. >>> a new low tonight in pasco county, get a load of this. a funeral homeworker is under arrest after selling an elderly woman a fake burial flout. now sheriff's deputies are trying to figure out if there are more victims out here. chip osowski joins us live now from the pasco county sheriff's office in trinity. chip, this is certainly a concern for anyone with an older loved one. >> reporter: you're absolutely right, jen. their money. earlier today i spoke exclusively to the woman who was scammed in this case. when 74-year-old ruth bachtalowsky had learned she was scammed, she wasn't angry or upset. >> i was p-oed. >> reporter: investigators tell us 49-year-old michael ritz worked for grace memorial gardens in hudson and ruth a plan for her final arrangements. >> i wrote him a check for $4,210 and he gave me a receipt. if it weren't for that receipt, i would have been just out of luck. >> reporter: when two unexpected bills came, she needed that money back and called ritz who gave her the run-around. the sheriff's office got involved and rit

. >> in the process a pasco county woman was blind sided and scammed and coming up an 8 on place say tricked her. >> plus have you taken a trick on the new cross bay ferry. since opening it's been quite popular but what are the exact numbers of folks traveling and what did rider really think about it? you're watching news channel 8 today on your friday morning. >>> this morning we're getting an idea of how many are using the new cross bay ferry. the company released numbers for the first month of operation. 7,400 people took the ferry across tampa bay in that first month, 4,700 bought full price, one way tickets another 2,700 people took free weekend trips. by the way, a one-way ticket costs half. the ferry is operating on a trial basis through april to see if the interest in it is really there for folks using it every single day. >>> and we're coming up on 5:45 on this friday. the governor headed to miami today to give an update on the fight against the zika virus. now, his visit comes over a week after an announcement that the northern portion of miami beach is clear of the virus.

great drive through lakeland i- pasco county looking very good right now. and 275 heading out towards the howard frankland bridge and also into downtown tampa that's a quick drive with no slow-downs. we still have an accident here it is working hopefully it's going to clear up soon but keep it in mind kenny harmon road right here we have a collision. so i want you to be on the look out for that. traffic on the 8s. >>> some big leadership changes coming to starbucks. >> which means changes that affect customers. coming up who is stepping down as ceo and what he plans to do in his new position. that's next on news channel 8 today. . >>> starbucks making changes in leadership positions. in april ceo howard schultz is stepping down from his post to become executive chairman. kevin johnson will take over as ceo. >>> thousands of baby back seats and chairs are being recalled due to a drowning hazard. while the baby is in it. for more information if you have one and want to get a full refund you can go to our website at wfla.com. >>> well, we're in the month of de

. >> reporter: there are lockers in pinellas and hillsborough counties and a handful in manatee, pasco and heck hernando counties. a car alarm for the porch. delivery arrives and must be disarmed before the package is moved. cameras can catch criminals if the picture is clear enough. live streaming cameras such as the $99 blink or $200 nest cam notify you more quickly a crime has been committed. for $229 the august smart lock device remotely locks and unlocks doors. >> the package gets delivered, can i call my neighbor, ask door and lock it behind them. >> the land port lock box is a $500 steel container that bolts to any surface, opened with a code you share with your delivery service. the three major delivery services, u.s. postal service, u.p.s. and fedex expect to deliver 1.8 billion packages this holiday season. >> wow. maybe get things delivered the front desk of an office building that can take packages as well. >> always an option. people are watching all the time. >> i saw somebody post on facebook yesterday, had all my amazon packages off my door step. >> it happened to us. i

live outside the food bank a developing story in pasco county.. where deputies are searching for a man they call " armed and dangerous." authorities say this man.. 26-year-old sanchez savage.. has a history of for active warrants out of georgia.. he's accused of running from law enforcement.. possession of marijuana.. and obstruction.. if you see savage or know where he might be... call 9-1-1 right away. there is also a reward of up to three ?thousand dollars for info leading to his arrest... from crimestoppers. you can call them at the number on your screen... 1- 800-873-tips. in sarasota: a mother and father are now facing charges... after police say they had their kids living in ?deplorable conditions. the five chidlren had no fresh water.. and little food. some of the pictures are just too disturbing to show you. but they were bad enough... that sarasota police arrested amanda dean and joseph dromeshauser and charged them with child neglect. a tip came in and officers found rotting food, bottles filled with urine, and human waste throughout th

