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CNN Live Today

Interview With Det. Herman Caldas

Aired May 23, 2003 - 10:28   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: Well, a search for little Mateo's family extends across the country and even into Mexico. Joining us now to talk some more about this case is lead detective Herman Caldas of the Bakersfield Police Department. He's joining us on the telephone. Detective, is there anything new to report this morning?
HERMAN CALDAS, BAKERSFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT: No, not yet. We are still following numerous leads that, thanks to the media, we are receiving in addition to leads provided by other agencies, so that needs to be done and hopefully we can reunite the parents.

HARRIS: Can you share with us what kind of leads you're getting?

CALDAS: Basically, with other law enforcement agencies are those of their missing children within the age, category of little Mateo, and leads from citizens, whether they saw the child in a specific area of our city. We then go out and follow that up.

HARRIS: Now, no one from the neighborhood where the boy was found had any idea who he and couldn't identify him, and he didn't recognize anyone else there?

CALDAS: None whatsoever.

HARRIS: How do you start an investigation in this instance, because I heard Charles Feldman say in his report that the police there are saying they have never seen anything like this, and you are talking about starting from behind square one here.

CALDAS: Absolutely, and I think this is where -- the one instance where the media is going to be extremely helpful to us. Our department has taken this case extremely seriously, and we're going to do everything within our power to try to reunite this little boy with their parents.

HARRIS: Now, I know that, from what we were reading this morning, that you all have even begun to check about the possibility of him coming from Mexico as perhaps an illegal immigrant, or maybe with a family coming from there. How would you even follow up on something like that if you're having a hard time tracing leads in this neighborhood, where would you even start in Mexico?

CALDAS: Well, we have made contact with the consulate, and we have sent them our flyer. Hopefully with that information, along with the Hispanic media down there that we have made contact, maybe that will be a good start.

HARRIS: And this boy speaks no English whatsoever?

Correct.

HARRIS: Does that indicate to you, or does it prove to you anything one way or the other?

CALDAS: No. Not to us, not to me.

HARRIS: All right. Then, you're obviously going to be working on this for some time to come now.

CALDAS: Yes, sir.

HARRIS: What are you hearing from the community there? We heard in the report there that you don't expect to have any problems if someone is called upon to adopt this boy, but can you give us some kind of indication of the kind of responses you're getting from the media there -- I am sorry, the community?

CALDAS: The community, it is just amazing. It is -- the community, a very tight community, and I'm getting a lot of calls from them which is extremely appreciated, and hopefully one of those calls will be worth in gold in reuniting this child.

HARRIS: How is he handling all of this? I've got to think that this has got to be tough. I've got children too, and I can remember when they were that age, and I can't imagine them being very calm if they happened to be lost or picked up and all of a sudden carried around by a load of strangers. How is Mateo handling all of this?

CALDAS: When I had -- Mateo is really handling this well. Joyful kid. He was a pleasure to be with, very loving child.

HARRIS: Who picked the name Mateo, anyway?

CALDAS: Well, I asked the child what his name was, and that's what he said, Mateo.

HARRIS: Very good. All right, Detective Herman Caldas, thank you very much for your time this morning.

CALDAS: Thank you.

HARRIS: Detective Caldas is the lead investigator on this case, and Detective, we wish you and the rest of the cops out there who are looking for this boy's family all the luck in the world.

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 May 23, 2003 - 10:28   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a search for little Mateo's family extends across the country and even into Mexico. Joining us now to talk some more about this case is lead detective Herman Caldas of the Bakersfield Police Department. He's joining us on the telephone. Detective, is there anything new to report this morning?
HERMAN CALDAS, BAKERSFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT: No, not yet. We are still following numerous leads that, thanks to the media, we are receiving in addition to leads provided by other agencies, so that needs to be done and hopefully we can reunite the parents.

HARRIS: Can you share with us what kind of leads you're getting?

CALDAS: Basically, with other law enforcement agencies are those of their missing children within the age, category of little Mateo, and leads from citizens, whether they saw the child in a specific area of our city. We then go out and follow that up.

HARRIS: Now, no one from the neighborhood where the boy was found had any idea who he and couldn't identify him, and he didn't recognize anyone else there?

CALDAS: None whatsoever.

HARRIS: How do you start an investigation in this instance, because I heard Charles Feldman say in his report that the police there are saying they have never seen anything like this, and you are talking about starting from behind square one here.

CALDAS: Absolutely, and I think this is where -- the one instance where the media is going to be extremely helpful to us. Our department has taken this case extremely seriously, and we're going to do everything within our power to try to reunite this little boy with their parents.

HARRIS: Now, I know that, from what we were reading this morning, that you all have even begun to check about the possibility of him coming from Mexico as perhaps an illegal immigrant, or maybe with a family coming from there. How would you even follow up on something like that if you're having a hard time tracing leads in this neighborhood, where would you even start in Mexico?

CALDAS: Well, we have made contact with the consulate, and we have sent them our flyer. Hopefully with that information, along with the Hispanic media down there that we have made contact, maybe that will be a good start.

HARRIS: And this boy speaks no English whatsoever?

Correct.

HARRIS: Does that indicate to you, or does it prove to you anything one way or the other?

CALDAS: No. Not to us, not to me.

HARRIS: All right. Then, you're obviously going to be working on this for some time to come now.

CALDAS: Yes, sir.

HARRIS: What are you hearing from the community there? We heard in the report there that you don't expect to have any problems if someone is called upon to adopt this boy, but can you give us some kind of indication of the kind of responses you're getting from the media there -- I am sorry, the community?

CALDAS: The community, it is just amazing. It is -- the community, a very tight community, and I'm getting a lot of calls from them which is extremely appreciated, and hopefully one of those calls will be worth in gold in reuniting this child.

HARRIS: How is he handling all of this? I've got to think that this has got to be tough. I've got children too, and I can remember when they were that age, and I can't imagine them being very calm if they happened to be lost or picked up and all of a sudden carried around by a load of strangers. How is Mateo handling all of this?

CALDAS: When I had -- Mateo is really handling this well. Joyful kid. He was a pleasure to be with, very loving child.

HARRIS: Who picked the name Mateo, anyway?

CALDAS: Well, I asked the child what his name was, and that's what he said, Mateo.

HARRIS: Very good. All right, Detective Herman Caldas, thank you very much for your time this morning.

CALDAS: Thank you.

HARRIS: Detective Caldas is the lead investigator on this case, and Detective, we wish you and the rest of the cops out there who are looking for this boy's family all the luck in the world.

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