the hill top mall jcpenney despite sales signs inside suggest business isnt booming. The Department Store model is dead. Reporter john is the ceo of a commercial Real Estate Brokerage firm. He calls internet shopping the final nail in the coffin of large Department Stores. There needs to be a reason to go to that place that cant easily be replicated on the internet. Reporter jcpenney ceo has said the move will allow the company to adjust its business to compete against the growing threat of online retailers. Id like to see something around some kind of family oriented, maybe some kind of recreation for the younger kids, the teenagers. Lots of different ethnic food styles that i think people would really dig to have in the mall. Reporter other Flagship Stores here like macys own the property theyre on. The mall itself is up for sale. By phone, Richmond City manager said hed like to see something maracedes lew mixed use with more residential properties. Cumberland said thats definitely the way to go. To create neighborhoods, to create pedestrian traffic. What if it was a drivein . That would be nice. Reporter creating space for something new, melanie, abc 7 news. Ruby sky is closing, but the spot wont be empty for long. This is San Francisco, of course. Partners at hood line report several areas at bay area bar are planning to open a new music hall and bowling alley. Abc 7 news was at ruby sky and mason at gear i. The plan is to stay open until early may. Although the economy is robust in the bay area, one San Francisco neighborhood seems to be falling behind. Our partners at San Franciscobased news and information site hood line found a lot of empty store fronts in San Franciscos castro district. Now, the retail occupancy rate in the castro is 87 , comparatively city wide, San Franciscos occupancy rate is one of the highest in the country, 97 . So, whats going on here . Abc 7 News ReporterCornell Bernard has more. Reporter its a neighborhood where rainbows dont just fly from flag poles. The streets are paved with pride, too. This is a fun neighborhood. Its an interesting vibrant fun neighborhood. World famous. World famous. Reporter the president of the merchants association, he owns mud puppys dog grooming a successful business on castro street. Find a need and fill it. Reporter not all retailers in the castro can say the same. Take a walk around the neighborhood and youll see the evidence. Empty store fronts, locked up tight. Some businesses have relocated. Others possibly gone for good, from restaurants to retail. Its three steps frward, one step back. You know, theres always going to be challenges. Reporter according to our partners at hood line, there are 53 vacant store fronts in the castro. Occupancy rates in the castro were 92 in 2015. They dropped to 87 in 2017. Its not just Small Businesses like this bookstore that is packed up and gone. Even corporate chains have called it quits. This cvs store closed this month after being opened only a year. The company says it was under performing and closed along with 70 other stores nationwide. Cvs is definitely a blow. Why so many vacancies . High rents have priced many retailers out of business. Around here monthly rents range from 5,000 to 50,000 per month, depending on the space. Rents are getting higher and its tougher to make a buck. Reporter phil owns active nutrition on markets where hes noticed foot traffic drop off over the past ten years. More tech workers moving in, not interested in shopping brick and mortar. Its been a struggle because were up against the internet like a lot of other retailers. Amazon has taken a big hit. People really wanted trader joes. Reporter many people want Better Options for Grocery Shopping in a neighborhood thats changing. A lot of people are talking about the transition of the castro, is it becoming more gay, less gay, what does that mean. At the end of the day the retail of any neighborhood goes through transitions. Reporter but theres good news. Nine new businesses are expected to open in the coming months in the castro. Supervisor jeff shea hes wants to make it easier for new Business Owners by streamlining the permit process which can take up to a year. The whole time that theyre waiting to open their business, theyre paying rent and that can fundamentally change economics of a business. What i know is the entrepreneurial spirit is we will overcome this. Reporter daniel is optimistic. Hed like to work with landlords on setting realistic rents to allow more small Business Owners to fill the void in a world famous neighborhood. In San Francisco, Cornell Bernard, abc 7 news. The city of San Francisco found out it is home to 20,000 more trees than previously thought. Thats because it justompleted the citys firstever tree census. It took a year to count every tree as well as know the type and condition of each one. Trees on private property or within public parks were not included. A data shows San Francisco has almost 125,000 street trees. The city identified 500 different species as well as 40,000 places where it could plant new trees. Now, starting in july, proposition e will go into effect which makes the city not private Property Owners responsible for street trees. As part of the census, the city put data about every tree online and we have put a link to this map on our website if youd like to check it out, abc 7 news. Com. Announcer now your accuweather forecast with spencer christian. Saint patricks day has been lovely, sunny and warm. We still have sunny skies, but clouds will be increasing over the weekend. Heres a look at live doppler 7. You can see we have some high whis pi clouds moving through the area now. Lets take a look back at some of todays high temperatures. Highs in the upper temperatures, 77, clover daily, napa, over 234 concord, antioch, fremont. 80 was the high in gilroy. 76 in oakland and cooler 61 in Half Moon Bay. This is the view of the southeastern sky from our south beach camera here in San Francisco 66 degrees. Low to mid 70s in oakland, mountain view, san jose, gilroy, Half Moon Bay 63 degrees at the moment. This is emeryville, bright western sky. And current temperatures are in the low to mid 70s at santa rosa, napa novato, fairfield, concord, and livermore. One more live view increasing clouds from our sue troe tower camera. These are forecast futures. Cloudy conditions this weekend. Spotty showers this weekend. But a series of rainy days will greet us first week of spring next week. Heres the forecast animatio