their manhunt continues unabated tonight and they are telling us, sources are telling me they are still getting some leads, so they are encouraged they can bring this case to a close sooner rather than later. at police headquarters, brad bell, abc7 news. >> president obama weighed in on the increasing anger and violence in ferguson, missouri. this stems from the shooting of an unarmed teenager at the hems ofea local police officer. scott thuman is new developments on security measures in ferguson. >> breaking news. missouri's governor moments ago announced the state highway patrol will be taking over security in that area, amid widespread criticism that police there have been too heavy-handed. though hope a softer approach will quell the rioting. >> the tension in a st. louis suburb this week some say looks more like overseas riots or the civil rights fights decades ago in modern day middle america. while only one site has emerged about the struggle that caused an officer to shoot 18-year-old michael brown, there is no debate it is out of control. >> there is never an excuse for violence against police. there's also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests. [chanting] >> those "peaceful demonstration s" tainted by maltav cocktails at -- molotov caulk cocktails at police. >> it's a powder keg and we recognize that. >> investigations of michael brown's death are underway and wide ranging from the f.b.i. and justice department to local police. some witnesses have not talked to law enforcement, but are to media. >> he puts his hands up like this and the cop proceeds to fire and so he dropped down to the ground. >> there are loud demands for police to identify the officer who shot brown. the chief ses constant threats -- says constant threats and fear of retaliation prevent >> there are more demonstrations planned for tonight. while police will try a more hands-off approach. they say they are prepared to step up should there be any more looting or vandalism. >> the images we're seeing out of ferguson, missouri have sparked a national debate. many people are taking to social media to weigh in with their opinions and thoughts about it. this picture with the hashtag don't shoot was just taken at howard university yesterday. suzanne kennedy live at howard. she's going to tell us why these students decided to get involved. what did they tell you? >> leon, quite simply they said they couldn't just sit by and watch the events unfolding in missouri and just do nothing. and they say this is just the beginning of their efforts. >> the photograph is simple yet powerful. a packed auditorium of howard university students in the don't shoot stance. it was the idea of a sophomore, the way to speak out against the killing of 18-year-old michael brown by a missouri police officer. >> i was like we need to do something and when i saw this was the fence and the pole when he lost his life, it signified a lot. >> it was a somber mood with everybody really in the moment. >> the photo is taken by howard, sr., who says being a part of this protest is moving. >> they would have pasted 30 days -- in the past 30 days, four african americans gunned down by police. the fact he was shot eight to ten times is crazy to me. >> the photo, even in the most innocent position, we're still considered a threat. >> this photo is gaining contraction on social media. similar pictures have been tweeted from people across the country. today is freshman move-in day on the northwest washington campus. parents are hearing of the photo and supporting the students' efforts. >> it makes me feel really good that they're supportive of their community, and not just their community locally, but outside. you know, d.c. area. >> the next up for these students, they will gather tonight at 8:30 for a vigil here on campus to remember michael brown. reporting live in northwest washington, suzanne kennedy, abc7 news. >> thank you, suzanne. we'll have a reporter at tonight's vigil there at howard university and we'll bring you any developments we learn of tonight from ferguson, missouri. we'll have all that for you coming up on abc7 news at 11:00. >> we have new information this afternoon about the death of comedian robin williams. his wife released a statement about three hours ago revealing that williams had recently been diagnosed with the early stages of parkinson's disease. susan schneider also says here husband was sober as he tried to fight parkinsons as well as depression and anxiety. williams killed himself earlier this week. williams' wife says she hopes his death helps others find strength in whatever battles they face. >> today the redskins filed an appeal of the u.s. patent and trademark decision to cancel the redskins trademark. thupeal is coming in the form of a complaint that claims native americans didn't consider the redskins name to be disparaging during the relevant timeframe of 1967-1990. while this case is in federal court the team's trademarks remain in full force and effect. >> now to the weather and what's been a