3 3 3 3 3 3 3 (mark some rays fans are #.

to cheer on >> just hoping they can find this person. >> a st. pete neighborhood on the look-out for an arsonist who has set multiple firers. why officials are worried that the next strike could be worse. >> >> she was afraid to show her face after a man violently stole her purse in a parking lot, and now they are behind bars. >> perp

an historic match-up in cuba. >> good evening, i'm sirnt i cynthia smoot in for kelly ring. >> and a charred fence and burned up trash, the sign of an arsonist. evan lambert is live in the crescent lake neighborhood. what do you know? >> this video is just the first in a series of arsons, right behind me you see the melted dumpster, the fire just inches from several homes. >> it caught my house on fire. >> blaring sirens and lights startled this woman awake in the early morning on a january morning. >> all four dumpsters were fully

>> and that caused a section of her vinyl fence to peel into pieces and the fire spread to several cars and a motorized scooter. one of several stops for an arrest arsonist. >> almost a dozen fires have broken out in a six-mile radius, the most recent going up in dumpsters last january. this is south of 21st avenue north and east of mlk. he lights a gas tang on fire tang on tank on fire and then runs away, turning to loorks look,and take note of what is in his hands, with distinct square edges. >> if it's a structure with occupants, the occupants may not be alerted and they could be

trapped in the home at that point. >> neighbors say seeing the flames just inches from their homes is very concerning. >> we are keeping our eye peels and our awareness is heightened and we are going to look out for each other, and so beware. >> neighbors estimate the damages well into the hows. anyone with information is asked to call st. pete police. >> evan lambert in st. pete, thanks. >> new at 10:00 a search for a stolen suv ends in arrests for a group of suspected purse snatchers ending a week-long county crime spree, and they were apparently targeting vulnerable women. >> criminals stole this suv and then used is it to make life a nightmare for women mostly in

>> they are vicious, heartless criminals. >> they were serial purse snatchers we are told they stole purses from several women, including this one who was too shaken up to show her face. >> she was at a wal-mart and never will forget what she saw getting into her car. >> i saw a man's hand and he had his hand on the scrap strap of my purse. >> and then she saw him get into that suv and take off perng. >> off. >> $586 was gone. >> and days later, police say the same purse snatchers approached her and one grabbed her bag and pulled her to the ground and she broke her wrist. and this woman is not surprised

>> if you had the gutless heart to do that to one person and get away, you would do it to multiple people. >> these guys are preying on what appear to be easy targets to them. it's dangerous. these guys need to be off the street. >> and by wednesday evening, they were when lake wales police stopped them and ended the crime spree. >> this woman wants them in jail. >> prosecuted to the full extent of the law. >> officers in an unmarked car were looking for the stolen suv and spotted spotted it today and when they were following it, it stopped to deal with a tire issue and what is when police swarmed in. >> and still no i.d. on a motorcycle driver who was killed in a swash

the motorcyclist was pinned underneath. troopers are still not sure what caused the accident, they are investigating. and the rays will play in cuba, the first major league team to do so in 17 years. a lucky local group of fans is making the journey, and what a great opportunity for them. >> it was and despite one week's notice, and the $3500 cost this is a trip fans say they could not miss, and for most of them this trip is so much bigger than baseball. >> it's been seven years since my pop set foot on the island. >> the trip of a lifetime for mario and his father. >> my father was cuban and i had family there which lost complete contact with them because it's been so many years. >> it's a county few americans

50 tampa bay residents will make the historic journey as the rays take the field in cuba. >> to show i'm going to know i'm going to be able to sit there with my dad in the stadium, i'm so looking forward to this. >> the rays are the first major league team to play on the island since the baltimore orioles since 1999. >> it's our way to reach across, we have to show our humanity. >> president obama will be in attendance with his family, the first sitting president to visit the island in 88 years. on tuesday he announced plans to loosen traffic restrictions allowing people to take trips on their own instead of costly tour groups he says to rebuild a bridge that has been broken so long. >> i think all of the points of light are coming together and i

means by which the two countries can bridge that gap >> . >> and other race fans don't have to fis miss out. and in addition to the president you may see another familiar face cheering on the rays. the mlb announced the former new york yankee will be accompanying them on their trip. >> a woman is busted for breaking the rules and ended up in handcuffs in a courtroom because of a facebook photo. karen juarez was charged with d.u.i. and released on bond on the

