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AL HOSTAGE SITUATION SPECIAL OPEN-SOTTOPS

"he grabbed the little boy and took him hostage."

THAT DISTURBING CRIME LAUNCHED A WEEK-LONG DRAMA.

IT LEFT THE BUS DRIVER DEAD -- AND A CHILD IN THE ARMS OF A KILLER.

I heard a big boom,

BUT TODAY -- A BURST OF ACTIVITY IN THE QUIET ALABAMA COMMUNITY.

SOT: Steve Richardson

The child appears physically unharmed and is being treated at a local hospital.

AND FINALLY -- THE NEWS WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING TO HEAR.

"Little Ethan is safe and is with his mother

NOW AT 11 --

DEVELOPING NEWS OPEN-CLIP

AL HOSTAGE SITUATION-BNC

AND DEVELOPING TONIGHT AT 11 --

A NEWS CONFERENCE ON THAT ALABAMA HOSTAGE STANDOFF JUST WRAPPED UP.

TONIGHT -- AUTHORITIES ARE PULLING APART THAT BUNKER WHERE JIMMY LEE DYKES HELD THAT FIVE-YEAR-OLD BOY FOR SEVEN DAYS.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS -- LITTLE ETHAN IS LAUGHING, JOKING AND PLAYING WITH HIS FAMILY.

AL HOSTAGE SITUATION-PKG

F-B-I AGENTS STORMED THE UNDERGROUND BUNKER WHERE ETHAN WAS BEING HELD JUST AFTER THREE.

A LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCE TELLS ABC NEWS - AUTHORITIES WERE ABLE TO PUT A HIGH-TECH CAMERA INTO THE BUNKER TO MONITOR THE BOY AND HIS CAPTOR, 65-YEAR OLD JIMMY LEE DYKES.

SOT Steve Richardson

Mr Dykes was observed holding a gun. At this point the FBI agents fearing

the child was in imminent danger entered the bunker and rescued the child.

AUTHORITIES WON'T SAY HOW JUST YET.

BUT A SOURCE TELLS ABC NEWS - THEY USED EXPLOSIVES TO GET INTO THAT BUNKER --

THEN ATTACKED -- PROTECTING THE BOY AND KILLING DYKES.

WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT *WHY DYKES STORMED THE BUS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND KIDNAPPED THE CHILD.

We just want to show him how much we love him

THAT LITTLE BOY HAS A MILD FORM OF AUTISM AND AD-HD.

CAPE CRASH-TCMON-VO-WIPE

NEW SINCE SEVEN --

WE KNOW KNOW THE NAME OF THE WOMAN KILLED IN A LATE AFTERNOON CRASH IN CAPE CORAL

MARY DARLENE WATKINS DIED AFTER SHE SMASHED HER CAR INTO A UTILITY POLE ALONG ACADEMY BOULEVARD.

PEOPLE NEARBY RUSHED TO HER AID -- BUT THEY TELL US SHE PASSED AWAY BEHIND THE WHEEL.

CAPE CRASH-SOTVO

Elizabeth Stark Mary's Friend

"5:47 im very sad very sad because she was a very good friend to me when i need a friend too

THE CRASH KNOCKED OUT POWER TO SOME.

AT THIS HOUR - UTILITY CREWS ARE WORKING TO RESTORE POWER AND PUT UP A NEW POLE.

MARINE INTERVENTION-NATVO-WIPE

A THIEF CHOSE THE WRONG TARGET --

WHEN HE TRIED TO ROB A FORT MYERS BAR AFTER THE SUPER BOWL!

49:35 im a marine im not about to be robbed by somebody

THAT'S RIGHT -- COREY SEKERAK SERVED IN THE MARINES.

HE SAYS A MAN WEARING A MASK WALKED IN TO "BRYBILL'S TAVERN" OFF METRO PARKWAY -- AND STARTED FIRING.

THEN SEKERAK SAYS THE SHOOTER PUT A GUN TO HIS HEAD.

MARINE INTERVENTION-SOTVO

49:47 50:00 i was like 'stop drop my wallet' i kept screaming it because everything i own is in that --50:07 my identity my military id my VA card my state id everything was in there 50:12

A BULLET GRAZED ONE CUSTOMER AT THAT BAR.

THEY'LL BE FINE.

SEX OFFENDER CRACKDOWN-VO

NEW AT 11 --

CRACKING DOWN ON SEX OFFENDERS IN FORT MYERS WITH A NEW LAW.

