workers are accused of giving valid driver's licenses to people who didn't earn them and tonight, investigators tell us this could be an even bigger operation than first thought. the brevard county sheriff's office says it started looking into this when the hillsborough county tax collector office actually tipped them off. >> it all centers around two workers at the palm bay tax office. blaine tolleson is live, people allegedly travelled to brevard county because they knew they'd be able to get a license there. >>reporter: we know some people came as far away as tampa to get those driver's licenses, one example of what was going on here, people were getting driver's licenses without having to take the test, which would happen in this spot here. this all came to light, when investigators determined 11 people from hillsborough county received driver's licenses with discrepancies at this office right here. then they started investigating

out through fraud, all from this office. friday, investigators arrested misty, an employee here, can and ahmad -- an intepter, all of the people who received fraudulent drs.s used the same interter to get the driver's licenses. the interpreter was giving answers to applicants on test and they found licenses were given out when applicants didn't even take the required physical driving test and received driver's licenses with no picture on them, just a blue screen, there were two dozen cases out of this office and this investigation is not over. i've been told the state and the federal government are involved as well. i called the tax collector today, she told me that he has been fired, and she has bonded out of jail. we tried to track them down. no one could tell me why this was going on here, exempt for

money out of all of this. and at this point in time, the investigators say their investigation is going to continue for some sometime. live here in palm bay, channel 9, eyewitness news. >> something similar happened in osceola county nearly three years a federal investigators said an employee at the tax collector's office knowingly accept issed fake documents to issue more than 200 valid driver's licenses. some allegedly went to convicted felons. many of those bogus documents used were from the u.s. virgin islands. a fight over the confederate flag sparked a shooting threat. new at 5:00, we're asking the district officials if they have any policies that ban the confederate flag. tim barber is live in ocala, and tim, they told you they don't have any that specifically bans the flag, but the students who started this could be expelled. >>reporter: but it's too early to tell if they will be or not, i can tell you that there is a

distractions and that situation on thursday falls under that category. nearly 2600 students go to westport high school, and today, nearly half of them stayed at home because of rumors of a shooting threat on campus. jesse is one of the them. >> i was horrified honestly. i didn't think that anything that bad would happen at westport. >>reporter: the 16-year-old fount found out about the shoot -- found out about the shooting rumors on social media. it started on thursday, when three white male students brought a confederate flag into the cafeteria. ten ocala police officers patrolled campus today, district officials say the girl who punched the student was given a juvenile citation and all of school district. the students who brought the flags could be expelled.

used in a disruptive manner, that student could face dis. >>reporter: having to make up the missed school work is stressful. >> i don't really think that there's anything they can do except for provide more discipline and try to keep a better track on the students. >>reporter: and district officials are going to assess the situation as they go to figure out how many police officer also be back here tomorrow. the student who threw the punch will have to go in front of a judge and have some sort of counsel, reporting live in ocala, in marion county, channel 9, eyewitness news. and you can tell other parents about the story by sharing this post from the wftv facebook page. marion county deputies have arrested a lake ware student for bringing a bb gun on campus. they saw the gun and heard two rounds fired. the student faces misdemeanor charges and no one was threatened or hurt. we are just hours away from the first votes to be cast in the race for the white house. and now, new numbers reveal just how much the candidates are

channel 9's justin gray has been monitoring the costs to sway voters, justin, even though marco rubio and jeb bush have the strongest super pacs, they're not seeing them translate into support. >>reporter: well, there was a lot of concern going into this election year, that the candidates with these big money super pacs would just be able to overwhelm their competitors with resources, so far, that hadn't happened. >> he's the one bush and clinton fear most. marco rubio, the next generation of conservative leadership. >>reporter: it looks and sounds like a marco rubio campaign ad, but a super pac called con sefbty solutions produced and paid for this. millionaire asks billionaires convicted money to supper pac, when we dug through new election filings, the candidates like rubio and jeb bush with if biggest super pac aren't the ones leading in the polls. >> if a candidate isn't polling well, a super pac may not be enough to pull them up. >>reporter: blew everybody out

100 million dollars in the first half of 2015. but as he struggled on the campaign trail, new numbers we polled from showed that right to raise raised 15 million dollars in the last 6 months. >> it's been the two candidates without super pacs generating significant attention in iowa, donald trump is relying on his own fortune and bernie sanders on the democratic side has raised more than 70 million dollars primarily from small donations. the nonpartisan center for responsive politics says big money super pacs don't equal support. >> it's not going to be enough to keep a singing campaign afloat. >>reporter: and with the iowa caucuses now here, the actual results of that super pac spending will start to become clearer. and it's not just republicans raising big money from super pacs, hillary clinton's priorities usa we looked at the numbers for them, and the -- 32 million dollar. reporting live tonight in