mild day in the metro area. overnight we should expect unseasonably cool temperatures. steve rudin is in the weather center with details. >> how about the coolest temperatures we've seen in august in about ten years. we wake up tomorrow morning. so big changes are on the way. take a look at our live camera from annapolis, maryland, cold front beginning to break apart. there's hardly any moisture with this cold front, but drier air which we'll feel come tomorrow morning. you can see the skies breaking up to the west of us. we'll see mainly clear skies later tonight. reagan national airport hasn't had a day in august with low temperatures in the 50's since august 7, 2004. that's when we hit 58 degrees. chances quite good for tomorrow. temperatures 54 degrees for morning lows at dulles. look at the 40's out to the west in cumberland and petersburg. for tonight our temperatures will fall to the 70's, the 60's and settle into the 50's. we'll talk about the next seven days and the upcoming weekend, not so bad after all. >> breaking news now from iraq. iraqi government officials believe the political tension in the country might be easing. the embattled prime minister has reportedly agreed to step aside and will support his nominative replacement. the political deadlock has sent them into uncertainty as they fight isil. >> the suspect in custody after two failed carjackings of two d.c. police officers appeared in court today. police searched the home of romeo hayes who is charged with intent to kill. two others are still on the run. the injured detective is still recovering after surgery. d.c. bureau chief sam ford will have more on the escalating violence in the district coming zñ 6:00. >> just over an hour ago the prosecution rested in the mcdonnell corruption trial. in one of their final acts prosecutors showed off just how much stuff the former governor and his wife allegedly accepted from jonnie williams. jeff goldberg is live from richmond with what happened in court today. >> the united states rests. those were the words of lead prosecutor michael drye as the prosecution rested its case. following that moment, the man at the center of this trial walked outside the courthouse. >> i'm glad we finally get to start our case. >> with the prosecution's case done, governor bob mcdonnell is eager to now have his say. >> there's two sides to the story and we'll get our chance on monday. >> testimony continued from f.b.i. special agent david holezer, a lead investigator in the case. he put all the gifts and money given to the mcdonnells by jonnie williams at $177,000. including the loans, the catering bill for their daughter's wedding, the shopping trip and the rolex. in a dramatic moment, prosecutors showed the pile of goods returned to williams after the investigation began, goods williams turned over to the f.b.i., including the roex, designer -- rolex and designer dresses and shoes. more e-mails and texts linking williams and the mcdonnells like this one from march 2012. stock going great. alzheimer's study announcement really helped. thanks for coming to the romney event. going fast, phenomenal. this will be great for virginia and medicine. we'll talk about v.a. beach soon, referring to the family homes. >> the dollar value is interesting, a bit fallacious. they have to show that something was done in exchange, however. >> during cross-examination, defense attorneys arguing that there was nothing done in exchange. governor mcdonnell's attorney asking that f.b.i. investigator if there was any record of the governor reaching out to u.v.a., v.c.u., or the state tobacco commission on behalf of jonnie williams, and he said no. the defense begins presenting its case monday morning. live in richmond, jeff goldberg, abc7 news. >> thank you, jeff. still ahead, a montgomery county judge has some strong words about a convicted sexual predator sentenced today. >> plus a local soldier returns from afghanistan this week, and now he has a new personal mission here at home. >> a 7 on your side consumer alert for all of you coffee lovers. hear huch k-cups -- how much k-cups will now cost you. >> a principal at a local school loses his job because of a >> manassas school ophyllouses are reacting that they ignored a principal who falsified his credentials on a resume. >> the principal is robin toogood who resigned at the helm of jennie dean elementary school. >> stephen tschida is live with reaction from the school system and the parents there. >> robin williams was principal of jennie dean for five years and he's pastor of a church in d.c. a holy man who apparently made up a whole bunch of stuff. >> he ran a manassas school for years. but when robin williams but when robin toogood wanted a job in prince george's county, the resume caught up with him. >> he's obviously very crafty. >> prince william notifyied manassas that he was a fraud. >> i think he should lose his job. >> he was hired in 2009 after teaching in d.c. schools. a few years later he applied with arlington schools. a background check found problems