JUST TWO HOURS AGO - CITY LEADERS APPROVED A NEW ORDINANCE.

IT MEANS SEX OFFENDERS CANNOT BE PHYSICALLY BE WITHIN 300 FEET OR ABOUT A FOOTBALL FIELD WITHIN SCHOOLS OR PARKS.

RIGHT NOW - SEX OFFENDERS HAVE TO *LIVE AT LEAST A THOUSAND FEET AWAY FROM SCHOOLS.

HOME INVASION 911-OC-SOT-SS-VO

COLLIER COUNTY DEPUTIES SAY THEY TRACKED DOWN TWO MEN INVOLVED IN A STRING OF VICIOUS HOME INVASIONS.

LISTEN TO THIS CHILLING NEW 9-1-1 CALL.

"they robbed my house they tied us up and told us to just keep quiet and not move. Dragged me across the lawn."

CARLOS WALKER AND NICHOLAS CHANDLER ARE BEHIND BARS.

INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY PLAYED A PART IN THREE SEPARATE ATTACKS.

THEY HAPPENED OVER THE PAST MONTH AND A HALF --

TWO IN NAPLES AND ANOTHER IN GOLDEN GATE ESTATES.

DAVIES SENTENCING-SS-VO

A TEEN WHO ADMITTED TO MAKING THREATS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE DID IT BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID OF GETTING OUT OF JAIL.

LAST JULY -- 19-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER DAVIES WAS IN LOCK-UP IN THE LEE COUNTY JAIL.

THAT'S WHERE HE WROTE A LETTER TO JAIL PERSONNEL.

IT READ "WHEN I AM RELEASED FROM JAIL I AM GOING TO KILL PRESIDENT OBAMA".

HEALTHPARK CRAZY CAR VIDEO-VO

CAUGHT ON CAMERA TONIGHT --

DRAMATIC VIDEO OUTSIDE HEALTH PARK MEDICAL CENTER IN FORT MYERS.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A NURSE JUMP INTO ACTION TO STOP A RUNAWAY CAR.

TAKE A LOOK.

THIS IS NEW YEAR'S EVE.

THE NURSE WAS WALKING A PATIENT OUT.

THE PATIENT'S WIFE WAS WAITING OUTSIDE WITH THEIR CAR, WHICH YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN.

SHE THOUGHT THE CAR WAS IN PARK.

IT *WASN'T!

BUT AS IT STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS, THE NURSE RAN OVER, JUMPED IN AND SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES.

SCHOOL BUS CAMERAS-VO

YOU COULD BE ON CAMERA THE NEXT TIME YOU END UP BEHIND A SCHOOL BUS.

CAMERAS ARE BEING INSTALLED ON THE OUTSIDE OF SOME LEE COUNTY SCHOOL BUSES.

IT'S PART OF A NEW PILOT PROGRAM.

THE CAMERAS WILL ON THE BUSES' STOP ARMS.

THOSE CAMERAS WILL CAPTURE THE LICENSE PLATES OF ANYONE WHO BREAKS THE LAW BY TRYING TO DRIVE AROUND THE BUSSES.

MEDICAL EXPANSION-VO

NEW AT 11 --

LEHIGH REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS FOR A NEW HOSPITAL IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

WE KNOW THEY WOULD BUILD THAT HOSPITAL IN SOUTHWEST LEE COUNTY.

RIGHT NOW --

IT'S TOO EARLY TO SAY EXACLTY WHERE.

LEHIGH REGIONAL OFFICIALS TELL US ESSENTIAL MEDICAL SERVICES WILL STAY IN LEHIGH.

BUT THE HOSPITAL'S 88 BEDS WILL MOVE.

THEY'RE ALSO PROMISING A STATE-OF-THE-ART EMERGENCY ROOM AND DIAGNOSTICS.

SNIPER KILLED LATEST-VO

WE ARE LEARNING MORE TONIGHT ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR VET CHARGED WITH KILLING THE NATION'S TOP SNIPER

EDDIE RAY ROUTH IS ON SUICIDE WATCH TONIGHT.

A-B-C SEVEN HAS ALSO LEARNED ROUTH SPENT SOME TIME IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL AFTER THREATENING TO KILL HIS FAMILY AND THEN KILL HIMSELF.

ROUTH IS CHARGED WITH GUNNING DOWN SNIPER CHRIS KYLE AND A FRIEND AT A TEXAS GUN RANGE SATURDAY.