if you know anything about the case please call pascoe county sheriff's office. >>> trevor julie ?dooley is home today. >> do you have anything to say? >> dooley dodged reporters as he walked out of the jail today. the judge granted him a bond yesterday. no appealing the commission for a second time. dooley won his repeal and was granted another trial. but then they reversed the ruling and granted him a new appeal. he claims there were errors made during jury instructions. back in 2010 dooley chantel david james after they argued about a skateboarder on a basketball court. he claimed self-defense but a jury convicted him.e is now serving eight years in prison. >> kelly: it was the heart of hillsboro at the community and now it is done. a massive fire ripped through the winston park recreation renovation and received a 2 and a half million dollar donation this year.from tampa bay lightning owner and the boys and girls club. it also has been a safe haven for children from nearby fairmount elementary and del valle middle school. hillsborough fire rescue has not determined the cause an

in pasco county in the san antonio area there is a crash along southbound 75 on the entrance ramp from state road 52. let's go live to sky10 and check out pinellas county along gandy boulevard and 4th street. you can see here that gandy is not too busy just yet, but we are definitely picking up. we are also heading to an accident along park boulevard. i will have a live look there in less than ten glad you are with us. it is friday, december 2. i am ian reitz. >> jenny dean. >> it's devastating. we are heartbroken. >> crews continue to search for people missing after the devastating fires in tennessee. at least 11 people were killed in the wildfires, and hundreds of buildings were damaged or jumped out of his car at a red light to yell at a pregnant woman he says was driving too slow. >>> a warning for parents in hillsborough county. the school district is looking to cut routes for nearly 7,000 middle and high schoolers next year. >>> this can happen to any one of us. maybe you cut someone off in traffic or you are driving a little too slow and the driver behind you doesn't like it, or

. >>> a pasco county landowner is renting out should be condemned, coming up how he gets by with it and why z26pbz zy6z >>> live from the station taking action for you, this is abc action news. >>> an update to a story we told you about on monday in crystal river. citrus county detectives reveal caught on fire. she was making a u-turn when the undercarriage got caught on palmetto roots, the car and the shrubbery caught on fire. she died in the fire. authorities do not suspect foul play. >>> millions if dollars in renovations for a rec center go up in flames. the renovations for the center was a gift to give the children in the area a safe place to go and play. the cause of the fire is under investigation. >>> trevor dooley walking out of jail this is video of him leaving this afternoon, he is the 75-year-old man convicted of shooting and killing a father in front of his daughter. he got eight years for

it happened in pasco county near tampa. the sheriff says the adult babysitter was on a train bridge with the toddler, a four-year-old girl and another adult. when a train started coming, the friend grabbed the girl and jumped into the river below the bridge. the babysitter and the child didn't get off in time. >> it's a tragedy. there is no other way to say it. there is a family that is suffering greatly right now. >> the train conductors weren't expecting anyone to be in this area up on those tracks, they were trespassing on those tracks and that's what csx is going to try to determine why they were out here. are looking into the tragedy, but deputies say no one's facing charges right now. ben: right now, tennessee is still dealing with the effects of a massive wildfire. the mayor of sevier county, tennessee says the death toll has now reached 14. officials say the fires burned more than 2400 buildings near gatlinburg. it all adds up to half a billion dollars in damage. two teenage boys are facing charges for arson. ben: c

