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Jane Velez-Mitchell

Good Samaritan in Wheelchair after Trying to Save Boy; Hot Car Mom Denies Slamming Witness with Car; Teens Set Themselves on Fire For Online Challenge; Government Proposes to Plan to Kill 16,000 Birds

Aired July 31, 2014 - 19:00   ET

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

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chad Price thinks he can beat whatever the system has to present. Technology is foolproof given the best circumstances. We had

those circumstances.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Tonight, outrage and disgust as police say a 911 call about a child stuck in a hot car goes from bad to much worse.

Much worse.

Cops say a couple who tried to save the boy ended up being run over by the child`s enraged mother, leaving the good Samaritan in a wheelchair. And we

are going to talk to that victim in just a second.

Good evening. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell. Thanks so much for joining me.

Now, thankfully, the little boy, who police estimate to be 5 or 6 years old, is OK, but his mom -- you`re looking at her right there, her mug shot

-- she`s charged with multiple counts, including assault, child abuse and leaving the scene. Still, she walked out of jail after posting a measly

$500 bond.

This woman is accused of trying to run over two innocent people with her car. Why on earth did she get just $500 bond? And should she have faced a

more serious charge? For example, some are wondering, maybe, attempted murder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They saw the woman`s son locked in a hot car. Twenty-seven-year-old Kristina Riddell ran over them after Dominguez called

police to report a little boy left alone in a hot car.

SHANNON DOMINGUEZ, GOOD SAMARITAN: Scares the heck out of me. Some innocent child might die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Riddell got mad, threatened to beat her up and punched Mason.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Says the boy`s mom ran them over.

DOMINGUEZ: I used to be so active, and now I can`t do much of anything. But if it means helping a child I would do it in a heartbeat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: My exclusive guests tonight are Shannon Dominguez and her boyfriend Alan Mason. Thank you so much for joining us to They were

outside a dollar store near Denver last month when they noticed a young boy sitting inside a car in the middle of the day with all the windows rolled

up.

Now, Shannon called 911 to report it, and as she`s talking to the dispatcher, cops said the boy`s mom, Kristina Riddell, storms up, threatens

to beat up Shannon, and punched her boyfriend in the face.

But you will not believe what cops say happened next. Mom got back into her car, backed it up and hit the gas, slamming into Shannon first and then

her boyfriend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAN MASON, HIT BY ANGRY MOTHER: She dragged me about 20 feet and then I - - and then I saw she wasn`t going to stop so I let go.

DOMINGUEZ: My tibia has a spiral break and my tibia has three breaks in it.

She gets to go out on the weekends with her family. And I can`t do any of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Cops say when they tracked down and confronted the mother, she offered a different version of events. Now, I`m taking your call on

this: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297. And also, hey, weigh in on Facebook. Jane Velez-Mitchell Facebook.

Shannon Dominguez, and Alan Mason. Thank you so much for joining us. So share your story I`m going to start with you Shannon. The police report

says this mother in her car drove over your leg. Tell us about how badly injured you are now and how it`s changed your life?

DOMINGUEZ: I still can`t put any weight on my left leg. There`s a rod in my leg in my tibia but not in my tibia, so there`s no support on my tibia,

so I can`t walk or use a walker. I have to wheelchair around when I`m at home and when we go places.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Shannon I`m going to ask you to speak up a little bit. I always say pretend I`m hard of hearing. And I`ve had an ear piece

in my ear so long that I probably am a little hard of hearing. Tell me what happened. You`re outside this dollar store. And again, speak up, if

you could Shannon, real clear. What happened?

DOMINGUEZ: Well, we were sitting -- I was sitting in the car waiting for Alan to come out of the dollar store. And she had already gone into the

store. And I realized that her son was in the car by himself in the front seat. Had no seat belt or anything on. And so I immediately called 911.

And gave her her make and model of the car, the color of her car and the drover -- her license plate number.

