owns the chevy tahoe, reported it missing shortly after the hit-and-run, apparently to cover up for her boyfriend. >> we do know that the car was not stolen. >> reporter: today the father of sheyla pichardo was unable to speak without tears. he challenged the suspects to put themselves in his shoes, losing a beloved child. >> i'm heart broken. >> that 7-year-old described as a beautiful loving child by those who loved and knew her. as for the suspects, both are expected to make their first court appearance tomorrow. we can also tell you tonight that the man in this instance, mr. rodriguez, we are told he was driving with no license. he's also an undocumented immigrant. coming up on eyewitness news at 6:00, we're going to talk to the couple's landlord who was there

for now we're live in west new york. i'm sandra bookman, channel 7 eyewitness news. turning now to weather. heavy rain and strong winds could make for a messy morning commute. meteorologist lee goldberg is tracking it all. he's outside our studio on the upper west side. >> nice tame start to the month. we're going to bring the march wild out as we go through the next few days. we'll start with rain and thunder and eventually talk about a little snow down the road. right now it's nice and quiet. you wouldn't know we have rain and thunder coming in. a look over manhattan skyline. see some high clouds. that's the approaching system coming in. we're down to 45. we've got a wind getting brisk. we've cooled off a little bit. inland numbers still near 50 degrees. obviously nice and mild out ahead of the storm. wind coming off the water. it all equals rain. there it is coming in at pennsylvania, west virginia. that snow over michigan is going to stay off to our north and west. look for a couple showers to break up by about 10:00 tonight. i think the steadiest will be after midnight.

catskills, could be a little bit of sleet or freezing rain that will quickly go over to rain. i think the peak of the weather system is during the overnight hours. 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning when a gusty shower comes through. that will move through by 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning. early commuters will deal with wet roadways and puddles on area roads. i think as we approach daybreak this storm is quickly moving out. i wouldn't be surprised to see the sun come out by mid or late morning. a few downpours will come through during the overnight. winds could gust up to 40 miles per hour. this is sort of a mini version of what we had last week with the severe weather. gusts at 40, 45-mile-per-hour gusts. look for wet roads. ponding for the morning commute. then some improvement. after that it's all about cold blustery conditions by afternoon and eventually that cold will be able to support some snow late week. we have an early call and accumulation amounts in the

that's just a few minutes away. >> you can keep track of the rain in your neighborhood with live radar on our accutrack weather alert app. you can download it for free. the biggest delegate pot yet in the presidential primary season. there's a reason they call it super tuesday. voters in 12 states and one territory heading to the polls tonight and today. candidates campaigning as many states as they can. if the polls are accurate, hillary clinton and donald trump could be compiling nearly insurmountable leads after tonight. democrats competing for 865 delegates. republicans competing for 595. political reporter dave evans in palm beach, florida at donald trump's compound reporting on super tuesday activities. >> as you know right now we're inside the 20-acre estate donald trump purchased back in 1985. if you look down there where you can see the two tall chimneys, that's where the event will that's called the white and gold

room where there's a news conference scheduled by donald trump, a small rally with friends and family, and also perhaps the significant endorsement we'll see at 9:00 tonight. a very, very big day, this one, super tuesday for donald trump. also for hillary clinton. they're not necessarily going to wrap up the nomination fight tonight but they take one big step closer. >> reporter: he's run a campaign full of insults and attacks and this super tuesday, no different. as he campaigned in ohio, donald trump read results of the latest polling. >> trump, 49. light weight senator marco rubio, 16. lying ted cruz, 15. >> reporter: he campaigned today with governor christie. republicans across the country might be worried sick about trump as the nominee but not christie. >> his desperate opponents will say and do anything to try to

the strong leader in this group is donald j. trump. >> we feel great about minnesota. we feel great about virginia. we feel great about a bunch of them and some are very close. i know we're going to get a lot of delegates tonight. >> reporter: ted cruz of texas must absolutely win his home state of texas tonight. >> there is no doubt that any candidate who cannot win his home state has real problems. >> reporter: in the last couple of days, trump has been on the hot seat over not disavowing frays from the ku klux klan. >> if a person wants to be the nominee of the republican party, there can be no evasion and no games. they must reject any group or cause that's built on bigotry. >> reporter: on the democratic side, bernie sanders is hoping to slow hillary clinton with wins in minnesota and massachusetts but clinton will likely win so many states in the south tonight including texas and georgia that she may be unstoppable.

