>> good morning. a freeze warning in the bay area until 9:00 this morning. temperatures expected to dip into the 20s. >> little in the news, some last minute holiday shoppers become shoplifters. if you were hoping for a gift of mega millions this morning, you won't be getting that. the jackpot is now soaring above $200 million. good morning, everyone. i'm terry mcsweeney. a freeze warning is in effect this morning and it's another spare the air day. lisa has more. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. we are talking about numbers that will drop into the mid-20s. just like yesterday morning. the air mass is very, very dry. we have light winds, maximal

radiation natural cooling. until 9:00 this morning the numbers will continue to plummet. here in the area we have a hard freeze warning in the sacramento valley and we could see damage once again to sensitive plants and hopefully the pets are inside. right now we are 28 in santa rosa and 27 fairfield. and we will continue to drop until the 7:00 hour. terry. >> thanks a lot. if you waited until the last day to do christmas shopping, you are not alone. some shoppers are looking for a five finger discount. john has more on the problem. ♪. >> reporter: santa son the only one coming to town. shoplifters are making this a season to remember. just yesterday stephanie, who sells chest nuts outside macy's, got to see a show. >> someone got stopped for shoplifting and they were waiting for the person outside and they started running.

they tackled them and they put them in handcuffs. >> stores around union scare have hired extra security to keep an eye on the crowds. it's a subject that shop managers don't like to talk about, although clerks say they can spot trouble a mile away. >> you can tell. they are looking around the area, see who is watching as opposed to looking at product usually. >> according to national estimate, shoplifters made off with more than $1.8 billion in just the month leading up to this christmas. that's an increase over the $1.7 billion over the same period last year. >> unfortunately there are those that don't get it, and do things that they ought not to do. but we put the officers where we want them and the community supports each other by looking out for one another. >> police watched over crowds near union square. the holiday season is always a big time for shoplifters who can take advantage of distracted sales clerks. the targets are high end liquor,

designer clothes and perfume. at blooming days we saw them watching shoppers like a hawk. >> in one small area, three security guards. i thought that was a little over the top where usually i never saw anybody. >> one estimate said 1 in 11 americans will shoplift. there's a debate over the bad economy makes people more desperate to steal or whether shoplifters do it just for the thrill, the rush they get, during this prime season. in san francisco, january alston, abc7 news. retail sales are expected to jump nearly 4% this year and shopper track is predicting the day after christmas, called mighty monday, will see 60% more customers in the stores compared to last year. many stores like target and best buy will extend their hours and offer big promotions like we saw on black friday. one item in particular brought shoppers out in droves yesterday but in many places it ended in chaos and violence. here's what all the excitement

is about, a pair of sneakers. the new air jordans caused shoving matches fights and in one location a gunshot. >> gunfire at hilltop mall in richmond when a 24-year-old man in line for the newly released air jordans fired his weapon. >> it's in the infancy stages of the investigation but it appears it may have been a negligent discharge or accidental. >> the ambulance arrested and in this case known hurt. at a mall in fairfield two were arrested, one for salting a police officer of a more than a thousand shoppers showed up early and pushed a mall door off the hinges. >> the crowd pushed it off its tracks. >> in stockton people pushed and shoved for the chance to get the 180-dollar shoes. california wasn't the only state with rowdy shoppers. at a mall in indianapolis, several people were trampled. >> a few people were on the ground. i jumped over them and kept

jumping. >> it's michael jordan. that's what he does. this is one of his most known shoes. >> 11 con course, exclusive. >> but would you leave your kids alone in the car just to get a new pair of kicks? that's exactly what witnesses said this woman did in georgia. police had to break the car window to get to the two and five-year-old. the kids were eventually picked up but their grandmother. mom was hauled off to jail. in austin texas there was nearly a riot. security at this mall called for backup when the crowd swelled to more than 1,000 people. arnold with pepper spray and a helicopter overhead, police tried to keep control but in the end an officer was trampled when the crowd tried pushing their way into footlocker. >> nike has released a statement saying it is concerned about the crowd incidents and is encouraging anyone wishes to perfect the product to do so in a respectful and safe manner. all over the bay area shoppers will race today to a

photo finish. only a few days ago an estimated one-third of americans still had shopping to do. abc7's david louie has a look at the last minute crowds. >> there's a different feeling at the mall. sure, the stores are busy and the pressure is on. >> got everything done? >> no, not even close. not even close. >> so why does everyone look so happy and relaxed? >> i mean i'm a little less stressed about the income coming in myself. so hopefully people are feeling that, and plus, you know, along the season people get a chance to get into it a little more often. we have a couple days before christmas that we are off of work. >> maybe it's because some shoppers changed their strategy this year. >> we did a lot of online shopping and that alleviated the stress. >> and many will tote as many shopping bags as they can handle. others are taking breaks to reenergize. the food courts are packed. the mood up beat. >> it's easy.