And as I was talking to them, she came out and she heard me talking to police on the phone, and she knew exactly what was happening. And that`s

the point where she had said she was going to kick my butt -- in a nice way of saying it. And my boyfriend, Alan, got out of car and he had already

come back out. So he got out of the car and stood in between us. And said, "Nobody`s going to touch anybody. There`s not going to be any

violence."

And she hauled off and hit him hard in the face and left a welt. Jumped in her car, it in reverse and the burning tires. Threw it in drive and came

straight -- she came into -- we were still standing in the parking spaces. And she came through those parking spaces and hit me. And I went under her

car. And then she hit Alan, and he went up over the car.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: He went over the car?

DOMINGUEZ: Yes, ma`am.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. So you are saying she accelerated as she went towards you? Is that what you`re saying?

DOMINGUEZ: Yes, ma`am. Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. My question, does this mother have a temper? She has a past arrest for domestic violence. We have to point out the case

was dismissed. The prosecutor, who we called, also told us she was arrested for theft, to which she pleaded guilty. She got a deferred

sentence.

Tonight, right now, she`s out on a $500 cash bond. Let me say that again. A $500 bond.

So let me go back to Shannon. And again speak up, Shannon. Are you worried or concerned that she`s out there on bond right now?

DOMINGUEZ: Yes. It scares me. I can`t go anywhere. I can`t leave my apartment, because I`m so scared if I go to the grocery store she`s going

to be there. And she`s also got previous arrest records for more than one.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We covered -- we covered that. But what I`m saying is are you -- have you filed any kind of civil action? Are you considering that?

DOMINGUEZ: Yes, ma`am. We did. We have a civil attorney, as well.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, I have to say this. We reached out to the attorney for the 27-year-old mom that you`re looking at. We haven`t heard back.

They are invited on our show any time at all, because we want to get both sides of the story.

I have to say that the mother, according to the police report I`m holding in my hand -- and you can come back to me for a second. I blew it up so

that everybody at home could see it. There is the police report with my notes.

According to that, the mom told a very different story about all this. She claims that you, Shannon, were hurling insults at her, calling her a shut

and a whore. Just reading what`s in the police report, so I want to get your side of it, after giving her side of it.

She claims that she was afraid that Alan was going to assault her. She denied slapping him and says she simply brushed off his hat as he grabbed

her by the arm. As for running you guys over, she claims Alan jumped on the hood of her car and that you were banging on the hood and that she

simply, quote, "let her foot off the brake to allow her car to move out of the way and past you." And claimed she didn`t accelerate until she was

past you.

Again, we`ve left messages with her public defender; haven`t heard back. But I want to get your reaction to what she said about the incident. Go

ahead.

DOMINGUEZ: I can`t believe it because not only is Alan -- Alan is the ultimate gentlemen. He would never lay a hand on any woman. And I know

for a fact he didn`t lay a hand on her. And that she did slap him. And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) her car banging away? I have tender hands. I never

pounded on her hood. I never called her those names. She called me those names and she called me an old hag and said she was going to kick my old

hag ass.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There was also a comment here about mother of the year. Tell us that.

DOMINGUEZ: Oh, when she came out of the Dollar Tree I told the place, "Never mind. Here comes mother of the year."

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, you said that? "Here comes mother of the year"?

DOMINGUEZ: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. All right.

So let me ask you about the child in the car. I want to first of all -- you know, I want to say that, you know, many people are applauding you for

being a good Samaritan. You see a child alone, and the prosecutor estimates he was 4 or 5 years old at the time, in a car. And we`ve all

heard about the horrors of children being left in cars and dying, and I`ll get to the stats in a second.

Were you shocked at the mother`s reaction? Here you are trying to save this child`s life, in your mind. And she allegedly attacked you and runs

you over to the point where now you have trouble walking.

DOMINGUEZ: I can`t walk. I`m wheelchair bound.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Say that again?

DOMINGUEZ: I cannot walk. I am in a wheelchair.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my gosh. You cannot walk as a result of this? You have been left in a wheelchair.

