This is eyewitness news at 6.
Good evening and thanks for joining us for eyewitness news at six. I'm Jennifer Moulliet.

 

Several Wal-mart employees from Lithonia are suspended for allegedly beating a shoplifter to death.
The workers followed a man suspected of stealing DVD players from the Atlanta area store out into the parking lot around 1:30 this morning.
When police arrived they found the employees on top of the man and the suspected shoplifter was unresponsive and bleeding from the nose and mouth.
He was later pronounced dead at DeKalb Medical-Hillandale hospital.
Officials are investigating the incident.

 

A Valdosta State college freshman from the Atlanta metro area, will be laid to rest next week.
17-year-old Jasmine Benjamin was found dead on campus last Sunday.
Police say her body was found on a couch in a dorm.
An autopsy suggests foul play was involved but details have not been released.
Valdosta State Police tell us they are reviewing surveillance video.

 

 

The University of Georgia is taking on a new strategic plan that includes more spending on research but how they'll pay for it is unknown.
The Athens Banner Herald reports the new plan aims to hire researchers and also calls for new and renovated buildings, increased graduate enrollment and more compensation for graduate workers.
The University will get about $389 million this year in state funding. That's $53 million less than a decade ago.
Increases in tuition and fees should make up for the lost revenue and help pay for an increasing budget.
Jerome Legge an associate in academic planning for the university says the strategic plan is a blueprint for where the school wants to go.

 

The midnight train isn't the only one that came to Georgia ... Tom George went to the Museum of Aviation to take a look at their annual exhibit that goes beyond just planes...
"All aboard Thomas ... All aboard James!"
The Museum of Aviation may be known for flying, but Sunday, it was all about the track.
"I wasn't expecting trains to be everywhere in here."
From Thomas the Tank Engine, to cargo freight trains ... A fun time for the whole family.
"Brought the kids out here, just wanted them to see what they had to show .. And man it's really cool all the detail that they put into these things."
Details put together by the Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club .. A group that says their hobby lets them live a second childhood.
"Is it fun doing that?" "It is if you can get an immediate response. It's not fun if your engine doesn't perform."
Others started later in life.
"Once I found that I had the creative ability, then I just stayed with it and so I've been like I said since '68."
The exhibit featured scale displays and got kids excited.
"I've been wanting to grow up and be one .. A train engineer."
"And it always has to stop, why does it always have to stop?"
It's all controlled by dials that show speed and direction ... But since I was an amateur, they only trusted me with their "baby throttle."
"Turning it forward ... And there it goes! Full speed ahead .. Nevermind .. We got a collision .. But that's all of the game."
And for visitors, all part of the fun.
"Because I like these ... All of them .. And that's it."
In Warner Robins, Tom George, 13WMAZ Eyewitness News.
In case you were wondering, those trains are usually around 80 to 100 times smaller than the trains in real life.

 

 

So how did stores on Black Friday fair out? Apparently, full stomachs after Thanksgiving dinners put people in the mood for some real shopping.
Customers flocked to stores on Thanksgiving day to scoop up "doorbuster" deals.
A record 247 million shoppers visited stores and websites in the post-Thanksgiving Black Friday weekend this year.
The National Retail Federation says that's 21 million more people than last year.
Shoppers also spent more; an average of 423-dollars over the weekend.
Total spending over the four-day weekend reached just over 59-billion-dollars, up six-and-a-half billion from 2011.

 

 

Now that black friday is over... What about Cyber Monday.
CBS' Ron Sanders has some tips for you if you're going to continue you're shopping online. On the first official day of the online shopping season, the words "Cyber Monday" are music to retailers' ears.
The concept originated five years ago among internet retailers, but now that many more shoppers are on line, brick-and-mortar stores depend on it to boost sales.
"Which one, the big one?'
Craig Caplan owns Unique Boutique, a push cart business at Downtown Crossing, but he is also a consumer.
CRAIG CAPLAN: "I think at some point today, I'll check E-Bay, look at buy-dot-com and Best Buy just to see if there's better deals now than on Black Friday."
The National Retail Foundation says 70-million people are shopping online from work this Cyber Monday. Does it now qualify as a seasonal tradition? Will we always have Cyber Monday in the retail business?
CAPLAN: "I think we will, Ron, just like we'll always have Black Friday. We now have a Small Business Saturday."
SANDERS BRIDGE: "What's different about Cyber Monday now? You don't have to be in front of your home computer or even the one at the office to shop online. You can be out here on the street and use your smart phone."
NAKAYA WIGGINS: "And I plan on buying as PlayStation 3 and a TV." Reporter: "Online?"
Wiggins: "Yeah."
Reporter: "With your smart phone?" Wiggins: "Yeah."
Reporter: "This is Cyber Monday. Do think it's necessary to shop online on Cyber Monday?"
Wiggins: "It's a lot easier. No lines. No crowds."
No wonder more shoppers went online on Black Friday. The research firm ComScore says online sales last Friday (11/26) reached six hundred-48-million dollars. That would make Black Friday the biggest day of online spending so far this year.
Cyber Monday is deemed the biggest online shopping day of the year.