a photo on facebook shows her drinking. >> the state can still use the photos at a sentencing hearing to show while on probation she should not be out drinking at gasparilla but taking aa classes. >> and there was exciting action at raymond james but not on the field, that is smoke rising from the jumbotron, somehow it caught on fire. tampa fire spray it had with water and future out. >> and the mayor is calling for an investigation on a story be first brought you on monday. our story reported that an orlando police officer who asked the city council for technology had a paid gig with the body camera company, and the chief says he is going to look at all

the city's bid. the police chief will be a part of the review as well. if you missed that story, it's on fox13news.com. and probably the story of the day, there is a special bond between owners and their pets and this woman is fighting to keep her rather usual friend in her home. >> why she could lose her pet alligator. there he is, his name is rambo, and what she is doing to try to stop it. >> and fox 13's lloyd sowers with a look at these amazing devices that helped america and its allies win world war ii tonight at 10:30. >> and it was a bit of aing ing foggy evening out there, and we are going to see the potential for fog overnight. here is a live look from the north tower, the southbound lanes i believe. not a lot of fog right now but

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in massachusetts. >> and steering people who enter the criminal justice system will be steered into treatment if they need it instead of into jail. >> unfortunately prison is not very good setting -- you have seen all of these horrible articles, really bad things happening to people with mental will illness in the prison system and so nobody wins by sending them there. >> one of the new laws will allow a mental health course and a no wrong door policy so that people can get treatment for matter how they enter the system. >> and a battle is brewing. the florida wildlife commission says this woman's pet alligator

the allowable size. >> but this woman says she nursed him back to health when he was young and he has never lived in the wild. thorn purchased a class 2 license before the rules changed about the size, but the new rules require alligators no more than 6 feet on 2.5 acres and fish and wildlife says she is breaking code. she even dresses him up in a leather jacket and says she couldn't bear to be without him. >> i live with it just like you would your kid. you get used to things your kid does. i get used to things he does. and since he is potty trained he comes and taps his nose on my leg and i pick him up and bring him out and let him go.

different commands and the director said there may have been a mistake with maricopa rambo and she may need to go before a judge, i think she is helping to get an extension. >> it is an amazing story, i have never seen anything like this. >> it's bizarre. >> it is. >> and mike, we have weather coming in this weekend. >> the sea fog we had big-time yesterday morning and a little bit around this morning, but it really moving in this evening, you saw video from a couple of hours ago, but since then things have dropped off. this is how the time lapse looks from today, and you see it rolling in, moving in very quickly, and those were not rain drops on the camera but moisture working its way inside the camera.

go at 7:55 there is not a lot of seafog left out there, and it's moving around, not stationary, and visibility wide they are all picking up 10 miles visibility and so no concerns over land but i believe there is seafog out there now, and i expect there to be into the morning hours on thursday, the big question is where it sets up, but it's just too hard to pinpoint that. just plan a little examine that extra fiem time for a commute tomorrow morning, and i think we get rid of it heading into tomorrow night and the day on friday. and the other big story has to be the heat. 81 the high, and 71 the low, the third straight day of low temperatures in the 70's and you

there's a whole lot of red, only one day below average, but we'll be adding to that total as we head for the start of next week. big, big changes on the way, and a little bit of fog and more patchy in nature than the last couple of nights. showers and storms this weekend, still a little bit of uncertainty within the models as to the timing of the showers and storms but the potential exists for an inch or more of rain and then turning cooler sunday and into next week. and only about 10% rain chance tomorrow, 30% on friday, but by saturday, talking about 60 rain chances out there. current temperatures, low 70's along the coast, and do you wants right do you dewpointsaround the 70's degree mark and that continues into the day tomorrow, warm and muggy and sticky satellite and radar, high pressure off to our south, and

bit during the day on thursday, and that is what brings a few showers and areas to our north on thursday, more showers thursday into friday and more friday night and on into saturday, but saturday itself, the best chance for showers and storms at least the steadiyest looks to be in the afternoon. 69 tonight, mild and muggy, and here is your seven-day. temperatures into the upper 80's inland and best rain chances saturday afternoon, lingers showers on sunday and then monday, look at that, 67 the high. >> that is going to feel chilly after this. >> well, still ahead, one of the bay area's fastest growing communities is attracting a lot of development.

