then and there he suspected something was going to happen. then asked them where he was going, then the guy from right behind him started hitting him on the head. >> reporter: as he's being punched and beaten he put the car in reverse trying to escape his attackers. the assailants continued to hit him as the car is moving, and eventually crashed into this metal gate, then he rolled out of the cab, and one of the attackers kept pounding at him as he was laying on the ground. the other suspect walked up, without saying a word, pulled the trigger, then they both fled. badly wounded he managed to call 911, afraid the suspects could come back to finish the job. >> he thinks if the police didn't come as fast as they did the guys would have come back to make sure he was dead. >> reporter: now the only description of the suspect social security that they were wearing dark colored clothes and masks, the cab driver says they appeared to be young men. he'd only been driving a cab for less than a year, now too

looking for a different line of work. live in roosevelt, channel 7 wildfire. thank you. >> a 6-year-old girl -- eyewitness news. thank you. a six-year-old girl coming this close to drowning at spa castle in college point. the girl got her hair caught, possiblily in the drain of a shallow pool and -- possibly in the drain of a shallow pool. a customer was able to revive her. >> i did chest compressions until she was breathing on her own. >> reporter: what did she look like? >> she was blue, her face was blue, her eyes were closed and everything. >> the spa's owner insisting the drains in all of the pools and hot tubs have covers on that them. the girl -- on them. the girl is in stable condition. a manhattan stabbing suspect is now in police consistty. earlier today the nypd released

great police community work led to the apprehensions of yesterday's robbery suspect. they're now questions the man about the stabbing, and robbery of a 33-year-old man on the upper west side. the victim is recovering at the hospital. and the man who struck and killed a 4-year-old girl on her way to school also on the umer west side could -- upper west side could spend up to nine years in prison. in court today at his the grandmother talked about the pain she feels knowing she survived the accident that killed her brand daughter, and the mother read an angry statement over his reckless behavior. >> saying what you did to my mother and daughter is just an accident is wrong and insulting and hurtful. >> the man apologized to the family today. the family says his apology, that it's just words and they want to see what he does when he's finally released from prison. it's a federal government

versus apple, and tonight the justice department pleading with a judge to force apple to help unlock a phone used by a terrorist in the california attacks. prosecutors in a new today says apple designs projects to allow technology to access -- technology to access the phones, but not the law. they have until next friday to freeway to help the fbi hack into the -- agree to help the fbi hack into the iphone. >> i am rather positive that if a family member of an apple executive were kidnapped and we grabbed the guy the guy teheran some drop, and -- the guy teheran some drop, they'd -- the guy at the ransom drop they'd get into it quickly. a former new york city

tonight for a lung infection. doctors were concerned about his cough. they're testing to see if dinkins has pneumonia. he is up and walking around. a two-day official farewell underway in washington for the late supreme court justice scalia. his former law clerks taking turns standing vigil while he lies in repose in the great hall at the supreme court. this is a live picture outside. people lined up there. a steady stream of onlookers filing past the casket inside. president and mrs. obama among the first mourners this morning at a private viewing, and met with the family at viewing. the vice president will attend the funeral mass tomorrow morning in washington. now to the big webbed ahead in president -- weekend ahead in presidential politics, the republicans have a prior mary in south carolina, and the democrats hold a caucus in

both could prove to be crucial. political reporter dave evans is here now with a preview. >> well, liz if the hillary clinton campaign wants to lock up things soon she needs help in nevada tomorrow, and a big win in south carolina when democrats vote there on the 27th. as for republicans, donald trump says a win in south carolina tomorrow will give him a good chance at running the table. ted cruz that has best shot right now at stopping him. >> reporter: in south carolina donald trump's doing well in part because of his stance on immigration. his vow to build a wall between mexico and the us. yesterday, the pope said those that build walls instead of bridges are not christian. today trump claimed francis said that because mexico's manipulating the pope. >> they had him convinced that illegal immigration is a wonderful thing. not wonderful for us. it's wonderful for mexico. >> reporter: there's a tightening race in south carolina with cruz only five points back. today he went after trump.

easy to say let's make america great again. you can even print that on a baseball cap [ laughter ] >> but the question is to is do you understand what made america great in the first place. >> reporter: marco rubio campaigned with south carolina's popular governor today. kasich is helping to repeat a second place performance from new hampshire, but jeb bush needs the most help, and today he campaigned with his mom. >> i swear to god on the bus, when we were walking down she whispered in my ear, you really are my favorite. >> reporter: on the democratic side in nevada and south carolina, hillary clinton and sanders are looking for the black and latino vote. endorse. >> i learned a long time ago hillary clinton is a fighter, and that's what they west valley