. >>> deputies in pasco county looking for these kids. earlier this morning they verizon store on u.s. 19 and metro pcs on state road 54. they took apple iphones. if you recognize anyone in this picture, call deputies right away. >>> new tonight, the lake land police department facing serious accusations of leaving a drunk man stumbling along u.s. 98 only to be run over by a car. cameron polom with a brand-new lawsuit, now demanding police pay up. >> that's what they say on the serve and protect. we didn't protect this young man. >> reporter: barry cohen admits his client, 29-year-old david kidd was drunk. his blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit. >> he got drunk at the bar. he was walking home. he fell on the side of the road. the police were called by a concerned citizen. >> reporter: when lakeland police and emt found him, he boligerent and uncooperative. they were about to take him to the hospital when the lakeland p.d. stepped in. >> the officer decided they would take him to the hospital. >> reporter: cohen says

it happened in pasco county near tampa. the sheriff says the adult babysitter was on a train bridge with the toddler, a four-year-old girl and another adult. when a train started coming, the friend grabbed the girl and jumped into the river below the brid. the babysitter and the child didn't get off in time. >> it's a tragedy. there is no other way to say it. there is a family that is suffering greatly right now. >> the train conductors weren't expecting anyone to be in this area up on those tracks, they were trespassing on those tracks and that's what csx is going to try to determine why they were out here. adrienne: criminal investigators are looking into the tragedy, but deputies say no one's facing charges right now. ben: right now, tennessee is of a massive wildfire. the mayor of sevier county, tennessee says the death toll has now reached 14. officials say the fires burned more than 2400 buildings near gatlinburg. it all adds up to half a billion dollars in damage. two teenage boys are facing charges for arson. ben: c

no closed captioning is (wally/ we begin with a news alert out of pasco county. deputies are looking for this man... 26-year-old "sanchez savage"... they say he's armed, dangerous, and has a history of selling drugs. he's also wanted, for active warrants out of georgia. he's accused of running from law enforcement, marijuana possession and obstruction. if you see him, call 9-1-1 right away. another news alert this morning... this one out of tampa. police are searching for a missing child... for the second t "jhova wells" disappered yesterday. police were able to find the 12-year-old and bring him home. but officials say he ran away again around 8-30 last night. wells was last seen on north 51st street. he was wearing dark-colored shorts and did not have on a shirt or shoes. if you know anything... call police. ((wally)) now to a developing situation in tampa... where hundreds of people could go hungry today. the st. vincent de paul society... won't be able to crowd... because a car crashed into their food pantry. ((wally fox-13's shayla reaves is live outside the

the oldest home in all of hillsborough, pinellas, and pasco counties is for sale. the bungalow on east eighth tampa city hall... but was moved in 19-14. the 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home is selling for 45- thousand-dollars. but if you want to own the 2-thousand square-foot piece of history... prepare to be interrogated. the co-owners want to make sure the buyer plans to restore the home... not knock it down. which they say will cost about 150-thousand dollars. (wally) new this morning: a controversial change... that's sure to divide major league baseball fans. (take vo) starting with the 2017 season, game will no longer determine which team gets home-field advantage in the world series. instead, that will be determined by the pennant winner who has the better regular season record. the change is part of the league's tentative new collective bargaining agreement. also part of the agreement, players going on the disabled list will be reduced from 15 days ((vanessa)) they needed lots of bed sheets, and lots of guts. ((walter)) the daring escape and manhunt in california.

. >> reporter: amni counties and a handful in manatee, pasco county and hernando counties. and the package guard is a car alarm for your porch. it notifies your phone when it arrives and must be disarmed before the package is moved. cameras can catch criminals if the camera is clear enough. the $200 blink or 200-dollar quickly a crime has been committed. and a remote device can lock and unlock doors. >> i can ask my neighbor no get over and open the door for them. drop off the package and shut the door and lock it behind them. >> the land port lock box is a $500 steel container that bolts to any service amd and opened with a code you share with your delivery service. the three major delivery services ct billion packages this holiday season. back to you. >> for more information on any of those services check wfla.com. >>> let's go back to breaking news out of jacksonville. nbc reporting a bank robber holding up at least 11 people hostage is now in custody. looks like it's now starting to be wrapped up. we'll have more on that as we learn more. >>> meantime we're going to tel

it happened in pasco county near tampa. the sheriff says the adult babysitter was on a train bridge with the toddler, a four-year-old girl and another adult. when a train started coming, the friend grabbed the girl and jumped into the river below the bridge. the babysitter and the child didn't get off in time. >> it's a tragedy. there is no other way to say it. there is a family that is suffering greatly right now. >> the train conductors weren't expecting anyone to be in this area up on those tracks, they were trespassing on those tracks and that's what csx is going to try to determine why they were out here. adrienne: criminal investigators are looking into the tragedy, but deputies say no one's facing charges right now. ben: right now, tennessee is still dealing with the effects the mayor of sevier county, tennessee says the death toll has now reached 14. officials say the fires burned more than 2400 buildings near gatlinburg. it all adds up to half a billion dollars in damage. two teenage boys are facing charges for ars

