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Identifying 'Baby Grace'; Deadly Bus Crash in Arkansas; Malibu's Wildfire Fury

Aired November 26, 2007 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Heidi Collins.

Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on a back to work Monday.

It's November 26th. Here's what's on the rundown. Naming Grace.

Naming "Grace." Galveston police believe they know the identity of a dead toddler. Was the body found floating in a plastic storage container Riley Ann Sawyers?

And over the line outside Memphis. A charter bus veers across the median and slams into two trucks.

Crews in California hope to get a handle on a massive wildfire today.

Malibu's hellish weekend -- in the NEWSROOM.

"Baby Grace," that's what Texas investigators called the little girl whose body was dumped like garbage in Galveston Bay. Today there are three arrests and a heartbroken family awaiting a dreaded call.

Reporter Kevin Reece of CNN Houston affiliate KHOU.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERYL SAWYERS, GRANDMOTHER: You know, I don't want her to be dead, obviously.

KEVIN REECE, REPORTER, KHOU (voice over): Last week, Sheryl Sawyers in Ohio showed us the charm bracelet on her wrist and the pictures of her granddaughter Riley, who looked so very much like Galveston's "Baby Grace."

SAWYERS: I hope my granddaughter is not Baby Grace.

REECE: Investigators dashed those hopes this weekend. Eleven News has learned early Saturday morning they served search warrants at this home in Spring. They arrested 19-year-old Kimberly Dawn Trenor. She was Riley's biological mother. They also arrested 24-year-old Royce Clyde Zeigler II, the man Kimberly lived with at this Spring address. Three days after detectives placed this cross on the island where the girl was found in a plastic box, a tip phoned into Galveston led police to Ohio and Robert Sawyers.

ROBERT SAWYERS, FATHER OF RILEY SAWYERS: The first thing that I thought, that it could be.

REECE: Sawyers had a child with Kimberly Dawn Trenor, but the woman moved here to Spring to marry a man she met on the Internet. She reportedly told Sawyers she no longer had little Riley. The child welfare workers from Ohio came and got her earlier in the summer. She didn't know where the girl was and never reported her missing.

S. SAWYERS: To hand your child over and not call the police and not filing a missing person's report...

REECE: "Baby Grace's" remains were found in that plastic box on October 29th.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't believe or I want to believe that any woman could kill her children.

REECE: Neighbors got the news this afternoon, that the little girl they used to see in their cul de sac in Spring had been tentatively identified as "Baby Grace." Pending positive DNA analysis, investigators believe "Baby Grace" is Riley Ann Sawyers. She was just 2 years old. Now Riley's mom and a man identified as Riley's stepfather are in the Galveston County Jail.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope it's not them. I hope it's somebody else somewhere else instead of on our street.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Sheriff's investigators and the FBI are expected to release more information this morning. There will be a news conference. It's set for 11:00 Eastern, and we will take you there just as soon as it gets under way.

In the meantime, want to give you a little bit more information coming in right here to CNN.

We have been able to confirm that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will now step down as army chief. He's going to be taking the oath of office for a third presidential term now.

You may remember he served as President and army chief simultaneously, but the supreme court had ruled that he could not do that for a third term. So, indeed, he has now agreed that he will step down as army chief and go ahead and take the oath for a third presidential term. You may also remember that he has vowed to step down as military ruler before and has not followed through with that promise, but, indeed, that is the case.

Now, we will continue to follow that story for you, as well. Our Karl Penhaul is there. We'll bring him up shortly and get more information for you.

Meanwhile, a tour bus crosses the line and plows into oncoming traffic. Three people are dead. There are dozens injured. It happened last night in northeast Arkansas.

Brooke Sanders of affiliate WMC was at the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE SANDERS, REPORTER, WMC (voice over): On a rain-soaked Interstate 40, firefighters frantically freed victims trapped inside a Coronado (ph) charter bus headed from Chicago to Dallas. The bus was almost cut in two when it crossed the median and into the path of a pickup truck and an 18-wheeler. Truck driver Pedro Mondragon was one of the first people to try to help the victims.

