then she had to throw herself from this vehicle as it sped away down this street. >> just sounded like nascar starting off. tiring squealing. not your average burn rubber. >> reporter: several neighbors say they could clearly hear as a teenager allegedly ran down marcie pierce and sped away around 7:30 this morning. neighbors say she should have taken more drastic action. >> she should have shot him. i said that. >> reporter: before it even happened, investigators had identified ortiz because the sergeant and probation officer were trying to arrest him for prior charges when he chose to flee. >> whenever you take the initiative to deliberately run down a law enforcement officer in uniform, you have the mindset that you can certainly be dangerous to others. >> reporter: pierce is a 22- year veteran of the force and her husband works for the agency as well.

suffered a severe head injury. >> while she is in a lot of pain, she has a very jovial personality. but she understands that she was in a serious situation today. >> reporter: and sergeant pierce was able to get help very quickly. one of the reasons for that was a person on the scene with her. coming up at 6:00, i'm putting together some of the comments that the sheriff made about how that person helped her out and keep her from more harm. reporting live in orlando, steve barrett, channel 9 eyewitness news. >> channel 9's kathi belich spent the day finding out more about sergeant pierce and the teenager who the sheriff says deliberately ran her down. you found out it's possible that the sergeant and the teenager knew each other. >> bob, she manages a unit that tracks juvenile criminals. the accused 15-year-old attacker is still on the run. the sheriff is asking the

catch him but calls the teenager dangerous. we rode along with sergeant pierce eight years ago to talk about her work with juvenile crime. she was working the same area that she was working this morning. she is a highly regarded 22- year veteran. ortiz has a different history with the sheriff's office. deputies have arrested him three times for seven charges, including stealing a car when he was 14 and assaulting an officer with it as he fled. he's also been arrested for stealing a gun. the sheriff's office believes he took off in a white honda hatchback with black wheel rims this morning. deputies are still looking for him. the sheriff said that sergeant pierce was her jovial self at the hospital despite the injuries. she hit her head, her hand and her back when she hit the ground after jumping from the hood of the car after she says

now, we tried all day to find ortiz's mother. the sheriff was hoping she or other relatives would convince him to come here and turn himself in. the sheriff is also asking anyone with information to call crime line. you can find that number on wftv.com. reporting live at the sheriff's office, kathi belich, channel 9 eyewitness. >> our coverage of this local story will continue into the evening here on eyewitness news and wftv.com. we are talking with deputies right now and we will update you on their search at 6:00. and to get updates in between newscasts right on your smart phone, download our mobile news app. a major win tonight for drivers caught by red light cameras. the city of orlando's camera system may now be forced to shut down after a judge found the city was not following the rules. >> at this point, that court ruling applies only to orlando. >> but it could eventually have widespread impact. christopher heath just uncovered the ruling in the

chris, what does this mean for drivers facing a red light camera ticket. >> if they haven't paid their ticket, they should be able to get it tossed out because a judge found the city wasn't following the letter of the law. and now the entire system may need to be temporarily shut down. last year, only 12 red light tickets were dismissed in orlando. this is number 13. but it could mean all orlando drivers are about to get a reprieve from the cameras. >> going down roslyn towards robinson, yeah, got a ticket right there at the light. >> reporter: attorney kelly hastings got her ticket in 2013. she decided to fight it. on the grounds that the city was allowing a private company, the red light camera company vendor, ats in this case, to do the job of police. >> so orlando is turning over its responsibility. >> yeah. it's giving it to ats, an outside vendor. >> reporter: orlando was allowing the red light camera company to determine if a violation had occurred.

hastings' ticket was tossed out. and now all other drivers who haven't paid their tickets in orlando can ask for theirs to be dismissed as well. >> what would you say to a driver who has a red light camera ticket from the city of orlando hasn't paid it and is looking at that violation. >> they still need to go through the proper procedure to get it thrown out but they shouldn't pay it. >> i spoke to our legal expert bill sheaffer. anyone who has an unpaid ticket should call a attorney to get it tossed. the city downplayed the ruling but is considering an appeal and will not change the way that it issues tickets or stop sending out red light violations. >> interesting stuff, chris. we're about to find out how many state lawmakers agree with red light cameras. stalled in committee.

