as melanie michael tell us one month from now they will mark a somber anniversary. >>reporter: the grief is fresh and raw for this father. december 21st, 2014 feels like it was yesterday. when he is aching to hess see his sonny visits him in the >>reporter: this former nypd officer add mets a piece of his own heart dies when he learns a foal member of law enforcement has fallen. and he has a word to describe those who take lives. >> animals that do this that don't respect come up from behind and shoot anybody come up from behind and assassinate them. >>reporter: when asked what advice he would offer to families of fallen officers. >> find a support group and enjoy the memories that you had in the past. good times. >>reporter: as the healing continues tonight this case continues to wind its way through the justice system. the man accused of killing charlie kay goes on trial next may. melanie michael in tarpon springs newly news channel 8. >> dozens of local community leaders would like tampa to become a safe haven for people in this country illegally. they called for

i spoke with early morris's wife who tells me this is incredibly family. melanie michael, news channel 8. >>> her -- hillsboro county deputies are trying to identify a body found in the palm river area. somebody discovered the woman's body while horseback riding. investigators say the body was just a few feet off the road near 20th and 58th street south. >>> an intruder who made his way inside a polk county elementary school is behind bars. don stephens is facing burglary teachers at bartow elementary say they noticed him trying to open locked doors in the fifth grade hall. when confronted, he took off. police officers caught up with him a few blocks away. this happened ring school, prompting a lockdown. >> i don't feel it has been portrayed that the kids were actually in danger. i feel my daughter was in danger but i am glad they were >> school officials say they are looking at safety procedures. police believe stephens was looking for something to steal and not a danger to the children. he is awaiting trial on drug charges so he was denied bond today. >>> the cross bay

melanie michael. thank you for joining us tonight. we begin with that tow truck driver who lost his life over the weekend. detectives tell us a drunk driver is to blame and now that man is in jail. >> this happened on southbound lanes of interstate 275 near fowler avenue. live tonight from the hillsborough county jail with this all too sad and familiar absolutely right, sad to say, 30-year-old leandro perez is facing dui and dui manslaughter charges. he's the third driver this year to be charged with hitting and killing a tow truck operator. department of transportation cameras captured the grizzly scene where the tow truck driver was hit and killed. authorities tell us he was helping two other motorists on i-275 southbound near fowler old leandro perez failed to move over and hit him. >> once again we lost one of our brothers to another drunk driver. >> ginger darling works in the industry and believes these accidents are preventable. >> people aren't being responsible. people aren't being considerate of other people. i was brought up, you move over when you see somebody on the side of the road, no matter who they are.

melanie michael, news channel 8. >>> this busy travel day has already proven deadly on bay area roads. eagle 8 hd flew over the seen oner afternoon. troopers tell us the suv crossed the centerline, hitting the pickup truck head-on. the driver of the suv died and the driver of the truck is suffering injuries. >>> a 60-year-old woman behind bars for charging a bank in st. petersburg. as rod carter shows us, it's one of several brink robberies happening in the last couple of weeks. >> reporter: two and half weeks ago, the tellers at this st. older woman walked into their bank around noon. >> she was wearing a wig and walked up to one of the tellers and said i have a bomb, give me some money. >> reporter: she walked out with $1900. that very same woman, now identified as janice ellen lead, turned herself in.>> we got information that a gun was possibly involved. >> reporter: there has been a string of bank robberies including one in pasco county out wells fargo on fast-moving deputies. investigators say the suspect ran into the bank yelling and acting as if he had a gun. he took off with cash but didn't get very far. the sergeant chased him down. r

tell you about that. >>> and a preview of the female firefighters of tampa bay. melanie michael onset to explain what her story is all about today. >>> first, the lightning back on the ice tonight. find out why this looks like a hot streak for the team next in first at 4:00 sports. >>> and you can get developments on today's biggest julie phillips and me every night on great 38 at 8:00. make your holidays more delicious. right now, when you buy $20 in gift cards... ...you get a $5.00 gift certificate for yourself. >>> now let's check on your first at 4:00 sports with dan lucas. >> a little hockey tonight. the lightning played the islanders last night. won 4-0. they have played them four times in three weeks, them 14-2 was the total score. we don't play them again this season. the lightning right back on the ice tonight against division rival detroit. ben bishop expected to be the starting goaltender which is on national tv tonight. so don't flip channels all night. bishop coming off back to back losses but i wouldn't pin them on the goalie. the bolts were sloppy early panthers.

as she tells us she is challenged about her back down during veterans day deals. today she shared her story with melanie michael. >> good afternoon. local businesses like greed at's cafi and bakery always look forward to treating veterans and they love it she just wishes everyone was on the same page. >> this mom has lived a life all about serving her country and hurt unity. after enlisting in the navy she was stationed in guam and avoid multiple times. she is now living life as her -- as a civilian raising her girls. each year she can't wait to see fellow veterans at local businesses as they are honored through special deals. because she is no longer active military, she tells us she is questions. on her phone sh >> i don't feel entitled to receive anything, but when you have served, you'll like that service to be question. >> in the antennae along with many of the veterans tell 8 on your side, they are grateful. they hope businesses realize that just because you are not currently servicing doesn't mean your service should be forgotten. >>> floridians overwhelmingly your employer can still say no. backers of m

tell them, garth. >> presented by carmax. >> all right, everybody, we have good news for our bag by michael's with an ornament and a decorating kit. >> anchor: good morning, washington. i'm melanie hastings. here is a check of your stop stories. the 600 block of h street in northwest is finally reopened near the verizon center, around 3:00 a.m. a man was hit by several bullets standing in fronts of a $140,000 bmw. police believe the victim's injuries are not life threatening. the transition to the new administration begins today. president obama plans to welcome his successor, president obama elect donald trump to the white house. this will happen around 11:00 a.m. this morning. after a meeting trump and vice-president elect mikepenses head to capitol hill to meet a little chilly this morning, but pleasant afternoon. here is veronica johnson. temperatures arriving out out of the 40s this morning. a little bit of chill in the air. the high of 62, seasonal for this time of year and right at average. sunshine, dry, winds picking up a bit. gusts could be around 20 miles an hour. tomorrow afternoon windy, veteran's day, the high also 62 but windy. that wind will carry into early satu