OBAMA GUN LAWS-trxSOTVOTOPS- OC

we are not going to wait until the next Newtown, or the next Aurora. We are not going to wait until after we lose more innocent Americans on street corners all across the country.

PRESIDENT OBAMA TOOK HIS PUSH FOR NEW GUN LAWS ON THE ROAD TODAY.

HE STOPPED IN MINNEAPOLIS.

THAT CITY WAS ONCE DUBBED "MURDER-APOLIS -- BEFORE THEY BROUGHT THEIR CRIME RATE TO A 30-YEAR LOW IN 2011 BEHIND SEVERAL ANTI-CRIME INIATITIVES.

AS FOR THE PRESIDENT'S INITIATIVES --

HE WANTS UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR GUN SALES, LIMITS TO HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES AND AN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN.

LOOKING AHEAD --

TOUGHEST POLITICIAN-VO

NEW AT 11,

YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME TOUGH SKIN TO WORK ON CAPITOL HILL -- AND TONIGHT WE KNOW WHICH LAWMAKERS ARE THE *TOUGHEST.

SENATOR BILL NELSON IS AT THE TOP OF "U-S NEWS AND WORLD REPORT'S" LIST OF THE TOUGHEST POLITICIANS.

THE REASON?

HIS EXPLOITS HUNTING PYTHONS IN THE EVERGLADES.

HE JOINS THE LIKES OF TAMMY DUCKWORTH A BLACK HAWK PILOT WHO LOST BOTH HER LEGS IN COMBAT -- AND JOHN MCCAIN A PRISONER OF WAR WHO SURVIVED TORTURE.

NEXT AT 11 OPEN-CLIP

TEASE ONE------------

Her life is spinning out of control

MINDY MCCREADY JUST LOST HER HUSBAND.

AND THE FORT MYERS NATIVE'S UNDER FIRE AGAIN TONIGHT.

WHY HER EX-BOYFRIEND SAYS THEIR CHILD IS NOT SAFE WITH THE COUNTRY STAR!

PLUS,

THAT CAR'S A MANGLED MESS --

AND THE FAMILY INSIDE WASN'T DOING MUCH BETTER.

HOW THE MOM'S QUICK THINKING -- AND SOME GATORADE -- SAVED THEIR LIVES.

TZ1 A MCCREADY DRAMA-SOTVO-WIPE

TZ1 GATORADE FIRE-VOTOPS

STORMWARN 7 JP WX OPEN-CLIP

WEATHER-PWC

TEASE EXTRA 1 MCCREADY-VOTOPS-WIPE

SHE LOST HER HUSBAND.

NOW HER EX SAYS HER LIFE'S UNRAVELING!

WHY HE'S CONVINCED FORT MYERS COUNTRY STAR MINDY MCCREADY IS FALLING APART.

PLUS -- THE AD U-S-A TODAY RATED THE *BEST* OF LAST NIGHT'S SUPER BOWL COMMERICALS.

AND WHY'S THAT MAN HANGING OFF A BUILDING 27 STORIES UP?

TEASE EXTRA 2 SUPERBOWL COMMERCIALS-VOTOPS-WIPE

TEASE EXTRA 3 CUBA SPIDERMAN-VOTOPS

EXTRA AT 11 OPEN-CLIP

MCCREADY DRAMA-TCMON-VO-SS-WIPE

ALL NEW IN TONIGHT'S A-B-C SEVEN EXTRA --

TROUBLED COUNTRY SINGER MINDY MCCREADY IS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

HER SON'S FATHER - BILLY MCKNIGHT -- TELLS A-B-C SEVEN HE DOESN'T THINK THEIR 6 YEAR-OLD SON, ZANDER IS SAFE WITH HIS MOTHER.

HE FEELS LIKE SHE IS UNSTABLE.

MCKNIGHT SAT DOWN WITH US AT HIS TAMPA HOUSE.

HE TOLD US HE FEARS FOR ZANDER'S WELL-BEING.

HE SAYS THOSE FEARS WERE HEIGHTENED WITH THE DEATH OF MCCREADY'S LIVE-IN FIANCE.

MCCREADY CLAIMS DAVID WILSON KILLED HIMSELF.

MCCREADY DRAMA-SOTVO

31:06 why are you scared for your son?" mcknight "Who in their right mind would want their child with mindy right now. Her life is spinning out of control- it's been that way.

RIGHT NOW ZANDER LIVES WITH MINDY MCCREADY IN ARKANSAS.

