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CNN Live At Daybreak

Suspect Arrested in Case of Missing North Dakota College Student

Aired December 02, 2003 - 05:01   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: All right, let's get more on the suspect arrested in the case of the missing North Dakota college student. He's 50-year-old Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. Police say he faces a kidnapping charge. Rodriguez was released from a Minnesota prison in May after serving time for two rapes. He is on the state's sexual predator list. Shadeen (ph) has been missing since November 22.
But friends say they hope she can be found alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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 she has a level three 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Federal investigators are working side by side with police from three states and Canada in the search for this missing girl, missing young woman, I should say. And while they look for clues, her family does hold out hope for a happy ending.

We get more now from Bridgette Bornstein of CNN affiliate WCCO.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SVEN SJODIN, DRU'S BROTHER: We're looking for letters, you know, a note that she may have thrown out of a window, again, anything that can help us, you know? We know she's near. We're just looking for that one, one last clue that will turn this, you know, turn that rock over and find her.

BRIDGETTE BORNSTEIN, WCCO-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Divers from several places, including New York and California, are here doing the specialized work. This is a spot under a highway overpass over the Red Lake River. There's a sandbar here, so the thinking is that if the water carried anything it could be caught on the sandbar here. Do you see the triangles cut in the ice? That's how the divers get in. The crew helps each diver bundle up to keep warm, straps on the equipment and then lowers them under the water.

This weekend, one of the divers had a leak in a suit and had to be treated for hypothermia.

This search could produce some clues, and so could Dru's car. The state crime lab is analyzing bodily fluid found on the front seat.

And you can't go anywhere in town without seeing that face. Dru Sjodin has become something of a household name around here and everyone is pulling for this family, hoping they get answers soon.

SJODIN: We all have the same feeling. We know this is going to work out. We know it's going to work out. We know in our hearts that she's going to come running home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Our thanks to Bridgette Bronstein of CNN Minneapolis affiliate WCCO.

More details on the investigation, including the search and arrest, are expected this afternoon. The Grand Forks Police Department will hold a news conference and CNN will bring that to you live starting at noon Eastern.

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




Student>


Aired December 2, 2003 - 05:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's get more on the suspect arrested in the case of the missing North Dakota college student. He's 50-year-old Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. Police say he faces a kidnapping charge. Rodriguez was released from a Minnesota prison in May after serving time for two rapes. He is on the state's sexual predator list. Shadeen (ph) has been missing since November 22.
But friends say they hope she can be found alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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 she has a level three 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Federal investigators are working side by side with police from three states and Canada in the search for this missing girl, missing young woman, I should say. And while they look for clues, her family does hold out hope for a happy ending.

We get more now from Bridgette Bornstein of CNN affiliate WCCO.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SVEN SJODIN, DRU'S BROTHER: We're looking for letters, you know, a note that she may have thrown out of a window, again, anything that can help us, you know? We know she's near. We're just looking for that one, one last clue that will turn this, you know, turn that rock over and find her.

BRIDGETTE BORNSTEIN, WCCO-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Divers from several places, including New York and California, are here doing the specialized work. This is a spot under a highway overpass over the Red Lake River. There's a sandbar here, so the thinking is that if the water carried anything it could be caught on the sandbar here. Do you see the triangles cut in the ice? That's how the divers get in. The crew helps each diver bundle up to keep warm, straps on the equipment and then lowers them under the water.

This weekend, one of the divers had a leak in a suit and had to be treated for hypothermia.

This search could produce some clues, and so could Dru's car. The state crime lab is analyzing bodily fluid found on the front seat.

And you can't go anywhere in town without seeing that face. Dru Sjodin has become something of a household name around here and everyone is pulling for this family, hoping they get answers soon.

SJODIN: We all have the same feeling. We know this is going to work out. We know it's going to work out. We know in our hearts that she's going to come running home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Our thanks to Bridgette Bronstein of CNN Minneapolis affiliate WCCO.

More details on the investigation, including the search and arrest, are expected this afternoon. The Grand Forks Police Department will hold a news conference and CNN will bring that to you live starting at noon Eastern.

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




Student>