Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Suspected Serial Rapist Who Escaped From Jail Captured in Miami; A Deadly Confrontation in New Orleans Captured on Tape

Aired December 27, 2005 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm Miles O'Brien. A suspected serial rapist who escaped from jail is captured in Miami. Reynaldo Rapalo chased down in the city streets. We'll talk to the detectives who nabbed him.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello in for Soledad. A deadly confrontation in New Orleans captured on tape. Police shoot and kill a man waving a large knife. Well have a live report.

O'BRIEN: And two dozen people killed in Iraq in just the last day. Security challenges in the day before a new government, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you. It's 7:00 Eastern straight up, and police in Florida, boy, they got their man.

O'BRIEN: They did. They got their man. It's a person they've been chasing for a week now. Reynaldo Rapalo escaped last Tuesday, climbing out of jail with bedsheets. Miami-Dade police got him last night after a tip, and there's talk of accomplices and perhaps more arrests this morning.

John Zarrella joining us live from the Miami bureau with more on that.

Good morning, John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

Certainly a huge sense of relief this morning. Police here in Miami-Dade County getting their man. They've been looking for him since December 20th, Reynaldo Rapalo. He is the so-called Shenandoah Rapist, accused of seven rapes between the years of 2002-2003 in the area of Miami, Little Havana, known as the Shenandoah area.

There he is this morning in the squad car after his arrest.

Police say that he was acting very cocky this morning, telling them how happy he was he had been able to elude capture for a week. The rapes that he is accused of women from the ages of 11 to 79. He had terrorized the neighborhood, that Shenandoah area, for a good two years.

And police said the arrest last night came about 10:00 p.m. by a narcotics squad responding to go a tip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIRECTOR ROBERT PARKER, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: We were able to apprehend him as a result of a tip that was called in by a citizen. As he was approached by law enforcement, took off on foot. As a result of that, Miami-Dade police department tactical markets team, which had a couple of teams out there, roughly 15 personnel, and a canine team, was able to chase the individual down and place him into custody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Now that he is back in custody, Rapalo was expected to go on trial for those rape charges in February. The question now is what new charges, of course, might be added. And, police say, they believe his ability not only to escape, but certainly his ability to elude capture for a week probably because had he some help, and they do expect, they say, to make more arrests in the coming days of people who may have helped him, and they could end up facing 30 years in prison for aiding and abetting an escaped felon -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: So, John, the allegation that there were accomplices, not just when he was on the lam, but potentially helped him get those bedsheets or whatever so he could get out of the jail?

ZARRELLA: Certainly a possibility. Although right now, it appears that that just may have been his own ability, his own shrewd planning, and perhaps problems within the jail.

But that the real problem came after he got out. How was he able to elude capture? How quickly did he get away from the jail coming down the side of that building with those bedsheets.

So there are lots of questions that remain unanswered. But certainly how he was able to elude capture for the last seven days, police say, he may well have had accomplices or people who at least were sheltering him and harboring him -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: John Zarrella in Miami, thanks a lot. In just a few moments, we will speak to the police detectives who caught Rapalo -- Carol.

COSTELLO: In New Orleans, an investigation now under way into A deadly police shooting. Take a look at this video. It was taken moments before officers fired several shots, killing the man you see backing away with his face obscured. This is the first use of deadly force since Hurricane Katrina, and now internal police investigators are looking into whether shooting the man was justified. CNN's Sean Callebs in New Orleans to explain further.

Good morning.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

The shooting came to a conclusion here on the corner of Felicity (ph) and St. Charles in the Lower Garden District. Authorities say that the 38-year-old victim forced their hand by lunging at officers with that knife you were talking about. However, some residents in this area aren't entirely sure that lethal force was needed.

It all began right at across the street at a Walgreens. The suspect apparently assaulted an employee in there, then came at it again, moving his way down St. Charles.

Let's pick up that very dramatic videotape and explain what happened at that point. A number of officers then confronted this individual, who still hasn't been named, trying to get him to drop the knife. They sprayed him with pepper spray. It did very little. They made their way all the way down here after walking close to four blocks.

Now you see the officers simply confronting this individual. This videotape was taken by someone who happened to live in the condo complex right here.

Now authorities say that the 38-year-old man then lunged at one of the officers with that knife. That is when they opened fire. We counted at least 10 shell casings on the ground last night.

