hi, i am david moss. it's 7:00 and the station

schedule. 8 at 7 begins now. >> good evening. winter haven police are on the hunt for a violent carjacker. investigators say the man held a shotgun to a woman's head. chip osowski joins us live. in custody, right? right, jen. this went down early yesterday morning in this winter haven walgreens parking lot of the told me she stopped here a number of times in the past and had no reason to believe she wasn't safe. it's a well lit parking lot at a 24-hour walgreens. a surveillance camera captured hunter pulling into a space. she is texting her son she will be home soon. you can see a man walking back and forth on the video. then the unthinkable happens. >> and i went to put my phone back into my pictures to get

and that's when my door was jacked open. it was pulled open and he says, "get -- "in so many words, get out of the car. i couldn't believe it was happening. and he was waving the gun around. he says get out now. >> reporter: hunter didn't want her face shown because the gunman is still out there. police believe this was the man. 18-year-old william bradley summerlin from bartow. they tell us he, 19-year-old john crist of st. augustine, and a 16-year-old girl took off in the car. highway patrol troopers spotted hour. when they tried stopping it, the car crashed. all three took off on foot but cops caught up with crist and the teenage girl. summerlin. police do consider summerlin extremely dangerous. they are asking for anyone with any information on his whereabouts to call the winter haven police department. i did ask the winter haven police chief if he believes

this area. he told me without a doubt once cops arrest him and bring him chip osowski, news channel 8. a st. petersburg woman is shake interesting a terrifying road rage incident. as peter burr nard shows us, the accused aggressor works for an armored truck service. >> there was a car that cut me off. >> reporter: on her way home, she didn't like being cut off so she let the other driver know. >> i honked at the guy answered slammed on his brakes. i she thought that was the end of it. she was wrong. her, fishtailing. she called her husband. then he got in front of her and got out i. noticed that -- i thought he had a cell phone in his hand. i am like, that's too big to be

is 44 dean conforte. trucks. >> we are doing a story about a road rage incident. can we ask you some questions? is that a no? a dunbar spokesman tells me employment is based on a clean his days at dunbar may be over. in pinellas county, peter bernard, news channel 8. tonight we know who died in north of lakeland. they never made it out of their mobile home on old pok city road. the fire started around one morning. dialed 911. family showed up hours later >> i don't know. not unless he might have said might be electrical. and if they were sleeping, maybe they didn't, you know, if the smoke got to them before, you know, and they just didn't wake up. i don't know. >> the cause of the fire is

officials do not suspect any foul play. well, it is time to play ball. the rays had their first spring training exhibition game today in charleston county. dan lukeition with a look at how it -- dan lucas with a look at how it went. >> reporter: jake was on the hook for one inning. it was a quick one. after a strikeout on three pitches, it only took five more to call it a day and get his spring off to a good start. >> i was happy with my direction. i am kind of working on that this spring. everything going towards home plate instead of falling off at the end. for the eight pitches t on point. >> reporter: desmond jennings who entered camp lighter and motivated to reclaim his outfield spot had two shots to drive in runs with two outs and delivered in the third inning with a double. two runs crossed the plate. >> you know, something we have

on here before the games got started. so something we will be conscious of chris archer will be in fort myers. dan lucas, news channel 8 sports. i am john rogers and the drought is over. these fans packed the stands to watch baseball once again. >> it's a way to see some of the young stars that are coming up. >> reporter: many fans want to see the team's potential. some fans though are here to see other things. >> like she was noticing one of the new pitchers taking autographs and she told me that's gonna be her new hobby. >> i have a hobby. >> reporter: you're not jealous? >> no. >> reporter: many are happy to forget about last season. and others are happy to have a different rays baseball experience. >> why do you guys love spring training so much? >> well, we like the outdoors. >> the open air feel. >> reporter: these fans are

as of today the possibilities for this season are endless. who wants to swim in a murky pond when you could take a dip in a nice clean pool? linda lear found a nine foot long gator in her swimming pool at her home in lakeland. look at that thing. that's not linda pulling it out, by the way. >> hope not. >> linda called a trapper, who pulled the reptile out. >> so i kind of came home. when i saw him i was like, that's no gator, that's a big gator. >> and do you notice the guy is barefoot? he does this every day. that's fearless right there. lear says the gator got into the pool by breaking through the screen enclosure. for the locals in lakeland, that's in the eagle brook subdivision. folks have been post to go my facebook page. they saw that guy on the golf course earlier in the week. >> he wanted to take a little dip? >> he got, i guess, warm from

>> yeah, it's not exactly hot. gators, you know -- >> little did he know there is a cold front coming? >> exactly. if he just watched news channel 8. >> well, see. there you go. reptiles. who can figure them out? >> you can't predict. look at the forecast. for the strawberry festival, that's right, it's back. is it cake -- was it cake or? >> biscuit. >> biscuit. >> you go with the biscuit? >> yes. >> imhave to give it -- i will have to it some thought. >> all right. 10:00 a.m. 60 degrees to start the day the cold front passed through the south. not a huge impact with it, but it will a have small impact on temperatures. 76 degrees at 3 p.m. fantastic. going to head out for the strawberry shortcake and the other goodies out there. 66 in evening. a few high clouds. the front is actually to the south now. the wind switch has already occurred and slightly cooler air working its way in. 55 degrees. mostly sunny. light jacket to start the day, especially northern areas.