PEDRO MONDRAGON, CRASH WITNESS: Well, everything pretty much was scary. All the people was yelling and crying and screaming inside the bus.

SANDERS: Take a look inside the bus -- seats toppled and twisted, passengers' belongings strewn topsy-turvy.

Mondragon describes what it looked like when he arrived and people were still trapped inside.

MONDRAGON: Scary. I mean, it was bad. People were caught in between the seats.

SANDERS: More than 50 firefighters and countless paramedics treated the victims and worked to free those trapped in the wreckage. At one point, they even used a wrench and saw to pull apart the bus in order to reach the more than 40 people who desperately need help. Help was lined up on the interstate in the form of dozens of ambulances that waited for victims and then rushed them to four nearby hospitals.

A tough wreck to handle, even for veteran firefighters.

CAPT. JIMMY SANDAGE, FORREST CITY FIRE DEPT.: It was something that none of us like to see, but it is a part of our job. And we just try to do it to the best of our ability and try to help everyone that we can.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The bus driver and semi driver both escaped with only minor injuries, but, as we said, the pickup driver died at the scene.

Malibu this morning trying to recover from those sudden and fast- moving weekend wildfire. Nearly 5,000 acres burned. Fifty-three homes, many worth millions, destroyed.

CNN's Dan Simon is in Malibu for us now this morning.

Good morning to you, Dan. DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

This fire is now 70 percent contained. Crews really had an upper hand on this fire yesterday, but we're getting a better sense of the overall devastation. It is still dark here in Malibu, but a really unbelievable sight.

Heidi, as you said, 53 homes look just like this one, totally reduced to ash. You really can't even make out what was here, here at this house. I think we're looking at an electrical box right there.

You can see this car basically just a metal shell. And then behind this home, another house completely gone.

As I mentioned yesterday, crews really got the upper hand on this blaze. The winds died down. That enabled firefighters to get in here and really get this fire contained, 70 percent containment so far.

The evacuation orders have been lifted, so people are coming back to their homes and getting a sense of what it looks like up here. Obviously, we're hearing various tales from homeowners about what things look like.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALYSSA PESCUSSI, MALIBU RESIDENT: All the stuff that you don't care about whether it goes or not will stay. And then everything that you do care about is gone.

PAUL MORA, MALIBU RESIDENT: Just to see my house here is absolutely amazing. I feel very blessed. It's a true miracle, because we just moved here a month ago, it's a brand-new house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: In terms of the cause, firefighters believe that it may have started from a campfire. They're looking at the possibility that there were some teenagers in a particular remote area who had gone to the end of a dirt road, perhaps to throw a party. There was a sense that there was a campfire over there, at least that's what some of the neighbors said. Firefighters still looking at the exact cause.

Perhaps we'll get a better idea a bit later today -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. Boy, we sure hope so.

All right. CNN's Dan Simon for us in Malibu this morning.

Thank you, Dan.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: President Bush calls key players to a Middle East summit in Maryland this week. Chances for a breakthrough? We'll see. CNN's Zain Verjee is at the State Department this morning for us. More on this story.

Hi there, Zain.

What are some of the expectations of today?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, what the U.S. is trying to do here is to start the Middle East peace process. The goal is to use the Annapolis conference to kick off that process between Israelis and Palestinians.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said that she wants to have a final peace deal by the end of the Bush administration, and that would essentially create a Palestinian state. And it's pretty unlikely that there will be a major breakthrough moment at this conference. What it will do, though, is to focus on three areas -- talks between Israelis and Palestinians, reconstruction for Palestinians. That is going to be led by the former British prime minister Tony Blair, and they're also going to be looking at a comprehensive Arab/Israeli peace.

Now, diplomats that we've spoken to have told us they're cautiously optimistic because, you know, there's always, Heidi, a risk of failure when it comes to Israeli/Palestinian issues here. But what the U.S. is doing here is ambitious, but it's important to note that it's very significant because, for the first time in seven years, they're solidly behind negotiations and it appears as though they want to gain traction. Secretary Rice seems determined -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. And it would seem -- many people would say, you know, if you don't try, the reconciliation will never happen. But it is curious why the U.S. is doing this right now.

