♪ [ cheers and applause >> seth: i want to thank my guests, kenan thompson, tom riley, and renate reinsve. thank you so much for being here [ cheers and applause i want to thank elena bonomo and the 8g band. stay safe, get vaccinated, get boosted. we love you. [ cheers and applause ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ it is devastating news for her family and friends. we're following breaking news. a body found in connection with the disappearance of a little

girl from hayward. >> so hard to believe. we saw her a few months ago and now to hear this, it did you have seem real. >> what we've learned about 8-year-old sophia mason and who is in custody this evening. the colors of ukraine lit up. a show of support as the war overseas intensifies. and your eyes are not deceiving you. over $7 a gallon. a plan to stop the rising prices. >> this could be the end of my career. it really, really hurts. >> she's not holding back. sheriff laurie smith, why she says she's turning in her badge. a gut wrenching discovery in the central valley, the missing girl of a little girl. the body has been found. >> we heard about sophia mason.

she's been missing for several months. hayward police say a child fitting her description was found dead inside a home in merced. her mother has been taken in with charges. >> reporter: the story started out as a missing persons case here in hayward and it has made its way to merced. we talked to a family member who knows the 8-year-old girl and she believes this story has ended in tragedy. >> just complete and total shock. so hard to believe. >> reporter: melanie says she has known sophia since she was born. her aunt raised sophia's mother. and when sophia came along, she raised her, too. it was devastating when she found out she was missing. >> we saw her a few months ago and now it doesn't seem real. >> the hayward police department

asked the public to be on the lookout for her when a family member said she hadn't been seen since december. melanie that keeping in contact with sophia was a problem. >> periodically her mom would come in her life and take her away and say she would raise her on her own and she didn't need my aunt to do it for her. but she was not mentally competent to do it on her own. >> sources tell nbc bay area that sophia's mother, samantha johnson, told a family member that she had given her 8-year-old daughter away. detectives spent days looking for her and that led to a hotel where johnson was arrested. >> she gave some inconsistent statements. hayward police finally reached out to our agency and asked if we could check on an address. >> reporter: police got a search warrant and found the body of a young child and they believe it

belongs to sophia. johnson tonight is in jail on unrelated charges. the coroner has yet to identify the young body. reporting live in hayward. i'm cheryl hurd. nbc bay area news. >> thank you. the details on that fiery cal train collision in san branno. it now appears t train tra ot beble for some time. the ntsb investigators are at the season collecting efld for the next 24 hours. the latest findings is that after the train slammed into the construction equipment, it traveled more than 500 feet before coming for a stop. the fuel tank was punctured in the crash which sparked the fire. all of that unfolding around 10:30 yesterday morning when the locomotive with five cars hit a construction vehicle and two cranes that were right in the middle of the tracks. there were 75 people on the tram including three crew members. 75 people went to the hospital but it was a construction worker

who suffered the most serious injuries. you're looking at video of the train. the data recorder helped figure it out. >> the train was moving about 60 miles an hour when it collided with the work train. the authorized speed limit here is a maximum of 79 miles per hour. >> now, cal train can't start repairing the trucks until the onsite investigation is complete. at this time no, time line as to when trains had resume service. tonight a show of solidarity for ukraine in sonoma county. this is the russian river valley for ukraine. the guerneville bridge, you see it there, lit up in blue and yellow. dozens of people gathered for the lighting. many holding signs for ukraine. among them, a woman and her sister and children are just from the war zone.

her husband stayed behind to fight. >> i am hoping -- >> this is the third bridge over the russian river to be lit up . two others also in blue and yellow. in ukraine, the russian military appears to be expanding its assault with shelling and damaging a cancer hospital. it happened in the city of mykolaiv. several@hundred patients were inside at the time. russian troops also hit the city of dnipro. the death toll growing in the city of mariupol. nearly 1,600 people have died there. the city without power for a week now, and ukraine accusing the russians of deliberately preventing civilians from escaping the city. the number of people fleeing also growing.

some 2.5 million people have left ukraine since the start of the invasion. this evening we spoke with the san rafael woman who is from ukraine. she moved to the bay area nine years ago but her family is still there. she told us her sister had to leave her 18-year-old son and her husband behind because both are required to stay and fight. angelica said she feels hopeless living here while so many are suffering back home. >> i have this father that i will never see them again. it is so scary. i just want to go there and be with them. >> the restaurant where she is working is rallying around her. in a show of support, they have stopped serving russian vodka. it is the thing to do now, right? compare gas praise. would you believe more than $7 a gallon in menlo park.

