Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 18, 2025

Episode Date: April 19, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight, the investigation into the deadly shooting at a Florida college, what we're learning about the shooter's background. New videos of the shooter opening fire at Florida State University as we learn new details about his family and the police stepmother whose gun he allegedly used to kill two people and injure six. Tonight, the community paying tribute to the victims. Tornadoes touching down across the plains and hail tearing the sides off of homes. More dangerous storms tonight, 25 million at risk, where it's heading this Easter holiday weekend. Idaho murder rulings. The judge's key decisions today about discussing the accused killer's autism diagnosis in court and whether his Amazon purchase history is admissible.

Escape killer captured. The convicted murderer seen here breaking out of a California prison caught in Mexico after a shootout there where he allegedly killed again. Families facing off, the father of that Texas teen stabbed at a track meet, crashing the press conference held by the family of the alleged killer, the moment police took him away. Body camera just released a police opening fire on an autistic man in Idaho, what it reveals about the officer's actions. And Miracle Rescue, the young boy missing overnight finally rescued by a dog seven miles from his home. That toddler now talking about his night in the wilderness. Plus, a bride pulled over for speeding because she was late to her own wedding. Did the officer ticket her?

We have the video. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, new details in the shooting rampage at Florida State University that left at least two people dead. In a moment, you will hear from a survivor recounting the terrifying moment she was shot, saying, that playing dead is what helped keep her alive. But first, new video just in of students taking shelter under their desks in a classroom

as the gunman opened fire on campus just before noon yesterday. This is all happening near the student union. Chilling images inside that building virtually frozen in time. Backpacks, notebooks, and laptops all left behind as students raced for cover. Sidewalks on campus normally bustling with thousands of students now lined with candles and flowers. The community holding a prayer service tonight to remember the lives lost. We now know the identities of the victims. The brother of Robert Morales confirming he was shot and killed.

Morales was a university dining coordinator who worked at the school for a decade. And Tirut Chaba, a 45-year-old father of two, who worked for a food service vendor. And now we are learning more about the suspects past. NBC's Priya Shrether has the latest on the investigation. Tonight, one day after an active shooting rampage rocked the campus of Florida State University new details about the suspect's movements. The carnage began between 1156 and 1157 a.m. When police say Phoenix Eichner fired the first shot.

Authorities say he walked in and out of buildings in green spaces firing a handgun. At noon, police say the suspect was shot by responding officers and taken into custody. The suspect continues to receive treatment at one of our local hospitals. He will face the charges up to and including first degree murder. Two people died including Tiro Chaba, a husband and father, and Robert Morales. His brother writing, quote, he loved his job at FSU and his beautiful wife and daughter. Six other people were injured. Grad student Madison Askins was hit by a bullet that still lodged in her back.

I heard the shooter come up next to me and I heard him reload. um so i knew i needed to stay dead um so i stayed slumped over i remember him saying yeah keep running do you believe that basically playing dead is what saved your life 100% um when he when he stood over me um when he changed his clip i know that if i had gotten up in that moment he would have shot me a second time fs uffsu officials say eichner was a student there and had recently transferred from nearby Tallahassee State College at this point there does not appear to be any connection at all between the shooter and any of the victims two classmates who spent time with the alleged gunmen say he had expressed white supremacist views in the past NBC News has not been able to

independently verify his views he definitely had that opinion of just not respecting anybody who wasn't a straight white man big hatred towards women and minorities and there's a lot of rhetoric around how everyone that's not white needs to get out. Revealing court documents shed light on a potentially tumultuous childhood. The FBI says the suspect was once known as Christian Gunner Erickson but changed his name to Phoenix Eichner in 2020. A court approving the name change found him to quote be a mentally emotionally emotionally and physically mature young adult. But separate court documents from 2015 related to a custody dispute between Eichner's biological parents say, according to his father, he had, quote, developmental delays in special needs and was being treated for several health and mental issues. A handgun police say was owned by the suspect's stepmom, a sheriff's deputy was found on the scene. At FSU today, students returned to the student union for the first time. Sophomore Vaughn Circus was working inside when he saw students running. It's a tough experience being right back here right now.

just because of the fact that literally 20 feet away from us, there was somebody shot on the grounds. I think about when does it stop? And Priya Shrether joins us now from Tallahassee, Florida. Priya, do we know what charges the suspect will face once he's released from the hospital? Yeah, well, Ellison, Tallahassee police say the suspect will be prosecuted to the fullest extent and face first-degree murder charges, but it's likely that he'll be facing several charges. Remember, there were multiple victims in this tragedy, including five people who were injured from gunshot wounds and the additional two who were tragically killed.