but on republicans, trump, and controversy over race. >> they seem to have forgotten completely about issues and they're now running their campaigns based on insults. >> what you're seeing is the location of the big news conference. that building with the large chimneys, called the white and gold ballroom, a very ornate room where donald trump will be this evening. we've been hearing a lot of rumors in florida over the last couple days that we may see an endorsement in that room tonight from the governor of florida. that would be rick scott. it would follow on the heels of the endorsement by chris christie of new jersey last week. but we don't have any confirmation on that. at 9:00 tonight we hope to hear from donald trump, talk perhaps about that. also the status of his campaign and how he's done on this super tuesday. reporting live in palm beach, florida, dave evans, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> a big night in the race for president. by the way, dave is

super tuesday tonight at 11:00. program reminder, beginning at 10:00, abc news with coverage of the results as they come in. you can watch it here on channel 7 and the watch abc app. aroldis chapman, the yankees' new closer for now, suspended 30 games from major league baseball over an altercation with his girlfriend. he allegedly choked her and fired eight shots during a heated fight with her. it was a breaking news alert on our app. sports anchor rob powers is in the news room with more. >> the yankees traded for aroldis chapman so it's not a total surprise here. major league baseball suspending baseball's hardest throwing pitcher 30 games under the new domestic violence policy. all stems from that incident with his girlfriend last october before he was traded to the yanks. no charges fired but baseball's investigation did find enough to give chapman that suspension. he will not appeal. the suspension starts on day one of the regular season. 30 games. a statement from chapman late

i want to be clear, i did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening. however, i should have exercised better judgment with respect to my actions and for that i am sorry. chapman can still go through spring training, even pitch in exhibition games, but once opening day rolls around, chapman sits for 30 games. he also loses 30 days of pay. for chapman that's over $1.8 million. authorities in new jersey investigating the death of an amtrak worker struck and killed by a train. the new jersey transit train hit the amtrak employee at around 4:45 this morning in new brunswick. as a crew was wrapping up an overnight shift. it's not clear how is happened. no one on the train was hurt. the accident caused temporary delays. government shut down in the

in paterson unable to agree on a budget. residents not exactly thrilled by the failure of elected officials to reach a settlement. michelle charlesworth with the story. she's in paterson for us. >> the police and the fire department were on the job today so were crossing guards at schools, but most of the city workers were told to stay home and that they would not get paid. why? because there was no new budget. as you said, today this partial citywide shutdown. >> the town is just like they don't care. >> reporter: this dad says he feels like a lot of people in paterson. disappointed. garbage has not been picked up today. cans are spilling out. two traffic lights were out, with no sense of urgency, even though police and fire were on the job. >> very, very angry. because we lose business. >> reporter: this pizza man mario says the lunch business today was way down because 70%

without pay and the six public libraries were closed. this young woman with books to return had no idea. >> not the nicest time in our economy. >> reporter: no one at city hall, not even on the council was talking, even though almost three quarters of their workers were not coming to work. that's almost 1200 people. joanne is one of them. >> i have a sick mother that i'm tending to. >> reporter: she said the big deal for her is losing a day's pay. >> impacted on a day off pay, yes. >> it makes a big difference. you're losing this day's pay? everyone is told you're not getting paid today? >> correct. >> reporter: this is the only person who would talk on camera or off. she's the business administrator. >> they saw it on the calendar. >> right. >> how come no one in the city is talking to us except for you?

why no one in the city is speaking to you. the answer is yes, we'll do everything in our power to make sure we can try to make up that time for them so that they don't have to lose a day's pay. >> the hope is that people will get paid. the big time to look for tonight, 8:00 tonight. city council will be sitting down with the mayor. hopefully they'll pass a new budget and patterson will not go through this tomorrow. the average city worker makes $25,000 a year and the worry among some of them is their property taxes will go up with the new budget but the average house is appraised at $192,000. property tax bill will go down $2,000 if this new budget passes. we're live in paterson, new jersey, michelle charlesworth, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> what a story. new information tonight after our exclusive undercover investigation showing construction workers in new york city drinking at lunch.