 

 

The holiday season is just getting under way and with it comes many opportunities for fraud.
The Toronto Police recovered a large stash of toys they say disappeared from a Salvation Army warehouse and say they are doing everything possible to find who is responsible for the thefts.
Cristina Mutchler reports.
THE SALVATION ARMY, PREPARING TO KICK OFF ITS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS KETTLE CAMPAIGN FOR NEEDY FAMILIES, HAS DISCOVERED THAT SOME OF THE DONATIONS WENT ELSEWHERE.
100 THOUSAND TOYS AND BOXLOADS OF FOOD WORTH AN ESTIMATED TWO-MILLION DOLLARS WERE TAKEN FROM A SALVATION ARMY WAREHOUSE IN TORONTO.
POLICE RECOVERED MANY OF THE STOLEN ITEMS LAST FRIDAY AT A STORAGE FACILITY NEAR BRAMPTON, ONTARIO, ENOUGH LOOT TO FILL UP THREE TRACTOR TRAILERS.
"The officers did locate toys, personal products, as well as items that were donated to the salvation army."
THE SALVATION ARMY SUSPECTS THE ALLEGED THEFTS WERE AN INSIDE JOB, WITH THE GOODS BEING MOVED GRADUALLY OVER A TWO-YEAR TIME FRAME.
"We're dedicated to the investigation ..we're doing everything possible to find who's responsible."
THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN LAST AUGUST BASED ON A TIP FROM A WHISTLEBLOWER. SOON AFTERWARDS, THE SALVATION ARMY FIRED THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ITS TORONTO WAREHOUSE.
CANADIANS ARE INFURIATED OVER THE THEFTS BUT THEIR GENEROSITY IS IN TUNE WITH THE SEASON -- DONATIONS TO THE SALVATION ARMY ARE POURING IN.

 

 

Take a look at this...
A circus camel briefly escapes to the surprise of onlookers in Glendale, California.
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Ramos Brothers Circus"
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 30 YEARS THE CIRCUS COMES TO GLENDALE...AND BOY DID IT MAKE A SPLASH.
NOT FOR WHAT HAPPENED UNDER THE BIG TOP, BUT JUST OUTSIDE IT.
WATCH THIS VIDEO OF A CAMEL RUNNING DOWN GLENDALE BOULEVARD.
"The last thing you want to see is a camel let loose on the street, so it was a little bizarre."
THAT CAMEL IS ACTUALLY FOUR YEAR OLD "ATULA" BORN RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
"ATULA" IS PART OF THE RAMOS BROTHERS CIRCUS FROM GUADALAJARA, MEXICO .
"This is the good girl, the good girl camel"
ACCORDING TO HER HANDLERS SHE WAS ABOUT TO BE TAKEN INSIDE THE RING FOR SOME EXERCISE, BUT WASN'T TOO EXCITED ABOUT A NEW TRAINER PUTTING ON HER HARNESS.
SO SHE SIMPLY TOOK A WALK AND THEN A GALLOP UNTIL TRAINERS CAUGHT UP WITH HER ACROSS THE STREET AT THE MOBILE STATION.
"I see like ten people run after this camel, all cars stop ..it's complete chaos on Glendale Avenue. I don't think that street has seen so much action"
NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT TRAFFIC DID STOP UNTIL "ATULA" WAS SAFELY BACK IN HER ENCLOSURE.
IN HER SHORT FOUR YEARS HER TRAINERS SAY SHE HAS NEVER RUN AWAY, BUT APPARENTLY SHE'S THE TYPE THAT LETS YOU KNOW WHEN SHE'S NOT UP TO DOING SOMETHING.
"we would had a tiger or elephant running I would not liked to see 'em because we have enough mountain lions in Glendale.

 

That's it for the show. Join us back her for eyewitness news at eleven.
But remember the news is always on at 13WMAZ dot com
Have a good evening.