on it up or down. let's have the debate. confident in his bill. happens in tallahassee. open fire in a club where two men were killed and ten others injured are still behind bars. >> we were there when jose lopez was rearrested after being released on bond for his role in the shooting earlier this month. 20-year-old lewis cruz was also arrested and facing attempted first degree murder charges in the shooting. attorneys for a man accused of murdering his wife and two children have withdrawn their demand for a speedy trial. he was forced to appear in a deland courtroom this morning his cell. but he told the judge that he ended up coming in voluntarily. under a lot of pressure. >> he is on trial for his life. anybody would be under a lot of pressure for that. >> no date has been set yet for

it's been postponed until state lawmakers can fix florida's death penalty system. the u.s. supreme court ruled that the state's sentencing procedure is unconstitutional. breaking this afternoon, we're tracking the first zika case in orange county. the virus is widespread in south america and linked to severe birth defects. jeff has been working on this. and since 4:00, you confirmed that the patient was not pregnant. >> reporter: yes. state health officials sent an e-mail saying none of the cases in florida involve pregnant women, including the one in orange county. that's important because unborn children are at risk of potential birth defects from the zika virus. this is the first confirmed case in orange county but we've already seen cases in central florida. one in osceola county and one in brevard. they don't believe they came from mosquitoes in florida. the infected people recently

the one in orange county went to columbia. if someone infected is bitten by a mosquito in florida, that mosquito could infect others. these are breeding in manmade containers. it sounds simple but health officials say the best way to fight this is getting rid of standing water around your house. jeff beale, channel 9 eyewitness news. the search for baby willow has all but cleared out. you're looking at the pond behind the 7-eleven west africa the mother hung out. there is still no sign of the baby. police believe the baby was abandoned in the apartment complex monday morning. richardson remains in jail. we are keeping tabs on her if she bonds out. we have followed every development in the baby willow case. we put together a timeline for you to follow along. log on to wftv.com. and tonight, we are

of an orlando cab driver whose car was found abandoned last summer. >> we got copies of the crime scene photos that show michael smith's burned out cab near lake sunset. the suspect, paul strickland said he and two friends were in the cab when one of his friends pulled a gun. he and the other friend ran off. smith's body has not been found but police have enough evidence to charge strickland. letter county schools confirmed that they have received a letter from of the ncaa for acting lawfully from black students. more black students are being suspended than other groups of students. we contacted the naacp officials in flagler county and we will update you when we hear from them. the city of palm coast is investing $30,000 in gps

they will be installed in the 179 vehicles of the city. the city says they will increase worker productivity because employees will know they're being monitored. they think it will help investigate employee violations. three teenagers are behind bars in volusia county for stealing guns, ammo and valuables and they were caught because of a shoe print. two of the teens broke into a house in daytona yesterday and stole rifles, silver bars and coins worth $26,000 among other items. surveillance cameras led deputies to the teens. there was a shoe print found near the targeted house and the kids were arrested along with another teen. the u.s. government is cracking down on hover boards, saying it will sees or recall any that don't meet federal safety standards. the commission said users reported 52 fires caused by hover boards in 24 states. those fires caused $2 million in property damage.

have been avoided if the hover boards met safety standards. an orange county judge called this man a danger to us all before sentencing him to life in prison. all new at 5:00, why the elderly woman that he attacked doesn't accept his apology. a local father says he won't give up his fight to be reunited with his 5-year-old daughter whom he has never met. >> i'm doing what i know is right. the legal battle over the little girl's adoption and why her dad says it never should have happened. and these local teachers say enough is enough so they're not doing any extra work. the demands they're making of the seminole county school district and why officials won't budge. if you see or smell smoke, it's probably coming from this very large 3400 acre controlled burn in seminole county. changes in the winds mean

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>> today more seminole county teachers are protesting over stalled contract negotiations. here is how they're doing it. they're doing this and going to class right before the first bell and leaving right after the last one. working their contracted hours only and no more. as a result, we found out they're leaving papers ungraded and e-mails unreturned because that work stretches beyond the hours they're paid. when the buses rolled in at spring lake elementary today, the teachers were still out on the street. with signs demanding that seminole school leaders stop cheating children, this group of teachers say they have been cheated too. >> it's tough. i have family members living with me. i have a son in college. i cannot afford to send him extra money. >> reporter: frederick has gotten raises some years and gone without one in others. >> we have never recovered from that.

coworkers are asking for 4% this year. the district is refusing to go above 2 and a quarter. a spokesperson says the district hopes to get the contract dispute resolved as soon as possible. they say that the teachers have every right to come and go as the contract says they can. we found lake county teachers have the lowest average salary. it climbs from there with seminole topping the list at $74,000. >> all of the people who deserve a raise it is the teachers. >> they have enough money. pay us. they just want a large savings account. here we are without a savings account. >> reporter: in front of a sign promising after school tutorials until 4:30 these teachers now leave at the stroke of three. in seminole county, phil sutton, channel 9 eyewitness news. >> negotiations are dead locked despite the fact that the raises they're negotiating

that is more than halfway gone. there is no date set for the next negotiation. a city of orlando employee was arrested on child porn charges. michael becker works as a web designer but they found the images inside his home. he is charged with 24 counts of child porn possession. he is being held on a $350,000 bond. a homeless man is in jail accused of stealing church funds intended for the needy. surveillance cameras at the divine mercy catholic church recorded the theft. peter is accused of prying open boxes and taking an unknown amount of cash. sea world orlando is taking a major step to expand the brand. it wants to build a resort for guests. sea world hired the person behind universal resorts including the hard rock hotel to head the project. no word on when it will begin. the chief park operations