some are pressuring big oil companies to reveal how much they're, he in profits. one of the most expensive stations in the bay area. >> reporter: this chevron is one of the closest gas stations and it has the heyest prices we've seen yet. $6.71 for reg, all the way to premium for $7.9 a gallon. >> it is a ways to the next one and i need a little gas to pick up my son from tennis. i'm just doing a little bit. i wouldn't normally come here. >> reporter: another neighbor saw us and stopped by to weigh in. >> look at the praise. >> live around here, you're not stopping here. >> no. we're looking for cheap gas. >> reporter: the shell down the street was about the same. right now aaa says californians spend $1.40 more per gallon than the national average. a consumer watch dog group are

pushing for relief by pressuring big oil, not just from big price hikes either. asking that they disclose their margins. >> today we're asking the oil company, let's end the game of smoke and mirrors. open your book and show the public. >> reporter: the prices leading to more gas stealing down south, according to this north hollywood mechanic. he's repairing more gas tanks than ever before. >> i'm really surprised. >> reporter: the same thieves are poking holes in the tanks to steal the haley flammable gas which costs the victims up to $2,000 to repair. >> it is very, very dangerous. it could blow up the whole thing. neighborhoods, it could burn up a car. >> reporter: drivers are not sure legislation will help in the short term as praise continue to jump. >> it's crazy.

ian cull. now ordering a ride or some food is about to cost you more too. uber in response to the gas prices. it can vary on the distance and gas prices in each state. that extra money will go to the drivers who pay for their own gas. according to aaa, the average price for gas across the u.s., not here in california where it is more expensive, is about $4 a gallon. and that's the highest it's been in the u.s. since 2008. are you looking for a way to save? our website nbcbayarea.com is a great resource. click on the link in the trending bar. it is finally over. in less than an hour, california's school mask mandate ends. the majority of school districts will make masks optional starting monday but there are some notable exceptions. in not is a jose, the allen rock

school district is keeping its mask mandate in place for the rest of the school year. the franklin mckinley district is mandating masks until the end of april. the superintendent said he can't take chance because his schools are in the community ravaged by the virus. >> these are public health decisions and i don't think that public schools need to be making those decisions. this is where we're at. >> oakland unified will continue to require masks another two weeks. san francisco is among the districts lifting its mask mandates keeping in line with state policy. more pandemic regulations are being dropped. today san francisco and berkeley lifted their mandates requiring proof of vaccinations or indoor businesses.get into that includes gyms, bars, restaurant this waslier today at the 24 hour fitness. business owners can still choose to check your vaccine cards and you'll still have to show proof of evacuation at big event like large concerts or warriors

games, for example. >> the reality is we had no idea what we were in for. two years ago today is the day the world health organization declared covid-19 a global pandemic. covid was spreading all over the globe. days later, health officers from six bay area counties issued the country's first stay-at-home order. santa clara county health officer dr. sara cody quickly became the face of that enforcement. >> this has been a very difficult time but it is also been an enormous, enormous privilege. i never, never, never imagined i would be doing this kanld of work. public health folks are usually, we're the behind the scenes look who prevent the bad stuff from happening. we don't usually do the type of work that we've been doing the last two years. >> dr. cody said going forward, we do have tools to help protect ourselves against covid, we know

how to have ventilation, how to staff vaccination sites as needed and we know we should be vaccinated, she says. we are back in 60 seconds with a revealing conversation with sheriff laurie smith. the reason she said she's turning in her badge. plus, bouncing back from the caldor fire. the weekend you may want to mark on your calendar. right now, dense fog advisory underway. misty skas for now but find

up in flames. new v fromhe south waive. a clo call for a man in campbell. his suv caught fire. thankfully, that man escaped without injury. as for what was inside, investigators say he was in the process of moving and his suv was packed with his belongings. the firefighters jumped into action and managed to salvage most of those belongings. so why retire now? sheriff laurie smith said she will not seek re-election in january. that decision comes on the heels of controversies, from accusations of corruption to