with us off and on through the day. generally a very nice day at 75 degrees. a few clouds returning near average temperatures. we will talk more about that forecast, including your weekend forecast, coming up. still ahead on 8 at 7. >> it's move-in day for news channel 8's outdoor expo boat show. coming up, i'll give you a taste of what you can expect over the weekend. >> dozens and dozens of people waiting for hours and hours just to see the tax man. i'll show you what the irs has to say about this very long line. we'll have that and more coming up. you're watching news channel 8.

there is no better time to get outdoors than right now. there is no better place to see

outside at the 25th annual outdoor expo and boat show. a look at what to expect when the show opens on friday. >> the great thing about coming to a show like this is you have the opportunity to come one place and see really literally dozens of different boat lines. you would have to travel all over the bay area to see the boats thaw see here in this one place -- to see all the boats in this one place. as we get closer to the grand opening. news channel 8's outdoors expo and boat show crews scrambled to put the finishing touches on the expo hall. >> when you come in here and the show's going on, you won't be able to see any of that. now, you know, it's our way of kind of diagramming the floor. so we know where everybody's supposed to go, so when a certain boat dealer comes in, i know where to lead them to and say this is your space. >> reporter: if you are more into jumping off of boats and spending time in the water, the be a diver attraction might be the kind of excitement you're

>> we get this set up, we will get you in the water. breathe underwater and blow bubbles and find out diving is the best thing to do. >> reporter: in tampa, anthony allred, news channel 8. use credit cards at one store that's never expected them. that story is coming up. plus, big financial trouble for sports authority. what bankruptcy means for the stores in the bay area. squash and tomatoes. it's sure to be a family favorite. visit freshfromflorida.com for great recipes. delicious is always served

today it's florida flatbread with fresh tomatoes and bell peppers. it's easy to turn local produce into a meal time favorite. look for the fresh from florida label when you shop. remember, delicious is always

on wall street today the dow gained 34 points, the s&p up 8 and the nasdaq gained 13. if you purchased a new aquarium pump last year, top thin recalling pumps sold between september and december last year at petsmart. there is a risk that the wires in the pump motor can become exposed and electrify the water in your aquarium. the pumps were sold separately and as part of an aquarium kit. the first thing to do sounds obvious, but we're serious, unplug it. then remove it and return it to the store. there are a dozen sports authority stores in the bay area and at least two are going to close. the sporting goods chain filed for bankruptcy early this morning and announced it is closing 140 stores. nearly a third of its he locations. and those closings will take

eight florida locations are listed for auction, including stores in bradenton and port richey. you can now swipe to your heart's content as aldie. the fast greg gross store chain announced a change that has a lot of -- it's a change they have been asking for a long time. they are now accepting credit cards, visa, mastercard, discover and american express. previously, aldi only accepted cash and debit cards. they hope to have 2,000 stores hey, cord cutter, you will have a new way to get your favorite cable tv channels this fall. at&t is launching directv now. set top backs. just an internet connection and you will not be required to sign a contract. the price hasn't been set yet or revealed yet, but at&t is promising more channels than

facebook is figuring out how to prioritize live videos and that means you'll probably be seeing more of them. the social network is going to start pushing them higher in your news feed. it's also looking at whether you turn on the sound or make it full screen as a sign that you're interested even if you don't click like. there is no question facebook has figured out how to make money. it now says it has three million businesses actively advertising on facebook. that's an increase of 50% in just one year. facebook officials say the vast majority of advertisers are small businesses. 50 million of them have their own pages on facebook and have made more than 43 billion connections with people and other businesses. sometimes you just can't find the right emoji to express what you are feeling. soon you might be able to edit your own. apple and google are proposing

way to maybe medgies he had -- make emojis editable. if you need help from the irs, brace for hours of frustration. for the past two days, taxpayers have been lining up at the crack of dawn for a chance the getting into the tampa office. we sent "8 on your side's" rod carter to check out the problem. >> reporter: for hours and hours today dozens of people stood and stood and stood a little bit lodger. the faces of beleaguered people waiting to see the tax man. this is not your first time? >> no. >> reporter: she is on her second go round trying to get help. >> i had an identity theft in 2014 and i am trying to get my income tax for this year and everything. i am having trouble getting that. >> reporter: that's the story down the line.