with his resume. arlington warned manassas back in 2012 but nothing happened. >> our current superintendent at the time, when that was stated that happened, she began in july of 2012, and she didn't have that information. >> he's also the pastor of purity baptist in northeast d.c. >> what about mr. toogood? >> whoever was behind the door of toogood's hyattsville home wasn't in the mood to talk either. >> records show he relinquished his teaching license last month, but manassas school system is conducting more thorough reviews of current and prospective teachers' records. >> we are working with a clearing-house. >> still some wonder how could someone rise to school principal via a bogus background. >> that's scary to think there was no more background checks done on him. >> manassas school system has about 1,000 employees and school officials so far are stressing that so far all employees have checked out with solid credentials. stephen tschida, abc7 news. >> a date has been set to demolish the knox box apartments in college park. residents received e-mails offering them gift cards of $500 or $750 if they move out this month. there have been many safety concerns from wild parties to a fatal fire even. the knox box will be replaced with a development dubbed as terrapin row. >> the dave and busters in white flint mall closed 30 days after a court told them to clear out. that means that p.f. changs and lauryn tailor are the only shops left in the mall. >> white flint mall is a ghost town. >> i know. 15, 20 years ago. >> that was the spot. >> it was indeed. >> not anymore. >> the spot today outside. anywhere outside. and if you thought today was nites, wait until -- nice, wait until tomorrow. it's going to feel like september. >> let's take a long weekend. >> i like that idea. >> we have just a few clouds out there. this is all part of a cold front that's going to bring us yet another reinforcing shot of cooler, drier air and you'll feel it tonight as temperatures drop to the 50's. a very chilly start totc!zy3 friday >> our final stop glebe elementary in arlington, no rain to speak up and no rain, at least not for tonight, tomorrow, and for that matter into the first half of the upcoming weekend. hard to believe we're talking the middle of august with low dew points and comfortable temperatures only in the 70's and gaithersburg at 79 degrees, cumberland at 77 degrees. look at these temperatures. 5:00 hour, lower 70's in detroit and pittsburgh. 70 degrees in chicago. a great indicator of what's on the way later on tonight as high pressure builds overhead and that cooler air settles across the mid-atlantic. satellite and radar, not a whole lot going on with this is cold front. it is dry as it moves on through winds will change direction. northwesterly flow for the overnight and then we'll see that push of cooler air for the day tomorrow with daytime highs only in the upper 70's to lower 80's. heading a little bit closer, the clouds you see out there will quickly erode as we move through the later evening hours and by tonight, crystal clear skies and temperatures well below average for this time of year. this is our futurecast. talking about this area of high pressure. that's going to move overhead for the day tomorrow and into the first half of the weekend. you'll notice this high will eventually move a little bit further off the coast. that's going to allow winds to change direction. more on the south and the west the weekend. showers and thunderstorms may develop late sunday, but due to the southwesterly winds we'll kick up the heat and humidity and we'll see daytime highs around 90's, so that's above average for this time of year. our forecast for the overnight, mainly clear skies, 50 to 60 degrees. may even see a few upper 40's. then for tomorrow, lots of sunshine, a comfortable day. absolutely beautiful. upper 70's to lower 80's. winds out of the west at 5-10, and the extended outlook, a nice start to the weekend. saturday, middle 80's. but the heat and humidity is back, sunday and monday highs will be in the upper 80's to 90 degrees. a better chance of showers and thunderstorms as we move into early next week, but overall, it's going to be absolutely for tomorrow and saturday and the chances for those storms, mainly during the afternoon hours, mainly 20-30%. >> we had enough rain for a while. got our fill, thanks. >> coming up just ahead, why it's going to soon cost you more to brew your favorite k-cup in the morning. >> why your pediatrician's office may not display pictures of your kids anymore. >> i'm 7 on your side's kris van cleave. we've been getting a lot of e-mails about the irs phone scam. it's definitely back in our region. whatou need to know before your phone rings. >> but first here's a look at >> a 7 on your side consumer alert for keurig coffee lovers. green mountain is increasing the price of its k-cups by 9%. they say it's because of higher coffee costs. they also plan to raise the price of bulk coffee and other products in november. >> the caffeine addicts won't even