VERJEE: Well, there's been a lot of pressure on the U.S. by Arab governments to get a lot more involved in this. The U.S. also needs those same Arab governments to support them in Iraq, as well as in a coalition against Iran.

Also, the thing, too, is the U.S. does not want radical voices in the region like the militant group Hamas or Hezbollah to gain more and more power. So actually having a process like this and giving people the prospect of peace and rewards and trophies over on the horizon could persuade them that confrontation doesn't get anywhere and talking does -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Any idea on how to really know whether or not this summit is a success? I mean, it's not going to change overnight, we all know that.

VERJEE: No. A lot of Arabs have said, yes, it's great that this summit is happening, that there is a lot of regional, international support. But what they and many analysts also have told us, that the summit is really going to be judged on the day after.

What will happen when it's over? Will there be a credible negotiating process? And the key really here is, is the United States going to be hands on all the way? Is President Bush going to be involved in the mediation? Will it be a priority?

So, it's difficult to judge that -- the same day whether, yes, it's a great success.

COLLINS: Sure. Sure. All right. Well, we know you'll be watching it closely.

Zain Verjee from our Washington, D.C., bureau this morning.

Thank you, Zain.

Senate Republicans losing a big hitter. Sources tell CNN Senator Trent Lott intends to resign by the end of the year.

Lott is the Republican whip, the number two leadership post in the Senate. Sources are not saying what the senator from Mississippi will do, only that he will enter the private sector. Lott, who was just elected to a fourth term last year, is the first person to serve as whip in both the House and the Senate.

A mom in prison guilty of beating her son, who later died. She's now demanding alimony.

The family outrage -- ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Cough and cold medicine now a no-no for young children. So, what's a parent to do? We'll have some answers for you coming up.

But first, another batch of bad beef to tell you about this morning. American Foods Group in Wisconsin is recalling 96,000 pounds of bulk ground beef. It ends up in those shrink wrap packages you see in grocery store meat departments.

Two people have gotten sick, possibly from the E. coli bacteria. The beef was sold to stores and distributors in seven states -- Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. But the two people who were sick were in Illinois.

And some of the meat may already be past the "sell by" date, but it could still be, as you know, in your freezer. So check that.

Meanwhile, mom wants her alimony check, though she's in prison for assaulting her son who later died.

CNN's Jim Acosta has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is Chris Calbi and his two sons in better times before his oldest child, Matthew, died after he was beaten by his mother. That mother, Linda Calbi, is now in prison. She pleaded guilty to assaulting Matthew. BRIAN SOKOLOFF, CHRIS CALBI'S BROTHER: Ripped his soul out.

ACOSTA: But Chris Calbi's brother, Brian Sokoloff, says this family tragedy gets worse. That's because he says his brother may still have to pay his ex-wife $4,000 a month in alimony for her living expenses. Linda Calbi told the court she wants the payments to continue after she's released from prison, where she's unavailable for comment.

SOKOLOFF: I don't know how anybody, a judge, a lawyer, a legislator, the governor, can look my brother in the face and tell him, get out your pen and keep writing alimony checks.

ACOSTA (on camera): A New Jersey appellate court recently ruled that technically there's nothing stopping Linda Calbi from having her alimony reinstated once her sentence is completed. But the court also seemed to call on state leaders to change the law...

(voice over): ... stating, "Nothing in this opinion prevents the legislature from amending the alimony statute to specify that a former spouse's criminal act in taking the life of one of the party's children disqualifies the ex-spouse from receiving alimony."

RICHARD HERMAN, LAW PROFESSOR: The court didn't have enough guts to stand up and take a position here.

ACOSTA: Law professor Richard Herman argues the court did have the leeway to stop the alimony payments but chose not to because, he says, the family law system is tilted too heavily against men.

HERMAN: It just shows you how skewed the system is in family court in favor of the spouse, the female. It really is.

ACOSTA: Brian Sokoloff wonders if there is a double standard.

(on camera): Would this even be an issue if this were a man who had done something like this?

SOKOLOFF: I can't imagine that it would. There's a sympathy for women in divorce court. Maybe he didn't get the right legal advice at the time, but in his own mind he says there's no way that I'm required to continue paying alimony.

