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CNN Live Today

Avila Faces Arraignment Today

Aired July 22, 2002 - 10:00   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to get off to our first story this hour, first this morning, a court appearance in the Samantha Runnion case. The man accused of kidnapping and murdering the 5-year-old girl faces arraignment today, even as prosecutors debate whether to seek the death penalty against him.

CNN national correspondent Rusty Dornin is covering this case. She joins us now. She's got more from the southern California town of Stanton this morning. Hello -- Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, you know, it was one week ago today that 5-year-old Samantha Runnion was playing in a courtyard of her apartment complex, and she was snatched by who police believe to be 27-year-old Alejandro Avila. Now, he will be arraigned in court today. He stands -- he faces charges of kidnapping, sexual assault and murder.

Now, the sheriff is now saying that DNA evidence is definitely part of this case, but in order to link DNA evidence, you have to have a suspect in mind. And what led them to Avila were several tips. And from those tips, police began investigating the evidence, both from the kidnapping scene and the crime scene, and so they were able to link 100 percent that Avila is their man in this case.

Now, the interesting thing here in Orange County is that often DNA evidence takes a lot of time, the tests to come back. But Orange County, because of a previous case where they had trouble in getting DNA evidence back in time, went ahead and instituted their own DNA lab, so they were able to get preliminary tests back very quickly.

Now, right now, it looks like Samantha Runnion's funeral services are pending, but are expected to be announced sometime today or tomorrow.

Also, prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek the death penalty in this case. In California, that's definitely an option, since kidnapping was also part of this murder case -- Leon.

HARRIS: Rusty, now that this Avila has been put under arrest right now, has the family come out and have they had any statements to make in the last few hours?

DORNIN: Not in the last few hours, but over the weekend at Samantha Runnion's apartment complex, you know, there has been a shrine that's been building there for the past week, and over 1,000 people have visited it, bringing cards and stuffed animals and expressing sympathy and that sort of thing. And her mother apparently had been in seclusion that entire time, but did come out on Saturday night just to thank people and to say, you know, make sure you take care of your kids.

HARRIS: Exactly.

DORNIN: So it was a very, very touching, touching moment.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes, and that's so -- that's got to be the thing that scares parents the most when they hear this story, protecting your kids. How can you protect them any more than you would think this child has been protected, you know?

All right, Rusty Dornin -- thank you very much, Rusty. We'll see you in a bit -- Rusty Dornin in southern California this morning.

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