>> reporter: polling in nevada is too close to call. >> show the world that demom rain forest single digits is alive -- no, ma'am single digits is alive -- democracy is arrive and well in nevada. >> so republicans in south carolina tomorrow, democrats a week later on the 27th. tomorrow nevada it's the democrats, and the republicans tuesday. >> big day tomorrow. thank you. tonight an eyewitness news exclusive that will shock you, the plumber accused of illegally tapping into a gas main and causing an explosive that killed two, well it turns out he has a dozen complaints against him and fines. >> reporter: the master plumber out on bail, hid inside his car to avoid answering questions. digging deep into the

base, we discovered he repeatedly cut corners at jobs across the city. our investigation found he has more than $200,000 in unpaid fines stemming from dozens of violations that inspectors discovered only after the east village eggs motion. since master -- explosion. since master plumbers certify their own work, they had no idea he was cutting corners repeatedly, including at this business that houses a day care center. the audit of his work found other potential ticking time bombs. >> the auditor did i found multiple -- auditor found multiple examples of where he signed off on the work when it wasn't. >> coming up at 11:00, more on the investigation into master plumber, and places where the city says he cut corners,

why these dangerous practices weren't discovered until after last year's blast. that's coming up tonight at 11:00. that's quite disturbing. that's tonight at 11:00. and as we continue at 6:00 on this friday night, an suv stolen with a pet inside. now a woman's desperate effort to find her stolen puppy. and good news for passenger that is use uber. we'll tell you all about it. >> reporter: and i'm rob powers at baseball spring training. mets and yankees pitchers and catchers all accounted for. that's coming up in sports. here in the weather center, temperatures are 10 to 20 degrees warmer just off to the west of us, and that's headed our way. overnight tonight temperatures climbing into the upper 30s and low 40s. we get warmer nearly 60 over

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>> eric: a puppy missing tonight -- a puppy missing tonight in a stoling suv. >> the woman is begging for the return of the puppy. the pooch left in a running jeep when she ran inside a store in new jersey. >> the car thief, dognapper, they're looking for caught on video. toni yates live with the story. >> reporter: yes, in the

say it all the time, never take a chance and turn your back on your car while it's still running, and yes this woman is desperately hoping to at least get her puppy back. >> i somewhere want him back as soon as possible. it's unfair, it's not right. >> reporter: her dog taken when her jeep was stolen this morning. surveillance video shows the suspect walking down the sidewalk, he takes a quick look at the jeep, still running with the woman's purse, her phone, and five week old puppy inside, jumped in and speeds away. >> it's just hard, it feels like my privacy and everything was taken away from me, and something i loved so much was just gone. >> reporter: police derended on the area, looking at video and trying to track the stolen jeep. >> we have, we know that the vehicle was in the city and we're working together with the police department there, our detectives out there right now attemptings to locate the --

or dog, but un-- vehicle or dog, but unsuccessful so far. >> reporter: she said she never had problems in the area leaving the jeep running while unloading it until now. >> i don't blame myself, i really blame that person. >> reporter: police remind us take no situation for granted. >> do not leave the car running unlocked. we have four stolen cars so far this year, all four are people that left the keys in the car, and left it running. >> reporter: she's hoping someone will at least get her puppy back to her. >> i just wish that whoever took my dog and my belongings, you could keep them, but just bring my dog back. >> reporter: by the way, that other vehicle that was stolen in this area on tuesday was also a jeep, that's a fact, that police are definitely considering as they try to find both of vehicles. for now live, toni yates, channel 7 eyewitness news.

thank you. all those threats to ticket car service drivers and tow their cars waiting for passengers at the airport and train station in newark, turns out it's not going to happen. the city originally said it would tow uber or lyft vehicles beginning monday, but suddenly tonight the city says the attorneys are still reviewing options, so for now no penalties. just ahead, speaking of cars, it's a one of a kind car. guess how much that beauty sold for. >> $100? >> maybe a little more. maybe not. we'll tell you coming up. and the calendar says

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martin. but it's not street legal, meaning whoever bought it will be able to park it in their driveway and that's pretty much it. dollars. >> have you seen my car? >> it's in the driveway. can't go anywhere. >> interesting. also awfully pretty the temperatures we'll be seeing this weekend. >> yes, 57 sounds good right? >> very good. >> it was back january 10th we had 59 because we have had such a mild winter, but the difference this time around, we'll be getting a couple of these in a row. more than one 50-degree reading through the weekend into monday. 35 at central park, winds calming down. normal high temperature is 42 for this time of year. paying attention to that tonight because tomorrow's 57-

us at an april 5th normal or average high, so feeling more like april. right now temperatures on the rise, this warm up is already underway because temperatures are not going to fall any further from where they are right now. in fact the next seven hour, the numbers climb into the early morning hours to the upper 30s, could be 40 by the time we're up and about in the morning, so we're on our way to the 50s over the weekend, almost 20 degrees above the average in some cases thinking that maybe a spot or two could hit 60 tomorrow afternoon. also keeping our eyes on a winter storm next week, tuesday into wednesday. first the weak disturbances off to the north, so even though temperatures are on the rise, some little snow bands are trying to develop north of the city. what's happening is they're weakening moving eastward really from monroe and the mid- hudson valley. a few little bands come through.