Tallahassee police did say that the suspect did sustain significant injuries and remains in the hospital for now before he will eventually be transferred to a detention facility. We don't have word just yet on a specific timeline on when those charges could be filed. Alison. Priya Shrether, important reporting. Thank you. Next, dangerous holiday weather set to slam millions this Easter weekend. The Midwest already hit hard by severe weather, a tornado touching down in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. You see it there. And in Wisconsin, hail the size of golf balls raining down, smashing through vehicles and causing major damage. For more on the storm threat, NBC Washington meteorologist Amelia Draper is following all of it for us.

Amelia, what's the latest on the track here? Well, Alison, I'm keeping a really close eye on radar tonight, especially into parts of Texas, Oklahoma, up through Missouri, where 10 million people are under a flood watch. This flood watch running through the holiday weekend. So what we can expect tonight, not only tracking some heavy rain developing into the late evening and overnight hours in those locations, but wintry weather across the Rockies. Then we head on into tomorrow where we continue to track the increased threat for flooding. Meanwhile, tonight, the biggest concern is going to be damaging hail. two inches or larger. That would be the size of a lime. In addition to that, we could have wind gusts up to 60 miles an hour and some isolated tornadoes as well. The largest hail likely into parts

of Texas and Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City and Wichita Falls. Then looking at tomorrow, severe storms continue across the plains with that increased risk for flooding from Dallas up to St. Louis as we head on into Easter Sunday. We'll track an area of low pressure that moves into the central plains, with storms capable of producing tornadoes. Once again, large hail and strong winds, gusts up to 60 miles an hour. Looking at the rainfall forecast through the holiday weekend, through Sunday, you can see the bright colors here. They really tell the story.

From areas of Dallas, up into Oklahoma City, Joplin, Missouri, up into St. Louis, Illinois, two to four inches of rain is likely. Locally producing six inches of rainfall. This could lead to not only flooding but flash flooding, and then we're also tracking snow in the Rockies where they could pick up some locations six to 12 inches, Ellison. A lot to watch this holiday weekend. Amelia Draper, thank you.

We're learning much more tonight about the man who has become a flashpoint at the center of President Trump's immigration crackdown, Kilmar Abrago-Gargeo Garcia, a U.S. Senator, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, meeting Abrago-Garcia in El Salvador, and today he revealed the details of their conversation, including where Abrago Garcia is now being held. It comes as President Trump makes new accusations about his time in the United States. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez is at the White House with more. Tonight, this picture is igniting a political firestorm.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen is now back in the U.S. After that surprise, half-hour meeting at a hotel with Kilmore Obrego-Garcia, the migrant the Trump administration initially said was mistakenly deported last month to a notorious prison in El Salvador. This case is not just about one man. It's about protecting the constitutional rights of everybody. who resides in the United States of America. But El Salvador's president is mocking the meeting, writing sarcastically that Obrego Garcia

has miraculously risen from the death camps in torture, now sipping margaritas with the Democratic lawmaker. Van Hollen says those drinks were planted by Salvadorian government officials, and that Obrigo Garcia was moved out of the prison to another facility days ago. He's experienced trauma. He said he's sad every day. Despite a Supreme Court order to facilitate Abrago Garcia's return to the U.S., it's an immigration fight the White House is relishing, stressing today that Abrago Garcia is not coming back. President Trump calling Van Hollen a grandstander. He's a fake. That prisoner's record is unbelievably bad.

Even though he has no criminal convictions, the White House, citing local police reports, says Abrago Garcia was a member of the violent MS-13 gang, which his family denies. Today, the Department of Homeland Security released new details about a traffic stop involving Abrigo Garcia in 2022. The report says he was pulled over for speeding while driving eight people from Texas to Maryland for construction work. According to the report, the responding officer suspected it was human trafficking because there was no luggage in the vehicle. Police let him go with a warning for driving with an expired license. His wife says he sometimes transported groups of workers between job sites. This man is a, according to, certified statements that we get is a very violent person.

Meanwhile, civil rights attorneys say the Trump administration is loading alleged gang members onto buses at this ICE facility in Texas, preparing to deport them under the Alien Enemies Act, which dates back to 1798. We're discussing it. It's a tool in two-in-to-box as a useful tool. Their deportation would be the first since the Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the administration must provide notice to migrants it's trying to remove under the obscure wartime law and give them the chance to challenge their deportations in court. I don't know about the group you're talking about,

but if they're bad people, I would certainly authorize it. And Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from the White House. Gabe, Senator Van Hollen said that Abrago Garcia did not know his case is getting so much attention. Is that right? Yeah, that's right, Allison. It's quite remarkable. He said that he really had no contact with the outside world over the last several weeks. And he told Senator Van Hollen that he had been moved from that notorious prison about eight or nine days ago to another facility. Now, Van Hollen says that the meeting did not come easy, that he was trying to get to that notorious prison for some time. And before he caught a flight on his last day, he drove out there, was stopped by the military, turned around. But then he got noticed that he would be

