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CNN Live At Daybreak

Arrest in Fatal Shooting of Sister of Tennis Stars Venus, Serena Williams

Aired September 15, 2003 - 05:31   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: We just got word two hours ago that there has been an arrest in the fatal shooting of the sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Yetunde Price was shot in the chest in the Compton neighborhood where the sisters grew up.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says 24-year-old Aaron Michael Hammer has been arrested and is now being held without bail. A man who was with Yetunde Price, Rolland Wormley, is also in jail on a parole violation charge. Authorities say they found an assault rifle at the crime scene.

Live on the phone from Los Angeles now, Deputy Bill Spear of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

Good morning.

DEPUTY BILL SPEAR, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

COSTELLO: What more can you tell us about this suspect?

SPEAR: Well, pretty much you covered it. Basically what we did was we were able to identify the driver of the SUV and in doing so discovered that he was on active parole and whatever his part was in this incident is a violation of his parole. So he was arrested for that parole violation.

COSTELLO: Well, excuse me. Let me interrupt you for just a second to make it clear to our viewers. Tell us about the SUV and how this crime went down.

SPEAR: Well, basically after the homicide detectives had released the name of the victim, which is Yetunde Price, the older sister of tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams, deputies from the Compton station, which is located in California, were on patrol when they heard multiple gunshots coming from the vicinity of the 1100 block of Greenleaf Boulevard in Compton.

When the deputies arrived at the scene searching for the source of the gunfire, witnesses told them that a white sports utility vehicle had left the scene at a high rate of speed. Witnesses also said that the incident involved a man and a woman in a white SUV who had become part of a dispute with local residents. That dispute led to the gunfire and the woman ended up being Yetunde Price.

COSTELLO: What kind of dispute was it? SPEAR: You know, the witnesses didn't really say and our homicide investigators aren't really divulging that type of information just yet.

COSTELLO: Well, neighbors humanitarian had said that this happened in front of a suspected drug house. Is the suspect involved in drugs in any way?

SPEAR: That hasn't been confirmed.

COSTELLO: You found an assault rifle at the scene. What does that tell you about the shooter?

SPEAR: You know, I know that that's what has been reported, but for our homicide detectives, that hasn't been confirmed either.

COSTELLO: What was found at the scene?

SPEAR: As far as I know, nothing, as far as what we're being told.

COSTELLO: Do you know if Ms. Price knew the suspect?

SPEAR: There's -- we don't have the information as far as the relationship between Ms. Price and the suspect, no.

COSTELLO: There were 20 shots fired at the scene?

SPEAR: We don't know that kind of information just yet.

COSTELLO: But surely you knew if there were more than -- if there was more than one shot fired.

SPEAR: According to witnesses at the location, there were certainly more than one gunshot, right.

COSTELLO: Well, can you tell us how many, just a ballpark number?

SPEAR: No. We just, I'm sorry, we just don't have that kind of detail yet.

COSTELLO: Does the suspect that you took into custody have a record?

SPEAR: Not that we're aware of.

COSTELLO: Did he live in the neighborhood?

SPEAR: He is a resident of Compton.

COSTELLO: But you don't know if he knew Ms. Price at all?

SPEAR: Correct. And I know that Ms. Price was from that area, so the likelihood of the two of them knowing each other is fairly high. I mean it's possible that they do know each other. COSTELLO: Yes, I just wondered, with your detectives questioning neighbors, if there was any long running dispute with anyone in the neighborhood, between Ms. Price and someone else.

SPEAR: See, that's just unknown. I mean it's possible at this point. Anything is possible. The investigation is still ongoing.

COSTELLO: I understand. We understand Venus and Serena Williams are on their way or already in Los Angeles. How might that affect your investigation?

SPEAR: I don't think it would neither hinder nor help, I don't think. You know, they were out of the area. I think if they had any information that they would be willing to give up that information to the detectives and, you know, they -- the detectives themselves will determine at that time whether the information is valid or not valid or good for their investigation.

COSTELLO: Are you looking for any more suspects or is this -- will this be your only arrest?

SPEAR: So far, as far as the detectives know, this is going to be the only arrest. Of course, as the investigation unfolds and they find out more, the possibility of more arrests is possible.

COSTELLO: All right, Deputy Bill Spear of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department joining us live by phone this morning.