there's no lines. >> wait a minute. there are lines. >> excuse me, i see a line here. is this the line for santa? >> no, it's a line for jama juice. >> here's the line for santa, and it's a long one. santa must be feeling the stress as kids share what they would like to see under the tree. last minute shoppers are getting a break from retailers. the discounts are getting deeper. that could be a sign they need to clear excess inventory, or its a nudge to get shoppers to spend. >> sweaters are definitely doing better now that it's a bit chillier outside, and electronics always do very well, especially since we are in silicon valley. >> and the jewelers had to call in extra sales people because of the heavy volume of customers. but the typical sale shows restraint rather than extravagances. >> we are looking in the midrange, three hundred to $500. a lot of people are sticking around in that area right there. >> well, the countdown to christmas is ticking away. the malls, according to what

valley fair and as many others in the bay area, are planning to close at 6:00 on christmas eve. in san jose, david louie, abc7 news. david also tells us many national chains stayed open as late as midnight last night to meet the demand. the national retail federation said holiday sales are expected to be up nearly 4% from last year and that's a full percent higher than previous predictions. online sales are up 15% to $32 billion so far this holiday season. still ahead, bay area nurses who left their jobs on thursday for a one-day strike got locked out on friday by management. we will tell you about the next developments expected this morning. and super markets are taking baby formula off the shelves. we will tell you about theeeeeee

the droid razr by motorola. the newest droid armed with motocast. granting you wireless access to files on your home computer from almost anywhere. 4g lte equipped to pull pictures, music, and movies. all at mind-melting speeds. powered by verizon, this droid is too powerful to fall into the wrong hands. ♪ i must have the wrong house.

sister? we missed you. they waited up all night for you, you know. it's a long way from west africa. ahh...coffee. [ inhales deeply ] he's here. i brought you something. [ chuckles ] really? ♪ [ chuckles ] what are you doing? you're my present this year. ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup

>> strikes nurses are going to return to jobs this morning. they were locked outly management following a one-day strike on thursday. hospitals didn't allow the nurses to return to work because temporary replacement workers were hired until 9:00 this morning. they walked out overpaid sick leave and healthcare premiums. the full time nurse receives the average salary of $136,000 and have the option of 100% employer-paid health benefits package. several national retailers have joined wal-mart in pulling a batch of prouderd formula from their shelves. a missouri newborn drank the formula and died of a rare infection. another baby got sick and recovered. the product is enfamil newborn formula and the lot number is zp1k7g. the stores removing it or safe way and walgreens added.

it is a precaution until health tests are completed on the product. and the water used to mix the formula are both being tested. lisa is back. we are talking about mighty cold temperatures and don't light a fireplace to warm yourself up. >> right. 24 degrees in fairfield right now. >> wow. >> that's cold! >> it is. >> and we have wind on the coast. they went from the 30s to 55 at 3:00 in the morning. a little warmer air mixes down to the surface at the shoreline. elsewhere everyone is freezing for the most part and we will continue to see the temperatures drop for at least the next two hours. i will detail your holiday forecast coming up. >> and we will bring you up-to-date on efforts to make sure the lights at candlestick fenway park stay on during the upcoming nfl playoff game. [ cherie ] i always had a job, ever since i was fourteen.

i could not make working and going to school work. it was not until the university of phoenix that i was able to work full-time, be a mom, and go to school. the opportunities that i had at the university of phoenix, dealing with professionals teaching things that they were doing every day, got me to where i am today. i'm mayor cherie wood, i'm responsible for the largest urban renewal project in utah, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu. but to be honest, i find the omega choices overwhelming. which one is right for me? then i found new pronutrients omega-3.

it's from centrum, a name i trust. it goes beyond my heart to support my brain and eyes too. and these ultra-concentrated minigels are much smaller than many others. it's part of a whole new line of supplements. there's probiotic and fruit & veggie too. new pronutrients from centrum helps make nutrition possible.