allowed to meet with Brego Garcia at his hotel. Brego Garcia was brought to him, but yes, he apparently has had no contact with the outside of the world, no idea how much attention his story has gotten. Alison. Senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. We have major developments on those peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, now seemingly on the verge of collapse. Secretary of State Marco Rubio now warning if there's no progress soon, the United States

may, quote, move on. Secretary Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff met with top Ukrainian officials in Paris this week in an effort to bring it into the war. But the U.S. delegation is growing increasingly frustrated. NBC, Jemis Alcindor, is tracking this from Washington. Yamish, clearly these talks are not going as well as the administration hoped. President Trump talked about it today and agreed with Secretary Rubio. This is someone what he had to say. If for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult,

We're just going to say you're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people, and we're going to just take a pass, but hopefully we won't have to do that. Given that, Yamish, where do peace talks stand at this hour? Well, President Trump is saying that things are moving along, but that it is complicated, and he is, in some ways, a bit frustrated about the pace of things. The president also said in the Oval Office that he wants to see enthusiasm on both sides. He does say right now that he sees that enthusiasm. enthusiasm. But as you said and played, the president said that the United States will take a, quote, pass if he does not see real progress in the next few days.

The president also said that he's not ready exactly to walk away right now. We also should point out that Ukraine, that sorry, Russian officials have said that this is complicated and that they are hearing the United States and their concerns, but that at the end of the day, this is going to be a complex negotiation and that they need to have more time in order to work this out. I should also remind folks that President Trump said that he would end this war between Russia and Ukraine on day one of his presidency. Obviously, he's not been able to do that. Now he's blaming President Biden for this war happening and saying that that's part of the reason why this isn't the situation is the way it is right now, Alison. So, Amish, if the United States walks away from these talks, where does that leave things? Well, it's really, really tough for Russia, who is, of course, the bigger, more well-financed part of this war. they could have the upper hand and could possibly really have a better standing in this war and be able to do even more damage to Ukraine.

On the Ukrainian side, you've, of course, seen the President Volomir Zelenskyy asking for U.S. support, asking for not only financial support and weapon support, but also just diplomatic support. So that's happening there. But it's a tough situation for Ukraine if the U.S. walks away. Ellison? Yamish Alcindor, thank you. An update tonight on the trial of Brian Korn.

The man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in the fall of 2022. He has pleaded not guilty. The judge making some major rulings today on what evidence and language can be used in court with the trial set to begin this summer. For more on this case and what the judge decided. I want to bring in Jeremy Saland, a criminal defense attorney and former Manhattan prosecutor. Jeremy, thank you so much for joining Top Story this evening. A whole lot of takeaways from court today, right?

A big one regarding the phrase, Bushie. eyebrows. Talk to us about that. Why is that important and ultimately what was decided? Yeah, there is a witness who's DM who says one of the things that was seen were these bushy eyebrows. I couldn't make out the face. You know, there was covering on the face. There were some other attributes that were given, but this bushy eyebrows, that went back to that constantly as one of the factors to identify the defendant. And what basically the defense is saying is that's prejudicial. It shouldn't come in. You know, the foundation really isn't there. She's not someone who's reliable. She was impaired or possibly intoxicated. And then there was

also some reference some pictures there in the house that had bushy eyebrows. And what the judge said is that may be grounds for cross-examination. That may be grounds for what we call impeachment to challenge what she said and saw, but that doesn't preclude it from coming in. It's the strength of it is different, but it should come in. It's still probative and it's still relevant. So the judge also ruled that Koberger's Amazon purchase history is relevant as well. And that that includes, we're told, a purchase of a knife and sheath. Our viewers will probably remember investigators have said they found a sheath at the crime scene with Koberger's DNA on it.

How do you expect prosecutors and the defense to use that purchase history at trial? It's incredibly powerful for the prosecution, and the defense filed this motion and eliminate to say it shouldn't come in in part because the data is incomplete and it's not fully there, so it's going to give a wrong and prejudicial picture of what occurred. So what the value is, is obviously, if that knife is used and that knife is found, and there's evidence that there was checking by the defendant for the tracking of that knife, eight months before purchasing that knife and that sheath, after the murders, there's allegations that the data will also show about deleting the history or checking on that history of the knife and the sheath. So it directly shows even that it was shipped to his home. So if true, when that evidence comes out, which it will and can be cross-examined, it directly places the defendant in that sort of weapon, the use that ultimately is alleged to have killed these people, those multiple stabs, you have that direct correlation. It's huge evidence. Okay. And then the other thing on the list of all the back and forth with the judge say that I