9, eyewitness news. meanwhile, the white house is seeking another 755 million dollars to launch its new cancer initiative. that fund request will be part of the final budget proposal that obama is sending to congress. that money will fund research in therapy, early detection and vaccines to prevent the viruses that cause cancer. if approved, the federal cancer budget will go from 195 million dollars to 1 l billion dollar. tonight, a sanford mother hopes someone comes forward to help deputies catch her 15-year-old sons murderer. tamar harris was killed when someone opened fire on the car he was riding in. she doesn't know who he was out with and why. >>reporter: no, and deputies still have yet to find who killed that 15-year-old boy. take a look right here, you can still see bullet holes in the sides of homes right here, investigators have had a hard time speaking to residents that live here in this area, but they

able to help them in their case. >> i just can't understand, he was a kid. >>reporter: it has now been three days since jenna washington's son's life was taken and she's searching for answers as to why. 15-year-old tamar harriss was shot and killed just moments after washington said he drove off in her car. this is the parking spot that jeanina tells me her son was sitting in her car listening to music in when she came out to check on him, he was gone, she tells me that is the last time she saw her son alive. >> my baby had his whole life ahead of him. he didn't deserve that. he did not deserve a bullet. >>reporter: the deputy says hard ris was shot in his mother's car by someone who opened fire standing in the middle of the street. in the car with harris were several other people who ran off, including the driver, but today, investigators are interviewing someone who may have the information they need for may major break in the case. >> we have a name of somebody

this afternoon. hopefully. >>reporter: washington just hearing her son wasn't alone raised even more questions as to why what he was doing. >> i can't put my finger on exactly what was going through tamar's head when they took off in my car. and went to that neighborhood. >>reporter: and that mother told me she also wants to know who was inside of that vehicle with her son because he normally doesn't hang out with people outside of the family. if you have any information, you are urged to give seminole county sheriff's office a call. here in seminole county, eyewitness news. you may have noticed a major lane closure, a production construction project began today r it should shutt down the east side of -- the intersection of her rash show and independence lain is closed. they will last for 2 weeks. today, a company that action 9 investigated for importing

million dollar. in october, lumber liquidators pleaded guilty to environmental crimes, but that plea greem was not related -- agreement was not related to concerns of the laminate flooring from china. another day of remembrances for nasa today as it celebrated and mourned the lives of 7 space space shuttle columbia disintegrated over texas. the or bitter was minutes from landing at kentucky space center center, a two year investigation found that the profbs during a launch. it punched a big hole in the left wing. nobody knew it was there until columbia reentered the atmosphere and came apart. a former police officer living with health problems after news 9 911 says he was told to wait outside of a local hospital. >> we can't really test for that

>> new at 6:00, the treatment he says hes was forced to endure when workers learned he might have tuberculosis. and ahead at 5:00, the reason a woman says she wasn't about to let a purse snatcher prey on the woman in this video. >> desperate to sell their timeshare. >> what did this company do for the money? >> next, getting answers and why these companies are so risky. >> sunset, and dark clouds, that may look like rain this evening, but next, i'll time out how soon

a deland couple claims a timeshare resale company took them for an expensive ride after they spent nearly $6,000 to find buyers who never appeared.

complaints from consumers who say the company didn't deliver what it promised, todd confronted managers for answers. >>reporter: this timeshare resale office seemed like a way out for a deland couple, desperate to sell. and inside, this promise. >> that they would have it sold for us within 90 days. >>reporter: wow. >> 90 days. >>reporter: they paid. protimeshare resales nearly $1700. to market their unit near palm beach. the company printed their ad in the monthly magazine and online sites. the family heard there were 23 interested buyers. >> did they ever tell you who these potential buyers were? >> no. when i asked, they told me they couldn't give them to me. >>reporter: until l the company paid another $3,000. they paid and 90 days later, the company demanded an additional $3,000. >> i wanted to cuss, i really

not going to ask me for another $3,000. >>reporter: the company's contract states all buyer inquirys are provided at no additional charge, they sent a complaint to the florida's attorney general. so did 18 other consumer, at the deland office. >> she paid nearly $6,000 for her timeshare. >> you need to leave right now. >> what did this company do for this? >>reporter: 77 complaints, most consumers claiming that the offer doesn't deliver what is promised. >> the consumer is being asked for a blank check, if you will, and so far, there's been no proof or evidence that there's going to be any reward in the end. >>reporter: the company said it delivered all services, and this couple never asked for a refund. >> i think i was a fool to give it to them the first time. >>reporter: now, the company said the ads generated more than 500 inquiries and the family was never told. it's just a nightmare.

>> todd, thank you, remember, if you have a story you'd like todd to check out, or send todd a message directly at facebook.com/action 9. federal officials say the e. coli outbreak at chipotle seems to be over now. the centers for disease control had been monitoring it. dozens of customers in several states reported getting sick after eating at chipotle but no deaths have been reported. source of the outbreak is still unknown. tonight, police are searching for a suspect who smashed nearly 50 car windows in orlando's tourist district, it happened yesterday morning at the country inn and suites on university boulevard. police report shows the suspect stole an unamount of jewelry and electronics from 45 vehicles. you should never leave anything in plain view. state lawmakers are set to discuss a bill that aims to

protection to manatees. the bill calls for an independent study into manatee speed zones for boats. manatees have been on the endangered pe seize list since it was created in 1967. they announced they may reclassify them as threatened. beautiful sunset happening, and beautiful weather. >> what a great day. >> if you like the 80s, it was 82 degrees today. very few people don't. there are some people, though, this is too warm for february. weekend. but for now, stick with the 80s. a beautiful shot here, look at the clouds, they may look like central florida today. it was a wet january with 6 inches of rain in orlando, more than double the january normal. and in melbourne, am 8 inches of rain, that's more than triple the january normal, so we're starting february dry.