>> welcome back. we are looking out from our roof cam. at the embarcadero you see the ferry buildth and bay bring. i think that song is true, even the stop lights flash a bright red and green. not flashing but very red and very green, but please obey them. remember it is the holiday season. cold out there, too. we will get more from lisa on that in just a moment. how do you prepare a christmas dinner for thousands of people? however you do it, you bier get started today and that's exactly what will happen this afternoon

at glide memorial church in san francisco. kitchen will be busy as volunteers prepare to serve free christmas dinners to the needy. volunteers are needed to prep the meal. donations always accepted. they provide meals year around. tomorrow glide will serve a christmas celebration and serve as many as 3,000 hot christmas meals with all the fixings. a five-year-old girl'sler -- letter to santa ended up in a family's hands who will make the girl's wishes come true. abc lindsay picked it up from there. at this auburn household the ornaments shine bright. even though christmas was looking a little gloom. >> it's difficult. she can work no more. >> she is injured and out of work. her husband, unemployed for most of the year.

when their daughter, helen, thought about what she wanted tore christmas, her wishes were simple. the five-year-old wrote santa a letter asking for clothing or a doll. the question was how to get it to the big guy up north? >> they send it to the sky. and she's like what happens? >> on a cold december night a couple weeks ago helen attached the letter to two pink balloons and let them go into the sky to reach the north pole. apparently santa had other plans and the balloons made their way 700 miles south to santa's helpers in northern california. >> i'm glad that letter end up in our hands and didn't just blow off into the sunset, that's for sure. >> even though the letter was written in spanish, friends found someone to translate. and called the reyes family to reach out. when they learned of the family's financial situation,

the complete strangers found a way to get into the christmas spirit. and they went shopping for the little girl. >> we don't look at ourselves as angels, but, yeah, it makes us feel really, really good. >> it is incredible. i don't know, god sent something to us. >> an incredible journey with an incredible inning that will make for a merry christmas indeed. >> dennis and frank shipped out the gifts for the family yesterday and the package should arrive just in time for christmas. i don't know what kind of shipping they are using but it must be darn good because i was told the deadline was a few days ago but i'm sure that will get through. let's talk about the local gift for christmas eve which is a nice, brisk christmas eve morning. >> i know. you thought it couldn't get colder and temperatures are colder in some spots. we have some wind in some areas as well. maybe not as cold in others. i'll show you where. but right now we are looking

from vulmer peek, it is definitely one of the coldest mornings we've seen in the north bay valley. 7:23 is the sunrise and it will set at 4:56. we do have a freeze warning in effect and a hard freeze out toward the sacramento delta area. right now you are at 24 degrees. 27 in livermore, as well as napa, santa rosa and we are talking 29 in mountain vault take a look at fremont at 32. concord 29. good morning, san jose, 33 for you and some 40s along the coast. this is where we've had a little bit of warmer air mixed down to the surface. at 3:00 this morning it was 38 degrees at half moon bay. then the temperature went up with that win. so 9:00 warmer than you were yesterday at half moon bay. everywhere else you are pretty much colder except for redwood city and livermore. hopefully you brought the plants in and the pets. it will be quite some time until

things that you out a little bit. we are looking at more sunshine today. you may have heard that, but we are looking at another cold night tonight. the next couple of days ahead, though, we will see morph an onshore flow, more moisture to our air mass. we will look for the temperatures to be not as cold overnight for santa, and then we are looking at dry weather through the holiday weekend. also a spare the air day today due to very little mixing out there. so overall things have remain pretty much unchanged and we are hoping for a little bit of rain to come our way. but still this morning we've got numbers in the mid-20s throughout the bay area. right until about 9:00. and really about 8:00 we will see the numbers slowly come out of the 20s. the poor air quality pretty much all around the bay, the east bay, the south bay, the north bay, except right at the coast where the air quality is okay. but as you look out there you can see how hazy it is and gray. kind of looks like l. a..