wanted to ask you about is Coburger's autism diagnosis and this question of whether or not it could be mentioned during the trial. The defense said they wanted permission to mention it if Coburger was convicted during the penalty phase to explain potentially his courtroom demeanor. the judge saying today, the only way they can mention it is if Koeberger takes a stand. I hear from defense attorneys a lot. They say the last thing we want to do is put our client on the stand. If you were leading this defense team, would you essentially make that trade, put your client on the stand in hopes that if you need it,

you could maybe have the jury be more sympathetic to him because you're able to talk about this autism diagnosis? That's a tough hill to climb. You know, every case is unique and everyone's in. individual. But yeah, I think the right choice here is you're not going to put him on the stand because if you think that he's not capable of showing the same emotions or the right emotions and one of the things that the defense brought up is how he's reacting in the courtroom, though the judge said, I didn't see any of that. You don't want to alienate the jury. And then remember, it's not just the autism and how he may react. It's now you can cross-examine that person

on those clicks, on that Amazon clicks. You can cross-examine him on the sheath. So there's the DNA. So there's so much it goes back to be able to impeach this guy and say, you are the person who did this and you're exposing him to the prosecution, it's a dangerous, dangerous game. And unless they're really desperate, they're likely not going to go that route. Do you think we'll see more hearings or motions related to this? Based on what you've seen today, should we assume this trial is going to happen in the summer as planned? Yeah, I expect it will. There was one date I know that the judge referenced in May about if you're going to have an alternative person who did this crime.

and that's your defense. You need to provide that by May 14th, I believe, was the date. So there's still things yet to do, and there's still some decisions to work through. But I expect a trial come July. All right. Jeremy Salan, thank you so much. We appreciate your time and insights. My pleasure. We're back in a moment with the convicted killer caught.

The murderer seen here in this video, fleeing a California prison now captured. We'll tell you how they caught him. Family clash. The father of that Texas football player allegedly stabbed by another student, crashing a press conference held by the accused killer's parents, what those parents are now saying. And no delay for Diddy, the judge ruling on Sean Combs' trial why he's not letting the process slow down. We're back now with another update on that high school track media stabbing that happened in Texas. The father of the teenager killed in the confrontation showing up at a press conference held by the

family of the alleged killer. NBC's Kathy Park has the latest. Tensions deepening between two Texas families, torn apart by a deadly high school track meat stabbing, now playing out and public view. Jeff McHaff, the father of 17-year-old Austin McHaff, who was killed earlier this month, crashing a news conference on Thursday, held with the family of his alleged killer, 17-year-old Carmelo Anthony. Metcalfe wearing dark sunglasses, escorted away by police. He has not commented since his appearance, but spoke to NBC's Dallas-Fort Worth station KXAS earlier this month.

You know what? I already forgive this person. Already? Already. God takes care of things. After Metcalf was led out on Thursday, Anthony's parents addressed the cameras. To the family who experienced the loss,

my heart truly goes out to you. Goes out to you. Kayla Hayes, Anthony's mother, offering her sympathies, but also detailing the public backlash against her own family and her first comments since stabbing. We have endured death threats. My 13-year-old daughter is afraid to sleep in her own bedroom because she's fearful of what might happen to her. Her son was charged with murder.

after police say he stabbed Meccaf following a verbal altercation at a track meet on April 2nd. They say Anthony admitted to the killing, saying he acted in self-defense. Dominique Alexander, president of the Next Generation Action Network and a spokesman for the Anthony family, spoke to Top Story earlier this week about those claims. I think that a black American, America has a general right, is saying, how is it absurd that a black child is claiming self-defense? but we always see repetitively white children being able to say self-defense and there's no problem. On Monday, a judge lowering Anthony's bond from $1 million to $250,000, releasing him on strict conditions of house arrest,

ankle monitoring and weekly check-ins with the bailiff. A grand jury still has to decide whether to move forward with an indictment. I don't know why we have been targeted and discriminated against before a fair trial. Our son deserve the same right under the law that everyone is afforded to. And Kathy Park joins us now. Kathy, not long after the Anthony family press conference, police were called out to the Metcalf family home. Do we know what happened there? Yeah, Ellison, so Frisco police say they responded to what was initially reported as a gunshot call to an address linked to Austin.