rhymes >> new at 10:00, southwest rn pasco county may not be the first place you think of when you think tourist destinations

and shopping has popped up around wesley chapel, so has the demand for hotel rooms and that is music to developers' ears. >> the tampa area is full and there is plenty of room to build in pasco, and it's a relatively easy drive to tampa international and this has made pasco a good destination for the business class. >> we are growing and busting at the seams. >> but what you would see is a lot of this. developers are rushing to meet a demand for mo hotels, with five new projects under construction in a relatively small area. >> we had record years in tourism during the last years in florida and we know it's going grow even more.

business person who comes in for a conference and staying an extra week. >> i love it, this is an awesome place to stay by the way. >> she is plugging the residents into lutz, which is exactly why there is a new hilton garden inn going up next to it but the county is not relying on business class to fill up the rooms, now it's looking at sports tourism. >> in two or three three years pasco county is going to attract year-round visitors and should match nicely with what is happening nearby at the ice rink. >> yeah, i said ice rink. it will feature four nhl-sized ranks and a training rink with faculties and a restaurant, and he says today's tourist is

tammy may soon be your neighbor. tourist. >> i might come back here to tourist? >> that's how we get them hooked. pasco county is on track to break the $1 million mark on tourist tax collections for the first time in history. >> it would be a big one for kids out there, too. all right, the homeless, it's a topic that some people stray away but, but this man has a much different outlook on the matter. ben love is an artist and over the years has painted hundreds of portraits of the homeless. he wants to give them a voice and a way for them to be remembered forever. and he has a personal take. he and his wife lived on the street on and off for five and a half years. >> after being on the street and forgotten about, i understand,

whether it's family forget you for whatever reason, friends -- >> yeah, ben's paintings are really remarkable. and they've been on display at the art center in manatee and i he and his wife have donated some to turning point, the organization that helped them straighten up their lives and get off the streets. >> and he knows what a lot of them have been through and knows the agony and pain in their eyes and the despair and he is able to capture that. >> amazing. >> all right, coming up next, a strategic move in washington as president obama makes his pick for the next supreme court justice. >> but will republican the bigger the burrito, the bigger the fun. dunkin's new grandde burrito -- a breakfast burrito packed with big southwest flavor. go grande

put more fun in your day with ice-cream-flavored coffees at dunkin' donuts. go for delicious flavors like butter pecan, cookie dough, or new pistachio. enjoy one today. america runs on dunkin'. today - president obama announced his nomination to fill >> today president obama announced his nomination to fill the vacancy on the supreme court. his choice? j. merrick judge merrick garland, the companies choice coming after republicans vowed to block any of the president's nominations. >> it is tempting to make this sichly an simply an extension of our divided politics.

unlike few other battles in u.s. history. the white house put out a video regarding merrick garland's nomination and add facebook and twitter and you have all of the ingredients for an epic showdown. >> i think the president is an exceptionally qualified nominee and will convince the gop to change course. >> in 2006 then senator obama wanted to slow the process for president bush's nominee, saying i think this nominee is contrary to common american values and. >> the senate judiciary committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the

political campaign seen season is over. >> the biden rule reminds us that this remains about a principle and not the person. >> did you today the president bushed back, saying i made sure every scotus nominee got a hearing and a vote, something that may not be the case for the president's latest nominee. >> it certainly could be possible that republicans could follow through on this unprecedented approach but it's also possible that republicans will change course. they have in the past. >> and the president reached out to members of the senate judiciary committee, and they have had some success reaching out to reid, mcconnell, grassily, and others. and by the way, the first couple of meetings are scheduled on the

at the white house. >> as donald trump surges ahead in the presidential race, he is now upping the ante. warning of riots if he is denied the nomination at the convention, and the more he begins to look like the inevitable nominee, the louder the drum beat to stop him. and today trump warned of serious consequences. >> i think you would have riots. i think bad things would happen, i really do, i believe that. i would not lead it but i think bad things would happen. >> trump easily won three states and took missouri by a narrow mar margin over cruz.

solidifying her hold, having looked up 65% of the delegates and seems to be taking aim at republican front runner donald trump. she now has a bigger lead over sanders than obama ever had over her, but she is not trying to push bernie sanders out because she says she didn't want her camp to anger bernie supporters that she is going to need down the road. >> and a lot of people are excited to watch the thunderbirds, the air force precision acrobatic team, and with macdill heading into its 67th year it's examine seating examine exciting to see these devices.