Many thanks.

SPEAR: Thank you.

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





Serena Williams>


Aired September 15, 2003 - 05:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We just got word two hours ago that there has been an arrest in the fatal shooting of the sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Yetunde Price was shot in the chest in the Compton neighborhood where the sisters grew up.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says 24-year-old Aaron Michael Hammer has been arrested and is now being held without bail. A man who was with Yetunde Price, Rolland Wormley, is also in jail on a parole violation charge. Authorities say they found an assault rifle at the crime scene.

Live on the phone from Los Angeles now, Deputy Bill Spear of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

Good morning.

DEPUTY BILL SPEAR, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

COSTELLO: What more can you tell us about this suspect?

SPEAR: Well, pretty much you covered it. Basically what we did was we were able to identify the driver of the SUV and in doing so discovered that he was on active parole and whatever his part was in this incident is a violation of his parole. So he was arrested for that parole violation.

COSTELLO: Well, excuse me. Let me interrupt you for just a second to make it clear to our viewers. Tell us about the SUV and how this crime went down.

SPEAR: Well, basically after the homicide detectives had released the name of the victim, which is Yetunde Price, the older sister of tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams, deputies from the Compton station, which is located in California, were on patrol when they heard multiple gunshots coming from the vicinity of the 1100 block of Greenleaf Boulevard in Compton.

When the deputies arrived at the scene searching for the source of the gunfire, witnesses told them that a white sports utility vehicle had left the scene at a high rate of speed. Witnesses also said that the incident involved a man and a woman in a white SUV who had become part of a dispute with local residents. That dispute led to the gunfire and the woman ended up being Yetunde Price.

COSTELLO: What kind of dispute was it? SPEAR: You know, the witnesses didn't really say and our homicide investigators aren't really divulging that type of information just yet.

COSTELLO: Well, neighbors humanitarian had said that this happened in front of a suspected drug house. Is the suspect involved in drugs in any way?

SPEAR: That hasn't been confirmed.

COSTELLO: You found an assault rifle at the scene. What does that tell you about the shooter?

SPEAR: You know, I know that that's what has been reported, but for our homicide detectives, that hasn't been confirmed either.

COSTELLO: What was found at the scene?

SPEAR: As far as I know, nothing, as far as what we're being told.

COSTELLO: Do you know if Ms. Price knew the suspect?

SPEAR: There's -- we don't have the information as far as the relationship between Ms. Price and the suspect, no.

COSTELLO: There were 20 shots fired at the scene?

SPEAR: We don't know that kind of information just yet.

COSTELLO: But surely you knew if there were more than -- if there was more than one shot fired.

SPEAR: According to witnesses at the location, there were certainly more than one gunshot, right.

COSTELLO: Well, can you tell us how many, just a ballpark number?

SPEAR: No. We just, I'm sorry, we just don't have that kind of detail yet.

COSTELLO: Does the suspect that you took into custody have a record?

SPEAR: Not that we're aware of.

COSTELLO: Did he live in the neighborhood?

SPEAR: He is a resident of Compton.

COSTELLO: But you don't know if he knew Ms. Price at all?

SPEAR: Correct. And I know that Ms. Price was from that area, so the likelihood of the two of them knowing each other is fairly high. I mean it's possible that they do know each other. COSTELLO: Yes, I just wondered, with your detectives questioning neighbors, if there was any long running dispute with anyone in the neighborhood, between Ms. Price and someone else.

SPEAR: See, that's just unknown. I mean it's possible at this point. Anything is possible. The investigation is still ongoing.

COSTELLO: I understand. We understand Venus and Serena Williams are on their way or already in Los Angeles. How might that affect your investigation?

SPEAR: I don't think it would neither hinder nor help, I don't think. You know, they were out of the area. I think if they had any information that they would be willing to give up that information to the detectives and, you know, they -- the detectives themselves will determine at that time whether the information is valid or not valid or good for their investigation.

COSTELLO: Are you looking for any more suspects or is this -- will this be your only arrest?

SPEAR: So far, as far as the detectives know, this is going to be the only arrest. Of course, as the investigation unfolds and they find out more, the possibility of more arrests is possible.

COSTELLO: All right, Deputy Bill Spear of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department joining us live by phone this morning.

Many thanks.

SPEAR: Thank you.

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





Serena Williams>