>> i'm lauren glassberg at the soon to open transportation hub at the trade center. what you can expect when you travel through here and how it's about much more than just getting around. that story is coming up. >> plus, we take you inside police training. see how a split second decision i do everything on the internet. but, it's kind of slow. my friends say i should get fios because it's the fastest. i just downloaded 600 photos in 60 seconds.

(husband) we're out of 2%! i wonder what else could be better around here? (husband) i heard that. switching to better internet is now easier than ever. only fios has the fastest internet available, with uploads up to 5x faster than cable. get 100 meg upload and download speeds. plus tv and phone for just $69.99 a month online with no annual contract.

new at 5:00, what does $4 billion look like? that's what it looks like. the new world trade center transportation hub and shopping center. it opens thursday. took a decade to build. >> tonight a look inside the enormous project and an enormous gamble. can all those stores really thrive?

eyewitness news reporter lori stokes is -- lauren glassberg is there with a tour of the oculus. >> bill and sade, 250,000 people come through this path train station every day. you add in subway riders and tourists and residents and shoppers. and that new transportation hub will be even busier. so much so it could help this area thrive. >> it is the eighth wonder of the world. >> reporter: steven has overseen this project for the port authority. it was designed in 2004, ground wasn't broken until 2010, and in two days part of the world trade center transportation hub will open. >> we're connecting to everything. all the different subway lines in lower manhattan, the ferry system, truly an intermodal facility to rival grand central station.

different feel than grand central. it's airy and luminous, white and peaceful, a lengthy retractable skylight, a way to honor those who died in the september 11th attacks. it's not just a place to pass through, but a place that's meant to inspire. >> it will be an important tool for the development of the whole community and help very much emphasize the evolution that lower manhattan is having in the last year. >> reporter: there will be 75,000 square feet of food and retail. it will become a destination beyond a transportation hub. not everyone loves how it looks. >> it looks fine, really. >> not beautiful? >> not beautiful. it just looks really interesting, really large and wide and spacious. >> i think it's a very beautiful building. the train station is like the nicest one, a lot nicer than going to penn station. i prefer taking the path to here.

initially in 2004 it was expected to cost $2.3 billion. but an analysis in 2012 predicted the cost would be closer to $4 billion, which it came under just barely. in the coming weeks and the coming days, various parts of the transportation hub will open to the public. live at the world trade center, lauren glassberg, channel 7 eyewitness news. i'm joe torres here at the live desk in the news room. a large sinkhole has opened up in the sunset park section. newscopter7 over the sinkhole. you can see how big it is there. fire department got a call just before noon. good news, no injuries reported. right now there are no evacuations. but it could be sometime before 56th street is reopened again in sunset park.

online at abc7ny. following a new development tonight in the sex abuse case against bill cosby. cosby's next court appearance scheduled for march 8th, now delayed indefinitely while a pennsylvania appeals court decides whether to dismiss the entire case. cosby's attorneys have asked the court to toss out all of the charges. we want to turn now to breaking news in brooklyn. a fire in cypress hills. shannon sohn is live in newscopter7 from a look from above. >> it is burning at 3301 fulton street. you can see the fire department has made their way to the roof of this building, but still we have the flames. this is a three-story building that has stores and apartments above. you can see the fire department really trying to work on the fire. so far they've not gotten the upper hand on the blaze.

down between pine street and euclid avenue. we want to show you the top part of the screen. we did see a train come through right now. they're operating without any delayed, but something we need to keep our eye on. of course we're going to keep you updated as the fire department gets the upper hand on this fire. reporting live over cypress hills, shannon sohn, channel 7 eyewitness news. what are the wind conditions in that area? >> they're out of the southeast at about 10 to 20 miles per hour. so they're not zero and definitely a little breezy out there. not the easiest. outside we go right now. we have sunshine, also some clouds over the george washington bridge. clouds will take over during the evening hours but it's been a pretty first day of march. 45 degrees, southeast wind 6 to 17. manage to go up to 51 before the wind kicked off of the cold atlantic. average highs 45. not too far from where we should be. sunset, 5:48. last year in the state we had five inches of snow.