ABC7 WANTS YOU TO KNOW THERE'S BEEN AN ONGOING CUSTODY BATTLE SINCE THE COUNTRY SINGER TOOK ZANDER FROM HER PARENTS HOUSE IN CAPE CORAL.

MCKNIGHT IS NOW PETITIONING THE COURT FOR ZANDER'S RETURN.

GATORADE FIRE-POP-VO-WIPE

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!

IT'S ALL THAT'S LEFT AFTER A SERIOUS CRASH ON A KENTUCKY HIGHWAY.

GATORADE FIRE-SOTVO

:15-:20 / the car was on fire. She said she threw some snow, but there wasn't enough snow to put it out and she grabbed Gatorade bottles out of their cooler and poured Gatorade on the fire and put the fire out.

THE HEROIC MOM WAS FOLLOWING HER FAMILY IN ANOTHER CAR AFTER A WRESTLING MATCH.

WITH THE FIRE OUT --

EMERGENCY CREWS WERE ABLE TO GET HER FAMILY OUT SAFELY.

RICHARD III BONES-VO-WIPE

SHAKESPEARE WROTE RICHARD THE THIRD HAD A CURVED SPINE AND A WICKED HEART --

WE NOW KNOW AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE WAS TRUE.

REASERACHERS IN ENGLAND FOUND THE REMAINS OF RICHARD THE THIRD UNDER A PARKING LOT IN THE CITY OF LEICHESTER.

THE MONARCH'S BODY WAS MISSING FOR MORE THAN 500-YEARS.

D-N-A FROM THE SKELETON MATCHED A SAMPLE TAKEN FROM A DISTANT LIVING RELATIVE OF RICHARD'S SISTER.

THE SKELETON HAD HEAD WOUNDS CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS OF HOW THE TYRANT DIED. IN BATTLE.

CUBA SPIDERMAN-VOTOPS-WIPE

WE SAID "SACREBLEU" WHEN WE SAW THIS INCREDIBLE NEW VIDEO!

THE FRENCH VERSION OF SPIDERMAN WAS SEEN HIGH ABOVE HAVANA, CUBA TODAY.

HE CLIMBED THE 27-STORY HAVANA LEE-BRAY.

THIS IS ONE OF ALAIN ROE-BARE'S SMALLER TARGETS.

HE'S CLIMBED THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING BEFORE.

BUT IT'S STILL AMAZING TO WATCH.

BYE CANADIAN PENNY-VOTOPS

YOU CAN SAY AUVOIRE TO THE CANADIAN PENNY.

THE COINS THAT FEATURE TWO MAPLE LEAVES AND A PICTURE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND,

WILL NO LONGER CLUTTER YOUR JUNK DRAWER.

CANADA HAS STARTED PHASING OUT ITS PENNY.

THE REASON --

IT COSTS MORE THAN ONE-CENT TO MAKE THEM.

SUPER BOWL LIGHTS OUT UPDATE-VO-WIPE

FORGET THE ADS.

FORGET BEYONCE.

FORGET THE SUPER BOWL.

LAST NIGHT WAS BLACKOUTBOWL 20-13.

THE BLACKOUT DURING THE BIG GAME LASTED 35 MINUTES.

BUT FIGURING OUT WHAT CAUSED IT COULD TAKE DAYS.

HERE'S THE EARLY EXPLANATION --

THE MACHINE THAT MONITORS POWER DETECTED AN ABNORMALITY THAT TRIPPED THE BREAKERS AND SHUT OFF THE POWER.

WE ALSO FOUND OUT IN THE LAST HOUR --

SUPERDOME OFFICIALS WERE WORRIED ABOUT A BLACKOUT MONTHS AGO.

THEY HAD CONDUCTED TESTS ON THE DOME'S ELECTRICAL FEEDERS AND REALIZED THEY HAD DECAYED AND COULD FAIL.

SUPER BOWL ADS-NATVOTOPS

took my love and I took it down

AND THE RAVEN'S WEREN'T THE ONLY WINNERS LAST NIGHT.

U-S-A TODAY SAYS BUDWEISER CREATED THE *BEST* SUPER BOWL AD.

THEIR ANNUAL "AD METER" RANKED THE SUPER BOWL COMMERICALS.

AND PANELISTS DECIDED BUDWEISER'S AD ABOUT A GUY WHO BREEDS A HORSE, THAN RE-UNITES WITH THE CLYDESDALE IN CHICAGO WAS THE BEST.

