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CNN Live Saturday

Police Believe They Have Found Remains of James Beck

Aired September 01, 2001 - 17:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: In California today, new developments in the search for a suspected cop killer. James Beck was involved in a shoot-out with Los Angeles County deputies yesterday before his suburban home went up in flames.

CNN's Hena Cuevas is in Santa Clarita, where it all happened, and where there has been a recent development.

Hena, hi.

HENA CUEVAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Stephen.

About an hour and a half ago, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department announced that they had found charred remains inside James Beck's burnt home. At this point the coroner is on his way to identify those remains. And until he does so, there aren't -- they aren't coming forward and confirming that it is James Beck's remains.

Authorities had been searching through the home starting yesterday afternoon and early this morning using bulldozers and chain saws, sifting through the rubble. So far, they say they have found various firearms, including rifles, hand guns, semiautomatic weapons, ammunition and a police ID badge.

This all started yesterday morning when ATF officials and sheriff deputies say they were trying to serve a search warrant to Beck on an ongoing investigation on illegal firearms possession. That's when they say gunfire started, fatally wounding 40-year-old deputy Jake Kuredjian, a 17-year veteran of the force.

At a nearby sheriff's station, people have started creating a makeshift memorial, bringing flowers, teddy bears, notes, all expressing their condolences to the family of the deputy. Also, we found some kids in the neighborhood who are taking donations to help the family. They say they feel very, very sorry that this had to happen and they just want to help the family.

The sheriff's department says they will continue to look through the rubble, because at this point it's still unclear what caused the fire. They think it may have either been caused by Beck from the inside or somehow sparked and (sic) the tear gas that was used during the standoff -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: That was the tear gas canisters that they fired in to try to bring Beck outside?

CUEVAS: Exactly. And they're afraid that that may have triggered the fire, but at the same time they say that because of the frustration that he was probably feeling, he may have started the fire from inside. So at this point, the arson unit is investigating, trying to determine what the cause of the fire was.

FRAZIER: Hena Cuevas in Santa Clarita, California, thank you.

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