Metcalfe's family. But officials are now saying it was a case of swatting. You might have heard of it. It's a fake threat intended to get a large law enforcement response. So right now, it is still unclear who made this call, but swatting really is a serious crime, and anyone who is behind it could be facing criminal charges. Alison. Kathy Park, thank you. When we return, new body cam footage of police opening fire on a man with autism wielding a knife

after outrage in the community over the shooting, what these new tapes reveal. Plus, Journey to the Homeland, our correspondence very pale. personal assignment, retracing the footsteps of his great, great grandparents from 100 years ago. Now to an update in a story we've been following, new body camp footage released shows the moment in autistic teen. It was shot and killed by police in Idaho. The video offering another look at the shooting that's left the community in absolute shock. The family now planning to fight a wrongful death suit against the city. NBC's Ryan Chandler has the details. Body camera and surveillance footage released by police in Pocatello, Idaho.

Hey, drop the knives! Showing just how quickly the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Victor Perez, who was autistic and had cerebral palsy, according to his family, unfolded. In the videos from April 5th, a total of four officers arrive on scene at roughly the same time and race toward Perez, who is behind a chain link. fence in his yard holding a knife. Police providing two angles from two of the officers body-worn cameras. Officers yell multiple times to drop the knife. Amid the shouting, the teen stands up and

moves toward the officers. Within 16 seconds of officers arriving on scene, Perez's shot nine times. He died a week later at the hospital. They basically form a firing squad and they start shooting. And then the next thing you know, he's dead. Police say the officers were not aware that Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis. The man who called 911 said Perez appeared to be under the influence. There's a couple of back behind your shop for anything to night.

Looks like they're trying to ask someone. He's laying on the ground sort of. It looks like you're on drugs to something. Dispatch did alert police that the 911 calls. said Perez and his family did not appear to speak English. Female and male are trying to calm the mail with the knife down. Aren't you believe they do not speak English? The four responding officers have been placed on leave as the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force

investigates the shooting. Members of the Perez family, I'm truly sorry for your loss. The Perez family lawyer says they intend to sue the city of Pocatello for wrongful death, saying police displayed negligent conduct and excessive use of force. Police departments have policy and procedures, general orders, which set forth these, the way that you do tactical, tactical de-escalation. What the family is saying is that none of these tactical things were followed. The Pocatello community coming together at this candlelight vigil to support Victor's family and say enough is enough. I fill that down, you know,

and it's not just me, his family. We can't just let this happen. This isn't something we can just just let go. And Ryan Chandler joins us now. Ryan, we understand this lawsuit is also going to argue that the officers did not solely threaten Victor's life, but those around him as well. That's right, Ellison. We spoke with James Cook, an attorney for the family. He argues that Perez's sister and mother were in the line of fire when police shot,

along with one of their neighbor's young children. You can see in that body cam footage that Perez's family was just feet away from him When officers shot, Cook argues that that behavior was reckless, and he's warned the city to start preserving evidence ahead of that looming lawsuit. And Ryan, what are police saying? Police urge people, I think first they understand why the community is upset, but they try to frame this in terms of what police believed they were getting themselves into when they responded to that call. Remember that 911 call warned about a potentially intoxicated man wielded. a knife. So they thought there was an imminent threat to not just themselves, but to Perez's own family. And they say they acted quickly to an immediate risk to protect everybody around them.

Ryan Chandler, thank you. A convicted murderer who escaped from a California prison has now been captured, but not before he allegedly killed again. This is the moment Caesar Hernandez broke out of a prison near Bakersfield, California about four months ago. The officer chasing him not firing his weapon. was then able to flee the United States. Last week, Hernandez was in a shootout with police in Mexico, where he allegedly killed a Mexican police officer. But today, he is in custody, captured by police there. NBC's Dana Griffin is tracking this for us. Dana, we just showed that photo of police in Mexico that they released from Mexico, showing Hernandez now in their custody.

Do we have any more details on how that arrest went down? Yeah, so, Ellison, he was arrested Thursday in East Tijuana with a little. loaded weapon. Officials say that they believe was the same gun used to kill police commander Abigail Reyes. They say someone tipped them off, but they would not go into further detail. Now, last week, he escaped surprisingly using a uniform that he got from a vehicle. You can see video of him getting inside that vehicle. He comes out. He calmly walks away. That was a tool that he used to help evade police. They say he escaped alone, and it appears that he worked alone. Ellison?

So Dana, Hernandez was already serving an 80-year-to-life sentence in prison for a prior murder in Los Angeles back in 2019. With this new alleged murder in Mexico, will he be extradited to the United States or tried there first? It sounds like he won't be extradited anytime soon. That's because Mexican authorities say they cannot allow this person to make a joke out of their system and out of their authorities. So they say he will have to pay for his crimes in Mexico first. Now, they did add they are still awaiting an official request from the U.S. for extradition, but it sounds like if convicted, he faces up to 60 years in a Mexican prison. And by the way, they are still investigating what went wrong with that botch shooting last week.