let's hope we don't repeat that. it's 50 in the poconos as we go in to pike county. warmest numbers inland because we're away from the cooler ocean waters. 49, poughkeepsie. 45 in belmar. we're fine through 7:00 tonight. i think first raindrops, 10 to midnight. steadiest after midnight. gusty winds as well. might have a rumble of thunder. by 7 a.m., the rains in connecticut and long island east of new york city at that point. sunshine breaking through by mid to late morning. as the sun comes out, temperatures drop and the wind picks up and it really feels cold. you can see what's driving this storm. you go from teens to near 70 degrees. there's our storm coming through the ohio valley right now. the storm track takes it to our north and west. that means we're on the mild side of the storm. there's wind and rain. this is the area of rain that i'm concerned about. briefly heavy downpours, gusty winds. this is not like last week's severe weather. it's like a mini version of it with 40-mile-per-hour gusts. a lot of it is going to be

couple showers coming in tonight. temperatures are rising a little bit. heaviest after midnight, around 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. by daybreak we've dropped a little bit in the temperature department as the rain moves out and the winds are shifting. look how there can be a couple snow showers moving in catskills at that point. temperatures will crash the rest of the day with the gusty winds. by this time tomorrow we'll have temperatures working through the 30s and low 40s and wind chills that are already in the 20s. even though it looks like it's 50 degrees early tomorrow morning, dress for winter. heavy coat. it will feel blustery. increasing wind, rain, and a thunderstorm. heaviest after midnight. the rain will end very early. then clouds break for sunshine as early as midmorning. windier and chillier during the afternoon with temperatures tanking. we go down to 26 tomorrow night with wind chills in the teens. here's what we're working on for 5:30. once we get colder we start forecasting snow. is it a light snowfall or trending a little bit more significantly?

how about another round of wet snow over the weekend? >> not another round of snow. [ laughter ] a cheesecake factory coming to new york city. we'll tell you where coming up. >> plus, the busy bank robber on long island who police say struck twice, and this may have been his downfall, but didn't have to go far to do it. >> what strangers did when they saw a hit and run driver take off. >> he has spent more time in space than any other american. astronaut scott kelly now heading back to earth. we'll tell you what he all across america families are coming back to time warner cable for a whole new experience. that's because we've been working hard to give you better service, and it shows. we came back for internet speeds so fast

oh she's impressed. we're catching up on movies and shows on demand just as fast as we can watch them. for $89.99 a month you'll get 100 meg ultra-fast internet, popular hd channels and unlimited calling. twc's home wifi is so strong we can use all our devices at the same time. so we can all watch whatever we want. and that's kinda cool. call now. for $89.99 a month you'll get internet, tv and phone. there's no contract, no risk and our money-back guarantee. come back today and we'll give you free installation with our exclusive one-hour arrival window. feels good to be back. come back today. you'll get free installation, tv equipment and epix included. and now get a $300 reward card.

it's all about convenience for one bank robber. not only did cops say he hit the same bank twice in eight days in nassau county, but the bank is right across the street from his home in oceanside. the suspect is now under arrest. eyewitness news reporter n.j. burkett is on the scene. >> police tell me the suspect lives here in that beige house on the other side of the wooden fence. and the bank, well, the bank is over here. td bank bills itself as america's most convenient bank. police say the bank couldn't have been anymore convenient for the bank robber who lives across the street. >> it was a crime of opportunity. >> reporter: and that is an

investigators say the robber walked in to this td bank branch in oceanside, long island where he handed the teller a note demanding cash. when alert detectives later spotted the man fitting the description, he was questioned and arrested, and they were shocked to learn that 34-year-old melvin olivo lives here, less than 500 feet from the bank. in fact, it takes exactly 1 minute and 12 seconds to walk from his front door across the street through the parking lot and in to the bank. so close, he could see the bank from his living room. so close he allegedly robbed the bank twice in two weeks. >> they did a great job. they stayed alert and it shows how dedicated and loyal these detectives are. >> they said before we go home, we're going to get this individual tonight. >> they vowed they would not go home for the got the suspect, till they cracked this case.