DOMINGUEZ: I (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Had multiple blood transformations because of this. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They had to leave it open for several days.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, if you`re wondering why this woman and her boyfriend called 911, so far this year 19 children have died of heatstroke

in the United States after being left inside cars while their parents were off doing whatever. Last year that number was 44 kids. Since 1998, more

than 600 children have died from being left in hot cars.

Had this mom, Kristina Riddell, simply said thank you, you know, whether she thought it was necessary or not, she wouldn`t be facing felony assault

charges, and the woman we`re talking to exclusively, Shannon Dominguez, would not have been left in a wheelchair.

So I want to ask you again, Shannon, what would you say to this woman, now that your life has been totally disrupted by trying to be a good Samaritan?

DOMINGUEZ: All she had to do was get in her car and go home. The police wouldn`t have cited her because they didn`t see the kid in the car. She

could have just gone home and not turned her car and ran me completely over and then hit Alan and took him up over the hood. Why? Why would you do

that to another human being? I can understand getting angry, but that`s not -- you don`t get angry and run somebody over.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Were you shocked by her reaction? Were you expecting her maybe to say, "Oh, my God, I forgot my child, thank you so much"? And

maybe she did or didn`t forget her child. Apparently, we don`t know how long she was in the store, right, Shannon?

DOMINGUEZ: No, ma`am. All I -- I was very shocked. I mean, she could have just called me a mean name and gotten in the car and left. And left

it at that. But she took it WAY, way, way too far.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You were trying to help her son?

DOMINGUEZ: Yes, ma`am.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did the child show any sign of distress inside the car? Tell us about the little boy. He`s sitting in the front seat you said, and

all the windows were rolled up?

DOMINGUEZ: And he was blowing up those arm sleeves that children wear when they`re learning how to swim. They were white and blue. And he was just

blowing them up sitting there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And he was -- so he`s in the car and he`s doing what again?

DOMINGUEZ: Blowing up -- You know those floaties that children wear when they first...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, yes.

DOMINGUEZ: ... on their arms?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So he was blowing up a balloon -- some kind of, like, pool toy.

DOMINGUEZ: Yes, ma`am.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did you -- and were the doors locked? I mean, did you try to open the door?

DOMINGUEZ: Yes, the door were locked.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The doors were locked. OK. And did you -- I`m just trying to get a sense of it. Did you talk to the child at all?

DOMINGUEZ: No, because I was back by my car, because I was afraid of her coming out and coming after me. I did see -- the first court appearance,

she showed up an hour and a half late after a $50,000 bond warrant for her arrest was issued. They squashed the warrant.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me say this, for legally we can`t independently confirm any of that. So I just want to say one thing. Shannon, you do not

deserve to be in a wheelchair. You are saying that you tried to help this little boy. You were worried about the little boy, and you called 911.

That shouldn`t leave you in a wheelchair.

Now on the other side of the break we`re going to talk to our expert panel, including a formal LAPD detective to get insight in how this got so, so out

of control. And I want to hear from you. Stay right there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shannon Dominguez and her boyfriend, Alan Mason, say 27-year-old Kristina Riddell ran over them with her white Honda on Jun 7

after Dominguez called police to report a little boy left alone in a hot car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOMINGUEZ: She gets to go out on the weekends with her family. And I can`t do any of that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doctors tell Dominguez she may never walk normal again. For now, bound to a wheelchair.

DOMINGUEZ: It`s hard. I used to be so active, and now I can`t do much of anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Facebook lighting up over this one. And Nancy says, "Thank God there are people like Shannon and her boyfriend who were not

afraid to step in and intervene when it comes to the safety of a child."

Kimberly says, "Maybe this mom should be locked in a hot car."

Facebook comment, Amy says, "What on earth are people thinking? This happens over and over again. Humans don`t have the best learning curve."

Simone Bienne, behavior expert. This couple says they saw a child in a car. They felt scared for the child. They called 911 in the best

interests of the child. And now this woman says she`s been crippled by the mother allegedly running her over in her car in a rage.