Ellison? Dana Griffin in Los Angeles. Thank you. In tonight's top story news feed, a federal judge denying Sean Diddy Combs request the delay his sex trafficking trial. Combs appeared in court for today's hearing. His lawyers had asked for a two-month delay, saying they needed more time to gather information. But the judge ruled he has at least four attorneys who have had sufficient time to prepare. This means the trial is set to begin in early May with jury selection.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts, including sex trafficking and racketeering, and is currently detained at a Brooklyn federal jail. And surveillance footage capturing the moment in Uber driver and his passenger were shot in Philadelphia, Wednesday morning. The video shows the 22-year-old passenger opening the door when two men run up and open fire. Police say the passenger was hit in the arm, leg, and stomach, and is now in critical condition. They say the 77-year-old driver was shot in the head, but managed to drive the car around the corner. Ultimately, they say he crashed into a pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say there was some sort of altercation between the suspect and the passenger

before the shooting. So far, no arrests have been made. Two men in the Midwest arrested, accused of vandalizing Tesla's. 19-year-old Owen McIntyre of Kansas City, Missouri, appeared in court today to face federal charges related to arson. Police say on March 17th, he used a Molotov cocktail to set fire to a cyber truck in a Tesla service center. That fire spread to a second cyber truck. It's not clear if McIntyre has entered a plea. And in Minneapolis, a man allegedly tied to six different incidents involving Teslas, causing more than $21,000 worth of damage, could also face. felony charges. He was tracked down using video recorded by the cars. Attorney General Pam Bondi

says anyone found vandalizing Teslas will be prosecuted and will spend decades behind bars. And talk about a race to the altar. Body cam video capturing a bride and a wedding guest pulled over on the way to her ceremony in South Florida. Whose wedding is it? It's time. What time is it? It's 30. We're at. They're already late. Police say they were going 105 miles per hour. Good news, they were sent on their way.

Bad news, the driver was given a mandatory court appearance. Now to the incredible story of a missing two-year-old who was saved by a dog, dozens of first responders spent 16 hours Monday night looking for the toddler, but it wasn't until the next morning that he was found by a four-legged friend. Tonight we are hearing from that two-year-old and his parents for the first time. Here's Adrian brought us. That's literally the worst he got, and it's not even deep, just a scuff, basically. Two-year-old Bowden, back home safe with only a scratch.

It's unreal and it's unbelievable, and it's a miracle. His parents speaking out for the first time since the toddler wandered away from their Arizona home on Monday, while dad was doing work on the roof and mom was taking care of his one-year-old sibling. I didn't even know how to process. I looked at his empty bed in the middle of the night, and I'm like, this isn't real. He's not, how is he not here? How is he out by himself somewhere in the dark, like, alone? How is that even real?

It's like the worst living nightmare parents could ever feel. Authorities mounting a massive search involving more than 40 rescuers who worked through the night in the Arizona desert just south of the Grand Canyon. Working 141, be advised DPS Rangers, everyone in the next 10 minutes. Units in a state police helicopter spotting two mountain lions in the area, but no sign of the two-year-old Bowden. That's when this farmer's dog. Buford, come on. Stepped up.

It's in their blood, you know, their guardians and stuff. Beaufort, the Anatolian Pyrenees usually protects his family's ranch from coyotes in wildlife. But that night, he found the two-year-old sleeping under a tree miles away from home and escorted him back to safety. I look up and the little kid standing there with my dog. Well, knowing that he was the missing child, it was, yeah, it was a relief that he was alive. Rancher Scotty Danton retraced the toddler's footsteps from his ranch for at least a mile. Buford, he said, was with him the whole time. I feel like God sent that dog to rescue my son.

He's here. He's healthy. He's fine. Like, nothing ever happened. Like, it just still feels like a dream. But you're feeling okay now? Yep. Yeah? And you got some chocolate? Adrian Brannis, NBC News. When we return in the footsteps of Jesus, on this Good Friday, our correspondent's journey through the Holy Land and the revelations he learned about his own family. We're back now with Top Story's Global Watch.

U.S. officials say Houthi rebels downed another American drone this week. It comes as a Houthi Run TV channel is reporting the deaths of at least 59, 58, rather, people following a U.S. strike on a fuel port in Yemen. U.S. Central Command, saying they struck the fuel port yesterday in an attempt to eliminate fuel sources for the Houthis. Almasirah TV called it one of the deadliest attacks since the U.S. began striking Yemen back in January. Nuclear talks ramping up as Iran's foreign minister prepares to meet with a U.S. Special Envoy in Rome tomorrow. That meeting coming as Iran marks its annual Army Day, parading its military arsenal through the streets of Tehran. met with Iran's foreign minister last week for the first round of talk since President Trump's new term.

