5 Things to Know This Morning

5 Things to Know This Morning

ByABC News
April 14, 2015, 5:49 AM
Danielle Meitiv waits with her son Rafi Meitiv, Jan. 16, 2015.
Danielle Meitiv waits with her son Rafi Meitiv, Jan. 16, 2015.
Sammy Dallal/For The Washington Post/Getty Images

— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1. Maryland 'Free Range' Kids Taken Into Custody Again

Two children in Silver Spring, Maryland were taken into custody again after they were found at a park alone; their parents are proponents of what’s known as “free-range parenting,” a philosophy that encourages kids to explore their independence.

Officers responded to a report of children without an adult at a park Sunday afternoon, according to The Associated Press, and took the 10-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl to Maryland Child Protective Services.

The children have since been released to their parents, Danielle and Alexander Meitiv, Montgomery County police told ABC News.

2. A Look at the Oklahoma Reserve Deputy, 73, Charged in Fatal Stun-Gun Mix-Up

The 73-year-old reserve deputy in Oklahoma charged with second-degree manslaughter in what authorities have called the “inadvertent” shooting death of a suspect "never intended in his 73 years of life to take a human life," a Tulsa County Sheriff's Office spokesman told ABC News before the DA announced the formal charge.

Reserve deputy Robert Bates shot and killed Eric Harris April 2 after the deputy allegedly mistook his handgun for a stun-gun, officials said.

After seeing video of the shooting, Maj. Shannon Clark told ABC News earlier, "You can tell it was inadvertent. The gun popped out of his [Bates] hand. He wasn't expecting a recoil.”

3. Jodi Arias Pleads for Parole in Her 'Final Fight for My Life'

Convicted murderer Jodi Arias spoke in her own defense in the final sentencing hearing in her years-long murder trial.

After two different juries were unable to reach a unanimous decision when it came to the death penalty, it was left to Judge Stephens to rule whether or not Arias should be eligible for parole in 25 years, as Arias was asking. Instead, the judge gave Arias the maximum sentence -- life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Arias, convicted in 2013 of murdering her on again-off again boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in 2008, addressed the court after three of Alexander’s sisters made their own emotional case for the maximum sentence and Arias' mother spoke on her behalf.

4. Alaska Airlines Ramp Agent Found in Cargo Hold After Banging Alerts Pilot

A Sea-Tac airport worker fell asleep in the hold of an Alaska Airlines flight and didn't wake up until it took off, but the pilot, hearing banging, turned the plane around, the airline said tonight.

The pilot of Alaska Airlines flight 448, bound for Los Angeles, heard banging after takeoff from beneath the plane, the company said in a statement.

"The captain immediately returned to Seattle, declaring an emergency for priority landing. The aircraft was in the air for 14 minutes," the airline said. "After landing, the ramp agent was found inside the front cargo hold, which is pressurized and temperature controlled. The ramp agent appeared OK, and was transported to the hospital as a precaution. We are actively investigating the matter."

5. ‘Dancing With the Stars’ 2015: Suzanne Somers Voted Off In Week 5 of Season 20

Actress-turned-entrepreneur Suzanne Somers was voted off ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” Monday during a show dedicated to classic Disney films.

Even though Somers and “The Bachelor” star Chris Soules were both in jeopardy of going home based on their performances from last week’s show, Somers, 68, ended up being voted off because she had the lowest combined total of viewer votes and judges’ scores for foxtrot.

The foxtrot was a tribute to “Three’s Company,” the hit 70s sitcom that shot Somers to stardom.