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CNN Live At Daybreak

Found Alive: Kidnapped Girl Walks Into Store

Aired June 09, 2003 - 06:03   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To our top story now, freedom for 9- year-old Jennette Tamayo. The girl, who was kidnapped on Friday, is alive and well this morning. She walked into an East Palo Alto, California convenience store around 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time. She was crying, she was scared, but she was released by her abductor somewhere in the area, and hopefully she's at home right now.
We don't know. Let's ask Thelma Gutierrez. She's live in Palo Alto.

Good morning -- Thelma.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: East Palo Alto police tell us that 9-year-old Jennette Tamayo was found outside of a market, a local market about a block away from the police station where we're standing right now. She was discovered shortly before 11:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Police would only say the girl is safe. They would not comment on her condition at the moment. She was found about a half- hour north of her San Jose home.

The shopkeeper recognized her picture from media reports and immediately called police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As she was walking in, she was crying, scared. And I asked her, 'How can I help you?' She said, "Please don't call the cops, please don't call the cops." I said, 'OK, I promise you I won't call the cops. Let me help you.'

She said, "Let me use the phone." I said, 'OK, here's the phone.' And she started dialing the phone, she was panicking, scared, she didn't know how to dial the numbers. I said, 'Let me get the phone and let me dial the number for you.' And so, I dialed the number after that. The number was in the San Jose area.

I asked her, 'How long have you been missing?' She said, "One day." I asked again, 'How long have you been missing?' She said, "Three days." I asked her, 'How old are you?' She said, "9." So, right away I figured out she's the one missing from San Jose.

GUTIERREZ: Jennette Tamayo's ordeal began on Friday, and some of it was caught by a neighbor's security camera. Police say she was walking home from school with friends. The kidnapper apparently was waiting in his car for her to return. The man followed her inside, then backed his car into her garage. A short time after that, Jennette's mother, Rosalie, and her 15- year-old son, Pablo, arrived home. Off camera, Pablo struggles to open the garage. When he finally gets in, he comes face to face with the kidnapper, and police say he sees his sister in the back seat of the kidnapper's car in tears.

His mother, Rosalie, hears the commotion, then runs into the home. A 10-minute struggle ensues. Then the tape shows the kidnapper's car racing away with Rosalie running out of the home screaming for help.

Police say the surveillance tape may have had something to do with the girl's safe return. As for the suspect, he is still at- large.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, East Palo Alto, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And in Tamayo's hometown, San Jose, family and friends of the little girl are celebrating her safe return.

For the neighbor who caught the kidnapping on her home surveillance video, there's a sense of relief after a very stressful weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN KAMFOLT, NEIGHBOR: Physically draining, mentally draining, stomach in knots, just real nauseous all day long, and now my stomach is still in knots, but I'm elated that she's coming home. We're all waiting for her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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 June 9, 2003 - 06:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To our top story now, freedom for 9- year-old Jennette Tamayo. The girl, who was kidnapped on Friday, is alive and well this morning. She walked into an East Palo Alto, California convenience store around 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time. She was crying, she was scared, but she was released by her abductor somewhere in the area, and hopefully she's at home right now.
We don't know. Let's ask Thelma Gutierrez. She's live in Palo Alto.

Good morning -- Thelma.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: East Palo Alto police tell us that 9-year-old Jennette Tamayo was found outside of a market, a local market about a block away from the police station where we're standing right now. She was discovered shortly before 11:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Police would only say the girl is safe. They would not comment on her condition at the moment. She was found about a half- hour north of her San Jose home.

The shopkeeper recognized her picture from media reports and immediately called police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As she was walking in, she was crying, scared. And I asked her, 'How can I help you?' She said, "Please don't call the cops, please don't call the cops." I said, 'OK, I promise you I won't call the cops. Let me help you.'

She said, "Let me use the phone." I said, 'OK, here's the phone.' And she started dialing the phone, she was panicking, scared, she didn't know how to dial the numbers. I said, 'Let me get the phone and let me dial the number for you.' And so, I dialed the number after that. The number was in the San Jose area.

I asked her, 'How long have you been missing?' She said, "One day." I asked again, 'How long have you been missing?' She said, "Three days." I asked her, 'How old are you?' She said, "9." So, right away I figured out she's the one missing from San Jose.

GUTIERREZ: Jennette Tamayo's ordeal began on Friday, and some of it was caught by a neighbor's security camera. Police say she was walking home from school with friends. The kidnapper apparently was waiting in his car for her to return. The man followed her inside, then backed his car into her garage. A short time after that, Jennette's mother, Rosalie, and her 15- year-old son, Pablo, arrived home. Off camera, Pablo struggles to open the garage. When he finally gets in, he comes face to face with the kidnapper, and police say he sees his sister in the back seat of the kidnapper's car in tears.

His mother, Rosalie, hears the commotion, then runs into the home. A 10-minute struggle ensues. Then the tape shows the kidnapper's car racing away with Rosalie running out of the home screaming for help.

Police say the surveillance tape may have had something to do with the girl's safe return. As for the suspect, he is still at- large.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, East Palo Alto, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And in Tamayo's hometown, San Jose, family and friends of the little girl are celebrating her safe return.

For the neighbor who caught the kidnapping on her home surveillance video, there's a sense of relief after a very stressful weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN KAMFOLT, NEIGHBOR: Physically draining, mentally draining, stomach in knots, just real nauseous all day long, and now my stomach is still in knots, but I'm elated that she's coming home. We're all waiting for her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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