be the best chance for rain, even some thunderstorms. look at our highs in the 80s still after a high of 82 today in orlando. 81 in orlando, and kissimmee. winter haven, near 80 in ocala. and we're in the low to mid 70s along most of our beaches. again, the cooler water keeping our beaches just a little bit cooler today. folks fog, that's the main thang i want you to -- thing i want you did be bre paired for late tonight and tomorrow morning, we'll be pointing out some fog in our western zone, possible marion and sumter counties, watch what happens, 5:00 o'clock in the morning tomorrow, fog is widespread. at least according to this model with dense pockets of fog here, sumter, lake and marion countiess, through 8:00 a.m. and then, clearing off by 10:00 a.m. fog will be possible for the drive to work tomorrow. then it clears. and it's even warmer in the afternoon. we'll have 80s from leesburg down towards kissimmee, st. cloud and ocala in the upper 70s along the east coast beaches

most of us will stay dry. 82 downtown orlando tomorrow. 83 lake bun vista. some very warm weather in the villages tomorrow, 84 degrees, lady lake, 81 in deltona lakes, new smyrna beach, daytona beach, mid to upper 70s, keeler by the water. -- cooler by the water. we have to talk about the next storm system, this arrives with a front, that front, on thursday. the best chance for rain will be thursday afternoon and evening. right now, our severe weather threat looks low with this. we'll watch it, though, in case that changes and let you know. but heavy rain will be possible, especially if the areas north of orlando on thursday night. here's the five-day forecast with your weekend always in view. the next two days are in the 80s, very warm. then, thursday also looks warm, but a good chance for rain afternoon and evening. friday, we clear, but it's cold and windy. saturday looks nice. and sunday will bring another chance of rain, the next half hour, how complete tomorrow's temperatures climb hour-by-hour. martha.

stories you haven't seen just yet at 6:00. tonight, titusville is checking the reports now that the computers have been hit by thieves, the elaborate e-mail scheme. >> plus. >> these kids are scared to go to school. >> the threats on social media that had more police patrolling one middle school campus. also, new, why this patient says he was forced to wait outside

so hay,o i amazg gh ner ulha peed would vehoht atnye ulfi tt do tha make tt o othr y r . right enrit er

i kn is ch smalthg but me sle madee pp made mda share urto. is pase. we're covering marion county

hurt coming to the defense of an elderly woman says she reacted to hearing calls for home. one woman who was determined to help that woman get her purse back. and she says it all happened so fast. >>reporter: yeah, happened fast, and right behind me here, in the walmart parking lot, now, that good samaritan says when she heard those victim -- the victim scream for help, she didn't think about it and she and others sprang into action. >> i hear this help, help. >>reporter: she is describing what happened here at this ocala walmart parking lot on southwest highway 20 o on saturday, that's when she was nearly run down by a car while trying to help an elderly woman who had just been robbed. >> that frustrates me, i don't think people should prey on elderly people. >>reporter: surveillance cameras captured it on video. she grabbed the victim's purse and took off. the victim put up a fight.

>>reporter: after her purse was snatched and the elderly woman ran after the suspect, burns and the others ran over to help. they caught up with the suspect. >> what are you doing opening my door and she goes, where's that lady's purse. >>reporter: she put the car in reverse, burns and other two trying to get away. burn was able to get to the back of the suspects's car to get the deputies to report the crime. >> it is best to leave nit the police's hands, but at that moment in time, you try to help the elderly any way you can. and you just don't even think about the consequences. >>reporter: fortunately, no one was hurt and that elderly [ woman was able to get her purse back. tonight, government numbers show flint, michigan is not the only place you'll find dangerous levels of lead, we checked records that show thousands of

florida have high levels in their bodies. the 2014 federal report found more than 2500 children tested positive for lead levels, like that could cause long-term brain damage. proizing. are tobacco free. they have banned cigarettes and electronic cigarettes and tobacco product. it also applieses to district offices, and off campus events. brand new for eyewitness news at 6:00. how thieves were able to steal thousands of dollars in public minute from the city of titusville. >> maitland police upped their presence after parents were threat. what we've learned about the group that may be behind it. >> and we're asking what's next

channel 9 eyewitness news continues right now at 6:00. new at 6:00, the city of titusville was hit by scammers. ripped off in what investigator s call an elaborate wire fraud scheme. now at 6:00, as the city tallies up its losses, we learned the total could be in the thousands. investigators say it all stems from an e-mail possibly similar to the bogus e-mail that many of us have received in our own personal inboxes. >> but this one targeted the city of titusville, and the scammers got their hands on your brevard county reporter melanie holt contacted the city today and mel, do they have any idea how this happened? >>reporter: the city is very limited in what it can say,

active and on going