>> there are not a lot out there. >> so secret was the design, the gears and the diels dials and so protected. >> the guy who picked it up had to have a pistol to guard it and so there was not a lot of information out there. >> but now this aviation historian is researching and retelling how the legendary norden bomb sites were key to the success of the missions during world war ii. >> the whole point in having a b-29 and having the people put their lives at risk was to get the cross-hairs on the target. >> american bombs hampered hitler's ability to wage war, but in the days before smart bombs, it was the bomb sites

sightsthat were special. >> they had gear ratios that you put in different inputs on the weapons and airspeed and altitude. >> weep that line. >> when the plane neared the target, the pilot turned over control of the plane to the bombadiere. >> he moved the plane to keep the cross-hairs on the target. >> and then the sight did even more. >> there was nobody pushing a button. when the bomb sight said everything is right, it drops them. >> bombs away! >> the bombs dropped guided by the gears and dials. what denny does is assemble pieces of history, reblgd rebuilding those amazing devices that helped to win a war.

>> and if you go to the airfest, look for denny and his display inside one of the hangars. >> and how about this, this is a part of a nation-wide movement to get kids connected to the great outdoors. a part of first lady michelle obama's let's get outside initiative. and what a better place to do this than in the tampa bay area. the mayor says the bay's parks and open spaces make it the perfect place, and today at the river walk the mayor talked about the kids from the tampa y and talked to them about the importance of being ak active. >> we want you outdoors, playing in the parks. we want to have a healthy city, but some day one of you may grow up to be the mayor, too, but you have to be healthy to be the mayor, because once you are the mayor, you are not so healthy

>> well, tampa is one of 50 cities chosenly the u.s. department of the interior for this program. >> there are too many kids not getting outside. and next up a generous move by a young man with a terminal illness. >> what he said when colossal curl at adventure island. it's not just a water slide, it's a thrill slide. pand if you get the busch gardens p fun card now you'll also get pan adventure island fun card for rfree. restrictions apply visit adventure island dot com

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colossal curl at adventure island. it's not just a water slide, it's a thrill slide. pand if you get the busch gardens p fun card now you'll also get pan adventure island fun card for rfree. restrictions apply visit adventure island dot com for details or to purchase tickets. coming up tonight at 11... >> all right, coming up at 11:00 we are going to take you to a florida equestrian center, which is working hard to save the horses they have left after a fire ripped through a born and barn and killed 12 of the horses. and why your relationship with your best friend can actually help you to live longer. that is tonight and it looks like there is beer drinking involved. >> looks like it and we'll check

hey, there was a big crowd tonight for the make-a-wish wishers walk to raise money. >> as fox's tracy jason reports this young man is teaching us something about di fines. >> defiance.>> you would never guess that 18-year-old joe skinner is battling leukemia. tonight, joe couldn't talk to us, he is in the hospital. >> i can't say i believe it, it's really hard to comprehend and you really focus on the process. >> and the process is arduous. with hospital stays and chemotherapy and hopefully acceptance into a clinical trial but this is also a part of the

>> we told like close to 3,000. >> mike judge y is joe's good friend and you see him here with joe on signing day, signing on to play baseball for ucf, a dream come through, and then a few weeks later, an emergency visit to the hospital and a leukemia diagnosis. and all of the people here dressed in gold raised thousands of dollars but not for him. >> they wanted to raise money and joe said there are kids at this hospital that need things a lot more than i do. >> so a home run here tonight and more home runs to come on the ballfield, god willing, joe skinner is a home-run king. >> the community can get together and do whatever they

kids having issues, they want to help other people, too. >> a great story there. well, why robert ayers says he is suited up for success with the bucs and then hear what was said after spring practice. >> i'll bet it was spicey. and this little guy certainly

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>> all right, first up it's trending for obvious reasons. when you see a magic trick, which you know who doesn't like excited. >> yeah, like how did they do that. >> and this may be no different for animals. look at this at the zoo. >> what? >> get outta here. >> we need a voice of what his reaction would be. >> i think the magicians reaction is i better get back. >> and there is that glass, and he is on the other side, but

you gotta be kidding me. >> david blaine among the baboons. >> i'm not sure that is a happy baboon, and if that is glass, i'm thinking that was a good thing. >> you never know what is going happen when you visit a drive-through safari park but this woman was not expected this. >> no, no, like off the car -- don't encourage him -- (bleep). >> oh, no. >> off the car. >> he climbed on top of her hood and has them trapped for nearly 10 minutes. >> oh. >> and the carrot didn't help much. >> i was going to say they wanted him to get down and so they fete him a carrot. >> now, the carrots are coming from inside the car' oa. >>