misconduct to supervisors saying they've lost confidence in her. robert handa sat down with her. >> the sheriff said she isn't resigning but will not run again for the office she's held for 24 years. it is clear she's already starting to say her goodbyes and the ongoing scandal and legal are the rea why. >> for thio be the end of my er really, really hurts. and with the way the internet is and everything, i have to put this to rest, to save the reputation that i've earned over all those years. >> reporter: 49 years, to be exact. when she first put on a badge in 1973. >> you couldn't even take the test for deputy sheriff if you were a woman. that's why i was a deputy sheriff matron. so i've been in as long as i can. having almost a 50-year career is amazing. i'm so fortunate. >> reporter: but she admits the glow of being the first woman ever elected sheriff in

california has faded as she now battles corruption and misconduct charges, accusations that led to a no confidence vote by the board of supervisors and numerous calls for her to resign shelf calls the grand jury process in this case an arbitrary abuse of power. >> i know the truth and i know what will come out. >> abuse of power by who? >> abuse of power by those in power. the board of supervisors certainly jeff rosen. >> reporter: when asked about her comment, jeff rosen applied in a statement, we will soon have a new sheriff. this county deserves a sheriff who has the highest integrity and the trust of the community to protect and serve fairly and professionally. >> i'm a street fighter. i will see this through. >> reporter: then why not run again? >> it's the public. it's not fair to the public to have this kind of a distraction. >> reporter: smith says history

will show a department that accomplished a lot under her leadership including solving major cases such as the sierra lamar kidnapping and the bravery of deputies at the vta mass shooting. >> what is the legacy of laurie smith? >> i think the legacy is tarnished until this is over. i think the legacy will be what we've done together. >> reporter: nbc bay area news. in san francisco, new beginning for the public schools. mayor breed appointed three new members to the school board, replacing the three members who were recalled last month. they were sworn in in a ceremony at galileo academy of science and technology. all three are parent with children in the district. they join a board facing big challenges, including a massive budget gap, frustrated parents and low employee morale. >> i hope to support the summits and really focus on the students

and the students' needs, the budget priorities ahead of us, and bring a calm voice and open door for families and our educators. >> the mayor that she sought input from parents and educators on what kind of leadership they were looking for before making today's appointments. she was the only blackboard member on the board of directors of b.a.r.t. she's been stripped of her seat. b.a.r.t. said it is because she moved away. she said her new address was still within the boundaries. the situation was made more confusing because this week b.a.r.t.'s board included a redistricting plan. it now includes her new home as part of district seven. some say there should be an investigation into the agency's decision. b.a.r.t. said it is looking to fill the district seven position in the next 60 days. a plan to rescue berkeley.

last week a judge froze campus enrollment. it came in response to claims by neighbors in berkeley that the university failed to review the impact of growth on homelessness, noise and housing. today, the san francisco assemblyman introduced the bill allowing courts to cap enrollment only if a campus fails to certify an environmental review within 18 months of a legal order. if it passes, cal won't have to turn away students and it will have more time to organize the environmental review. new at 11:00, it's not the 75th anniversary season they had planned. but sierra tahoe is trying to make the most of it. you may remember it was damaged in the caldor fire last summer. they were not able to open because the crews were rebuilding the chair lifts and things that were destroyed in the fire. today they opened people back in

for one weekend only. >> i think it speaks to the resiliency of the mountain that we've been around 75 years. this at some point will just be another chapter in our story. >> reporter: they are planning for a full reopening next winter. >> we saw the flames right there on the mountain. so nice to see it open. >> seeing the snow blowers being used as water guns. >> yeah. all right. what about the weekend? >> speaking of the sierras, a chance of snow flurries. south lake tahoe, right now 28 degrees. the report shows you a few snow flurries possible on sunday night. the temperatures this weekend, easy travel. if you're headed up there, we'll see more spring, early spring. if you want to talk about that. >> another four to six inches of

snow. north of interstate 80, we'll probably have a better chance of getting more snow as we get into tuesday next week. dense fog advisory through tomorrow. i would not be surprised to see it move into the morning as we moved into 30s and 40s. we finish in the mid 70s tomorrow. we're looking at highs in the upper 60s around san jose, mid 60s in the tri-valley, here we go, hour by hour, i think the best opportunity for a drizzle storm or brief light rain will be right around 6:00 there in sonoma county. probably from 8:00 at night saturday to 8:00 a.m. sunday morning. mostly cloudy. as we head into the afternoon, we should see clearing. partly cloudy skies as we head into sunday afternoon. just enough to barely register here. it could wet the roadways for a