and the storm tracks to the north. we will see several short waves, small bits of energy pass up and over the ridge in the next several days. we are hoping by wednesday one will bring us rain but at this point it looks like only a north bahrain event. so we've got high pressure and incoming weather systems not even getting close for the next several days. if you are headed to the sierra nevada, cold morning temperatures by the afternoon. 47 in the northern sierra. 54 in yosemite and we are talking about upper 50s back home today. 60 in oakland, as well as palo alto and san jose and santa rosa. overall temperatures around normal. overnight tonight it will be chilly again. maybe another freeze warning. but by sunday night, christmas night, we are looking at slightly warmer temperatures, a few more clouds that will help the numbers come up. the first chance of rain comes in tuesday night into wednesday and probably into the north bay with light rain. not a big storm that perhaps you and everyone else was hoping

for. >> you still have some shopping to do? >> no. >> are you one of the 24 million? >> no, i'm trying to stay away. >> you are done? >> yeah. >> thanks a loss, lisa. pg&e and san francisco utility officials are vowing to prevent an occurrence of the two black outs we saw during the steelers game at candlestick. technicians are work to go repair the line that failed and install monitoring equipment. the mayor admitted the city was at fault for the second of the two black outs. it was caused by a malfunctioning switch on the stadium's backup power system. work should be complete bid wednesday. playoff atmosphere at the shark tank last night. and in this morning's sports report, larry beil said a familiar bitter beer face was also back. >> good morning, everybody. the sharks welcomed their old coach back to the tank last night. darryl sutter, who took over. los angeles kings this week, guided the men in teal from 1997 to 2002 and then he moved on to calgary. check out sutter. that's his happy face right there. great goaltending on both sides.

check out the save by niemmi. brad richardson, that was an empty net. look at the skate save and the stretch by niemmi. scoreless to the second period. nice passing by the sharks. wrister from throwing cure. his 15th of the year and 1-0, men in teal. the kings would tie it on a power-play goal from mike richards. he gets control with the skate and then fires. game goes to overtime tied at one. then into the shootout. round 4, clowe wins. niemmi, four saves in the shootout sharks 4-0 tonight six-game homestand with a 2-1 shootout victory. when you go to las vegas, a lot of things can happen. usually the house wins and that was the case last night as the cal bears went bust. bears came in with a 10-2 record facing the 21st ranked rebels. justin led with 20 points.

vegas would answer. umlv by 9. oscar, one here. and umlv opened up a 20-point lead at the half. the rebels are back. anthony marshall showing up, and showing up angry. he had 22 points. russell, 6'3". but he goes up with authority. hammered, 85-68 as their four-game win streak comes to an end. saint mary's with their second game in as many nights in vegas. the triples. and the goals opened up the lead on missouri state. where is walled dough? right there. freshman brad waldo. a big fella with 17. gales get the victory, 77-61. the nfl schedule shifts to saturdays now with the 49ers looking to stop seattle and stay on track to a bye in the first round of the playoffs. 49ers have not allowed a rushing touchdown all season. that's an nfl record. if you break down the national hurricane center go inside the red zone, these stats are

remarkable. through 14 games, opponents have 36 total carries inside the 20-yard line, averaging just over 2 yards per rush. 17 of those runs went for a yard or less. than the niners keep lynch from snapping their streak? >> it's running extremely hard, he's running angry, he's running with purpose, he's fighting for every inch that he can get. probably been our biggest test from a running back in a while. >> you want to break that stat, so that's great. i hope we get it down there and run. you know, that's the way we go right at it. we are the best at it, let's go do it. >> the raiders are at the chiefs. does it get any better than are christmas on the beach in hawaii. the nevada marching band took over the way kiki beach. theythey will play southern mis. it is truly glorious.

that is a wrap on morning sports. have a great weekend and a great christmas holiday, everybody. i'm larry beil. coming up next at 5:30, whoops! two leading gop candidates for president won't appear on the ballot in virginia's republican primary. and we will tell you what fire investigators know so far about the start of thursday's apartment