>> they like to go up -- and the car is the highest thing around. >> well, when the insurance agent answers the phone, that is going to be interesting. and we learned today there is a woman with an al alligator for a pet, and he is 515 15 years old but this is what they look like when they hatch. (chirping). >> sounds like a bird. >> it is an interesting sound, and i have actually heard that because we used to live on the lake and when you hear that sound, you do not stick around but that is the call that says, mom, mom, mom, and mom is usually around, they are very good mothers and if you are hearing that sound you just give

involved but it's interesting to watch them hatch. they came out perfectly formed. >> and ready to take off -- or be your pet. >> no! that is a brand new baby. all right, let's jump into sports right now, and the last time the bucs had a double digit sacs it was simeon wright, but truth be told, this one feels like he was gyped a little bit, and in a conference call tonight, ayers talks about why he thinks he will produce for the bucs. >> in this league you have to be in the right system and you could take nor money and be asking to do things you are not good at, but for me i want to be in a situation with a staff that understand what they are getting

and being successful my last few years, and i think they are going to do that. >> well, spring football kicked off tonight at florida state, no starting quarterback, mcguire has been out with an injury but jim fisher said he will open it up to the three qb's behind him. but i'm not sure it really matters who was center today but day one of spring was apparently a disaster according to the head coach. fisher went off on just how horrible they practice and how complacent they looked. take a listen. >> no, enthusiasm, no life, no nothing. just like thinking of going away and that is why we lost games last year --

>> no, i haven't seen anything like that in any years. >> are you changing anything -- >> no, i'm not changing a lick. we've been second in the -- i'm not changing a thing, they are changing for me. >> good for him although it is early. and today it was announced that the georgia football rivally will continue for the next five years. will rest easy, the rivalry will continue through 2021. well, the 12 hours of sebring is right around the corner, saturday, starting at just before 11:00 they dropped the green flag. it's an endures race with its own challenges. christian is the team and defending champ and he said the 12 hours in sebring is almost as

daytona, but he said you have to be fast especially when it comes to the driver changes and he says you have to find a healthy balance. >> it's not only a race on the track, yeah, 80 to 90% happens on the track but the pit stops are really important, especially when you do the driver changes and changing tires and refueling the car, everything needs to be flawlessly for to you collect the positive result at the end of the event. >> certainly a test of endurance, 12 hours. >> really amazing but good stuff. and before we go, st. paddy's day is nearly upon us, and people are celebrating with,

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>> welcome back. i think the big weather story has been the seafog, and they can this picture out, you can't

how thick the seafog has been, and this is a cool picture. you get the sun shining through the fog in the distance there, with this one out in palmetto. great pictures of the seafog but if you've been inside it, it's not necessarily the prettiest thing out there, and is this the other big story, low 80's along the coast, and 80's to 90's, and 89 in frost proof and 81 in tampa. tomorrow, we are going pretty similar to that. upper 80's for near 90 inland, and temperatures closer to the upper 70's with that west wind coming off the water. and st. patrick's day tomorrow. variable clouds and a shower and maybe a storm off to the north, but during the daytime hours we are talking rain chances between 10 and 20%.

here is your satellite and radar view, with the high clouds off to the west and we'll watch them spream in stream in overnight and into the day tomorrow, and that may limit the in the of seafog we see, but meanwhile a larger system back up to the north bringing snowshowers snowshowr showers to snowshowers to the upper midwest, and rain chances up to 30% on friday and by saturday, about 60%, the best chance of showers and storms on saturday will be later on in the afternoon. and behind all of this rain, there will be cooler weather. full details coming up. >> and let's play some lotto.

all right, new here at 10:58, st. paddy's day is nearly upon us and if you can't take a trip to the emerald isle which is most of us, you may want to celebrate right here at home. experts say it takes about two minutes and there are several steps to doing it just right. two minutes to pour the perfect glass. watch. >> what we always encourage you do is try to block the foam with your upper lip and draw the beer from underneath and it leaves a bit of resin on your upper live, lip and if do you that, you have done it correctly.

served at 42 degrees for the best taste and i guess the best must stach. >> muss mustache. >> and this couple believes that the couple who broke into their home and tied them up was really after someone else. >> you can witness a horse dying. i have never seen a horse die like this. >> a florida barn goes up in flames with sadly many horses inside, how it started and how the survivors are doing. >> i can hardly talk about it without getting a little emotional. >> and a look at the rays and their traveling fans that are preparing for cuba. >> first at 11:00, a terrifying home invase caught on video by