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CNN Live Today

Police: Motive 'Hazy' in Girl's Kidnapping

Aired August 15, 2002 - 11:09   ET

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

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The motive remains a mystery in the kidnapping of a 4-year-old California girl, who was also found safe and reunited with her family this week.
Our Rusty Dornin joins us now live from L.A. with more on that story.

Hello -- Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, from what we understand, the D.A. is getting the case this morning, and 34-year-old Patricia Cornejo is expected to be arraigned sometime this afternoon.

Cornejo is being held on a $500,000 bail, and is charged with the kidnapping of 4-year-old Jessica Cortez.

Police say she has been very cooperative, only she is not telling them exactly why she took the little girl. Now, they did search her residence plus another residence, and did find clothing similar to what Jessica was wearing when she was abducted, and cut hair. You remember, the little girl's hair was cut sometime during the kidnapping. They believe the hair does belong to little Jessica Cortez.

Now, meantime, yesterday afternoon, the family brought the little girl back to Echo Park Lake, where she was abducted on Sunday. This little girl seemed very unfazed by all of the attention, sat on the grass, coloring in her coloring book, while her family thanked the community for the overwhelming support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA HERNANDEZ, MOTHER OF JESSICA CORTEZ (through translator): Mom feels that Jessica has been reborn. So she is going to value every day with her. Mom is a great mom. She works hard to bring food to the table. She has to work to provide her family with food and toys and, you know, everything else, like us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, police say they do believe Cornejo did act alone, and initially, they had said that she had had a minor arrest record. They are now saying that she had no known criminal history.

So, Leon, still very much a mystery of why this woman took this little girl.

HARRIS: Boy, this is incredible. Thanks, Rusty -- Rusty Dornin reporting live this morning from L.A.

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