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CNN Live Saturday

San Diego Residents Volunteer to Search for van Dam

Aired February 23, 2002 - 17:02   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In San Diego, hundreds of people have volunteered to once again search for 7-year-old Danielle Van Dam, the little girl that has been missing for three weeks now. A break in the case came yesterday when officials arrested neighbor David Westerfield. CNN's Charles Feldman is in San Diego with the latest there. Hi there, Charles.

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. You know, since the last time we talked a few hours ago, I had a chance to drive around San Diego a bit and this newspaper headline stares out from just about every news vendor you can find, "Kidnapped Suspect Jailed." In fact,

I'm in front of the home now of the suspect in this case, David Westerfield, and the big break in this, according to the cops, came yesterday. That's when they arrested the virtual next-door neighbor, and I'll tell you in a minute why I say virtual next-door neighbor, of the Van Dams, and he is being charged at the moment with Suspicion of Kidnapping, and will be arraigned, it is expected, sometime on Tuesday.

Now let me tell you why I said virtual neighbor. If we come out of that tape and go back to the house here, this is the house where the main suspect, the only suspect at the moment, lives.

If we cross the street here, and we'll ignore this house on the corner, Fredricka, because this has nothing to do with the case, although there is a $25,000 reward sign as you can see here for Danielle.

That next house over right there is the home of the Van Dams, and according to the police, somehow Mr. Westerfield, they allege, went from his home, kidnapped the child from her bedroom and then whatever happened to her, we still do not know, and that's the big problem of course, today is the parents, while they're obviously excited that there's been a break in the case with the arrest of a suspect, of course their daughter has still not been found.

Now let's show you a tape that we shot just minutes ago actually, and what it shows you is the Van Dams coming out of their home. They were getting into a car with a local detective and they said they were going off to a meeting with the San Diego District Attorney.

I just got off the phone, just a couple of minutes ago, in fact, with a spokesperson for the D.A.'s Office to see if there is any major break in this case, and the answer sadly is no. We were told that it was a prearranged meeting and it was just for the D.A. to have some further discussions with the Van Dams.

So no other break that we could report at this moment. So again, Fredricka, it's a mixed bag here, because on the one hand people in this neighborhood clearly are happy that there's been some sort of a break, that a suspect, at least, has been named and arrested and will be arraigned, as I said next week.

But the searching is not stopping by any means, because we don't know what happened to the child. We don't know if she is alive. We don't know where she is, and that's the big question, and remains the big question. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much. It's a very complex investigation out there. Charles thanks for joining us from San Diego.

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