ACOSTA: Chris Calbi, his brother says, would rather spend that money raising the only son he has left.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: More fallout this morning from the financial scandal at Oral Roberts University. Richard Roberts, son of the school's evangelist founder, has resigned as president. His decision effective immediately. Lawsuits accuse Roberts of misspending the school's money to support a lavish lifestyle. He and his wife deny any wrongdoing. The school's governing board plans to meet this week to discuss the search for a new president.

How was your trip?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was very relaxed, very calm. Got in and out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was perfect. I couldn't believe it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they were prepared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Wow. That's some good news. We're wrapping up the holiday travel season ahead. Rain and snow across the large part of the country though not making it easy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Millions of shoppers hit the stores over the Black Friday weekend, but held tight to their wallets despite all those big holiday deals.

Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business" for us this morning.

Hey there, Ali. I've got to tell you, I didn't go on Friday, but I went over the weekend and I didn't see anybody out there. I mean, Santa was sitting there all by himself.

ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Interesting that you say that, because what happened is I was there -- I was at the malls on Friday morning really early, and I saw more people than I was used to seeing at the same place. Here's what happened. A couple of things happened.

First of all, there were more people out over the weekend than there were last year. In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, about almost a five percent increase, 147 million shoppers. But they bought less. They spent less per shopper -- $347, it was down 3.5 percent.

Here's why. A lot of the big chains like JC Penney and Kohl's opened earlier than normal. So you had a bigger rush early on Friday morning.

COLLINS: 4:00 a.m.

VELSHI: At 4:00 a.m.

COLLINS: I'm sure you were there. VELSHI: Across the country. I was very surprised. Who are you people? But it petered off through the course of the weekend, and that's why by the time you got there on Sunday, it probably -- you know, you probably saw fewer people.

Now, take a look at where people shopped. This is also an indicator. We saw they spent less money. They were also doing shopping at discount stores. Look at that -- 55 percent of people surveyed said they went to the discounters, 39 percent to department stores, 43 percent to specialty stores, and online, which, of course, grows every year as more and more people get broadbound access, was 32 percent of the makeup.

So what you saw made sense because it was front-end loaded. Everybody was out there on Friday morning with those door-busters.

COLLINS: Yes. Wow. I mean, I was really, really surprised. Yes. No, I was sleeping.

VELSHI: One of the reasons why perhaps people are spending more, by the way, of course, we talk about this all the time, is the price of oil, which, again, this morning, Heidi, went above...

COLLINS: You mean not spending more, right?

VELSHI: Not spending more.

COLLINS: Yes.

VELSHI: That's right, because they're paying more for their gasoline. Oil was above $99 again this morning. It's pulled back a little bit. It's about $97.60 at the moment, but obviously we're keeping an eye on oil prices.

COLLINS: All right. As we always have to, unfortunately. All right.

Ali Velshi, nice to see you, "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Thanks, Ali.

VELSHI: See you, Heidi.

COLLINS: Time to take a look at some of the most clicked on videos on CNN.com.

A father in Ohio says the little girl known as "Baby Grace" is his. Robert Sawyers says he recognized the girl now identified as Riley Ann Sawyers as soon as he saw the picture.

An Iraq war veteran ran a marathon over the weekend to honor 48 fallen comrades. All of the soldiers killed were stationed at Ft. Lewis.

And Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney calls for a judge he appointed to resign. The judge released a violent inmate from prison. Romney says that showed a lack of judgment.

For more of your favorite video, just go to CNN.com/mostpopular, and once you are there, be sure to download the daily CNN NEWSROOM podcast.

Defending his son's honor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought I was a tough guy, too, until -- man, until you go through what he went through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: A battle-hardened marine now cleared of murder.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris has the day off.

Among our top stories this hour, a mystery apparently solved. A tragedy no less painful.

Police in Texas tentatively identify the slain toddler known as "Baby Grace." The is a police sketch of her. It was made after a fisherman found her body washed up in Galveston Bay.