notice. f i can tell you as a keurig lover my -- i can tell you as a keurig lover myself. >> an irs phone scam has resurfaced in our area and is generating a number of complaints to 7 on your side. >> we sent kris van cleave to investigate. >> you have an unpaid back tax on your name. >> recordings of the threatening calls are all over youtube. scammers claiming to be the irs demanding you pay up right now or the cops will come get you. >> for that reason, irs will seize all your properties, bank counts, credit card, debit card. >> it's really scary. >> scammers called dick hambaker's home. >> a treasury treasury departmet inspector general calls this the largest ever irs phone fraud scam. thousands have fallen victim collectively handing over $1 million to the scammers. the agency has received more than 20,000 reports of people receiving the threatening calls. >> a number of viewers have sent e-mails like this one asking about this specific 202 number. we're going to call it. >> hi, this is brian from irs investigation team. i'm not at my desk. >> he's not from the irs. >> so if you get a call out of the blue, that should be an immediate message to you that this thing's a scam. >> anthony burke is an irs spokesman. the agency has issued several warnings about the scam, but the complaints come in as they often target recent immigrants or the elderly. >> the first way you'll hear from us is through the u.s. mail. we'll never call and demand immediate payment. >> even the irs's 800 number can show up. but don't fall for it. even if they know the last four of your social security number, this is still a scam. we have much more on this on wjla.com. kris van cleave, abc7 news. >> coming up on abc7 news at 5:00, arch campbell is back here to tell us what if the new movie "the giver" is a gift for movie-goers. >> he just served a tour of duty in afghanistan, and now he's home. but now someone is missing. this soldier's desperate search is coming up. >> a judge calls a youth group >> you're watching abc7 news at 5:00, on your side. >> a montgomery county judge chastised a former youth group leader today calling him a cowardly pervert. >> the judge sentenced nathaniel morales to 40 years in prison for molesting at least four boys during the 1980's. >> montgomery county reporter kevin lewis live with reaction from one of morales' victims. >> that victim, jeremy kirk is now married with three young children. but his emotional scars run very deep. morales abused cook about 50 times during church-related sleepovers. today he spoke out publicly and hopes it will encourage other victims to speak out too. >> to see a predator taken off the street is worth all of this. >> jeremy cook relishes knowing that nathaniel morales will likely spend the rest of his life in a prison cell. he surrounded himself with young children, mostly boys while mentoring at covenant life church in gaithersburg in the 190s. but when police -- 19 80's. but when police charged him, he appeared to have memory loss. >> i'm sure all of us who were there wanted to say, "come on, you really are not faking this." >> the judge didn't believe morales' story either saying "you can't even bring your despicable self to admit to your crime so you hide behind your fake diagnosis of amnesia. you are a pathetic human being." >> morales asked for leaniacy, and the judge said "i don't believe your protect society from you and deter other potential boy molesters. >> here's somebody who can't hurt somebody else again. he'll be put away and that's the most important thing to me. it protects others. >> cook is also upset with former church elders who investigators say tried covering up the sexual abuse for decades. cook tells me those individuals will have to live with their decisions for the rest of their lives. in rockville, i'm kevin lewis, abc7 news. >> thank you, kevin. time now for a look at the day's other top stories. one person is in custody after the shooting death of a 3-year-old girl in prince george's county. the suspected shooter is still on the loose. brian campbell is facing various charges including murder. investigators are still searching for 25-year-old davon wallace. police believe wallets shot into a -- wallace shot into a landover home killing a 3-year-old. >> police in ferguson, missouri are defending their use of tear gas and smoke bombs following another night of chaos there. officers last night tossed tear gas to disburse a large crowd of protesters after some threw molotov cocktails and rocks at them. more than ten people were arrested. president obama called for peace following this violence. >> day 14 of the bob mcdonnell trial and his wife. the prosecution rested its case today after showing the jury a big pile of expensive gifts the mcdonnells returned to jonnie williams after the investigation began. motions hearings start tomorrow. witnesses for the defense are expected to take the stand on monday. >> time for a check on the traffic situation. bob immler is in the w.t.o.p. traffic center. >> well maureen it's been a rather uneventful rush hour. a lot of volume on the inner loop of the beltway up towards tysons moving up 270 and into bethesda and silver spring. we had a crash southbound a mile after 118 and that's just been moved out of the roadway. all lanes open on 270. 