replaced by the president of sea world san diego. star wars fans get ready. start preparing for the invasion of jedis and stormtroopers at disneyland today. starting in april, there will be a march throughout the day of stormtroopers. there will also be a staged show featuring your favorite characters. starting in the summer, a nightly themed star wars fireworks and projection show. and i know so many people are excited about that. >> absolutely. yep. absolutely. just more reason to come to central florida. >> exactly. a lot of -- >> including the weather. >> a little smoky out there today. >> it's a big fire. 3700 acres. this he do the prescribed burns all the time. but you can see the smoke just above the horizon there. right through here. this is where the smoke is. it's trailing down. not a lot of lift. it will be at about 1,000 feet or so. it's really thick.

the fire is over here. you can see the winds trailing it all the way down through. this smoke isn't necessarily on the ground. it will be at 1,000, 2,000 feet up. as we start to cool down, the smoke will settle down towards the ground. if you're not smelling it now, lake county, you probably will before the evening is over. right now temperatures still very nice. we're in the 60s. 70 in orlando. winds not as gusty today. but the smoke will continue to work its way to the west with the easterly breeze until sunset tonight. overall this evening, warmer. here is a live shot from daytona. i found the old checkered flag. i thought it was fitted for the races going on. folks will be enjoying nice weather. round around. temperatures will be cooling down into the low 60s and upper 50s throughout the overnight hours.

a bit warmer. but a dry weekend for the races both saturday and the daytona 500 on sunday. and not as much of a breeze. saturday afternoon at the coast, cocoa beach in the low 70s. titusville coming in at 73. upper 60s here. the water temperature the coolest off of volusia and flagler county. that will get you up to 73 at daytona for the races or if you're heading out for one of the many festivals at icflorida.com. and for the 500, temperatures in the lower 70s. that will be sunday. a dry track. so that's what we're looking for. next week, here comes our next rain maker. moving in on tuesday and into wednesday. forecast models putting about a 40 to 50% chance for rain. we will be watching out for any chance for any heavier thunderstorms.

look at these warmer temperatures. 5-day forecast. 76 for tomorrow. 78 on sunday. here comes the spring like temperature pattern again. 80 on monday. rain chances increasing tuesday. temperatures hour by hour for your weekend plans ahead at 5:30. there are two special channel 9 investigations going on tonight. local teachers in trouble are getting paid to sit at home for weeks. how much this practice is costing you. then at 6:00, a story concerning to anyone whose ill. we investigate why florida hospital was using leftover chemo on patients. this father says his

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>> he still hasn't given up his fight to be reunited with his now 5-year-old daughter. >> the reality is she is my child and should be with her father. >> according to court records his mother wife consented to the adoption. at the time he was in jail on a battery charge involving his ex- wife. that charge was later dropped. attorneys for the cocoa beach based adoption agency home at last argued that he was served with notice of the intended adoption plan. he said it wasn't timely. but the agency prevailed. not only in the brevard county family court but the fifth district court of appeals too. >> she came from me. she is a part of me. you don't give up on that. >> reporter: today behind closed doors a family court

his own behalf, having for final relief from the final judgment of adoption. it was entered more than a year and a half ago. attorneys for the adoption agency told me that this is a settled legal matter and they are confident that the judge will come to the same conclusion. >> i love her. i loved her from the beginning. and i love her now. and i'm always -- i'm her father. and i'm coming to get her. >> reporter: the judge in this case is expected to file a written ruling in this case. reporting from the brevard county courthouse, melanie holtz, channel 9 eyewitness news. one woman was not happy at all when we tried to track down a suspect in a child abuse case. how police credit the child's teachers with helping them make two arrests. we were first to tell you a local commissioner took a donation from a company trying to win a city contract. plus. i was totally shocked that

a last-minute apology did not spare this man from that life sentence. why the elderly woman he

>> channel 9 eyewitness news continues right now at 5:30. >> it's a story you haven't seen yet. this elderly woman who she's she has been living in her own prison now feels free. >> it's a tremendous relief. a big burden has been lifted from my shoulders. >> she is not ready to forgive the man who tried to kill her in her own home. >> prosecutors say douglas reid broke into the 69-year-old woman's home, slit her throat with a box cutter and tried to rob her. michael was in court for the sentencing today. reid offered a last-minute apology. >> reporter: yeah. the victim says she doesn't know if she believes him. not yet anyway. that apology didn't stop the judge from handing down the maximum sentence. fisher finally felt relieved walking out of court today. >> i'm pleased in the fact that i don't have to worry about him coming after me or anyone else. >> reporter: reid was sentenced