Police believe she is 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers of Spring, Texas. They are awaiting DNA tests to confirm that. But now under arrest, her mother and her mother's boyfriend. They had never reported her missing and told family members that Riley had been seized by social workers.

Sheriff's investigators and the FBI are expected to release more information this morning. A news conference will be coming your way 11:00 a.m. Eastern. Of course we will bring it to you just as soon as it happens.

Also new this morning, a tour bus crosses the line and plows into oncoming traffic. Three people are dead and dozens injured. It happened last night in northeast Arkansas. Police say the bus was on I-40 headed to Dallas. They say, the driver crossed the median and veered into the eastbound traffic. The bus slam into a pickup truck, killing the truck driver. Then, the bus was broadsided by a semi. A police dispatcher said about a dozen passengers had to be pulled out of the bus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's scary, I mean, it was bad. People were caught in between the seats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: dozens of passengers were rushed to the nearby hospitals.

Are you back to work this morning after being home for the holidays? Kind of tough, isn't it? CNN's Kathleen Koch reports on how Thanksgiving went for air travelers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From Chicago to Atlanta. Many passengers on this busiest air travel day of the year were pleasantly surprised.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was very relaxed, very calm, got in and out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was perfect, couldn't believe it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they were prepared.

KOCH: Airlines determined to avoid last year's holiday travel nightmare staffed up and the federal government opened restricted military airspace off the east coast to passenger planes for the Thanksgiving holiday. Airlines say 10 to 15 flights an hour have been using the extra lanes in the sky.

DAVID CASTLEVETER, AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION: It helped. At the end of the day, what causes delays is weather and volume. And we have volume, clearly, over Thanksgiving and what we didn't have was weather. If we would have had weather, the highest levels of preparedness would not have reduced delays.

KOCH: The Federal Aviation Administration also suspended non- essential maintenance project to further reduce slow downs.

DAVID STEMPLER, AIR TRAVELER ASSOCIATION: Well, I think the biggest factor has been the fear factor. I think the airlines, airports and FAA realized that they could not afford to have another black eye. So, everyone was pitching in.

KOCH: Pilots and air traffic controllers are skeptical about the long-term impact of the government's Thanksgiving fixes.

CAPT. TERRY MCVENES, AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION: These band aid- type approaches while they offer some short-term benefits. What really needs to be done is to find long-term solutions for the congestion that we have in our air space today.

PAUL RENALDI, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION: Our long-term solution is building more gates and building more runways and streamlining the procedures and if you're going to just give us air space one day a year makes no sense whatsoever.

KOCH: Over all the FAA says the nation's aviation system worked exceptionally well this Thanksgiving. So, it's likely to try the same delay-reducing measures over the Christmas holidays. Kathleen Koch, CNN, Reagan International Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Well, it's looking like winter in some parts of the country, that's for sure. Meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras is watching the situation for us. Who's got the most snowfall? Roswell, New Mexico.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: A timetable for Pakistani Pervez Musharraf. He will now step down as military chief on Thursday. And take a new oath of office for a third presidential term. More on that in just a few minutes.

But, one thing he will have to face is pressure from a new opposition leader. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif out of exile. And making news this morning by saying he won't be part of any government that has Musharraf as president. CNN's Karl Penhaul has more on his return to Pakistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Coming home is sweep for Sharif after years in exile. A major crash of supporter, he has able to return to Pakistan's political spotlight. As prime minister, he was toppled in a bloodless military coup by Pervez Musharraf. Now, he's returning to fight the emergency crackdown by his old enemy turned president.

Supporters try to storm the gates of Lahore Airport to greet Sharif. Stifles erupt. Riot police weighed in and lashed out with their bamboo canes. For these people, Sharif is their homecoming hero even though there are indications he may have cut a deal with Musharraf to end his exile early. A rumor both he and Musharraf have denied to CNN. Sharif flew back to Pakistan on an airplane supplied by the Saudi Arabian royal family. Clearly, with a go-ahead from the Pakistani government.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He will bring prosperity which he always has brought and expecting more in future.

PENHAUL: Do you think he has done a deal with Musharraf to be able to come back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at all.

CROWD: No.