>> neighbors are scrambling to help those who lost their homes in san francisco's biggest fire in seven years. more than 60 people are homeless at the height of the holiday season. while they can't say what triggered the fire, they do know where it started, inside a trash shoot in one of the three damaged buildings. we have the follow-up. >> as he saw the flames and smoke bill throwing over a next door apartment building, niklas

tooley and some of his fellow crewmembers called 911 and then ran in the budding. >> a fellow grabbed a sledgehammer and started busting open doors. running through, clearing rooms, making sure we could get as many people out as we cook. >> and he wielded the sledgehammer. >> things came out and we heard people still inside. fortunately we did get in a room, a guy was working night shift, was asleep. >> they figure they got more than seven people out of their apartments before fire crews arrived to begin battling the blaze. investigators say the fire started in a trash shoot. it was pushed along by midday winds and grew to a five-alarm fire. for some of the 41 now-displaced residents, returning home was a dreaded task. >> feels like the party is gone, stuff you can't replace. >> just want to get my stuff, see if there's anything that remains and move on, i guess. >> people have been pulling up

to the nearby missionary temple church to donate anything that might be useful to displaced residents. >> a tweet blast went out and the word got out and people have just been bringing stuff. >> and the alamo neighborhood association is helping as well by trying to retain neighbors who might now be out of a home. >> if you have a place where someone can stay, you know, let us know. send an e-mail to the board at alamo square. >> and with all the activity on the day following the fire, someone still had the construction workers in their thoughts. this banner was hanging outside their gate next door as they arrived to work this morning. >> saw this banner out here. that's from the neighborhood. >> it was a warm welcome to morning to see that. >> the construction company was nice enough to buy pizza for the crew today for their job well done. for efforts to help out the residents who are displaced, the alamo square neighborhood association has set up a paypal account on their website. the american red cross has an account specifically more these

residents. you can pitch in if you would like by finding those details on our website at abc7news.com. in san francisco, abc7 news. a san francisco man posing as a physicians assistant is under arrest. police say he had no medical license and no business performing surgery. authorities filed several charges against carlos guzmangarza, including identity theft and performing invasive medical procedures without a license, including likepo suction. we have the story. >> dressed in an orange jumpsuit, also known at carlos guzmangarza was led into court and back out again after they waved their right to an appearance. he had an office in this budding in the mission ticket. a janitor said she saw maybe five patients a week coming and going. one a daley city woman who told prosecutors about her

liposuction procedure in his clinic. >> when they started she said do you have an assistant with you and he said you are my assistant today. she was holding her own iv. he smoked a cigar during the procedure, and as the district attorney said there was an incident where some of her fat fell on the floor and he bent over and picked that up. >> the woman developed a serious infection, eventually had to have reconstruction surgery with a real doctor. the d. a. said guzman got his patients by offering cut rate deals. >> first of all, if the price you are being quoted is significantly less than the price that you are getting from other professionals around, that should be a red flag. generally there are no free rides. >> the price that guzman quoted for might be bow sucks and an eye lift was reportedly $3,000. according to court documents guzman is being held in jail until next tuesday when he will be formally charge with practicing medicine without a license, as well as grand theft

and felony assault. his bail is set at $750,000. neighbors in the mission district say guzman introduced himself as a doctor with a medical degree from mexico, who was practicing here as a physician's assistant. >> we know that this is not a unique case. we know that in this particular case, for instance, we know that there are probably many other victims. the d. a. wants to find those victims. right now guzman is charged with felonies stemming from just one complaint and he's looking at twelve years if convicted. the da would like to hear from anyone with information about carlos guzman or carlos guzmangarza. we have the phone number to the da's office link today this story at abc7news.com. in the newsroom, mark matthews, abc7 news. a san jose couple is under r arrest accused of stealing almost a million dollars from a 96-year-old man. kristina met the victim at the chase bank branch she managed. she and her husband befriended the man and then began

systematically looting his savings. they used the money to buy a new mercedes, jewelry, a timeshare property and cosmetic surgery. investigation began when the victim's family reported suspicious bank activity. home for the holidays has never had more meaning for this pam ily, an army staff sergeant is back home. he arrived yesterday. and for his family it's been a long and anxious wait. >> reporter: an excited and nervous 26-year-old person came here to greet her husband's, who has been serving with the arming the past ten months. >> it's been tough but we've been through it twice before so we just learned to deal with it and take it day-by-day. >> she's used to waiting. she's waited through jonathan's two previous tours in iraq where he was wounded and now nine long months into this tour. >> you become a stronger person.