he was arrested and charged with first degree robbery. he's being held on $5,000 bail tonight. live tonight in oceanside, long island, n.j. burkett, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> i can see the bank from my living room. new information following our exclusive undercover investigation. construction workers drinking on their lunch break. >> a 7-year-old struck by a stray bullet in paterson last night. tonight we have the latest on the search for the person who opened fire. >> and the locks changed at a city hall in mount vernon

we continue to follow breaking news in the cypress hills section of brooklyn.

a building fire on fulton street. crews are trying to get the flames under control. fulton street is shut down between pine and euclid avenue. no injuries have been reported. meanwhile, could you down five drinks and lunch then go back to work? our exclusive investigation show workers doing just that. >> the buildings department and construction industry, all of them responding, calling for mandatory alcohol testing. investigative reporter jim hoffer is here with his exclusive report. >> some workers had been fired. buildings department started its own investigation and a growing call for alcohol testing at all construction sites. all of this following our report in to lunchtime drinking among hard hats. >> reporter: the amount of drinking by construction workers revealed by our undercover

shots of hard liquor, has caught the attention of new york's building industry and city council. >> there's no one can say it's not troublesome here on a job, any job, much less a construction job, going on lunch and drinking, it's problematic. >> reporter: during the course of three lunch breaks, our hidden cameras found many construction workers drinking heavily during a brief 45-minute period with little to no food, then heading back to do high rise work, to operate power tools, or rig heavy crane loads. all of it seems to underscore the need for more alcohol and drug testing which now occurs at some sites but not others. >> because you have to negotiate as a collective bargaining issue to have mandatory drug and alcohol tests and we've not been successful. >> reporter: the head of the association representing building contractors says they are now working with city council and the buildings department to make testing the law.

needs to be mandatory for every contractor right now. we don't have time to negotiate. >> reporter: what seems clear is the construction workers we found drinking at three different bars in midtown had little fear of getting caught. when lunch hour looks like happy hour, no one is worried about consequences, about getting fired, about causing an accident. >> people are going to get hurt. it's only a matter of time. it's like driving a car drunk. sooner or later a catastrophe is going to happen. >> the contractor at the center of our investigation says they have fired some workers. the company saying in a statement to us that the time to make alcohol and drug testing mandatory at all construction sites is now. the city buildings department also responding saying the conduct of the workers in our story was, quote, outrageous and they intend to investigate. >> investigative reporter jim hoffer getting action. thank you. police looking for whoever

and hit this 7-year-old boy. he's in the hospital tonight and the shooter is on the run. aj ross at the scene with the neighborhood asking why in the world did this happen to the little boy? >> another innocent child caught in the cross hairs of senseless violence. jaylen -- jaiden deleon on the mend. police continue to search for the gunman. his family is now demanding the mayor and police step up. >> a couple of inches down and he would have not been here right now. >> reporter: a wild burst of gunfire nearly stole 7-year-old jaiden deleon's life when a stray bullet pierced through his living room window on rosa parks boulevard monday evening. >> they started shooting. there was about six shots. one of them which struck him in the shoulder right above his heart. >> reporter: even in the midst of chaos, jaiden's aunt says the honor roll student remained brave and called 911 for help.

take the phone and call myself. he called, gave them the address. he was very brave. didn't drop a tear at all. >> reporter: while fortunately no tears had to be shed for jaiden, many were shed for 12-year-old genesis rincon who was shot and killed yards away while riding her scooter a year and a half ago. jaiden and genesis were distant cousins and often played together. >> there's been bullets in daytime, nighttime, every hour. it's nonstop and it's hitting the kids. last year we lost genesis at 12 years old. >> reporter: now this family struck twice by bullets and heartache is demanding the city of paterson step up and put an end to senseless gun violence. >> they need to put the gun down, have more reinforcement. >> you don't see policemen around there. you don't see how they're taking care of it. and i'm very unsatisfied with it.

