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CNN Live At Daybreak

Suspect in Custody, Not Cooperating in Missing Girl Case

Aired February 05, 2004 - 06:30   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: Still no sign of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia, but police in Sarasota do have a suspect. Big problem though. He is not cooperating.
You know the story by now. Eleven-year-old Carlie disappeared after a man approached her behind a car wash.

Live on the phone right now from Sarasota, John Zarrella.

Good morning -- John. Bring us up-to-date.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, this morning, police are still trying to get information from Joseph Smith. We will be updated in about two and a half hours at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. That's the next scheduled press availability with the local police officials here. They promised more information, perhaps more details. But as of late last night, he was still not cooperating with them.

Police say that very early on in the investigation, as tips began to come in, more and more tips, they began to focus more and more on Joseph Smith. He is a man with a long criminal history here in Sarasota in the southwest Florida area -- everything from aggravated battery charges to heroin possession, drug possession, even one kidnapping case in which he was actually acquitted.

When they searched the residence where he was at, they found him in possession of drugs. That led them to arrest him on a probation violation. That's how they now have him in custody and are holding him.

This search apparently, according to detectives last night, they have managed to turn up some physical evidence that they believe -- again, they believe -- ties him to Carlie Brucia, but at this point, as far as we know at the last check, he had not been charged with kidnapping in Carlie Brucia's case.

COSTELLO: And by saying "physical evidence," John, do you mean hairs taken from the man's home? I know they're searching his house and his car.

ZARRELLA: Well, we don't know exactly where they got that physical evidence. Forensic teams were at the house, not his house, another house, where he was staying in the area, and that they did bring out physical evidence from the house, apparently. It very well could be hair samples, probably also searching the car that he was in possession of and may have gotten some physical evidence from that as well.

Again, all of these questions hopefully will be answered by authorities at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And lead to them finding Carlie. Eleven-year-old Carlie Brucia is still missing this morning. John Zarrella live from Sarasota.

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 February 5, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Still no sign of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia, but police in Sarasota do have a suspect. Big problem though. He is not cooperating.
You know the story by now. Eleven-year-old Carlie disappeared after a man approached her behind a car wash.

Live on the phone right now from Sarasota, John Zarrella.

Good morning -- John. Bring us up-to-date.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, this morning, police are still trying to get information from Joseph Smith. We will be updated in about two and a half hours at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. That's the next scheduled press availability with the local police officials here. They promised more information, perhaps more details. But as of late last night, he was still not cooperating with them.

Police say that very early on in the investigation, as tips began to come in, more and more tips, they began to focus more and more on Joseph Smith. He is a man with a long criminal history here in Sarasota in the southwest Florida area -- everything from aggravated battery charges to heroin possession, drug possession, even one kidnapping case in which he was actually acquitted.

When they searched the residence where he was at, they found him in possession of drugs. That led them to arrest him on a probation violation. That's how they now have him in custody and are holding him.

This search apparently, according to detectives last night, they have managed to turn up some physical evidence that they believe -- again, they believe -- ties him to Carlie Brucia, but at this point, as far as we know at the last check, he had not been charged with kidnapping in Carlie Brucia's case.

COSTELLO: And by saying "physical evidence," John, do you mean hairs taken from the man's home? I know they're searching his house and his car.

ZARRELLA: Well, we don't know exactly where they got that physical evidence. Forensic teams were at the house, not his house, another house, where he was staying in the area, and that they did bring out physical evidence from the house, apparently. It very well could be hair samples, probably also searching the car that he was in possession of and may have gotten some physical evidence from that as well.

Again, all of these questions hopefully will be answered by authorities at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And lead to them finding Carlie. Eleven-year-old Carlie Brucia is still missing this morning. John Zarrella live from Sarasota.

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