SIMONE BIENNE, BEHAVIOR EXPERT: I think this is absolutely bonkers. Thank goodness there are people like Shannon in the world who aren`t afraid to

put themselves in a position of danger. Because Shannon was in a position of danger. I`ll tell you why. Because it`s unlikely that the mother is

going to come back saying, "Oh, thank you so much for pointing out that I nearly killed my child."

Jane, we`ve got to remember: we`ve all seen your show. We`ve all been watching the news where poor little Cooper Harris died in the car.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

BIENNE: We don`t want another situation like this. Nineteen kids have died like this every single year. What Shannon did was absolutely right.

And in my opinion, the mother was acting narcissistically, making it about here, because someone pointed out that -- I`m going to quote, Shannon --

she wasn`t mother of the year.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me go to Greg Kating, former LAPD detective, author of "Murder Rap." This woman facing very serious charges of assault.

Should the charges have been even more extreme? I mean, she allegedly ran over her leg. This woman says she is now crippled. The police report

talks about serious injuries. If the car veered a little bit differently, hypothetically, this woman could be dead.

KATING: Absolutely. I mean, this could have been more tragic; it could have resulted in a murder. You do see in these situation where the charges

are more serious. They`ll be charged with attempted murder. And that may have been appropriate in this situation.

However, she has been charged with multiple felonies, including first-, second- and third-degree assault. She`s been charged with assault with a

deadly weapon, that being the car; and also reckless endangerment of her child. So she has serious charges, but they could have been worse. It

could have been attempted murder.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, I`m sure that some people are wondering. Facebook overwhelmingly supportive of this couple. The only thing that some people

are asking is could they have called 911 and then moved away from the scene? In other words by standing there.

Sierra Elizabeth, defense attorney, could they have opened -- wait, you`re shaking your head, Simone Bienne. What do you mean?

BIENNE: Sorry. No. You can`t stand away from the car. Because if you stand away from child, how do we know how long the cops are going to take

to get there? The child might not just be boiled alive. The child could be abducted. We do not know what is going to happen. There is no way you

move your -- and take your eyes away from that child.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Simone Bienne -- Sierra Elizabeth, defense attorney.

SIERRA ELIZABETH, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It`s very unfortunate that this woman is now in a wheelchair. Her name is Shannon, I believe. But Shannon`s

story is only right if she`s telling the truth. And I don`t think she`s telling the truth.

I think the fact that the prosecutors in this case have only charged a $500 bond and have only charged her with lower crimes means that they believe

that some of her story is true. This mother says that she -- excuse me. I lost my train of thought. This mother tells us that this man jumped on the

hood of her car.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me say this.

ELIZABETH: That is aggressive. She wasn`t the aggressor in this situation. The man jumped on the hood of her car.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me just -- let me hold up this police report, which I blew up so everybody could see it. And I just want to read this one part.

The officer advised there was a witness who saw the vehicle traveling quickly just prior to hitting Alan and Shannon. A second witness advised

the vehicle accelerated just prior to hitting Alan and Shannon. So now, Sierra Elizabeth, continue on.

ELIZABETH: No, I`m just going to say. The point here is that there are two sides to every story. The prosecutor is not going let this woman out

on $500 bond if she thinks that she is a detriment to society or a violent criminal. She`s never been convicted of a violent crime. And here she

says that these people were the aggressors. When she came out of the store, they were calling her slut; they were calling her whore. They were

saying...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, they denied that.

ELIZABETH: ... she was mother of the year, taunting her.

BIENNE: They were obviously very, very angry. Sierra, they were angry. They were triggered. And look, I quite frankly -- don`t ever give me your

kids to babysit. Because I could do a really good proper job, and I would not leave...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: One at a time, please.

BIENNE: I would not take my eyes off them. And this is what we have to do with our children. We have to, as society, understand this. Big people

need to look after the little people.

And if you want a psychological perspective, what this kid does is it feels abandoned; it feels scared. Where is mommy or daddy? This is torture.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, I have to also say...