near this front window with his siblings and cousin. several children also live on the second floor of this apartment building. worse. at this point police do not have any named suspects. they're asking anyone with information to give them a call. a scathing new grand jury report has revealed tonight that two catholic bishops in pennsylvania covered up a child sex abuse -- actually several cases for 40 years. it says two bishops in the altoona johnstown diocese had sexual assaults on hundreds of children by more than 50 priests and religious leaders. it said it wanted to avoid public scandal and had influence over law enforcement. >> we get to speak for the powerless. we get to speak for children who are now grown adults. but were literally killed as children. their souls were killed as children. >> the report was based on evidence from a secret church archive. in a statement the current

any harm that has come to children. a pet store owner in new jersey facing charges of animal cruelty, accused of selling sick purchase. vincent lasacco owns the down. spca says dogs were given poor veterinary care and had had some infectious diseases that could have put humans at risk. facing fines of $100,000. he operates three other pet stores. officials say he could face even more charges. good news for cheesecake lovers. the first cheesecake factory is coming to new york city. the restaurant's plans to open its first location at queens elmhurst center mall. a representative for the restaurant will reveal plans at next week's community board meeting. watch what you wear to the airport. the high heels that got one woman in trouble with the tsa. >> get down. get down. >> we take you inside, up close and personal with intense police

we show you how split second decisions can mean life or death. >> you'll see what happens when two good samaritans in connecticut chase down a hit-and-run driver. >> we had a great sunset brewing but now the clouds are starting to roll in in advance of our next system. actually a little bit of thunder right here. we'll let you know when you need

governor andrew cuomo: there is an unhealthy income inequality gap that is only growing. if you work full-time you shouldn't have to choose

i say lift up the working families of this state and pay a real decent wage. we fight until this nation fulfills its promise of opportunity for all and that's what this fight for $15 is all about. i always heard fios was a lot faster. but i thought it'd be a hassle to switch. turns out it wasn't. they showed up when i asked and they set up wi-fi on my laptop and my tablet and stuff. it's true. it is better. i'm here to mow the lawn. it's february, curtis. maybe i should change some other things around here. switching is easy with our switchers guarantee. we'll arrive when promised and set up your devices to your new wi-fi. switch now and get 100 meg speeds, plus tv and phone for just $69.99 a month online.

a father and son are being heralded tonight for following a suspect in a hit-and-run and holding him till police arrived. police say david diaz struck a 34-year-old woman crossing the street in new haven, connecticut then took off. john and his son ali chased after him. the pair caught up to diaz,

called police. police say diaz admitted using marijuana and cocaine before the crash. the victim is expected to survive. political intrigue in mount vernon. fighting in city hall turning in to a fight to get in to city hall. andre wallace tried to use his key to get in to the building. he discovered it no longer worked. turns out over the weekend mayor richard thomas changed the locks. he said wallace and another council member were snooping around the planning department friday night. at heart it seems to be a political dispute. >> you have to be a team player to make it move forward. he thinks he's a one-man show. >> if they feel they want to cling to the past and turn the clock back, that's their priority. my focus is keeping the public safe. >> he says he was retrieving personal items for the planning commissioner who the mayor fired thomas says the rekeying is part of security upgrade.

take a look at these heels and bracelets. tsa agents saw the gun themed stilettos in the woman's carry-on bag. without enough time to check baggage and still catch her flight, the woman left the unique items behind. the number of rock concerts in cuba since the 1959 revolution? none. that's about to change thanks to the rolling stones. the world's wealthiest bands will perform in nevada, march 25th, for free. it will kick off just a few days after president obama visits there. >> that is pretty cool. a state supreme court shuts down sherri shepherd. the former "view" host loses her surrogacy case. what that means she has to do. >> astronaut scott kelly on his

all across america families are coming back to time warner cable for a whole new experience. that's because we've been working hard to give you better service, and it shows. we came back for internet speeds so fast even the kids are impressed. oh she's impressed.