PENHAUL: Bad memories of Sharif's administration seemed to have fade with his seven-year exile. Few here record how his government was racked with allegations of multi-million dollar corruption.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are so many allegations upon every man. Out of those allegations, these are the more less allegations upon him due to that, we like him very much.

PENHAUL: More chaos back at the airport. Sharif tries to utter a few words, they're lost in the dim. Sharif heads for his home in a convoy of bullet different proof cars. Those two supplied by the Saudi government. From his vehicle, the scenes look something like this.

Thousands of supporters are blocking the advance of Mr. Sharif's motorcade right now. Thus, presenting a nightmare for security forces because of slow-moving motorcade presents an easy target for potential suicide bombers.

When another political exile Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan in October, her motorcade was bombed. There were hundreds of casualties. In the coming days, Sharif says he plans multi-party talks to map out a response to president Musharraf's emergency rule and possibly even a boycott of January general elections. But Pakistan's political opposition is divided. For now, Sharif's challenge is to rekindle his old power.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Karl Penhaul is in Lahore, Pakistan this morning for us. Karl, tell us what all of this mean especially when you mentioned her in your piece. The other opposition leader we have been hearing so much about as of late, Benazir Bhutto.

PENHAUL: Essentially the big picture, certainly on the international scene, Heidi, is what does this mean, is how is this all going to sit. How is it all going to fit together so that Pakistan can at least return to some semblance of Democratic war? A Democratic war that will be acceptable to one of its major international allies. The United States is stunning Pakistan with $10 billion. A lot of that to help the war on terror.

The United States leads a stable regime here. That stable regime means that it also needs some of these Democratic elections to go ahead in January and now that Sharif has come home now from seven years in exile, form a foe with President Musharraf, the big question here is, will he go to those elections and help restore some of these Democratic procedures? Also, will he come to some kind of deal with Benazir Bhutto? Benazir Bhutto like Sharif had been threatening to boycott these elections but it could be that both ultimately decide to go towards those elections and help restore some semblance of Democracy here, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. It will be an interesting time, certainly, come January. All right, Karl Penhaul live from Lahore, Pakistan this morning. Thank you, Karl.

Cough and cold medicine now a no, no for young children. So, what is a parent to do? We'll get some answers coming up.

For now, though, we want to take a look at the New York Stock exchange this morning. We have -- what are they doing there? Looks like they are from CVRD? They are ringing those opening bell in Paris, that's what it is. I'm looking at that, that is not New York, is it? There's the Eiffel Tower in the background. (INAUDIBLE) to me, right? Friday, as you probably know, Dow Jones industrial averages down about 24 points. Right now, we're to the positive by almost 13 points, but still below the 13,000 mark that we have been watching. So, we'll continue to watch those stories for you and bring you all of our business stories in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Beauty pageant sabotage. Who spiked Miss Puerto Rico's make up and gown with pepper spray? The story still ahead. Stick around for that one.

First, it's cold season and since an FDA panel recommended cough and cold medicines not be given to children under the age of 6, parents are now asking, what can I do? CNN's Elizabeth Cohen explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA SCARPACI, SON HAS COUGH AND COLD: You're OK.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 7-month-old Steven Scarpaci has a cold. His mom hates seeing him cough, sputter and suffer.

SCARPACI: You just feel bad. You get nervous, you want to make him feel better.

COHEN: Scarpaci is disappointed. There's one thing she doesn't have any more in her mom's bag of feel-good tricks. Cough medicine. Last month, an FDA Advisory Committee warned that cold medications don't work for kids younger than 6 and can even hurt them. Since then, pediatricians have been bombarded with calls from panicked moms. So, what do I give my kid now?

DR. MICHAEL MARCUS, PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGIST: My child has a cold. I don't know how to take care of it any more, what should I do?

COHEN: It's time to get back to natural remedies, doctors say, you know, the stuff our parents used. Scarpaci has been trying steam showers, humidifiers also work.

SCARPACI: It clears his nose up so much. He actually loves being in the bathroom because he knows it makes him feel better.

COHEN: Pediatrician also recommends a nasal bulb syringe and saline nose drops to relieve congestion. And if you really want your baby to feel better, keep pushing the liquids.