So the question was, was that much force really needed? Here is what the New Orleans Police Department has to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID ADAMS, N.O. POLICE SPOKESMAN: Yes, several officers out here, police officers, right in front of them, life is in eminent danger. He has to back out of the way to keep from being stabbed in his chief. No, I don't think it's too much force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: Eminent danger, that's the New Orleans police say. However, a lot of residents in this area say this individual was well- known. They describe him as someone who was simply mentally unbalanced. They would see him in fast food restaurants talking to himself, gesturing. They say this individual had never been violent before -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You could see that knife in his right hand, though, Sean. I also noticed a lot of police officers around him. How many were involved? And were they called to scene right away?

CALLEBS: They were called to the scene right away. Apparently when he came out, he ran into an off-duty officer in plainclothes. And then a number of officers joined in as they moved up and down the street.

But let's also put this in perspective. It's been a tough few months for the police department here. Of course, there's that very well-publicized beating in the Bourbon Street area of the French Quarter. Also allegations that police here in New Orleans took part in looting, actually stole vehicles during the height of that hurricane.

Now as we mentioned, the investigation going on into this shooting incident, but we talked to the police last night. They say as disappointing, as sad as the news is of someone being shot, they say that they believe that the officers involved in this shooting acted properly, and they did what they had to protect themselves.

O'BRIEN: Sean Callebs, reporting live for us from New Orleans this morning, thanks.

Now it Iraq, lot's to tell you about there, amid a dramatic increase in violence. A mass grave with up to 20 bodies found near Karbala. Apparent evidence of Saddam Hussein's strongarm control.

Also new the crash of a U.S. Army helicopter. Two pilots killed in that.

And a dramatic demonstration in the streets of Baghdad.

CNN producer Arwa Damon joins us from Baghdad with more on all of this.

Good morning, Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN PRODUCER: Good morning, Miles.

That's right. Early morning another horrific discovery in the city of Karbala. As construction workers were digging for a water pipeline, they uncovered yet another horrific reminder of Saddam Hussein's regime. They found the skulls and bones of what they're estimating to be at least 20 Shia who they're saying were killed in the 1991 uprising. Now that uprising is believed to have killed at least 30,000 Shia countrywide.

And since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, officials here say that they've uncovered some 300 mass graves.

Now of course all of this comes as we are waiting for the Saddam Hussein trial to resume, expected sometime in January. Now there he is on trial for crimes in Dujail, where some 148 citizens of Dujail were murdered after a failed assassination attempt in 1982 -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Arwa, tell us about this chopper accident.

DAMON: Well, what we know from a U.S. military press release is that an Apache chopper crashed in western Baghdad overnight last night, killing both pilots that were there. The press statement says that there was no hostile enemy fire involved, and the incident is under investigation.

But this does remain to be a clear indication of just how dangerous even routine combat operations can be here in Iraq -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: And finally, that demonstration that we saw, thousands of people taking to the street, demanding unity government. Tell us about that.

DAMON: Yes, that's right. About 2,000 to 3,000 demonstrators took to the streets in western Baghdad, essentially saying that the vote that happened, the election that happened in December, December 15th, was fraud. They're alleging fraud, and they're demanding a revote, and they're also demanding the suspension of Iraq's Electoral Commission. They're saying that if their demands are not met, that they will be boycotting the results of the vote, and that they will also potentially boycott Iraq's to-be-formed parliament.

Now the group that organized is called the Maran (ph) Group, and is made up of secular Shia parties, as well as the Sunni block.

Now they called for the today's demonstration, where protesters carried banners saying no Sunni, no Shia, yes to a united Iraq. We also have seen over the last few weeks since the preliminary results more announced demonstrations country-wide -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Arwa Damon, our producer in Baghdad, thank you very much -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Certainly Iraq is among the most important issues for Congress and the president's next year, but right now all is quiet along the Potomac. Most members of Congress are on holiday.

AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken, though, is braving the cold.

So, Bob, is it really that quiet out there, or is there something simmering beneath the surface?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, shall we scratch the surface together?

COSTELLO: Let's do that.

FRANKEN: There's an awful lot simmering, if not burning, below the surface in plain sight. There's largely the debate coming up that continues over whether the president has the authority that he took, by his own admission, to allow for warrantless searches by the national security agency. There's also now a disclosure that there -- federal agents, on occasion, have tested for radioactivity at a variety of locations around Washington and around the country, all of it without the benefit of warrant. A lot of debates about the limits of presidential power or whether there is going to be as much a limitation on presidential power as many people thought there should be.