just as fast as we can watch them. for $89.99 a month you'll get 100 meg ultra-fast internet, popular hd channels and unlimited calling. twc's home wifi is so strong we can use all our devices at the same time. so we can all watch whatever we want. and that's kinda cool. call now. for $89.99 a month you'll get internet, tv and phone. there's no contract, no risk and our money-back guarantee. come back today and we'll give you free installation with our exclusive one-hour arrival window. feels good to be back. come back today. you'll get free installation, tv equipment and epix included. and now get a $300 reward card.

sherri shepherd has lost her surrogacy legal battle. that means she will have to keep paying child assert. the former "view" cohost pays about $4,000 a month to her expz to care -- to her ex to care for. i heard you talk about a picture of crocuses. i did too. i was going to give it to you. >> exciting day for the both of you. >> small things really do it for us. your forecast has rain tonight, maybe some snow over the weekend? >> are we going to survive?

crocuses can get covered by a little snowfall. outside we go where we have what is a really pretty sunset but now has been masked by some of the high cloudiness starting to move in. those clouds will be thickening during the evening hours. we're at 35 degrees. wind coming out of the southeast and partly cloudy skies. a little march preview. it's also the beginning of meteorological spring. astronomical spring, that's because of the tilt of the earth, the position with respect to the sun. we talk about meteorology, we talk about annual temperature. average snowfall is just under 4 inches last year we had over 18 inches in march. highlights of the month, on the 13th it's daylight solving time. sunset will be at 7:00 that evening. spring arrives on the 20th 12:30 in the morning. clouds will be thickening through the night. temperatures rise. showers at 10:00, getting heavier after midnight. we'll have showers on radar at our 11:00 show.

pushing east of new york city before daybreak. these raindrops are mainly for connecticut and long island. highest temperatures are around the dawn hour. then we see temperatures drop during the day. we'll be lucky to hold on to 40 degrees. despite the sunshine, gusty northwest wind. biting wind that makes it feel like we're in the 30s and 20s later in the day. then it turns really cold tomorrow night. notice the mainly clear skies earlier. clouds are starting to work in and thicken. showers still over western pennsylvania. still several hours before you need the umbrella. this area snowfall will be curbing to our north. if you watch here, by 10:00 or 11:00, showers are coming in. may actually be a couple heavier showers that come in by 11:00. but it's really after midnight. i think this all peaks around 3:00 in the morning. a brief downpour. heaviest rain is east by daybreak. clouds will actually start to break from west to east. temperatures will be in the upper 30s but dress for 40s

have your sunglasses. but the sun is not going to help tomorrow. really turns cold with wind rainfall amounts probably going to average third of an inch. 7-day accuweather forecast. it turns very chilly tomorrow night in to thursday. that will set the stage friday for a snowfall that comes in probably before the morning commute. likely to be light accumulation. maybe a coat to an inch or two. on saturday it's sun. a little mixed in sunday. classic march, we'll turn around and go 54 on monday and we'll be back in the 60s by tuesday. a bumpy five days to get through before we get the spring tease back again. >> the crocuses will survive. american astronaut scott

less than an hour ago, kelly and the russian astronaut climbed in to a capsule that will carry them back to earth. the capsule will leave the states station at around 8:00 tonight. scott kelly now breaking an american record, how now spent 340 days in space. during the mission, he flew more than 143 million miles and orbited the earth 5,440 times. abc's lauren lister has more on the mission. >> reporter: astronaut scott kelly tweeting photos of his last sunrise from space. after more than 10,000 sun rises and sun sets, he's headed back to earth today. this after 340 days orbiting earth, he's now the american who's spent the most time in space. >> i'm ready to come home. it's not like i'm climbing the walls or anything to get outs of here. i recognize the importance of what we're doing. >> reporter: yesterday kelly handed over command of the iss