your relationship becomes stronger. i mean, you just support each other. >> her mother, juanita, has provided her emotional support through three tours. she said her daughter shows remarkable character. >> i applaud my daughter very much because she's a tough woman. she's been going through a lot but she just knows what she's doing. she knows, she has trust and faith coming back to her. >> after a tense three and a half hour flight delay, finally staff sergeant jonathan smith comes through the doors. the two have known each other since they were nine. they were married at 18 eight years ago. after a long hug, smith told us what else he's belonged for. >> the first order of business is an in and out burger. >> sergeant smith has come from afghanistan through ireland and dallas in order to reach only. it's a daunting transition from battlefield to home. this is his first christmas back in three years. >> you just kind of got to grasp

it. right now you are kind of numb to the situation and then slowly as the more civilians you see and the more restaurants, and i guess the nicer people are to you, the more you start to -- reality hits you that you are here. >> the couple plan a private stay in napa, as happy as he is, he said part of him is back with his squad in afghanistan. >> i feel i need to be there to have their back. >> abc7 news. and president barack obama is focusing on the troops this morning during his weekly internet and radio address. the president landed in hawaii last night after delaying his christmas vacation until congress could agree to extend payroll tax cuts. mr. obama was joined by his wife, michelle, in a special holiday version of his weekly address and they both suggested that americans honor military families this christmas. >> let's and ourselves, how can i give back? how can my family serve them, as well as they served us? and one way you can get started is to visit joiningforce.gov to

find out how you can get involved right in your own community. >> giving of ourselves, service to others, that's what the season is all about. >> the first family will spend the holidays in hawaii, return to washington in early january. president obama also signed a bill that honors victims of the september 11th attacks. the fallen heros of 9/11 act will provide congressional gold medals to the flight and the memorial and hu seem in new york and the pentagon memorial in washington d.c.. airline passengers know getting through security can be a challenge this holiday season but a massachusetts woman claims tsa went too far when it confiscated her cupcakes. rebecca said she traveled from boston to las vegas with two red velvet cupcakes packaged in jars. she ate one and tried to bring the other on the flight leaving las vegas. that's when a tsa agent said the

gel like frosting and it wasn't recognizable as a cupcake meant it could be a threat. >> it's not really about safety, it's about making people follow rules that to the average traveler seem arbitrary and are encroaching in our civil liberties. >> is there a liquid gel in the jar? >> no, cake filling and frosting. >> they say usually baked goods or okay to bring through the line but perhaps it's true what happens in vegas stays in vegas, including cupcakes. >> and president said he fended off a tax like that could have affected millions after the first. he signed a bill extending the tax cut for the next two months. lawmakers were deadlocked. they couldn't agree on demands made by house republicans. it buys time for talks next year on how to finance the extension. >> when congress returns, i urge them to keep working without

drama, without delay, to reach an agreement that extends this tax cut, as well as unemployment insurance, through all of 2012. >> the deal also includes a two-month extension of emergency unemployment benefits and at least a delay in scheduled pay cuts to doctors who treat medicare patients. former house speaker newt gingrich has failed to qualify for march 6's republican primary in virginia. that's according to an announcement on a website this morning. he did not submit the 10,000 signatures to get on the ballot according to the website. he also said texas governor rick perry also fell short. the former massachusetts governor mitt romney and ron paul have already qualified. a couple of good samaritans gave a disabled santa clara woman a new look on life after her wheelchair was stolen. she was feeling low of a someone took her $4,000 meet rised wheelchair last saturday.

when they heard of her polite, they drove to her house and dropped off a wheelchair they had scored in their garage. george suffered a stroke and he had a spare chair to give away because he just got a new chair. hours before he was scheduled to be taken off life support a university of arizona student in a deep coma did the last thing anybody was expecting him to do, he woke up. doctors say they are dumbfounded. they believe the chances of 21-year-old man surviving were very slim. a five car pileup in mid-october left him in a coma but a last minute mri scan showed he was notice brain dead. here he is today. sam said he's feeling pretty good. he's schedule today leave the hospital tomorrow, christmas morning. lisa is here now to talk about the forecast. chilly times out there right now. >> absolutely. we have a spare the air, a freeze warning and offshore flow w that offshore flow the numbers have bottomed out. we are talking about mid-20s in the north bay valleys, a little warmer at the coast and we will see a wind shift that

will warm us up over the next couple days at night. i'll explain coming up. >> all right. and getting up-close and personal with gorillas. but in this encounter the gorilla seem to want to get close to people.

[ female announcer ] today is the day... ♪ ...you make a change with best foods. ♪ make parmesan-crusted chicken. ♪ surprisingly crispier... juicier... mmm. yummier. made with real simple ingredients. find this and other recipes at bestfoods.com. best foods. make it real. make it different.