with i.d. to prove they are who they say they are. patience. >> honey, i am prepared. all day. >> reporter: and she should be prepared. for the past couple of days these lines have been long and slow. >> this is my second day i was here on monday. they closed. they closed the door. that was it. >> reporter: the irs told me today via e-mail they are aware of the lines at the tampa taxpayer assistance center and regret the inconvenience and frustration taxpayers are facing and they are continuing to aces is the situation there. why the backup though? they say they can't point to a single cause. taxpayers here not pleased at all. >> they better have a better system. i don't know if just short staff or what is the problem, but this is ridiculous. >> reporter: and that statement went on to say that the irs's budget has been cut by nearly $900 million since 2010. and that means they have lost

now, a couple things you want to keep in mind. if you have to come here to drop something off, you should be just fine. if you want to pick something up you should be fine. if you need to speak to a person, that's when you stay in line. rod carter, news channel 8. the cherry blossoms are not blooming in washington, d.c. yet. this is video from last year. but now we know what will likely be the peak days of this year's bloom. the national park service estimates the peak of the blooms should hit around march 31st to april 3rd. the national cherry blossom festival runs from march 20 to april 17. spectacular. something to see around the potomac basin there. fantastic. washington, d.c. our eight-day forecast calls for pleasant temperatures. mid 70s. a bit of a dip here friday, saturday. you can see taking a jump long term. next week mid 80s in the

temperatures in the 60s this evening. a little bit cooler than last night because a cold front has passed to the south. not a huge impact on your weather overall, but it did add a few mid-level clouds as it passed through the area today. no precipitation. tomorrow morning starts out with sunshine and a few high clouds like we've seen today. right now it's 59. apollo beach 67. 66 venice. north port upper 60s. high pressure building in behind this front. a pretty good stream of clouds to the world series. these are high and mid-level clouds moving along in the up every level wind flow pattern. we will see quite a few of those in the sky mixed in with the sun. that front to the south hasn't done a lot. it helped to draw in slightly cooler air and a strip of clouds came with the boundary itself. no precipitation reported with that. this evening the front moves south. lingering clouds. high pressure continues to move to the east. another cold front up the road. thursday morning looks pretty good. a few high clouds.

that front is down to the south. in the afternoon again clouds and sunshine. near 75 degrees. upstream here, here comes another cold front for friday. this one probably as inconsequential, but a better chance of seeing some showers earlier in the day. time and, say, 9 a.m. then it will push down to the south very quickly and that will allow more sunshine to come out into the afternoon and make for nice weekend. temp. the rain chances are low. again favor the early part of the day on friday. saturday and sunday mid 70s. upper 70s. tuesday near 80 degrees. so again we are looking for a warmer condition long term. temperatures possibly,ase mentioned, in the mid 80s by midweek next week in some of the inland spots. this weekend looks good. those temps are close to average. of year. >> yes. weather.

that. i like them both. the biscuit. >> i thought our friendship was about to be over. >> i nope. exactly. we will be back. tomorrow at 6 a.m. >> i am taking you behind the scenes at the strawberry food. on

(phone ringing) you can't deal with something, by ignoring it. but that's how some presidential candidates seem to be dealing with social security. americans work hard, and pay into it. so our next president needs a real plan to keep it strong. (elephant noise) (donkey noise) hey candidates,

ones again we just jibber jabbered away and used up all the time. >> goat stories. there was a goat in outer mongolia that did something funny. we will have that tomorrow, you can count on it.

>> he was smoking, right. yeah. enjoy tomorrow. another nice day. >> sounds lovely. thanks for joining us. we are back here at 11. have a great night. face that launched a thousand tweets. chris christie's blank stare hijacks super tuesday. >> now on "extra"! >> what are you doing back here? trump wins the primary, but chris christie wins on twitter. the face that stole the show. >> the headlines are hilarious. chris christie, blink twice if you need help. >> what his facial expression was secretly saying and what trump's ex-wife, marla maples thinks of his white house run. >> how do you feel about possibly being the first ex-wife? and the poll results are in -- from hollywood. >> i think the donald is going to be back on nbc next fall.

>> oh, my gosh. lady gaga's oscar night shocker. >> who was totally in the dark about gaga's sexual abuse until her emotional performance. two celebrity courtroom dramas, erin andrews brutally cross-examined. >> your income has gone up substantially since this occurred. and madonna's new strategy in her custody war. and new video, taylor swift's speech at her best friend's wedding. >> the best parts of your love story are yet to come. >> non now on "extra," from universal studios hollywood, the entertainment capital of l.a. hey, everyone welcome to "extra," i'm mario lopez, coming up, o.j. simpson prosecutor marcia clavg's headline-making interview, who she blames for losing the trial. and coming you, christina

and the big winner of super tuesday, donald trump. and the image everyone is still talking about -- chris christie's face. here's jerry. >> he steamrolled his competition. his supporter in chief nearly stole the show. >> he looked like he was about to cry. >> as the papers pile on the donald, the stars and his ex speak out. >> donald turning super tuesday into super trump day. >> this has been an amazing evening. >> but it was newly minted trump endorser, new jersey governor chris christie's campaign appearance that everyone was watching. >> see, you get in with the donald, baby. >> whoopi getting her view. >> there's no way out for you, chris, there's no way out. >> "the daily show" creating a what have i done meme? gawker asking christie to blink twice if he needs help. today weighing in on the face-off. >> i generally believe chris christie is being held hostage right now. >> if it weren't so serious -- >> overall impression is that of