>> which of course is always bittersweet when you leave this incredible place. >> reporter: he said goodbye one more time, posting this picture on twitter. this rocket launched from kazakhstan beginning his story. the point of the nasa mission, to figure out if humans could survive a trip to mars. that would require a year and a half in space. scott's twin brother, retired astronaut mark kelly, has been undergoing testing at the same time. scientists will compare the two men. does scott think humans can make it to mars? >> from a subjective perspective, i think absolutely. >> kelly should touchdown in kazakhstan tonight, then testing begins to understand how the long time in space has affected his body. before this only four humans have spent a year or more in

>> good for him. congratulations. and the twins getting tested. pretty awesome. we know police officers go through intense training. >> tonight we give you an in-depth look on the training. >> i'm liz cho. new at 6:00, two men posing as con ed workers make their way in to an apartment and sexually assault the woman. the victim is telling her terrifying story for the very first time. >> we'll have much more on the super tuesday showdown that could give donald trump and hillary clinton big boosts in their presidential races.

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and yet go farther on a tank of gas than the ram promaster city. hurry in to your ram dealer for details on all current incentives. when faced with danger, a police officer may have the blink of an eye to make a terrible choice, to pull the trigger or not. now there's training to help make the right decision, decisions that may mean the difference between life and death. here's josh einiger. >> reporter: it's like the

this police training simulator is as real as it gets. i volunteered to go through some of the same training real cops get at the training academy where sergeant paul outfitted me with a 9 millimeter glock designed to shoot only air. >> if you're shot or stabbed in a scenario, you will be zapped. >> reporter: as it turned out, that happened a lot. >> you got zapped? >> i got zapped. >> it just goes to show you in a 10th of a second which way things are going to go. >> reporter: i worked through half a dozen scenarios. there was the biker with loud music and a shotgun. >> the neighbor called you because they're always sticking

>> calm down. hey. >> reporter: two delinquents tagging a wall. >> show me what's in your hands. >> reporter: and packing heat. and this guy who surprised me by pulling a screwdriver. i thought it was a gun and fired so many shots i'd ran out of bullets by the time his buddy popped up with a real gun and blew me away. >> this incorporates decision-making in to the process. now the officers are really going through real life scenarios, things that could happen to them while they're out on the street. >> reporter: the system cosed -- cost morris county. they said it's helpful in teaching them when not to shoot. sergeant can escalate or de-escalate scenarios in real time, tailoring the simulation

>> i lost. ran out. >> you see how many different things one officer is dealing with at once. >> reporter: and most revealing, you see what's going on in the mind of a cop, when a split second decision can mean the difference between life and death. in morristown, josh einiger, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> quite insightful. there are 200 of these systems in service around the world but only five in the tri-state area. the nypd which already uses similar technology says it hopes to invest in this system in the future. so is this the night hillary clinton and donald trump take huge steps toward securing their party's nominations for president?

a couple under arrest tonight in a hit and run accident that killed a 7-year-old girl who was walking to school. first and new at 6:00, a startling crime. two men pretend to be utility workers to get in to an apartment then they sexually assault and rob a young woman. tonight that victim is speaking publically with the hopes that police find her attackers. good evening at 6:00. i'm liz cho. >> i'm bill ritter. a violent home invasion, the attackers pretending to be con ed workers and the young woman letting them in. >> this is the third time the suspects has posed as workers to get inside those homes. police are desperately looking for the suspects in this latest violent attack. >> shirleen allicot in the williamsbridge section of the bronx with our lead story tonight. >> this is some scary stuff. con edison is part of the fabric of new york. people are comfortable with

to do their work. that's exactly what these crooks are preying on. >> reporter: in the most recent incident, two men claiming they were con ed knocked on the door of a 26-year-old woman. when she opened it, they pushed their way in to her bronx apartment. the victim, whose identity is concealed, describes the horrifying ordeal. they came in and covered my mouth, and they sat me down there and they hit me over the head with their fists. they made me lay down over there and they tied my hands with an extension cord. then one of them stayed here and the other one went looking for something to cover my mouth. they left cuts on my mouth. >> the men stole $50 from her and sexually assaulted her, all of this happening while her 3-year-old was home. >> they only speak english. i didn't understand anything. >> reporter: that was monday. on sunday in brooklyn and last week in staten island, two elderly women were robbed by con ed impersonators. the 81-year-old in the coney