WE ALSO HELD AN INFORMAL POLL ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, A-B-C 7 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

SPORTS TOSS-POP EST

TEASE TWO-POP

THE FGCU WOMEN PUTTING THE LONG WIN STREAK ON THE LINE. THE MIAMI HURRICANES. CRACKING THE TOP TEN. IT'S BEEN A WHILE. HEAR FROM THEIR HEAD COACH.

TZ2 A-VO

NIGHTLINE TEASE-BLK-SOT

SPORTS OPEN-CLIP

RAVENS RETURN-VOTOPS

LET'S START THIS PARTY. WITH A PARTY. THE BALTIMOR RAVENS ARE BACK HOME. FRESH OFF THEIR WIN IN SUPER BOWL 47.

MIAMI HEAT-POP

MIAMI HEAT-VOTOPS-WIPE

FGCU WOMEN-CGTOPS-WIPE

ANOTHER DAY. ANOTHER WIN FOR THE FGCU WOMEN.

FLORIDA GATORS-VIDBX RVL-WIPE

THE FLORIDA GATORS AND MIAMI HURRICANES KEEP CLIMBING THE POLLS

CANES ALL THE WAY UP TO 8 IN THE LAND. IT'S THEIR HIGHEST RANKING SINCE 1999.

MEANWHILE THE GATORS ARE 2ND IN THE NATION. GATORS HAVE WON 10 STRAIGHT AND ARE A PERFECT 8-0 IN THE SEC

FLORIDA GATORS-SOTTOPS

ACE GROUP CLASSIC-POP

ACE GROUP CLASSIC-PKG

"MARK - IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE ANYONE WON BACK TO BACK TITLES AT THE ACE GROUP CLASSIC. MIKE HILL DID IT IN 1993 AND 1994. KENNY PERRY WOULD LOVE TO JOIN THAT EXCLUSIVE CLUB, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS STANDING IN HIS WAY. THE FIRST. IS THE COMPETITION. 38 OF THE TOP 40 MONEY WINNERS ON THE CHAMPIONS TOUR WILL E IN ATTENDANCE. TEEING IT UP ALONGSIDE PERRY HERE AT TWINEAGLES.

Perry - They're all champions, they're all winners. They all know how to win and they continue winning. That breeds success, you see low scores from all these guys. It's amazing to tell you the truth.

BUT THE TRUTH IS. PERRY'S BIGGEST THREAT. IS HIMSELF. THE 53 YEAR OLD HAS BEEN DEALING WITH CARTILAGE DAMAGE IN HIS KNEE FOR OVER A YEAR. IT'S SO BAD HE'S SCHEDULED TO HAVE SURGERY ON FEBRUARY 19TH. "AFTER" HE DEFENDS HIS TITLE AT THE ACE GROUP CLASSIC. A CORTIZONE SHOT HAS STOPPED THE PAIN. BUT FOR HOW LONG?

Perry - he's not sure it'll last. He's not sure how long it will last. Hopefully it will get me through these next two weeks, I won't have any pain. If I don't have any pain it'll be fine. It won't be an issue at all.

MINNESOTA TWINS-POP

MINNESOTA TWINS-VOTOPS-WIPE

THE TWIN OF COURSE HOPING THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT AND IT STARTS FEBRUARY 12. WHEN PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT.

TODAY THE TWINS EQUIPMENT TRUCK LEFT THE TWINS CITIES. EN ROUTE FOR FORT MYERS.

MINNESOTA TWINS-SOTTOPS

TOSS TO BREAK-POP

2 HOLES IN ONE-VO

A HOLE IN ONE IS A FEAT IN ITSELF -- BUT HOW ABOUT TWO HOLES IN ONE?!

THIS NAPLES GRANDMOTHER -- ROZ KALLET SUNK THE SHOTS ON THE SAME HOLE WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF EACH OTHER.

THIS WAS AT ISLAND GREEN AT CEDAR HAMMOCK GOLF COURSE.

IT"S A PAR THREE.

BEFORE I DIE WALL-VO

SOME OF US HAVE A BUCKET LIST -- A LIST OF THINGS WE WANT TO DO BEFORE WE DIE.

NOW, THERE IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN WRITE DOWN YOUR DREAMS -- AND GOALS FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.

THIS IS THE "BEFORE I DIE." WALL IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

THE IDEA STARTED AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA.

IN JUST 24 HOURS EVERY INCH OF IT HAS BEEN COVERED.

SOME OF THE THINGS PEOPLE WROTE ON IT --

KIMMEL TEASE-OC-SOT

CLOSE 11PM-3SHOT