DR. DANIEL PAUCH, DIRECTOR PEDIATRIC PROGRAM NYU: If you can keep them hydrated, they generally feel better.

COHEN: Pediatricians estimate half of all American families buy cold medicines for their children and weaning moms off them isn't easy. Particularly, if a coughing baby keeps you up all night, too. Doctors say, go back to the basics for that, too.

MARCUS: Do what you can to make your child comfortable. Have a good support system so you're taking turns, so that you don't get sleep deprived as you help comfort your child over the night and just wait it out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Now, we have a whole host of other solutions for parents with cough and cold kids. And what you want to do is go to cnn.com/empowerpatient. And we'll tell you some other suggestions. For example, things I never thought, a massage with lavender oil. Who would have thought?

COLLINS: I don't really want to use, but sick before bed, kids really do like that.

COHEN: It makes them feel good. A little bit of aroma therapy certainly can't hurt.

COLLINS: Makes them tired, which is sometimes really good, too. But there are several other things that had been out there for years. I know one that my parents loved when I was little was vapor rub. I mean, just slandering that horrendous stuff that I did not like. Does it work?

COHEN: You know, with the pediatricians we talked to, were mixed on vapor rubs. Some of them love it and some of them thought it really doesn't do much good. But they all said, you know what, go ahead and try it. It can't hurt, except under one situation. Babies under the age of 1 should not have put it under their noses. It can cause apnea. But you know what, knock yourself out. If you used VapoRub and you think it helps your kid, go ahead and use it.

COLLINS: OK. What about the proverbial chicken soup.

COHEN: Chicken soup. You know what the doctors were unanimous about that yes, yes, yes. Give your kid chicken soup. And the reason for that is, not necessarily Campbell's. I got to say, I make my own. Campbell's is fine, nothing against it. But you know, make your own. Go ahead. And the reason why is because you're hydrating your child, which is so crucial and then the other thing there seems to be an ingredient in chicken soup that helps decongest the child.

COLLINS: Yes, makes your nose run. There you go. All right, what about herbal tea with honey. I don't know how you'll get a child to drink that.

COHEN: You may surprise. I got my kids to drink some sort of wheat chamomile tea. Yes and no on this one. And the reason for that is that herbal tea with honey is fine for children over the age of one. You don't want to give a baby under the age of one honey. But other than that, yes. Again, all of these things were saying, it might not help, but you know, it's not going to hurt.

COLLINS: I don't want to ask this last one, but alcohol, Bourbon, Jack Daniels.

COHEN: Some people do that, some people maybe in our parents' generation would do that.

COLLINS: They didn't use car seats either.

COHEN: They smoked in front of us, too. Why should we take advice from them? That is a big no. The pediatricians we talked to said do not give your child alcohol. Certainly, you don't want to be getting your kid drunk. Bad idea.

COLLINS: No. I'm sorry. Just saw your graphic though. That was very funny to me.

COHEN: No, on the bourbon bottle, right.

COLLINS: No on the bourbon bottle. All right, medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Thank you, Elizabeth.

Defending his son's honor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought I was a tough guy, too, until, man, until you go through what he went through. A battle hardened marine, now clear of murder.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: He was a marine in Iraq accused of murder in Haditha but upholding his honor came only after a long, hard battle. CNN's Sean Callebs has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This has been our life for the last year and a half.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: as long as anyone can remember, Justin Sharratt wanted to wear fatigues.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just liked everything military.

CALLEBS: His parents, Darryl and Theresa, hoped he would go to college, but 9/11 cemented his plans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We knew there was no turning back at that time.

CALLEBS: By November of 2005, Sharratt was a battle hardened marine. On his second tour in Iraq, leading a column of Humvees (ph) into Haditha in the early morning cold when disaster struck.

JUSTIN SHARRATT, FORMER MARINE: I turned around and looked up and there were smoke clouds about 500 to 600 yards up high in the air.

CALLEBS: A roadside bomb had instantly killed his Sharratt's former roommate, Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas, but what happened over the next four hours has caused the incidents of that day to be investigated, reported and widely disputed over and over again. The marines spread out searching for insurgents. Sharratt's followed some suspicious Iraqi man into a house, one raise a rifle. Sharratt's own rifle jam, hen then duck into a door way and came back out with his pistol.