>>jennifer: switching gears, we're following a developing story in pasco county. the search for a fugitive from georgia who might be hiding out locally. 26-year-old sanchez savage was -- has a history of selling drugs and running from the law. deputies consider him armed and dangerous. call 911 if you know where he is. a car crash that might leave hundreds of people going hungry today. the car hit a food pantry. and i know a lot of people were expecting to get some food from there today. >>reporter: yes. already we've seen people arriving this morning and many of them seeing the sign on the door for the first time. we're off nebraska -- north nebraska here at the st. vincent de paul location. food pantry closed until further notice. we apologize for this inconvenience. now, let me show you why. you're looking at some a driver lost control and plowed through the front of the building. this happened on thursday, leaving a huge mess behind. the impact knocked over food and shattered glass, causing thousands of dollars in damage. fortunately, everyone inside made it o

location and use an unlocked cloture -- unlock key to retrieve the pinellis, manatee, pasco, and hernando county's. the package guard is a car alarm for your porch. the wi-fi device notifies your phone when a delivery arrives and must be disarmed before the package is moved. cameras can capture criminals if the picture is clear enough. blank or nest cameras -- blink or nest cameras you. the august smart lock device remotely locks and unlock stores. >> the package gets delivered, i can ask my neighbors to swing over there, drop the package off, shut the door and looked behind them. truck for a big investment, the lockbox is a $500 still container that both to any surface and is opened with a code you share with your delivery service. the three major delivery services, the u.s. postal to deliver 1.8 billion packages this holiday season. back to you. >> thank you, meredith. >>> polk county detectives are looking for two guys who tried and failed to steal a boat. you can see a pickup truck back up to the trailer, try to hitch it but as soon as the truck pulls away, the trailer separates from it. they

. >> reporter: there are amazon lockers in pinellas and hillsborough counties and handful in manatee, pasco and hernando counties. the $50 package guard is a car alarm for your delivery arrives and must be disarmed before the package is moved. cameras can catch criminals if the picture is clear enough. live streaming cameras such as the $99 blink or $200 nest cam notify you more quickly that a crime has been committed. for $229 the august smart lock device remotely locks and unlocks doors. >> package gets delivered, can drop off the package, shut the door and lock it behind them. >> reporter: for a big investment the landport lock box is a $500 steel contain they're bolts to any surface and is opened with a code you share with your delivery service. the three major delivery services, u.s. postal service, u.p.s. and fedex expect to deliver 1.8 billion packages this holiday season. i think half a billion of those have already showed up on our where we have to drill some giant red box to our front porch just to -- >> there are multiple colors if you're willing to spend $500 for it. >> to match

close to 15,000 insurance claims in florida, a lot came from people who live in pasco, hernando and sumter counties. they had a lot of flooding in systems in the area. those guys just -- i remember those two guys just got on that boat. remember? she just got on a boat and went out and started helping people out and rescuing animals. >>dave: and then matthew, as it approached the coast of florida, if it had come onshore, it would have been a whole different setup. >>russell: and you know, i know northern part of the state a few weeks ago. they're still dealing with damage from that storm. >>dave: it does damage along the coastline. there were parts of the road just washed out. but north carolina got hit the hardest from that particular storm and it's interesting that a hurricane drought is over for our state. still, it's been since 2005 since a major hurricane made landfall. matthew made landfall as a category one storm. 7:10. we've got fog outside this morning. although i'm looking at the visibilities, lakeland is back up to three miles. winter haven at eight miles. now brooksville has gone down to