There is also an extremely important event coming up in Congress shortly after the first of year, and that is nomination of Samuel Alito to be on the Supreme Court. So yes, things are quiet here now, but it's about to get as combustible as ever.

COSTELLO: Talk about combustible. We have to talk about Anna Nicole Smith and why the administration is getting involved in her court fight at the level of the Supreme Court.

FRANKEN: Well, let me tell you, Carol, you don't want to Google Anna Nicole Smith.

COSTELLO: No! FRANKEN: Lots of pictures. But the story is that the solicitor general, the chief proponent in the Supreme Court for the administration, will be arguing, wants to argue on behalf of Anna Nicole Smith when she appears before the Supreme Court.

The issue is the administration's belief in her position that federal courts should get involved in probate matters like that $480 million-plus battle over the inheritance of her late husband.

Now the legal issue, of course, brings the story down with a thud. But to make sure everybody gets excited, mark February 28th on your calendar, Carol, because that's when she will appear to hear her case argued before Supreme Court, and of course everybody who is there will be paying attention to the legal arguments.

COSTELLO: And there are no cameras allowed in the Supreme Court. Darn, because I would love to see that!

FRANKEN: This may be a good thing this time!

COSTELLO: Oh, no! You've got to be kidding?

FRANKEN: Well, she'll come outside afterwards, I guarantee you.

COSTELLO: Oh, I'm sure she will. Thank you, Bob.

O'BRIEN: I think it's going to be hard for her to keep her mouth shut in the chambers there, don't you think?

COSTELLO: It will be so fascinating.

O'BRIEN: Yes, it would.

COSTELLO: Front-row seat. We'll get Jeff Toobin in there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Coming up, the road to recovery in New Orleans. CNN talks to a former sitcom star Harry Anderson. Remember him? Find out how he's using his nightclub in New Orleans to bring the city together.

O'BRIEN: Also, our special series on the year's biggest newsmakers. We call it five in '05. Today, we look at the legacy of Pope John Paul II.

COSTELLO: And more on the capture that suspected serial rapist in Miami. Was he getting help from the outside? We'll ask the detectives who ran him down, next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Back to Florida now, And the serial rape suspect who is now back in custody. Reynaldo Rapalo had been on the run for a week, and Miami-Dade Police literally chased him down last night.

Detectives Al Velez and Wayne Cox are the ones who caught him. Welcome.

DET. WAYNE COX, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: Good morning.

DET. AL VELEZ, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: Good morning.

COSTELLO: OK, so I'm going to sort of set the scene for people first. So police get this tip from a citizen, who says he sees Rapalo at a strip mall. The citizen calls it a really great description. It comes over at the radio to you guys. And, Al, what did you hear about that description?

VELEZ: Well, they gave us a description of his clothing and his physical appearance. We were advised by our sergeant to respond to the area, which we did. When we saw him, we both made contact with him together, and basically field interviewed him right from there.

COSTELLO: And, Wayne, while you were talking to him, what did you ask him? What did he say to you?

COX: Pretty much we told him we were conducting a field interview. He went ahead and he mentioned that he was from Nicaragua, and he thought we were INS agents.

COSTELLO: He said he was a homeless man from Nicaragua. I mean, how did he put it? Did he fake it with the accent and all of that stuff?

COX: He was speaking in Spanish. Neither one of us are familiar with the Honduran versus Nicaraguan accent, so we just went off of what he was telling us and how his demeanor was to verify with the picture whether his story was correct or accurate. And it wasn't making any sense.

COSTELLO: Al, did you know right away it was him?

VELEZ: Well, he lost a lot of weight, considering what he looked like in the photos of his first capture. So we had to verify through looking at the pictures and his story whether it was him or not. Once we felt that it wasn't him, we proceeded to go take him into custody.

COSTELLO: By some descriptions, he was dressed kind strangely. Apparently he had some sort of pink frilly shirt on. Can you describe that to us?

VELEZ: It was a black sweater with a pink frilly sweater under it. Why he was wearing that, I don't know. We don't know if he found or where he got it from.

COSTELLO: It was a little strange. OK, so you're talking to him, he then all of a sudden, takes off across the parking lot. What happened next, Wayne.