>> a tourist visiting a place in uganda got what he paid for. >> he has three babies forced between him and you. >> that guerrilla family simply wandered into the preserve from the wild. experts say it rarely happens. incredibly one of the baby grooms the man's hair. and then seems to kiss him. the man said his heart was racing the whole time. the gorillas eventually meandered back into the mist. i often thought if a gorilla got next to me my heart would also be racing and i'm glad i have a

life insurance policy for my family. >> that was very cute. >> very cute. >> we are talking about major cold. once again we have a few clouds this here tonight. our winds are going to shift and we will see slightly warmer temperatures. we have that to look forward to. any rain? there is a chance midweek. at this point it looks like only the north bay. here's a look at those very holiday-like lights from our roof camera. 7:23 is our sunrise. you know, the numbers are going to be staying in the 20s until the 8:00 hour and then we will see things warm up very, very slowly. so not only the freeze warning, but a spare the air, as well. take a look at this, 24 degrees by the delta. that's where we have the hard freeze warning from the delta out toward the sacramento valley. 27 in napa. livermore, santa rosa, and 29 concord with numbers in the upper 20s from mountain view. 33 san jose, 32 in fremont. redwood city 31.

los gatos 31. at the coast it seems balmy. 3:00 this morning the numbers dropped into the upper 30s, then they saw a little wind at half moon bay and temperatures came up. but overall everyone is even colder this morning. so tonight for santa we are looking at another cold night in some spots but the on shore no by midday tomorrow is going to help turn things around a little bit and warm our numbers up somewhat in the days ahead. clear and cold again. freeze warning and then dry through the holiday weekend. we are talking about increasing clouds on monday. and with that we won't be looking at the freezing temperatures into the early part of the week, but until 8:00 numbers widespread in the 20s and 30s around the bay. even san francisco could be dropping into the upper 30s in the next couple hours. poor air quality, very little mixing and high pressure in control. that's going to begin to break down and weaken a bit. and it will help us out somewhat in terms of our air quality.

you can see this big ridge right here over california and the jet stream remains well to the north once again. you but we will be looking at a weak system to move to the north of us as soon as tomorrow. so with that, the winds will shift. there will be more of an on shore push, a few high clouds, and we will be looking at temperatures a little bit more like they should be, in the overnight lows had the 30s and 40s. but in the days ahead, several weak systems head our way and we could be looking at a little bit of light rain tuesday night into wednesday. no big storms. 59 fresno with mild condition necessary southern california. how about 72 today? 71 san diego with 54 in vegas and back home once again. numbers seasonal, upper 50s to about 60 degrees for morgan hill and san jose. isn't crews. and 61 cloverdale. the look ahead shows that tonight it will be frosty in some spots but shouldn't be as

cold. we may have a freeze warning, we have to wait in see if the national weather service issues that. otherwise we are talk about increasing clouds, more of an on shore push, not as cold and a slight chance of rain. if we do see any rain at all, it's not looking like much into tuesday and wednesday. so, oh, well. >> oh, well, instead of of noel. >> that too. >> the gift is half as big of the tree. >> that's my gift to you. >> thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> thanks so much. if you haven't had a chance to do something nice for someone in need this holiday season, there is still time. lefty o 'dooles's is still running their toy drive. you can donate toys throughout the day. if you are headed down toward union square, head to lefties. the toys will be distributed by san francisco police and firefighters on christmas day.

don't go away, 7 on your side is next. >> you had better watch out. scam hunters are out in force this holiday. i'm michael finney. coming up, an elderly woman tells 7 on your side what happened to her.

>> a young musician who fiddled around with fate had her prayers answers. she left her rare violin on a bus she took tuesday from boston where she studies to where she lives. tiffs made in italy, 1835, would recollect $172,000. the bus was searched, no violin. until yesterday when the violin turned up at a bus wash. ♪ i called my parents. the first thing i got the phone call, and back in taiwan, it was like 11:00 at night for them.

they are like thank god! >> she said she'll never travel again without keeping that precious violin right there on her lap. if you get a call from a loved one in trouble it's a good bet you would do anything to help. one elderly bay area woman was sure she was helping out a favorite nephew but it was really a wind he will that cost her a bundle. michael finney tells us what to watch out for. >> the phone call came out of the blue. when she answered, beverly heard a fried end voice. >> he said i wasn't drunk but they threw us all three in the pokey and they want $3,500.00 bail. the man on the phone said he was her nephew attending a wed manage the dominican public with two friends when they got into a car crash and were tossed in jail. >> i said you sound funny, jeffrey, why do you like that?