ELIZABETH: We don`t know how long -- we don`t even know how long this kid was in the car, Simone. She could have walked into the store for five

minutes to get something and left her child in 69-degree weather. This doesn`t even...

KATING: How long does it take to steal a car, Sierra? Sierra, how long does it take to steal a car? Sixty seconds?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I guess your point -- Greg Kating, former LAPD detective, is a child should never be left alone in a car. Period, end of story?

KATING: Period, end of the story. How long does it take to steal a car? We`ve all heard stories about people abducting children in cars at a gas

station, at a mall, that are left in the kid [SIC]. Now you`ve got -- now you have a kidnapping case, just out of the negligence of the mother.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s go quickly to Barbara, Michigan. Barbara, Michigan, what do you have to say?

CALLER: Hi, Jane, how are you tonight?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Good.

CALLER: I`m calling to let you know I`m on the side of the good Samaritan. As a mother and a grandmother. I am sick to death of hearing about these

stupid irresponsible parents that are leaving their kids in these vehicles. It makes me very angry.

And then to hear that they want the auto companies to start putting equipment in the vehicles to alert these stupid irresponsible parents to

make them know that their child is in the car? I think it`s utterly ridiculous. And I do believe that the mother and the boyfriend were very

irresponsible.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well -- well, actually just to clarify, the boyfriend is with Shannon Dominguez, the good Samaritan, according to police officers.

Her and her boyfriend -- she and her boyfriend were the ones who called on that woman.

And by the way, that woman is invited on our show any time or her attorney. We want to get all sides of this story.

We`re going to have more on this case on the other side, because is there is a nexus to the prosecution of the dad in Atlanta?

And look at this. Look at this. This is out of control. Every parent has to see this next story, coming up. This is a crazy Internet craze, and

it`s killing teenage boys; and we have to stop it. You have to see this insane deadly craze. And we`re going to tell every parent what they need

to do to make sure their son is not doing this. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They could never have imagined that calling police...

DOMINGUEZ: All four windows were rolled up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... to help a child left alone in a hot car...

DOMINGUEZ: It scares the heck out of me that some innocent child might die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... would end up like this.

DOMINGUEZ: My tibia has a spiral break and my fibula has three breaks in it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And we are talking exclusively tonight to that woman who is now wheelchair-bound as a result, she says, of trying to be a good

Samaritan and calling 911, when this woman allegedly left her 4- to 5-year- old, approximate -- that`s what prosecutors say -- child in a car while she went shopping.

And Shannon Dominguez, our guest, called 911 and then says this woman ran her over with her car because she was so upset and angry. And now the good

Samaritan is in a wheelchair.

It feels as though it`s been the summer of kids in hot cars. The death of little Cooper Harris in the Atlanta area and the arrest of his dad for

murder has put cases like this, obviously, in the national consciousness. We`re hearing about kids in hot cars all the time.

Now little Cooper Harris -- you`re looking at him there -- he was a toddler, not even 2 years old, strapped into a rear-facing infant seat.

Little Cooper was helpless. He could not get out of his car.

Now this Colorado case involves an older child. The prosecutor told us he was about 4 or 5 years old, approximately. And, given that age of the

child and our witness, Shannon, says the child was not in any kind of car seat.

The high temperature in the Colorado town where this incident occurred on June 7 was 69 degrees, not the 90-plus degrees it was in Atlanta on the day

little Cooper Harris died while his father was inside his office, allegedly sexting a slew of other women. Married father. This was an older child

sitting in the car on a cooler day.

So I want to go out to Reggie Garcia, attorney out of Miami. Now you`re in Miami, where it gets really hot. Do these nuances of differences of in

temperature. It`s Colorado, it`s just a little cooler. This mom is just in the store. Do those make any difference or is it never leave any child

in a car alone, period?