COX: Well, pretty much at that time, myself and Detective Velez, we went ahead and we had a short foot chase through the parking lot. Luckily it was a canine unit in the area, and we were able to flag the canine unit down. At that time, we were able to go ahead and put the individual into custody.

COSTELLO: OK, and once you got him into custody, I understand he was bragging about his escape. Tell us what he said, Al.

VELEZ: He made some comments that he was able to elude us for a good little while, and he spoke mainly in Spanish and just -- he actually played both ways, between bragging about being innocent, and then worrying about being deported.

COSTELLO: He was also bragging about his escape and how he managed to elude police for seven days.

VELEZ: Yes, ma'am.

COSTELLO: Did that surprise you? Is that normal when you run down a guy like this?

VELEZ: Well, it was a little surprising.

COSTELLO: Why was it surprising?

VELEZ: Just for the mere fact after being out for so long, for him to actually have the gall to say that. Meanwhile, he's in custody is a little brass.

COSTELLO: Was he armed at all? Did he have a knife with him?

VELEZ: He had a saw-like blade.

COSTELLO: And apparently that was the same blade he used to cut through the vent to get out of his jail cell?

VELEZ: We don't know that, and we're not part of that investigation, so we don't know for sure how that was used or what it was used for.

COSTELLO: A final question to you, Al. What did it feel like to finally get this guy and get him back into custody?

VELEZ: Relief. Both of us are very proud and happy to be part of a good organization, a good task force, between all of the different agencies that were involved and actually able to finally let citizens sleep at night. It felt very good.

COSTELLO: Well, thanks to both of you for being with us this morning and sharing your story. And congratulations, Detectives Al Velez and Detective Wayne Cox of the Miami-Dade Police Department. Thanks.

VELEZ: Thank you.

COX: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Coming up, Andy is "Minding Your Business." The early numbers are in. Was it a green Christmas for retailers, or did they find a lump of coal in their stockings? Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: So we've been saying all along, good Christmas, bad Christmas? It was kind of a mixed bag leading up to Christmas, Andy Serwer. And now it appears procrastinators along us are helping out those retailers, right?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: I think it was a good Christmas.

O'BRIEN: You do?

SERWER: I mean, overall, yes. You look at the numbers here, they just came out with this new number survey for the Christmas season, 8.7 percent, up from the previous year. That's good. I mean, you know, you can't argue with that. On the other hand, the same group, you look back last year. That was the number they had for 2004, 8.7 percent.

O'BRIEN: Coincidentally?

SERWER: A little suspicious. And that's the bottom line. Here is the bottom line: you're going to see all kinds of numbers bandied about the next couple of days, but the bottom line is the season went pretty well for the nation's retailers. Online stuff of course doing particularly well, up 24 percent some estimates. Everyone is buying stuff online. Amazon.com reporting great numbers. Three of their top-selling items are all iPods. iPod, iPod, iPod. They sold 108 million items the month before Christmas.

And this week is big, Miles. After Christmas, between Christmas and New Year's, it gets bigger every year. And the reason is gift cards increasingly becoming an important part of the nation's retailing landscape as they say. Electronics aren't discounted so much this time, but clothes are, and actually retailers are getting smart now and starting to shop spring items, so you go into Macy's or Bloomingdale's, Federated, with a gift card, and instead of buying sweaters, you start to look at short-sleeved shirts, and so they jack up sales that way.

And of course video games, we've heard this over and over, a little bit lagging this season, mostly because no one could find an Xbox 360. They just weren't around. And when you couldn't find the consoles, of course game sales fell flat, because why are you going to buy games if you don't have a box?

O'BRIEN: That's it. I mean, why buy a game for the old Xbox when the new one is there. So it was kind of like vapor-ware? It wasn't there, and the other games were kind of shunned to the side. It's not fair, is it?

SERWER: Ask the kids. It's really not fair for them.

O'BRIEN: I did ask the kids frequently about it, and ended up paying through the nose. SERWER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Andy Serwer.

SERWER: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Coming up, a former sitcom star does his part to get New Orleans back on track.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRY ANDERSON: What doesn't seem to be horrifyingly tragic seems to be unbelievably absurd. There's very little middle ground. We're an exciting place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Harry Anderson talking about how he is helping the Crescent City recover. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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