grandson's life. >> reporter: rod rodriguez is the grandfather of the 6-year-old boy police say was injured by this man, 29-year-old daniel morris on march 7. according to the chp, morris was at the feel of this stolen ford fusion, when it struck the boy and his older brother that were on the sidewalks just steps from their home. >> they were walking to school and he said look at this earth worm. >> reporter: the car pinned the younger boy against a pole. >> she asked for help from the driver who was driving the car. he came out, looked at him, got something from the car and ran off. >> reporter: nine days later, daniel morris was arrested in the parking lot of this hayward motel. >> the subject was arrested, mr. daniel morris. and he's the primary suspect in

the hit and run that occurred on march 7 that injured a 6-year-old boy. >> the fusion was one of several cars stolen just hours before the crash from this ford dealership. a crime caught on surveillance video. rodriguez's young grandson is still in the hospital, willing lost his left leg below the knee. >> up to this date, five operations and possibly two more. i know they have good doctors and good machines to help him along, but it won't be the same. >> reporter: police are still searching for several other suspects they believe were accomplices of morrises in the car theft. a man accused of groping women inside a bookstore is off the streets tonight. police arrested this man, max

davidson. police say he grabbed several people, including a 10-year-old girl. he also exposed himself to other customers. police say he is a transient. a frightening accident on interstate 238. the crash happened in the south bound lanes just before 9:00 this morning. firefighters had to rescue the driver from the red car, which got wedged on the big rig, as you can see. the driver's condition has not been released but the juries were reported to be moderate at the time. san francisco authorities are looking for driver of this car who went over a steep embankment early this morning. witnesses say they saw two people get out of the car and walk up the hill. they talked before leaving in two separate cars. happening now, b.a.r.t. engineers are trying to solve a history problem that shut down train service on part of the pittsburgh line.

sky 7 hd is live over the site. you can see buses there right now taking people in that route where you cannot go by train. the line has been down since late morning and looks like it's going to inconvenience passengers through the night. >> reporter: that's right, kristen. this is a good old fashioned commuter nightmare. this began this morning, it continues through the afternoon and it will extend into tonight. at this moment, b.a.r.t. does not know whether it will impact tomorrow. those cars remain offline. b.a.r.t. has installed a bus bridge. for riders, it's been an

inconvenience. >> i hope they leave on time and make it on the same time i should have been when i got to bay point. >> i missed a funeral because of this situation. >> reporter: what did they tell you? >> they never told me nothing, just we have to get off the b.a.r.t. and catch a bus to pittsburgh. >> reporter: they're off the train and on the bus all right. as to the cause, b.a.r.t. isn't saying yet but it is similar to a breakdown in san francisco two weeks ago. b.a.r.t. is stressing the electrical surge to the motors in the cars is not dangerous to passengers inside. but because of the problems today, trains tomorrow will be affected. that's the latest from the north b.a.r.t. station in concord, wayne freedman, "abc7 news." north bay commuters find

themselves arriving late because of buses running late or not at all. you can blame it on a driver shortage. golden gate transit has canceled some runs all together. >> we're working really hard to make sure that we can hire as many drivers as we need to, get them on board as quickly as possible to get our services back up to the levels we believe it should be. >> some of those new drivers will begin working for golden gate transit on monday. a big closure in marin tonight. the county sheriff's department closed roughly 30 miles of the road. authorities say the road conditions are unsafe even for them. here's the reason why. this mudslide made a mess of things monday. this is near the lake alpine dam. the chp closed the door but says conditions are worse than first

thought. on monday, we told you about a couple who came to san francisco in a budget rent a truck, so excited to move here. that truck was stolen with all their belongings inside. the truck has been found, and tonight, "abc7 news" was with the couple as they look inside to see if the thieves left anything. vic lee is live at the budget truck yard with a story you'll only see on "abc7 news." >> reporter: that truck is still here in the budget yard. police told the couple that there appeared to be something still left in the truck, which the thieves either missed or left behind. so they came here to the yard at 8:00 this morning when the gates opened, hoping that they would still find some of those replaceable items in the truck. the rent a truck was stolen

march 4 from the driveway of her parent's home. this after she, her husband jeremy, and 17-month-old son austin had just arrived from san diego. they planned to move into this apartment at ucff where jeremy had just been hired as a neuro scientist. the van was abandoned in pacifica. today, the couple came to the budget yard in foster city where the truck had been towed. they hoped sentimental items could still be inside. a few things were left. >> my favorite picture. >> reporter: but erin feared the worst. >> i already know it's not here. the baby book, his mementos. >> reporter: disappointed, yes. but they're grateful to "abc7