66 is just volume inside the beltway and headed east and west of centerville. there was a crash west of centerville and that too has been cleared. looking at beltway cameras. 270 headed north through montgomery village we see volume up towards clarksburg. no incidents in the roadway. all travel lanes are open. with 395 coming south to the pentagon with the lanes open with just a bit of volume. i'm bob immler in the w.t.o.p. traffic center. >> a local soldier returned home from afghanistan yesterday and one of the first things he's doing is looking for his missing dog zara. the german shepherd has been missing for almost two weeks now. jennifer donelan went along with army specialist john walker as he began the emotional search. >> come on zara, come home! >> the first time i've called her name and she hasn't been there. >> the first time army specialist john walker called his dog's name for leaving for war. >> she disappeared in this field when he was in afghanistan. >> every day you wake up to do your mission and your job and the only thing you think about at the end of the day is that i'm one day closer to getting home. >> 12 days before he was due to return home to chester he got the news that zara had run off into the woods while playing catch with the dog sitter near her parents' home. >> 7,000 miles away, i felt like i couldn't be any further away from home. >> his voice calling zara's name didn't do the trick today. >> she could be out here in these woods. even with all the volunteers we have now, we could still be missing her. >> it's been a while since zarra went missing, it was july 28. but giving up is not an option for this soldier. >> no matter what it takes, we bring everybody home. and i will do this with my dog. we will bring her home. >> close friends, residents who live near the field, and too many strangers to count, who have seen the posters and heard the story about a soldier's missing dog. >> say a prayer for you man. >> thank you, i do appreciate it. >> have a good day. >> you too. >> how does that feel? >> it's hard. >> but as walker said, there's no room for defeat. >> my dog will come home to me, no matter what. and i will exhaust all means necessary to bring her home. >> in crownsville, jennifer donelan, abc7 news. >> thank you, jennifer. coming up in a 7 on your side health alert, how a parent's behavior can affect their unborn child. >> the future in black and white in "the giver." i'm arch campbell with entertainment, coming up. >> and coming up new at 6:00, a metro station under the see? an unusual glitch that metro users discovered that let >> movie stars merrill streep and jeff bridges team up. >> the question is whether their star power is enough to get people to the theaters this weekend. >> "the giver" is the name of the movie and it actually does a bit of "regifting." on old plot told again about a bloodless, cold future. >> oh, yeah, the giver. >> i just need guidance. >> jeff bridges plays the giver, a wise, old guy. and the only guy who keeps the memory of the past in order to advise for the future. society assigns brenten as his apprentice and the two conspire to shake things up. meryl streep, it feels like a lot of other movies. it doesn't break new ground but tells a familiar story in an enjoyable way. two out of four for "the giver." >> the expendables 3. it's geezer action. and more expendable than ever. here's the weekend best bets. boyhood, get on up, guardians of the galaxy, and the 100-foot journey. >> next bring brings sin city, a game to kill for, which is self-explanatory, and i know you're glad to hear that sly stalone and mel gibson and who else, harrison ford, every geezer in hollywood. you should get an aarp discount to join no matter what your age. >> i think soon they'll all be on scooters. >> watch out. [ laughter ] >> i'm done. >> i'm proud of them. >> coming up next, hear who is now calling on maryland to start school after labor day. >> plus the arson investigation now underway after a local playground burnt to the ground. >> you'll find them all over the walls of your pediatrician's offi >> 7 is on your side with a health alert. a new study finds parent's behaviors can affect their baby's health, even before birth. smoking or a poor diet can affect how genes develop within the embryo which could me higher conditions for anxiety, heart disease or even immune disease function. it's not just the mother's behaviors, but the father's as well. >> have you ever sent a photo of your child to a pediatrician's office where it's displayed on the wall there? >> according to law, baby board displays can be illegal. joce sterman joins us to explain. >> this is coming from the federal patient privacy law known to the rest of us as hipa. those smiling photos of your bouncing baby boy or girl