Trump's saying today that he does not support Iran's nuclear program. And a Jamaican Olympic sprinter showing off her speed at her son's sports day, social media video showing three-time Olympic gold medalist Shelley and Fraser Price flying ahead of other moms in a parent's race at her son's school. Fraser Price is the third fastest woman in the world boasting a time of just 10.6 seconds. in the 100-meter race. As we begin this Easter weekend, we have a story tonight about a journey to the Holy Land,

one that has been made by millions to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Our correspondent, Raft Sanchez, was based in the region for years, but only recently did he make a discovery. His great, great-grandparents had also spent time there some 100 years ago on their personal pilgrimage.

Rapp decided to retrace their tracks on a journey that revealed how much has stayed the same despite the ever-changing political situation. For as long as there have been Americans, there have been American travelers in Jerusalem. Pilgrims following the story of the gospel and adventurers on the path of history. Among them, my great-great-grandparents, Lewis and Caddy Burley.

They left their home in Augusta, Maine, and set sail for the Middle East in 1925, recording their journey in this photo album, 100 years old but only recently. rediscovered by our family. The title page says, the doings of the intrepid adventurers who boldly snapshoted and postcarded their way through foreign lands. For me, the discovery was stunning. We've heard gunfire. It seems like somebody has come in.

I spent three years as a Middle East correspondent for NBC News, not knowing I was walking in the footsteps of family. Exactly a century later, I retraced their journey. Following notes written by my great-great-grandfather. They entered Jerusalem right here through the famous Jaffa Gate of the Old City, and according to him, they spent the next three days being led around by tour guides with a scanty assortment of broken English, a fair bit of really valuable information, and a marvelous collection of preposterous lies. The alleys of the Old City then and now bustling with merchants. The ancient streets inspiring Lewis to write, Nowhere else in the world has so much of history flowed through so small an area

as in that little country of Palestine, as it was known then, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, about the size of Vermont. Honestly, that's something I could have written today. They followed the Stations of the Cross to the calm of the Garden of Getsemone, where Jesus is said to have prayed before his crucifixion. As I walked through the sacred spot, the exact same tree photographed by my great-great-grandfather remarkably unchanged. And a hundred years on, the Western Wall still a sight of fervent prayer.

This has always been a place of deep emotion, which is why it's sometimes known as the wailing wall. My great-great-grandfather wrote, he saw some Jewish worshippers actually weeping here. But the ugly modern popular. The politics of the Holy Land would be unrecognizable to them. Their trip was before the founding of Israel, when Jews and Arabs still lived in relative peace. And tourists could freely visit the Alaksa Mosque, known to Israelis as the Temple Mount. It's the third holiest site in Islam, and it is the holiest site for Jews.

And it is at the absolute center of the conflict here. The politics of this have gotten so complicated over the last hundred years that today is a non-Muslim, this is as far as I can go. In the late 1800s, a family of Christians from Chicago founded the American colony. Today it's one of the most famous hotels in the world. But when Lewis and Caddy visited in 1925, it was still a religious commune and a social hub for soldiers, spies, and statesmen. Jeremy Berkovitz is the owner's representative and the hotel's unofficially.

historian. This was the place where you came. So for your great, great fan to make a detour to come here in those years, say from 1915 to 1930, you would not have missed the opportunity to come because it was a really interesting place. Was the atmosphere here the roaring 20s and drink and dance or was it quite? No, absolutely. That's right. There was parties. But within the Christian ethic, I'm not sure how much alcohol they had. It was more garden parties and fine dresses. Lewis described colony residents as practical Christians who ate and worship together. I think practical Christians is a very good way

of putting it. The underlying reason they did it was because they thought Jesus was going to come in around 1896. So they believe the Messiah was coming in 25 years time? Yeah. A century on, Jerusalem's wait for the Messiah continues. And so does its powerful draw for travelers from the U.S. and around the world. A lot has changed here in the last 100 years. A lot hasn't, but it is amazing to think that my great, great grandparents found this place as special as I do. Raff Sanchez, NBC News, Jerusalem. And we will be back in a moment with Bingeworthy. What to stream this weekend, including a comedy about aviation disasters. Can they pull it off? We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend.

We're joined now by Bingeworthy Veteran and Entertainment Journalist Brian Balthazar. Brian, thank you so much for joining us. Always good to see you. Okay, so we're going to start with TV this time because first up we have on Max the return of comedian Nathan Fieldler's docu-comedy series, the rehearsal. This season, he dives into an unfortunately timely topic, the causes of aviation disasters. Take a look. I started to notice a disturbing pattern in the causes of these crashes. Fifteen years ago, you recommended role-playing exercises.

The FAA said no. For whatever reason, they're just not going there. I do have some experience with creating elaborate role-playing scenarios. And I do have money to put towards this. Yeah, I think you aren't there something there. Let's work together to save some lives. to save some lives.

