>> ACTION NEWS NOW, NEWS AT
5:00, EYE ON PHOENIX. >> GOOD EVENING.
I'M JACK TRAP. >> I'M BETH RUNION.
OUR TOP STORY, CHAOS AT THE CANYON GALLERIA SHOPPING CENTER
TODAY AS AN UNDERGROUND GAS MAIN EXPLODED GIVING SHOPPERS QUITE A
SCARE. AT THE AMERICAN GIRL STORE.
LUCKILY NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT.
>> ACTION 9'S BEN HARTLY IS LIVE AT THE CANYON GALLERIA, IN
DOWNTOWN PHOENIX. BEN, QUITE A SCENE DOWN THERE
TODAY. >> Reporter: YOU CAN SAY THAT
AGAIN JACK. I'M JOINED BY DEBBIE PRECHARD,
AND THOMAS DEAN. TWO CUSTOMERS WHO WERE INSIDE
THE AMERICAN GIRL STORE WHEN THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED.
MY FIRST QUESTION OBVIOUSLY, ARE YOUR CHILDREN OKAY?
>> YES, MY DAUGHTER IS FINE, SHE'S IN THE CAR WITH HER DAD.
>> Reporter: AND YOU MR. DEAN? >> OH, I DON'T HAVE CHILDREN.
I HAD JUST BRIEFLY POPPED INTO AMERICAN GIRL STORE TO BUY A
DOLL FOR SOMEONE ELSE. IT WAS NOT FOR ME.
IT WAS A GIFT. >> Reporter: OKAY.
NOW WAS THERE ANY WARNING? WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT BEFORE THE
EXPLOSION? WHAT HAPPENED?
>> I WAS IN LINE BEHIND MR. DEAN WHO WAS BUYING HIS DOLL.
>> AS A GIFT. >> AND HE WAS ARGUING WITH THE
SALESPERSON SAYING HIS DOLL'S HAIR STYLE LOOKED SLOPPY AND NOT
OF THE PERIOD. >> YEAH, AND THEN THE EXPLOSION
HAPPENED, JUST LIKE A BOOM. >> YES, EXACTLY, AND ACTUALLY, I
NEED TO THANK MR. DEAN, BECAUSE MY LOST THOUGHT BEFORE THE
EXPLOSION WAS THIS GROWN MAN IS ALL ALONE IN A DOLL STORE AND
HE'S SCREAMING ABOUT HIS DOLL'S HAIR STYLE.
>> I BARELY RAISED MY VOICE. WASN'T SCREAMING.
>> AND I THOUGHT THAT'S REALLY WEIRD.
>> YEAH, NOT IF IT'S A GIFT THOUGH.
NOT IF IT'S A GIFT. >> AND I SORT OF -- I
INSTINCTIVELY HUGGED MY DAUGHTER CLOSER TO ME TO PROTECT HER.
AND THAT ACTUALLY SAVED HER FROM SOME FALLING GLASS.
>> Reporter: WOW, WOW. WELL THANK GOD YOU WERE OBSESSED
WITH YOUR DOLL'S HAIR STYLE. >> IT WAS MORE THAT IT WAS
MESSY. UPPER CLASS GIRLS IN THE 1920S
WERE ALWAYS VERY PUT TOGETHER, SO I'M TOLD.
IT WAS A GIFT. IT WAS SO CHAOTIC.
>> Reporter: YEAH, YEAH, I BET. JACK AND BETH, CAN YOU BELIEVE
WHAT YOU ARE HEARING? >> NO.
I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY HIS DOLL, RIGHT?
>> YES. WE ARE JOINED NOW VIA SATELLITE
BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF CANYON ROCK GAS, KAREN KELLER.
THANKS FOR SPEAKING WITH US, MS. KELLER.
>> MY PLEASURE. >> NOW, SHOULD RESIDENTS BE
CONCERNED BY THIS? >> THERE'S NO REASON TO PANIC,
JUST BECAUSE A GROWN MAN COLLECTS DOLLS, IT DOESN'T MEAN
HE'S A PREDATOR. >> I'M SORRY, MS. KELLER -- I'M
SORRY IF I WASN'T CLEAR. I WAS REFERRING TO THE GAS MAIN
EXPLOSION. >> OH, YES, THAT'S VERY BAD.
>> WELL, THANK YOU, MS. KELLER. >> LET'S CHECK BACK IN WITH BEN
DOWN AT THE SCENE. BEN?
>> Reporter: YEAH, JACK, BETH, I'M HERE WITH ANOTHER
EYEWITNESS, MS. BECCA SIMS, AN EMPLOYEE AT THE AMERICAN GIRL
STORE. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAPPENED?
>> YES, I WORK IN THE CAFE WHERE DOLL OWNERS CAN EAT WITH THEIR
DOLLS. AND I WAS SETTING UP A TABLE FOR
THE GENTLEMAN YOU WERE SPEAKING WITH EARLIER, MR. DEAN, AND HIS
DOLL, KIRSTEN. >> THAT WASN'T ME, THAT WAS
SOMEONE ELSE. >> NO, IT WAS HIM.
HE HANDED ME A $20 BILL AND SAID GET US A TABLE WITH A VIEW.
KIRSTEN'S NEW MONEY, NOT TROLLEY TRASH.
>> THEN THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED. JUST LIKE A BOOCHLT DO YOU
REMEMBER THE EXPLOSION. >> CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT.
>> IT WAS JUST A BOOM OUT OF NOWHERE.
>> Reporter: NO, I MEAN, THE PHRASE "TROLLEY TRASH."
>> OH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW. IN THE 1920S LOWER CLASS
PROSTITUTES WOULD OFTEN LOOK FOR CUSTOMERS ON TROLLEY CARTS.
SO, I'M TOLD. IT'S A GIFT.
OH, MY GOD. THIS IS CRAZY.
>> Reporter: OKAY, BETH, JACK, I SEE AN EMERGENCY SERVICE WORKER
HERE. SIR, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
SITUATION INSIDE THE STORE? >> SURE.
WELL, LUCKILY WE HAVE NO INJURIES EXCEPT FOR THIS LITTLE
LADY WE FOUND ON THE GROUND. >> SHE'S GOING TO BE ON TV, SHE
MIGHT AS WELL HAVE A HAT. IT'S A GIFT.
>> OKAY. WELL, THE -- STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
IS EXTENSIVE, AND RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE AMERICAN GIRL
STORE IS GOING TO BE CLOSED FOR AT LEAST EIGHT MONTHS.
>> DOES THAT INCLUDE THE SALON ON THE SECOND FLOOR?
>> THE WHOLE BUILDING. >> OOH.
>> Reporter: WELL THANKS FOR TALKING WITH US.
JACK, BETH, BACK TO YOU IN THE STUDIO.
>> WELL, QUITE AN ORDEAL FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS DOWN THERE.
>> HE WILL BE FINE. THERE'S ANOTHER AMERICAN GIRL
STORE IN TEMPE. >> JACK --
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
