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CNN Live At Daybreak

Search for Serial Rapist in Florida

Aired June 13, 2003 - 06:08   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: Back to the United States and to Miami. Well, police are on the trail of a suspected serial rapist, and residents are demanding more information on the case.
For more on that, we get that from CNN's Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the neighborhood where police say the attacks occurred, a hastily-called town hall meeting, residents wanted answers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This suspect, has he been seen? Do we know at all if he's been seen on foot, on bike, in a car?

CANDIOTTI: Some learned new information.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard, for example, that the guy drove probably a late model Camaro or a Pontiac Grand Am

CANDIOTTI: Police now under scrutiny about how they've handled the case. Questions from the public here also raised earlier in the day by a city commissioner. Could police have warned the public sooner about a string of attacks that began last fall?

COMMISSIONER TOMAS REGALADO, MIAMI, FLORIDA: The people should know. I mean, had the people known that there were two cases in that area, probably, you know, they would have been, I guess, more careful.

CANDIOTTI: Police defend their actions, saying they do not publicize every rape.

DETECTIVE DELRISH MOSS, MIAMI POLICE: You have to sit down even from a detective's perspective and determine whether your ability to work this case says that you're going to send it out or you're going to keep information close to the vest and start working. These are judgment calls that are made every day.

CANDIOTTI: At a commission hearing, police also under fire for how quickly they made DNA comparisons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think that something went wrong there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's why we're conducting the internal review, as well as the DNA issue. We're conducting that review to make sure that it doesn't happen again, No. 1. No. 2, why did it happen? And where did we drop the ball if, in fact, we did? CANDIOTTI: Police also released this computer drawing of a shirt they say was worn by the rape suspect this week, hoping the flashy design will be recognized.

Police credit the public with providing plenty of tips. Authorities say they've collected DNA samples from at least 75 people. So far, no matches.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 13, 2003 - 06:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the United States and to Miami. Well, police are on the trail of a suspected serial rapist, and residents are demanding more information on the case.
For more on that, we get that from CNN's Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the neighborhood where police say the attacks occurred, a hastily-called town hall meeting, residents wanted answers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This suspect, has he been seen? Do we know at all if he's been seen on foot, on bike, in a car?

CANDIOTTI: Some learned new information.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard, for example, that the guy drove probably a late model Camaro or a Pontiac Grand Am

CANDIOTTI: Police now under scrutiny about how they've handled the case. Questions from the public here also raised earlier in the day by a city commissioner. Could police have warned the public sooner about a string of attacks that began last fall?

COMMISSIONER TOMAS REGALADO, MIAMI, FLORIDA: The people should know. I mean, had the people known that there were two cases in that area, probably, you know, they would have been, I guess, more careful.

CANDIOTTI: Police defend their actions, saying they do not publicize every rape.

DETECTIVE DELRISH MOSS, MIAMI POLICE: You have to sit down even from a detective's perspective and determine whether your ability to work this case says that you're going to send it out or you're going to keep information close to the vest and start working. These are judgment calls that are made every day.

CANDIOTTI: At a commission hearing, police also under fire for how quickly they made DNA comparisons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think that something went wrong there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's why we're conducting the internal review, as well as the DNA issue. We're conducting that review to make sure that it doesn't happen again, No. 1. No. 2, why did it happen? And where did we drop the ball if, in fact, we did? CANDIOTTI: Police also released this computer drawing of a shirt they say was worn by the rape suspect this week, hoping the flashy design will be recognized.

Police credit the public with providing plenty of tips. Authorities say they've collected DNA samples from at least 75 people. So far, no matches.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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