Okay, this seems very serious, right? But it is actually a comedy series, right? And so he actually spends millions of dollars to build an airline terminal in a soundstage. Because his theory is that the more you rehearse difficult things, the better you'll get at doing them. And he has this theory that air traffic control and pilots, there's a poor communication among flight crew before crashes.

And this, by the way, was shot before. It seemed like these were just buses in the sky, it seems like right now, like all these crashes. And so the intention of this is actually kind of educational comedy. So you're going to, I encourage you all to watch the whole trailer to see just the extent that he goes to and check it out because people love this show. Season 1 was incredibly powerful. People were obsessed with it.

The amount of times people have been like, you didn't see that. Right, right. Yeah, people love it. Who knew Nathan Fielder was going to save us all, apparently? Exactly. Okay, so next up, Apple TV Plus, they've produced, I mean, huge hits, right? Severance, Ted Lasso, The Morning Show. A new one is entering the competition

to be the streamer's next big thing. This one is called government cheese. Government cheese. Look. I'm not doing smashing grabs anymore. I'm on the righteous path. A what? That can make something under nothing.

He made the best sandwiches out of government cheese and white bread. All that poison food is probably what made him a criminal. This invention is my family's future. What's wrong with him? You would know if you'd been around. So this is interesting, right? I mean, so it's set in 1969, this kind of hyper-styled suburbia. David O'Uleo, his main character is just out of prison.

He doesn't tell his family he's out. He just shows up, like, as just he's back from a day at work. And he's trying to restart his life as an inventor, but he owes a debt prior to going to jail, and they're going to collect on that debt. I think there's 10 episodes, and it is absurdly funny, and shot kind of almost in a West Anderson kind of way, really quirky and fun, getting a lot of good reviews as well. Yeah, I mean, the costumes look great. I love a good nostalgic show.

I feel like we need one of those every now and again. Okay, that one looks really good. The next we have is a movie, actually, and it's on Hulu. It's a thriller called The Order. It stars Jude Law as an FBI agent who is investigating a white supremacist plot to overthrow the federal government. Look. There's six steps in that book, recruiting, training, fundraising, assassination.

What six? Large-scale domestic terror attacks. Taken now. Get out of your dick! Let's go! 3.6 million. What is that by? Rise of an army.

It's happening. War's begun. Jude Law with a mustache. Right. You've not seen him like this before, right? This is based on a true story of a group who robbed, robbed banks, helped me out, robbed banks and counterfeited money to fund a white's only group in the Pacific Northwest.

Law actually and his adversary kind of method acted. This one, they did not want to talk to each other when they weren't shooting. So they were really serious about not developing any kind of fond chemistry between the two of them. They really wanted to be adversaries. Interesting. So he's playing a real, somebody who's based on a real guy. Yes, exactly. Okay, really interesting. This next one I hear you are extra excited about. It's a heartfelt nature documentary on Netflix called Pangolin Kulu's Journey. Look. I've still never seen a pangolin in the wild. Only ones that. that we've rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.

And that was how I meant, Kulhu. Welcome to you a new home. Between the hospital and the release process, we were losing panegas. There needs to be a place where you can become a wild pangoon again. I didn't even know what a pangolin was. Right. I never heard of them.

They're one of the critically endangered species, usually poached for their meat and their scales. This is by the same guy who brought you my octopus teacher. It will make you feel things and you will fall in love with this animal. It feels like it's CGI, but it is real and you will fall for it. It's definitely worth watching. This is the one I was like, we got to talk about this. Yeah. I mean, it looks like it's shot extraordinarily. It feels very like planet Earth era where you're just like, oh, I just get sucked in. There's a whole emotional curve journey. All right, I'm excited for that.

The next one, we're going to, you want to turn to music? Let's do some music. Okay. Two new album releases that we're highlighting today. The first one is actually a country collab between one-third of Boy Genius, Julian Baker, and indie rock singer-songwriter Torres. It's called Send a Prayer My Way, and this is the song, Bottom of a Bottle. Listen. What do you think of it? You would think these two had been doing country their whole lives, but they're like, pop rock, they're rock artists and kind of alternative artists. They're great. I think it's a great

album. I think it's definitely worth checking out. But this is a beautiful, beautiful track. And then our last one we mentioned is Davido, the Nigerian American singer, songwriter, and producer. He is out with his fifth studio album. Right. And it features also, yeah, right, sorry. And also you see some appearances from Chris Brown and Victoria Monet on this album. A lot of different featured artists. Again, one worth checking out. All right. And this is his song there. Funs. People love Davido. He's huge. So, and people love you. Brian Balthus is We love you. Thank you so much for being here. And thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way.