REGGIE GARCIA, ATTORNEY: Period. Regardless of whether it`s Colorado or Florida where I am. In Florida, this person would -- Ms. Dominguez would

get the key to the city and the lady that`s been arrested, who I`m shocked is out on bond at all, would be charged with attempted manslaughter. A car

is a deadly weapon. So I don`t care whether it`s 69 or 100 or whether the kid is two or six.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Greg Kading, former LAPD detective. You know, some of the incidents don`t leak, but if you are dealing with a very volatile

situation, is there any you can protect yourself if you are going to be a good Samaritan and call 911, so you are not there with somebody who might

get very angry and having the cops call on them comes out?

GREG KADING, FORMER LAPD DETECTIVE: Well, absolutely. You never want to provoke, you know, a situation worse than it is. This was a verbal

altercation that led to a physical altercation. It may have been prudent to back away. But at the same time you have got to take into concern that

they were approached. They were assaulted. All of the injuries in this case are consistent with what the victim`s version is. The suspect`s

versions are all self --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: One question. I want to go to Shannon Dominguez, again our prime time exclusive. I want to give you an opportunity to answer what

Cat said on Facebook. And she said no need to call police in the first place. The child is old enough to open the door if it`s too hot. Maybe he

didn`t want to go in. I don`t agree with that but I want to give you a chance to answer that. Because people on Facebook have been asking that

question.

DOMINGUEZ: Absolutely. At four-years-old, I mean, you -- you just don`t leave a child in a car. I don`t care if they are ten years old. The car

is very easily to be stolen. And it was just -- that just happened here two months ago, three months ago where somebody left a kid in the car and

the car got stolen with the kid in it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Shannon, I want to say this. I want to thank you for having the courage to a, call 911 and b, come on our show. And of course,

we have to ask every questions out there, and I just want to complement you on very graciously handling every single question that we opposed to you.

And I really hope and pray that you get better and that you are able to walk again. I want you to keep us posted. OK?

DOMINGUEZ: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Shannon?

DOMINGUEZ: The diagram of the accident and it shows exactly what`s happening so what she`s saying will come out. The truth will come out in

court. And I won`t be lying.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: No, I think the truth has come out. You have to understand that we`re required to present both sides of the story.

DOMINGUEZ: Oh yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And I just want to compliment you on handling all the questions that we threw out to you tonight. So, I hope you get better, OK?

DOMINGUEZ: Thank you very much.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right thank you.

Next, a very, very shocking disturbing, deadly social media trick. Young people purposely setting themselves on fire and posting these videos on

line. What the hell is going on here? That`s next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Would you let yourself on fire? You are going to be on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Oh, who.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Unbearable, yes, basically.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: He was playing the fire challenge game. Young people set themselves on fire using rubbing alcohol.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: It is not fun. It is not funny. It is not cute.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Poured rubbing alcohol on his chest and lit it.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: The first you see this and is this dumb and dumber?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable. A warning tonight about a horrifying insane deadly viral video trend sweeping the nation. Tonight, we have to ask,

could your teen end up involved in something like this? Every parent needs to see this. Look at this video from YouTube. This is called the fire

challenge and it`s taking the internet by storm. Basically teenagers are dousing themselves with an accelerant rubbing alcohol or perfume and then

lighting themselves on fire, scrambling to put out the flames before they`re burned. And their friends videotaped the whole thing and then

upload it to social media. Let`s watch just a few examples from YouTube.

(INAUDIBLE)

Horrifying. And just look at this video on Facebook. It seems to go against all human logic but it is not a prank. It`s killed one teenage

boy. It`s badly injured many more. Facebook is taking down all videos down with the hashtag "Fire challenge, out to the Lion`s Den."

Jill Simonian with TheFabMom.com, as a mother how frightening is this and what can parents do about it?

JILL SIMONIAN, THEFABMOM.COM: Jane, watching those videos, literally I had my hands over my eyes because it is so disgusting and disappointing. And

as a parent even though my kids are young, ages three and two, this petrifies me to see this making the rounds on social media. As a parent,

I`m going to be positive -- as negative as this story is, I`m going to go positive and say that this motivates me to get educated about social media,

educate myself about the kinds of videos that are out there and attack this head on for when my girls are old enough to see this so that we can be

educated and stop this kind of thing from continuing with our teenagers.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s take another look at how serious and dangerous this challenge can be from YouTube.

