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American Morning

A Hero's Story

Aired January 16, 2003 - 09:16   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Police in the state of Michigan say they busted up a sex slave ring. Officer raided a home in Detroit earlier this week. They found seven women imprisoned inside. A 32- year-old man out of Chicago has been arrested. That security guard, Dorian McConnell, is credited with helping to rescue one of the women as well as cracking the case. He's with us live in Detroit today, along with the police commander Gerard Simon.
Good morning, gentlemen. Good to have you with us here today.

Dorian, tell me what happened Monday afternoon about 1:15 local time. This young lady comes into the store you're working, a Foot Locker. She leaves with two women and then comes back about 10 minutes later. What happened there?

DORIAN MCCONNELL, SECURITY OFFICER: Yes, Bill, first of all, if I may, let me say that if it wasn't for my training that I received at Tech Security (ph), this situation would have been a lot more difficult to control.

She came in being followed by the suspects, and they were walking pretty rapid up to the front, and at that point, the way I positioned myself, I was able to not have anyone behind me, and I was able to be about 10 feet away so I could see everything.

At that point, they crowded her and they started saying things in her ear. I believe they were threats, and they were tugging on her coat.

HEMMER: Initially, Dorian, she thought you were a police officer, you told her you were not, but you believe she had been assaulted, or at least it looked that way anyway. What gave that you indication?

MCCONNELL: Her hair was kind of frazzled, she was real light- skinned, and she had a big red mark on the side of her face. She looked like she had been assaulted before the first time she came into the store.

HEMMER: Did she tell you what was happening at that point, or when did you find out?

MCCONNELL: The first time, no, she just asked me, was I a police officer? When I told her no, she looked kind of disappointed and kind of teary-eyed and she left out.

HEMMER: Let's get to Commander Simon right now. You pick up the story at what point then, sir?

CMDR. GERARD SIMON, DETROIT POLICE DEPT.: We got indications of things happening of this nature back in September of 2002. However, they were very, very sketchy reports from young ladies who said that they were abducted by some subject named nicknamed "Chicago," that they were transported between Detroit and Chicago to participate in sex acts. They were sexually assaulted, forced to dance after-hour clubs and that sort of thing.

HEMMER: How many women are we talking about here? How many people involved?

SIMON: We really don't know, and actually, more and more people are coming as the news reports come out, but initial reports, we had maybe five or six that each had sketchy information.

HEMMER: Sir, we're looking at the house right now. What did you find when you went inside a few days ago?

SIMON: When went in, we found about six women there from the ages of 13 to 21, who were in the house along with a number of males, including our number one subject.

HEMMER: Listen, this went down on Monday. It's Thursday -- what happens now, sir?

SIMON: I expect the Wayne County prosecutor to arraign the subject today, sometime today, on at least charges of first degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and pandering.

HEMMER: As you mentioned, more may come down the road.

SIMON: We do expect more to.

HEMMER: Commander Gerard Simon, thank you, Detroit Police Department.

Dorian, well done.

MCCONNELL: Thank you.

HEMMER: Congratulations to you, Dorian McConnell, security officer working the foot locker not too far away.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 16, 2003 - 09:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Police in the state of Michigan say they busted up a sex slave ring. Officer raided a home in Detroit earlier this week. They found seven women imprisoned inside. A 32- year-old man out of Chicago has been arrested. That security guard, Dorian McConnell, is credited with helping to rescue one of the women as well as cracking the case. He's with us live in Detroit today, along with the police commander Gerard Simon.
Good morning, gentlemen. Good to have you with us here today.

Dorian, tell me what happened Monday afternoon about 1:15 local time. This young lady comes into the store you're working, a Foot Locker. She leaves with two women and then comes back about 10 minutes later. What happened there?

DORIAN MCCONNELL, SECURITY OFFICER: Yes, Bill, first of all, if I may, let me say that if it wasn't for my training that I received at Tech Security (ph), this situation would have been a lot more difficult to control.

She came in being followed by the suspects, and they were walking pretty rapid up to the front, and at that point, the way I positioned myself, I was able to not have anyone behind me, and I was able to be about 10 feet away so I could see everything.

At that point, they crowded her and they started saying things in her ear. I believe they were threats, and they were tugging on her coat.

HEMMER: Initially, Dorian, she thought you were a police officer, you told her you were not, but you believe she had been assaulted, or at least it looked that way anyway. What gave that you indication?

MCCONNELL: Her hair was kind of frazzled, she was real light- skinned, and she had a big red mark on the side of her face. She looked like she had been assaulted before the first time she came into the store.

HEMMER: Did she tell you what was happening at that point, or when did you find out?

MCCONNELL: The first time, no, she just asked me, was I a police officer? When I told her no, she looked kind of disappointed and kind of teary-eyed and she left out.

HEMMER: Let's get to Commander Simon right now. You pick up the story at what point then, sir?

CMDR. GERARD SIMON, DETROIT POLICE DEPT.: We got indications of things happening of this nature back in September of 2002. However, they were very, very sketchy reports from young ladies who said that they were abducted by some subject named nicknamed "Chicago," that they were transported between Detroit and Chicago to participate in sex acts. They were sexually assaulted, forced to dance after-hour clubs and that sort of thing.

HEMMER: How many women are we talking about here? How many people involved?

SIMON: We really don't know, and actually, more and more people are coming as the news reports come out, but initial reports, we had maybe five or six that each had sketchy information.

HEMMER: Sir, we're looking at the house right now. What did you find when you went inside a few days ago?

SIMON: When went in, we found about six women there from the ages of 13 to 21, who were in the house along with a number of males, including our number one subject.

HEMMER: Listen, this went down on Monday. It's Thursday -- what happens now, sir?

SIMON: I expect the Wayne County prosecutor to arraign the subject today, sometime today, on at least charges of first degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and pandering.

HEMMER: As you mentioned, more may come down the road.

SIMON: We do expect more to.

HEMMER: Commander Gerard Simon, thank you, Detroit Police Department.

Dorian, well done.

MCCONNELL: Thank you.

HEMMER: Congratulations to you, Dorian McConnell, security officer working the foot locker not too far away.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com