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Suspect Arrested in Missing Student Case
Aired December 02, 2003 - 06:00 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 begin this hour in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where there has been an arrest in the case of Dru Sjodin. She's the 22-year-old university student who vanished from her job at Victoria's Secret three days before Thanksgiving.
Bridgette Bornstein of our affiliate, WCCO, reports the suspect is a convicted sexual predator.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIDGETTE BORNSTEIN, CNN AFFILIATE WCCO REPORTER: Fifty-year-old Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. of Crookston, Minnesota is held here at the county jail. He was arrested, and he will face charges in the kidnapping of Dru Sjodin. We know he was picked up at 7:20 in the evening. We also know he's a level 3 sex offender.
I talked with Dru Sjodin's brother. He's what he had to say. He says: "The family has the same mission as before: to find her. She's going to be with us. One piece of the puzzle we need to complete it. Having her back with us is the only way to complete it."
Divers have been searching an area not far from here, right on the edge of Crookston, Minnesota. It's a spot along the Red Lake River. It was open water when Dru's abduction happened, but it has since frozen over. Police and university officials told Dru's sorority sisters about the arrest, as well as the fact that this man is a sex offender.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That scares me a little bit. We just hope that he didn't do anything to harm our friend, you know. And that's, I think, the first thing that kind of popped into our heads was he is a level 3 sex offender.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're still waiting. We're still waiting for her to come home. We're still hopeful. She's in our thoughts and our prayers, and we've had so much unconditional support right now that we're just waiting for her to come home and give her the support that she needs.
BORNSTEIN: Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. is expected to waive extradition here in Minnesota. He'll be tried in North Dakota for the kidnapping of Dru Sjodin.
I'm Bridgette Bornstein reporting in Crookston, Minnesota.
(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 December 2, 2003 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where there has been an arrest in the case of Dru Sjodin. She's the 22-year-old university student who vanished from her job at Victoria's Secret three days before Thanksgiving.
Bridgette Bornstein of our affiliate, WCCO, reports the suspect is a convicted sexual predator.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIDGETTE BORNSTEIN, CNN AFFILIATE WCCO REPORTER: Fifty-year-old Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. of Crookston, Minnesota is held here at the county jail. He was arrested, and he will face charges in the kidnapping of Dru Sjodin. We know he was picked up at 7:20 in the evening. We also know he's a level 3 sex offender.
I talked with Dru Sjodin's brother. He's what he had to say. He says: "The family has the same mission as before: to find her. She's going to be with us. One piece of the puzzle we need to complete it. Having her back with us is the only way to complete it."
Divers have been searching an area not far from here, right on the edge of Crookston, Minnesota. It's a spot along the Red Lake River. It was open water when Dru's abduction happened, but it has since frozen over. Police and university officials told Dru's sorority sisters about the arrest, as well as the fact that this man is a sex offender.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That scares me a little bit. We just hope that he didn't do anything to harm our friend, you know. And that's, I think, the first thing that kind of popped into our heads was he is a level 3 sex offender.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're still waiting. We're still waiting for her to come home. We're still hopeful. She's in our thoughts and our prayers, and we've had so much unconditional support right now that we're just waiting for her to come home and give her the support that she needs.
BORNSTEIN: Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. is expected to waive extradition here in Minnesota. He'll be tried in North Dakota for the kidnapping of Dru Sjodin.
I'm Bridgette Bornstein reporting in Crookston, Minnesota.
(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.