(INAUDIBLE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable. Simone Bienne, behavior expert, I have to ask why. This mostly teenage boys. Why?

BIENNE: Because young men, sadly, are risk takers. And also teens as well, they are in competition with each other. Yes there is the idea of

great this is going to get 100,000 hits. This is about power, this is about their status. Look, the more they put themselves in danger, they are

thinking that women are going to be watching, girls are going to be watching thinking oh my goodness, what a brave guy. The girls are watching

going what a -- sorry -- fool. But I don`t think there is anything meant to be --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Reggie Garcia, attorney out of Miami, can they be charged with arson? Can the parents end up getting sued? Quickly, what are the

legal ramifications?

GARCIA: All kinds. And I`m thinking as a parent and a lawyer, and I think some of this is going on in Fort Myers, this is idiotic and criminal

behavior. But they could hurt themselves, they could kill themselves or others. This isn`t a prank. It`s crime. When I first read it. My dad is

a fire marshal in Tampa. I couldn`t believe it. I read it twice. At first, I thought this was just some kind of joke. But it is real danger

out there and these kids need to stop it right away.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: On the other side, a woman whose ex-husband set her on fire has a warning for these kids. She joins us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I was scared.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: He set himself on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Michael`s sister showed us where the fire started. With her and other siblings watching he used this bottle of rubbing alcohol

but they didn`t run the water quickly enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This idiotic deadly fire challenge, already one dead. Others badly injured. Kids videotaping their friends setting themselves on

fire and uploading it to YouTube. Who`s the best person in America to issue a warning?

We have her as our special guest tonight. Yvette Cade was viciously attack by her ex-husband, at a T-Mobile store he dumped gasoline on her and lit

her on fire. Yvette, you have a special message for these teenagers who are participating in this stupid and dangerous stunt. And what we`re

showing you now is the surveillance video of the attack that you survived but with tremendous bodily injury. Yvette?

YVETTE CADE, EX-HUSBAND SET HER ON FIRE: Good evening. I`m not watching but I`m talking on the phone. And I literally feel like I`m walking

through fire as we speak it. It devastates me that children are actually entertaining the fact and actually setting themselves on fire. There is no

challenge when you are up against fire. It is no challenge. You are putting everyone at risk of being burned, which could lead to certain

death.

These flames are 1500 degrees. That rips the skin off of your back. It does not heal overnight. You can`t just put a band aid on it. I was

mummified for months and months at a time. I was -- it was humiliating. Every day that I had to have someone take care of me. I was under 24 hours

of care. Nurses, doctors.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yvette.

CADE: Every day.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We are out of time but what you said probably sends the message better than anyone. Don`t do it. Parents watch out for it. It`s

got to stop. We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hey, Little Rico. Tonight innocent animals just like you are in danger of being slaughtered by our own government. The Portland

District of the U.S. Army Corps of engineers is considering a plan to slaughter thousands and thousands and thousands of double-crested

Cormorants that inhabit an island on the Washington-Oregon border. Why? Simply because these Cormorants eat fish. The government claims they need

to use $1.5 million of our tax dollars every year to massacre these birds in order to protect endangered salmon and steelhead populations.

Critics say these fish are not in danger because of these birds, they`re in danger because human beings have tampered with habitat and over-consumed

them. Animal lovers, I want you to look at this YouTube video of Cormorants in the wild. These are innocent creatures who I believe do not

deserve to be slaughtered simply because they have the audacity to eat. The government wants to go out with rifles and shoot these birds while

they`re nesting. While they`re almost literally sitting ducks.

Straight at you Bob Sallinger from the Audubon Society of Portland. Bill, you`re a critic of this campaign to kill the Cormorants. You want

Americans to tell army corps of engineers not to do this. So, what would you tell America is wrong with this plan to slaughter many thousands of

these double-crested Cormorants?