are now often filed away and never displayed. >> karen fitsgerald's son moses is four weeks old and she sent this photo to her mid wife, marsha jackson to -- >> of course i would want them to see that. >> it is filled with baby photos, including birth announcements and family portraits hung up to all to see. >> we want our families to feel welcome, and we want it to be warm and inviting. i think having the pictures posted really helps. >> but according to hipa, photo displays like this in medical offices can be illegal. the photos are considered private like a patient's name, address, or social security number. the health and humor services office of civil rights, just requires that parents give written permission that they are aware of and give permission for the doctor to publicly use foetoes. >> here it's -- photos. >> here it's in the clinic's general consent form. >> it's up to them if they want to give it to us for a keepsake, or they want topost it. >> but some offices simply file them away to avoid the problem. at the care center in bethesda, the only ones on display are decades old. >> in this day in age, things are different and i think in posting pictures in the future we would probably be getting consent. >> so to be clear as long as a doctors' office has a patient's permission in writing allowing the photos to be displayed publicly, it's perfectly legal. joce sterman, abc7 news. >> maryland comp troller peter francho has kicked off a drive to keep opening maryland schools from opening after labor day. part of a let summer be summer campaign. he says that starting schools after labor day would be good for the economy and also allow families to spend more time together. >> 40 homeless children in fairfax county will be going back to school with the supplies they need. they went on a shopping spree today. they were not alone. they were accompanied by a deputy, or even the sheriff of the fairfax county sheriff's office. each student was given $250 in a gift card to get school supplies, clothes and shoes. >> i got pants. a pair of shoes. >> sneakers? >> sneakers. >> what's the best part about today? >> that i got clothes and meeting the sheriff. >> and he also got to steal our microphone. did you see that? a good john there on t.v. >> he's -- job there on t.v. >> he's taking your job. >> this is the 24th year of the department's shop with the sheriff program, and it's funded through local businesses and individuals' donations. >> now let's see what's coming up on abc7 news at 6:00. >> gordon peterson is standing by in the newsroom with a look ahead. hey, gordon. >> tonight at 6:00, new developments from ferguson, missouri, the scene of chaotic and dangerous confrontations as you know between police and protesters. we're also going to look at an outbreak of gun violence in the nation's capital. sam ford examines the sudden rash of shootings that have wounded 20 and left one person dead. >> and fists fly in a government building. we are going to show you the video of politics, ukrainian style at 6:00. >> okay. you got it, gordon. we'll see you in a little bit. >> and steve rudin is here to bring us an update on a beautiful night ahead. >> absolutely. it is wonderful out there, and we're going to take you out live to winter green, virginia. this is via our weather bug network. just a few scattered clouds, not going to amount to a whole lot. and we will be looking for skies to rapidly clear through the evening hours. our temperatures will fall to the 70s under partly-cloudy skies. with breezes at times with winds out of the northwest at 5-15 miles an hour. temperatures out there. 81 degrees at dulles, 85 in reagan national. cooler in central montgomery county, 79 degrees. winchester near 80 and the same in martinsburg, ocean city, now at 80 degrees. a few sprinkles east of fredericksburg burg -- those will continue to move off east. this is our futurecast taking us through the next 48 hours. we will see temperatures as we wake up early tomorrow morning in the 50's and by afternoon we're talking highs that will eventually make it to just 80 degrees and a bit warmer during the day on saturday with increased humidity levels. mainly clear for the overnight. 50-60. we could see 40's, 40's. well off to the west of us in the mountains, lots of sunshine, low humidity. 