SHARRATT: Then he popped back up with his AK-47 so I shot at him, killing him. So, I rushed across the hallway into that room and I saw three other Iraqi men and they were, they were pretty much semi together, but all I saw was the first one and he also had an AK-47. So, I shot him and then the two males that were behind him, because if the first two guys had guns, the last two must have something.

CALLEBS: The last two turned out to be unarmed, but as Sharratt and the other marine left the scene at 10:30 that night, they thought the incident was over. Then months later, this videotape emerged from the Iraqi community, showing the aftermath of all the gunfire in another house in Haditha during the same search. "Time" magazine broke the story of a possible cover up. A military investigation followed and widespread condemnation, too.

REP. JOHN MURTHA, (D) PENNSYLVANIA: Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.

CALLEBS: Four marines, including Sharratt were charged with murder. Four officers were charged with covering up the incident. Then old Sharratt drained his retirement account to pay for his son's defense.

DARRYL SHARRATT, SON CLEARED: For 18 years we have protected him and when this happened, I couldn't...

CALLEBS: He's a tough kid.

D. SHARRATT: I thought I was a tough guy, too, until, man, until you go through what he went through.

CALLEBS: Wasn't there a part of you that said this is completely unfair, I'm really mad?

J. SHARRATT: There was. But, I mean, that part of me never really showed face.

CALLEBS: It took months, but eventually after all the testimony, investigators concluded that while, yes, many Iraqis died, they fell in the course of a chaotic and running battle. There was no slaughter. Sharratt was completely cleared. The authority in the case, Lieutenant General James Mattis praised Sharratt restraint saying "Our nation is fighting an shadowy enemy who hides among the innocent people and routinely targets and intentionally draws fire towards civilians."

Sharratt's father appreciated the comment but appreciates the facts even more.

D. SHARRATT: It was not General Mattis that exonerated my son, it was the evidence. CALLEBS: In all five of the marines charged in Haditha have been cleared. And at this point, there are doubts whether any of the marines will be convicted. Justin knows critics of this war will never accept the findings of the investigation and that rumors about the incident may follow him for years. But he, at least, is intent on putting Haditha behind him.

J. SHARRATT: No one is going to stop me from doing what I want to. I mean, it's my future, not anyone else's. So, I'm going to take control of my life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Sean Callebs reporting for us.

A good Samaritan gives up his dream to help a boy who has been through a tragedy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Little boy lost in the desert seeking help for his dying mother and finding it in a man willing to lose his freedom. Myrna Membrila of affiliate KGUN reports.

MYRNA MEMBRILA, AFFILIATE KGUN: They were on a camping trip Thanksgiving afternoon. 45-year-old Don Ellis Tomko and her son were driving along a service road just ten miles from the border when she missed a turn.

SHERIFF TONY ESTRADA, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: She went down a clip, she was down there for about 300 feet away from the roadway. She was pinned inside the vehicle.

MEMBRILA: 9-year-old Christopher survived that fall, but his mother was seriously injured. He tried to go for help but it is a desolate area. He walked around. Finally, he came across an illegal border crosser. Somehow, he communicated to him that his mother was seriously injured. He went to try and look for help but then when they couldn't find any and the sun started to set, the illegal border crosser share his jacket with Christopher, build a fire, and stayed with him until 7 in the morning.

ESTRADA: He was like an angel of saving this little boy. We don't know what would happen to this 9-year-old and It must have been really traumatic for him to have experience all of this and found himself out in the dark in a remote area away from everybody.

MEMBRILA: In the morning, this stranger and Christopher trek to the dessert and found help.

ESTRADA: He is caring. He sacrifices for him. Obviously, he was already in the United States, maybe safe already, safe at home. But he gave up that. He gave up that opportunity, to be able, to be next to this kid. He obviously recognized it. This was a kid that would need a lot of help, a little comfort and he was there for him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Authorities have found the boy's uncle and he is on his way to Arizona to pick him up now.

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