BOB SALLINGER, AUDUBONPORTLAND.ORG: Well, thank you for having me on, Jane. We do strongly oppose this proposal. We think it`s a terrible

proposal. And the corps of engineers really does need to hear from the public that they oppose this and want them to find a different alternative.

What they`re proposing to do as you`ve already said is kill upwards of 16,000 of these birds. Literally they are going to shoot them out of the

sky from boats, and if they can`t get to 16,000 that way and most likely they can`t, they`re literally going to walk through their nesting colony

and shoot them on their nests and then kill their young or destroy the eggs. So it`s really a proposal that is of historic and horrific

proportions. It`s a terrible proposal. And the corps does need to hear from people.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The executive director of the public employees for environmental responsibility calls this operation an extreme militarization

of wide life management. Cormorants do not need to be treated like terrorists simply because they eat fish. They have no right to exist? Is

that simply the conclusion that if they eat therefore they`re bad? Doesn`t every single creature have to eat to survive?

SALLINGER: Absolutely.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want you to watch this video. Let me show this video from YouTube. We`ll get back to you at a second. Look at these animals.

What have they done to anybody? They`re just trying to survive. The army corps of engineers told us in this statement, quote, "Double-crested

Cormorants predation on Endangered Species Act-listed juvenile salmon and steelhead is a complex issue." No actions are planned at this time. We

are working with our partner agencies to determine the best action to comply with a federal requirement that the corps of engineers reduce the

breeding pairs of double-crested Cormorants.

So, first of all you can help these defenseless animals. You can e-mail the address on the screen which we`re going to show you a second or just go

to AudubonPortland.org, I believe. AudubonPortland.org. OK? That`s the correct e-mail address. There`s a link there to an e-mail you can send.

Bill, they`re claiming they are required to kill these animals. What do you say to that?

SALLINGER: They`re absolutely not required to kill these animals. What they really need to focus on is the primary causes of salmon decline.

We`re concerned about salmon just like everybody else, but they`re not declining because of double-crested cormorants. Cormorants and salmon have

coexisted since time immemorial. The reason that the salmon are declining is because of the dams and the way the dams are operated, and because of

habitat loss and destruction along the Columbia River. And that`s what`s caused these declines.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me show you some YouTube video of some of these birds. Let`s go to some of the YouTube video where you can see some of them up

close. Continue on.

SALLINGER: Sure, absolutely. The corps has been sued over and over again. And this has dragged out for more than 20 years. For the way they operate

the dams. And that really is the primary cause of decline. What needs to change is the way they operate the dams. They need to allow more water to

go through the spillways when young salmon are migrating to the sea rather than putting them through the turbines where the fish get ground up. And

that really is the primary driver of salmon declines.

And until the corps fixes that we`re going to continue to have listed salmon. Again they`ve been tied up in court for nearly 20 years. What

this is is really a diversion. It`s a distraction. It`s a way of blaming other wildlife species that really have nothing to do with the declines,

and trying to divert the attention of the public from something that they don`t want to do, which again is --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: If you`re upset about this there`s something you can do. We`re going to tell you on the other side exactly what you can do.

Remember these animals cannot speak for themselves, right, Rico? Stay right there. We`re going to give you an action point on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hey Little Rico, here`s another video of a cormorant from YouTube. So, Bob Sallinger of the Audubon Society of Portland, if people

want to do something they can e-mail the Army Corps of Engineers. There`s the e-mail address, but if you can`t write that down as quickly as you need

to. You can go to AudubonPortland.org. AudubonPortland.org., what would you say in the last 30 seconds that we have?

SALLINGER: The Army Corps really needs to hear from people. They need to hear that it`s time to focus on fixing the dams, restoring habitat, and

leaving the birds alone, that it`s unacceptable to kill 16,000 birds, killing them literally on their nests, more than 20 percent of the entire

western population of this species. That`s not a solution, that`s just a diversion.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, when you have the power to use tax dollars that`s a big responsibility. And I personally don`t like my tax dollars

used to kill innocent animals.

Nancy, next.

END