news" viewers who have offered moral support and household items. >> it's been overwhelming, so thank you. >> reporter: vic lee, "abc7 news." video released by the san francisco police department shows the risk of leaving valuables in plain sight. this video from february 25 shows someone breaking into a vehicle on fulton vote, getting away with more than $4,000 in gear in seconds. san francisco could soon extend parking meter hours. last night, they asked staffers to 12udy the impact of charging for nighttime meters. andy lopez will have a park named after him. the 13-year-old was shot by a deputy three years ago. he was carrying a bb gun the

sheriff mistook for an ak-47. temporary memorials for andy have been set up there for years. supervisors also appropriated more than $1 million to establish the park. coming up, president obama makes his pick. >> i am nominating chief judge merrick garland to join the supreme court. >> and now a political showdown begins. find out more about the nominee from local legal experts who know him. also, a big promise for bay area candy makers. what they say will never happen again. plus, an agreement to make the roads safer. >> and donald trump as you've never seen him before. wait till you see what a bay area artist has tur

cupertino, concord, wine country, and all the bay area. this is "abc7 news." president obama nominated merrick garland today to serve on the u.s. supreme court. garland, considered a moderate judge, has served 19 years on the u.s. court of appeals for the d.c. circuit. he oversaw the government's response to the oklahoma city bombing in 1995. garland would replace the conservative late justice antonin scalia. >> this is the greatest honor of my life. other than lynn agreeing to mary me 28 years ago. and it's also the greatest gift i've received, except the birth of our daughters jessie and becky. >> president obama is calling on the senate to hold hearings, and vote soon. but republican leaders disagree, saying voters should decide the

balance of the court after a new president is elected. garland is someone who has been supported by republicans in the past. >> lyanne melendez is in the newsroom with more on what he could bring to the high court. >> reporter: let's start with a lot of experience. if the president wanted to make a political statement, he could have picked a number of people. but he didn't. he selected someone who he thought both sides could agree on. even so, with what's happening in washington, garland may not make it. at 6'3", merrick garland would be one of the most experienced justices on the supreme court. he's seen as a moderate and arguably a consensus decision maker. 19 years ago, he was confirmed by the republican led senate 76-23 for the d.c. court of appeals. >> if judge garland is not confirmable, i don't think anybody is. >> reporter: the current dean of the law school at usf worked with him under then attorney general janet reno.

he says garland is not a predictable vote on the court, which doesn't please conservatives or liberals. >> what it means to me is that judge garland looks at each individual case and there's no particular pattern of his decisions. >> reporter: that may not matter. mitch mcconnell today affirmed this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president. >> there hasn't been a vacancy created in an election year in 80 years. so this will not be filled. >> reporter: but that can backfire if hillary clinton wins. while unlikely, clinton could end up picking a very liberal justice. >> if you're a republican, you want to confirm this guy before you get to see what hillary is going to do. >> reporter: it's up to the senate judiciary committee to call for hearings. >> if a majority of senators say

we want a hearing, they'll have a searing. >> reporter: both sides agree that garland faces one of the toughest battles as a nominee. a troubling discovery is raising concern about a very destructive pest in the north bay. officials found glassy winged shortstop shooter egg masses last week during routine inspections. here's how a mature one looks. the insects can destroy a wide variety of plants and known to spread lethal diseases to crops such as almonds and grapes. items announced any employee who becomes a parent will be able to take up to 26 paid weeks off. it won't matter if the part is a new mom or dad or the baby is

adopted. one of the first food delivery startups has shut down. berkeley's spoon rocket failed to raise enough to take on the competition. today, six big candy companies took a pledge to keep children healthy. two of them, jelly belly and giradelli are based here in the bay area. they're taking part in a self-regulatory mission that promises not to target children under 12 with advertising. google is buying several buildings in sunnyvale. t the storage company will lease back part of the campus from google under this deal. automatic emergency braking

systems have proven they prevent car accidents. but manufacturers only offer it on some models. >> or not at all. and michael finney says that's about to change. >> this is amazing and really important to your family. 20 automakers have just committed to making this life saving feature standard in the coming years. consumer reports evaluated this and found they really do have the potential to be lifesavers. mike and linda hanson were driving for hours on the highway when mike says he zoned out. >> the next thing that i remember is the car breaking, an alarm going off, linda yelling my name "mike," and i looked and all of a sudden we got this concrete abutment right dead ahead of us. >> reporter: the accident was avoids because the accident safety feature in their vehicle kicked in.