few areas as we wake up sunday morning. our better chance for sierra snow and maybe some north bay rain comes up on tuesday. this next storm has more moisture to work with. especially for lake county and sonoma county. it does fall apart though heading south of san francisco. i think the best areas will be north of san francisco. and the time change, spring forward this weekend. set your clocks one hour forward as you go to bed saturday night into sunday. we could wake up to some drizzle and maybe some showers on tuesday. >> your cell phone gives you the right time. it's just your microwave and oven. >> remember back in the old days we had to go through everything? the pandas who inspired pixar's new film and the local teenage here stars in the movie. in those years have teaching

alongside him, did you ever think this might be his path? >> not in a million years, no. >> a man accused of terrorizing a san francisco neighborhood, they're speaking out. in saving san francisco, we go to the home town of james, to find out how his story started. you can catch up on the first two episodes. happening now, a new covid scare in china. the covid city is on lockdown. about 9 million people are now required to remain home with one family member permitted to venture out and buy food and other necessities every two days. all residents must undergo mass testing. this comes as china hits the highest number of new cov.

a legendary bay area chef has died. sally smith and her husband opened the french laundry in 1978. she died at the age of 90. yountville was much quieter back then but it became a hit. the couple sold in it 1994.

her passing comes a month before her long-awaited memoir. it will be published next month. he was not messing around. the search is on for the burglar who used a forklift to steal an atm in brentwood. it happened this morning right before 5:00 in the morning. officers got the alarm and when they got there, it was gone. the burglar also stole the forklift from a nearby construction site. they were later found abandoned with the amp tm fully intact. no money was taken. >> he tried. or she tried. we'll tell but the giant'

okay. it is going to get crazy this weekend. baseball teams frantically signing free agents, they can trade, players have to be at spring training. monday, sunday? >> by sunday. >> less than two days! >> they were not able to do it because. lockout but now they can. the giants picking up an all-star pitcher. this is a big deal. rlos rodon from the white sox. he reportedly agrees to a two-year deal worth about $44 million. he had some iy issues but heoming off the best season of his career. and giants fans, get used to this. by the way, they open at china basin april 8th against the marlins. congratulations, the san antonio spurs head coach, greg pop. tonight pop becomes the all time winningest coach in history. he never smiled. >> never?

>> no. and he smiled tonight. he broke a smile there. the spurs beat the jazz and one of popovich's best friends, warriors coach steve okay. picture this. some of the world's best animators hanging out at the zoo. that's what happened when pixar decided to make a movie about red pandas and teenagers. they didn't have to look far for the red pandas. they headed to the san francisco zoo. as for the teen, meet 16-year-old rosalie of fremont. she's been watching herself as an animated character. >> the gates open and angels start singing. it starts glowing.

and then the entire ambience. >> it is already on disney's streaming app. it will play the grand lake theater in oakland. >> we have a fremont person right there in the car. >> super! tonight, russian forces intensifying their attacks on ukraine as troops close in on kyiv and other critical cities. the new images, russian missiles targeting the central city of dnipro for the first time ukrainian officials saying a school and apartment building were destroyed ukrainian troops in a fierce fire fight near the capital, kyiv. new satellite images of that massive russian convoy outside the city what the u.s. military believes it's now doing. and the pregnant woman injured in the attack on a maternity hospital the hopeful news we'll share about her. also tonight, growing fears russia may use chemical weapons in ukraine president biden warning russia would

pay a severe price as the u.s. bans russian vodka and more the late winter storm on the move tonight. 57 million on alert from texas to maine. al roker timing it out. gas prices hitting another new record just before spring break. how much more your family may spend this year as the pandemic officially enters its third year, our report on covid long haulers spending thousands on expensive treatments but do they work and celebrating the "sesame street" star beloved by kids for more than four decades. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt good evening, everyone back from assignment in ukraine and good to be with you on this friday evening the footprint of russia's war in ukraine expanding tonight. targets struck in the west and center of the country for the first time today and more claims of russians targeting civilians. but nowhere is the situation more dire than the city of mariupol