he said because my nose was broken because of the car crash. the man pleaded with her not to tell anybody what happened but could she please wire him $3,500.00 for bail. >> he didn't want his parents to know, so i could understand that. >> beverly is in her 80s and getting around is difficult but she got a friend to drive her to the bank. then wired $3,500.00 to the dominican public. >> then he called me back. did yousen the money? yes, you should get it soon, any minute now, and he thanked me and thanked me and he said i love you so much. >> the next day another frantic call. the man said he needed more cash. this time to pay the hospital. >> oh, again? i said, jeffrey, you know, my health is not that great and i have to run around like this? but she did. beverly got to the bank and then wired another $3,300 to the caller. this time, however, western union smelled a scam. it blocked the transaction and gave beverly her $3,300 back.

but she was still convinced her nephew was stuck in the caribbean. >> i said this is too much. i have to tell his mother. so i told her, did you know that jeffrey is in the dominican public? >> well, no, he wasn't. beverly was told her nephew had never left home. >> oh, my god, i've been scammed. >> it's an old trade. it's been going on for hundreds of years. >> san francisco police ltd., arthur, investigates financial crimes. he said scam artists like these often prey on seniors by exploiting a common straight, their love of family. >> they are good, trusting people, and that's how they were victimized. they were victimized on their good nature. >> the story he concocted was so real. i care enough about this nephew to do these things and be around for him. if it were true. i wouldn't want him to stay in jail another night if it were true. >> now beverly said she's learned a tough lesson. she wants me to warn you.

>> watch out. if it happens to me, it can happen to you. >> so far police have not caught the scammer in this case. now if you get a frantic call, supposedly from a loved one, don't hesitate to call around and check with other family members before you believe the story and ask for a number to return their phone call. if a stranger asks you to wire money, it's almost certainly a scam. i'm mike finney, 7 on your side. >> this morning we know you didn't win the mega-millions jackpot but a few winning numbers could be worth a bundle. those numbers coming up. and we have the review on ed [ kimberly ] when i was 19, i found myself alone

with two children and no way to support them. people told me i wasn't going to do anything. and i just decided i have more to offer than that. i put myself through nursing school, and then i decided to go get a doctorate degree. university of phoenix gave me the knowledge to make a difference in people's lives. my name is dr. kimberly horton. i manage a network of over a thousand nurses, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu.

here are the winning numbers from last night's mega millions drawing.

i wish i knew birthdays around those numbers, but i don't. nobody won the big jackpot so it will grow to at least $206 million for tuesday's drawing, and that would kind of fit in nicely for a very happy new year, wouldn't it? in theatres tomorrow, christmas day, it's steven spielberg's war horse. it's based on a tony award winning play. don an the has his review "on the isle." >> an amazing horse they named joey. it's about a relationship they develop. the horse has a sense of self in place. it's beautifully photographed. >> we are at war! >> world war 1. dad sells the horse to the army. albert is crushed. so begins his difficult odyssey. albert jones up to search for his beloved horse.

he meets and loses friends and how he changes their lives. then he becomes a war horse on both sides. in one sequence you bond everybody how animal control approved the scene. >> and every man make himself and his country proud. >> joey becomes known as the miracle horse as he runs through the barbed wire. spielberg tells us it was actually plastic. in the middle of the battle feel we see a soldier from each side free joey. this is the heavy symbolism moment. it is a film shaped with some old-fashioned sentiment. kind of a return to another era. >> be brave! be brave! >> this is a spielberg spectacular. events on a big stage. yet there's that intimate feel of the understanding between man and horse. he makes joey team almost human. we seem to be able to get inside his mind. but how do you nominate a horse for an award?

the horse seems are grim with the poignant time-out and i dare you not to tear up at the end. i will give it three quarters of a buck. i'm don sanchez, abc7 news. see you on the isle. >> coming up at six, the weather outside is not fright full, but it's frigid. right now is the coldest part of the day. lisa will update us on the freeze warnings and the spare the air advisory for the bay area. and one last push for the shopping holiday season. how this yea