the grounds, and temperatures at the surface are warm, so just worried about a few slick spots at the worst. temperatures ten degrees warmer than the same time last night, this is the warm our direction in time for saturday and sunday afternoon. the numbers here on the futurecast, watch how they climb, by tomorrow morning already in the 40s, and long island in the 50s by afternoon, and even overnight tomorrow night the temperatures barely slide into the upper 30s, right back into the 40s and 50s sunday afternoon, it's going to feel very comfortable all weekend lodge j. a shower north tonight. hit 34, and temperatures on the rise. breezy and mild, and while we're going for the official 57 in the park, our suspicions are we could get a 60-degree reading somewhere in the area on saturday afternoon. my monday at 48, still holding

then this is the focus for that winter storm tuesday into wednesday. temperatures during the day on both days in the low 40, but overnight we drop to at least the freezing point. it's a possibility weather start a snow change over to rain very quickly, so any accumulations look to be insignificant, unless the timing of the snow is during a commute period, so this is why we're really keeping a close eye on next tuesday into wednesday. >> all right, thanks amy. and still colder here than in florida where rob is with the mets. >> reporter: all right, here we go, it all starts now, finally the wait is over. spring training 2016 is underway. straight ahead on eyewitness news, the optimism very high as the mets big guns take the field. also live to tampa for yankees

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spring like weather this weekend in our area and spring training well underway in beautiful florida. rob is there. >> reporter: well, let's do this. new hope starts today after the old season ended 110 days ago, that's when the mets lost the world series, but with pitchers and catchers in today, the mets and their fans are back. >> it's great, i mean, you saw the response today, i mean holy cow, what a tremendous with our fans coming out today. it was incredible. >> reporter: pitchers and catchers took over the fields now. >> yeah, definite. we got a lot of -- definitely. we got a lot of hardworking guys and a lot of talent. >> everyone has individual goals and daily goals, but as a whole it's to get to the world series and win it. >> reporter: todayth is the first day -- today is the first day for pitchers and catchers,

players are already here. they're not due until next week. >> chomping at the built and ready to go -- bit ready to go, that's a good sign the guys are here early. >> the big thing is stay hungry, understand the work is not done, and you have to continue to push forward. >> reporter: push forward in a new season. the fan support started early. big crowds today, big expectations today and every day. >> fun to see the guys out there. the energy level, didn't have much to say today except let's go get them. >> reporter: all right, that's the mets let's get to the yankees. our live team coverage of spring training continues, laura behnke is in tampa. >> reporter: hey rob, well sabbathia said he's more excited today for any spring training. it's a beautiful day to begin a new season, and the yankees pipers and catchers are --

>> -- catchers are ready to work. >> i was very excited and pleased. >> everybody is excited. >> reporter: including sabbathia that's physically and mentally ready for baseball. >> everything i went through in october, i was just excited to get back with my teammates and come down here and get to work. >> reporter: physically he feels better than he has in years, and expects a new life style to help on the mound. >> anything i can do can help at this point, and not drinking alcohol is probably a huge step for me. >> reporter: he knows a rotation spot must be earned. >> yeah, you want to earn your spot. i left with a good note and feel good about that at the end of last year, so hopefully i can get some momentum rolling in. >> i think he'll pick upright where he left off, and we expect a big year out of him. >> reporter: now in order to keep himself from relapsing he plans to spend more time with his teammates and be more

we're live with the yankees in tampa, laura behnke, back to you rob. >> reporter: sounds very good. we got basketball tonight. the nets will officially introduce their new gm prior to tonight's name with the knicks. the all star break is officially over. the knicks lost six in a row. the playoff chances dwindled. they know they need to start turning around, and need to start doing that tonight. >> it's win or go home at this point, so it's no excuse, no excuses now for myself and everybody else. we have to tighten this thing up. >> reporter: all right, so we get the knicks, the nets later on tonight. basketball, we get the mets and yankees. baseball spring training has now officially begun. we've got more live from port st. lucy later tonight. until them, live at spring straining, rob powers. baseball season is bark. don't worry the warm weather is coming.

that's it for us now. >> world news is up next, for all of us here, have a great tonight, the showdown in the south just hours away now. donald trump after taking on the pope, taking on another giant, apple. apple firing back. the showdown in nevada. hillary clinton and bernie sanders. and this evening, the early gift for clinton. inside the rescue, one passenger trapped. and the dramatic fire chicago.