automatic emergency braking applies to brakes as the vehicle approaches an object without the driver even touching the pedal. this safety system is already saving lives. >> we would have been in the very least seriously injured, probably killed. >> reporter: about 60% of all new cars offer similar safety technology that offer as an optional package costing from $500 to $3,000 extra. >> manufacturers of nearly all new cars have voluntarily agreed to include these systems as standard by the year 2022. until that time, we'll continue to evaluate them. >> reporter: consumer reports has changed its car rating system giving bonus points to vehicles that include the technology standard. in addition to testing collision

prevention systems, consumer reports surveys customers to find out how well the systems work in the real world. a recent survey found 36%, more than a third, say the system had saved them from an accident. amazing. you can find which cars from the advanced safety features on our website, abc7news.com. >> a third? i think five, ten years from now, this will be like seat belt. >> meteorologist sandhya patel has the forecast for us. >> it's warm enough to give you spring fever. nothing but sparkling conditions behind me and it is short sleeve weather. these are highs so far. not the official readings yet. take a look. you'll see what i'm talking about. up to 75 degrees in san rafel. 74 in santa rosa. livermore, oakland, san

francisco, all in the low 70s. very few 60s there on the board. we are going to see those temperatures rise some more, so approaching 80 in some areas tomorrow. live doppler 7 hd showing you nothing but clear skies. it was a beautiful day to be at the beach. that's where a lot of people are going here from our santa cruz camera. oakland right now, 69 to low 70s. san jose, half moon bay, cooling down nicely. 63 degrees. emeryville, camry, blue skies, temperatures in the low 70s. and here is another perspective. visibility is terrific from our east bay hills camera. spring begins saturday night and light rain in the forecast for sunday afternoon going into monday. the week ahead, afternoon high for san jose around this time of the year is 67. tomorrow, we'll get you up to 76. and then temperatures drop a few degrees going into the weekend.

noticeably cooler next week. all winter we rate the storms from one to five. so far, many of the storms have been ones and twos. this one coming in sunday afternoon is a light system with breezy conditions. so sunday afternoon, the rain moves in. then tuesday, a slight chance of showers tuesday morning. it's not a wash but it will help to hopefully clear out some of the pollen out there. i know some of you are suffering from the allergies here. 0.4 of an inch in the north bay. tomorrow morning, numbers will start out in the low 40s to low 50s. then in the afternoon, almost 80 degrees in gilroy. 76 in santa clara.

74 in redwood city. 70 degrees in half moon bay. 68 in daley city. temperatures in the mid cities for napa and santa rosa. east bay, oakland, 75. inland, you'll need the shades and sun screen. a look at the seven day forecast. enjoy the warm. temperatures are going down as we hit the weekend. spring begins at 9:30 saturday night and look what shows up for the first full day of spring. sunday, some afternoon rain, lingering showers on monday and a slight chance of seeing showers tuesday morning, as well. so bringing some spring showers for now. kristen, dan? >> sandhya, thanks so much. on top of the science world, up next, find out what a south bay student created to win

$150,000. then at 5:30 -- >> donald trump's new warning tonight. could there be riots if the party tries to block him? the supreme court battle tonight. we learned of a key phone call and a young officer shot by one of his own. that's right after "abc7 news." and a simple swab to save a life. new at 6:00, the drive by chp officers statewide to

a bay area artist is stirring up controversy of a

painting of donald trump. the painting shows the republican presidential front-runner with his right arm raised and manure coming out of his mouth. he used real bull manure for this artwork. he molded it to come out of trump's mouth and pile up in front of him. >> i thoug it was necessary to paint what i see happening. >> he plans to sell this painting and will donate it to charity. stanford's football team is showing off their championship rings. the team's record and number three ranking are inscribed and the slogan "intellectual brutality." the team has been using that term for years. a bay area teenager has won

a top prize at a national science competition. 17-year-old moya varma won the innovation award at the science search. she's one of three teenagers awarded $150,000 for their inventi inventions. she made a device that diagnoses chronic lung diseases. it cost her just $35 to build. isn't that clever? and she could be part of this next story, too. we're talking about girl power still ahead. >> the first lady enlists some female stars to

i'm ama daetz in the "abc7

news" room. coming up new at 6:00, it's not a fashion statement. tonight, the strange get-up teaching young drivers the dangers of drunk driving. and a local company catches some heat after one of its systems breaks down. all coming up on "abc7 news" at 6:00. first lady michelle obama is getting into the music business. >> she's recruited some big names to record an empowering anthem. >> the first lady announced today she's enlisted kelly clarkson, missy elliott among other female singers to record a charity single to educate girls globally. >> it's called "this is for my girls." here's a sample. ♪ >> the single is now available on i-tunes for $1.29. >> the fund-raiser is part of a first lady $62 million girl's campaign.

>> world news tonight is next. i'm kristen sze is. and i'm dan ashley. for ault of us, we appreciate tonight, the supreme court showdown. the president names his pick. a judge who took on timothy mcveigh after oklahoma city. who took on the unabomber. but now he faces republican leaders who have no intention of take anything action. tonight, the phone call, and the republican leader. what he told the supreme court nominee. the race for the white house. fresh off major victories for donald trump, tonight, trump's new warning. could there be riots if republicans try to block him at a contested convention? new details emerging tonight. the young, undercover detective shot and killed by a fellow officer. pierre thomas, standing by. the deadly storm hitting in the middle of the country. drivers losing control. and now five confirmed tornadoes. and the young american, sentenced tonight to 15 years of hard labor in north korea. his tearful plea.