Parents charged with murder in death of 9-year-old; Birth control for city rat infestation?

Cyclists are taking over the streets of Philadelphia. We're live at the finish line of the Philly bike ride. What's your name? Maya. Say her name. Maya. A community coming together to remember a nine-year-old girl who police say was killed by her mom and stepfather. The disturbing discovery from doctors. When I saw that rat, I said, oh man, please, not again. Not again, please. Neighbors say they're fed up as leaders work to resolve a severe rat infestation in parts of Northeast Philadelphia. Now PETA is urging the city to consider rat birth control. Good Day Philadelphia weekend starts right now. From the Fox 29 studios this is Good Day Philadelphia weekend. Good morning we're taking a live look at the Center City skyline on this beautiful Saturday morning. A little chilly outside so definitely grab your jacket before you start your day happy saturday everyone it is october 17th i'm morgan parish we're so glad you're starting your morning off with drew and i drew happy saturday good to see i love seeing that art house steps we had our colleague shane going like rocky in the background i love it it's a good day i know it is a great day it feels good it was like cool air when i stepped out the door this morning dry in a lot of spots not everyone's dry but we're making improvement hey good and i gotta tell you while it's cool today it is cold this time tomorrow get ready this time tomorrow we have the coldest weather in six months we'll be in the 30s in so many spots those 50s never sounded so good all right we got some wet boards down the shore take a look at that atlantic city we've just dried out in wilmington it's been dry for a while in the Lehigh Valley, my hometown of Westchester looking great look at some of that fall color that's showing up in the distance past the old courthouse. So that's what we've got right now. Here is that rain. It's coming down good in Kent County, Delaware, and across parts of the shore. So down the shore in Cape May and Atlantic County, still coming down. And the rain's on the lighter side in Salem County, Gloucester County, Camden County. It'll be a few hours, but this slides on out of here, and eventually we get rid of these gloomy skies and everyone gets sunshine by the end of the day. If you're down the shore, it'll take some time to get that sun. Here's what's going on. See all this green right there? It is riding a cold front, and this cold front means business. See all that cold weather? That is what's on the way for later today and tomorrow. Yeah, those 30s the Midwest have for us tomorrow morning. In the meantime, we've got a mix of low 50s and upper 40s across our area, and the winds kick up later today to really pull down the cold air so we get stuck in the 50s. And eventually there's that sun on the way for this afternoon, but look how chilly it stays as we roll right through the afternoon and you'll see that airflow coming down from the north just to give you that shot of cold air how much wind we talking we're talking wind gusts at 30 to 40 miles an hour there's the skies eventually clearing for you and we even get those skies clear down the shore but yeah how about that wind today the wind stops tonight which allows for the frost tomorrow morning just because it is that cold so it's a frosty start for tailgating as for the game it won't be windy but it certainly will be cool with numbers in the 50s but we do have a lot of sun tomorrow that's a check of the forecast morning back over to you all right sounds good thanks drew back outside we go and we're taking a live look at the Ben Franklin Bridge before you head out and about today let's get a check on the roadways here's Bob Kelly good Saturday morning everybody come on meet me at Ardmore Day later on today at 11 o'clock right there along Lancaster Avenue you got the dog parade bring the pooch with the Halloween outfit on Swoop the Eagles cheerleaders will be there plus the vintage car show Ardmore Day I'll see you there at 11 o'clock this morning and then down the shore they're racing the monster trucks on the beach they got the fall festival at Fox Park and then later on tonight the big oldie spectacular at the convention center plus we're filling the truck from 12 to 2 for the Lazarus House at Burke and Pacific Aves enjoy the rest of your Saturday we'll see you back here tomorrow morning a good day happening now the Philly bike ride is underway it's a 20 mile course from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Rocky Steps and of course our very own Ellen is out there at the finish line and Ellen I'm wondering do you have your running or your biking cycling shoes on no never Morgan I never dress appropriately for these events because i know i won't be partaking but it is a little chilly out here oh Michaela which is laughing a little too hard at that the the photographer. It's a little chilly out here for this fifth annual Philly bike ride, but people are starting to gather here at the finish line. Now, 7,000 riders from around the country and the world have descended upon Philadelphia for this major fall event. It started at 7:30 and will end here at the Art Museum. Now, organizers call it a cruise at your own pace event for people of all ages and abilities. 20 miles of 100% car-free streets winding through Chinatown, Independence Mall, Penn's Landing, and Boathouse Row, so cyclists can check out some iconic Philly landmarks along the way. There's also a shorter option that's 7.6 miles for families. Now, after the race is over, there's a big festival out here. They're getting ready. You can hear the music. They'll have food vendors, the music, games, so it will be a party. Proceeds from this race help different programs throughout the city, including the Graduation on Wheels program that launched last year. Now, that helps promote cycling education in Philadelphia public schools oh we can see some of the the bikers here looks like they're just starting to make their way around so again 20 miles is a is a long race but uh the 7.6 mile one is more family friendly so we are seeing some of the bikers so that's good but it will not be me morgan all right maybe next time ellen i know i know you i know you're active i know you can do it maybe all right thanks ellen we'll check back in in just a little bit we're taking a live look over Redding where today's walk to end Alzheimer's is about to begin. Fox 29 is once again sponsoring the walks and today our Judea Murray will be the emcee. Registration starts at 8 30 and the walk begins at 9 45 and of course we hope to see you out there. Turning to developing news police are investigating after bomb threats disrupted classes at three different Philadelphia schools prompting lockdowns and evacuations. Police say Masterman School, Benjamin Franklin High School and the School of the Future were all targeted early yesterday morning. Masterman went into lockdown around 8.30, while the other two schools were evacuated around 9.30. Police say all three threats were unfounded, and the investigation is ongoing. Over in Gloucester County, a community is remembering a 9-year-old girl whose life was taken too soon. Maya Thomas died Tuesday. Investigators say they got a 911 call from her parents, saying she had possibly been hit by a car while walking the dog. But police say doctors found facial trauma, bruises throughout her body, and injuries not from a car. An autopsy found injuries and different stages of healing, which suggested prior abuse. Her mom, 27-year-old India Miller, and 45-year-old stepfather, Sean Scott, they were both arrested and charged with murder. Last night, the community came together for a vigil honoring Maya's life. You and I have a task. We have to do everything within our power to make sure this doesn't happen again. To any child, there's no child that should live in fear for their life. The mayor said he spoke with Maya's grandmother who lives in Washington. He says that she's hurting, but he assured her the community is with her. City leaders are working to resolve what they're calling a severe rat infestation in parts of northeast Philadelphia. Several agencies have weighed in on how to handle this issue. PETA sent a letter and a mug to Mayor Cherelle Parker. Instead of extermination, they're asking her to follow cities like Baltimore and Chicago with contraception options and garbage ordinances. The city council hasn't commented specifically on PETA's ideas and is currently starting with educational initiatives on properly storing trash. But residents in these Northeast Philly communities say they're open to trying any ideas that can bring long-term success. I think they need to put something out here, something to slow them down, something to put them to bed, anything but nothing. We're basically rolling out the red carpet for rats and then blaming them when they show up. And the truth is that all of these cruel killing methods, whether we're talking about poisons or glue traps, don't actually work to reduce rodent populations in the long term. And if you see rats in and around your home, you can call the City Department of Public Health for pest control resources.