77-82 degrees. the weather continues through saturday and a chance of a few pop up showers and thunderstorms on sunday. but the heat and humidity is back, near 90 sunday and monday. middle 80's come tuesday and wednesday of next week. so nearly perfect for the day tomorrow. there you have it. >> sounds great. thank you, steve. >> i'm telling you, we have a lot going on. the weekend were back home -- the redskins were back home today which is great. jay gruden now wants to get them into the regular season routine as quickly as possible. and of course the skins play cleveland on monday night. the skins' offense is not ready to be honest. up and down and inconsistent through training camp. jay gruden wants griffen to read more quickly, get his targets. he says rg3 hasn't been consist want but they're heading into the right direction. >> i think we all have big aspirations. massive goals, and no one's goals are higher than our own. aside from that we know coming out here every day and working what's going to get us to that point. and that's for us to know and for you guys to find out on the way. >> rg3. college football is getting more headlines now as the season looms near. and quarterback ian reynolds is being mentioned as a heisman trophy candidate. the last heisman trophy was roger stallwe'll be right back in 196 -- stallwe'll be right back in 1963. >> every kid growing up wants to win a heisman. i'm not going to say i didn't. but right now my thoughts are ohio state, and that's the only thing i'm thinking about. all the other hype and talk is just talk because i could come out august 30 and play the worst game of my life and it disappears. >> but what a great opportunity for a kid at ohio state getting that national attention. >> the dodgers beat the braves this afternoon. so the nats lead now five and a half games. our play of the night comes from the arizona cleveland game. ryan rayburn, layup big fellah, making a great play. he went 0-6 because of plays like this. but hold on. how about the guy that was watching the play? this guy's sleeping. come on, fellah. it's a baseball. are you okay? sir, sir, are you okay? another beer perhaps? come on, man. you just missed a great grab. pay attention! he woke up and that was the rest of the day. >> nickel beer night? >> how do you miss plays like >> a germantown playground burns and police believe it was arson. the playground is on seneca crossing drive near sally wide elementary school and the damage is estimated in the thousands of dollars. but now local children are left without a favorite place to play. hatzel vela has the latest on the investigation. >> what folks in this neighborhood call a focal point in this community, cannot be accessed. >> it's a park. the kids don't really have anywhere else to play here. >> newschopper 7 over the germantown neighborhood shortly after the fire was put out last night. >> once you get it burning, it's petroleum and plastic-based. >> their nose could quickly pick up the smell of burned rubber and plastic. >> yank of anyone who would -- i can't think of anyone who would have done it because it's so out of place and character for this neighborhood. >> courtney mohammed was walking her dogs in the neighborhood and remembers walking by and hearing children play. >> purposely setting a children's playground on fire, there's no excuse for that. i hope it's an accident. >> and if not she hopes someone gets caught. >> i heard kids playing and didn't think anything twice about it. >> i kind of thought maybe a trash can fire or something like that. i didn't realize that it was so devastating. kind of hoping it was maybe just a prank. >> investigators are taking it seriously. they think it's arson. >> investigators are send something material off to the lab to try to help with that. >> while no one was hurt, they hope neighbors may have seen something and can help track down those responsible. you know anything you're asked to call montgomery county police. in germantown, maryland, hatzel vela, abc7 news. >> thank you for that and thank you for joining us. that's it for abc7 news at 5:00. abc7 news at 6:00 storts right now and with -- starts right now and with breaking news. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- live from the abc7 broadcast center this is abc7 breaking news. >> breaking news first at 6:00, as workers race to rescue two men trapped in a collapsed trench. >> this is happening right now on martindale court in potomac. a montgomery county fire spokesperson tells abc7 the two men are buried in mud up to their waists and shoulders. we're told both men are conscious and a technical rescue team is working to free them. newschopper 7 is on the way to the scene and we'll bring you more details as we get them. >> after several violent crimes in the city where an unarmed teenager was shot to death in a confrontation with police. [sound of gunfire] >> president obama said he's disturbed by what happened in the st. louis suburb of ferguson. >> moments ago we learned the missouri state highway patrol is now taking over security for the town of ferguson. senior political reporter scott thuman is following this story live from our newsroom. >> and that is in fact an effort, to have a less heavy-handed approach to dealing with the demonstrators. the situation so out of control that the president breaking from his vacation today to make a public plea. earlier we saw him sit down with attorney general eric holder looking for a solution. there he's on the phone with missouri governor jane nixon. this has clearly reached a breaking point with another night of demonstrations planned. >> i know that the emotions are raw right now in ferguson, but quite simply we need to hold ourselves to a high standard. >> hoping to restore lm