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Bush Latin America Tour; 3-Day-Old Baby Abducted From Lubbock, Texas, Hospital; Teen Arrested After Stabbing Mother to Death

Aired March 10, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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


DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. From the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Don Lemon.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Melissa Long.

Both Betty Nguyen and T.J. Holmes have the morning off.

Thank you for starting your day with us. There is a lot happening this morning.

This is a supermarket rampage. These terrifying moments were captured on a cell phone.

LEMON: We'll have that, plus a sex scandal that rocked Washington. An accused madam threatens to sell her little black book. It's rumored to hold 10,000 names.

LONG: Tracking a child predator. Do you know where the sex offenders are in your neighborhood? We're going to show you how to find out if there happens it would be one next door.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And before we get to all those stories this morning, this just in to us here at CNN.

There is word that there is a missing newborn this morning from a hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Some initial information to share with you this morning as we look at the map there of Lubbock, in Texas.

The abduction happening there. Apparently, somebody posing as a hospital employee entered the victim's hospital room and took that infant. The name of the infant, according to Lubbock police, Michael Darthart (ph).

Now, the suspect described as an African-American woman, likely in her early 20s, about 5'3". The suspect, apparently, according to the Lubbock Police Department, was last seen in a red Dodge pickup truck, possibly between the years of 2000, 2006. Not able to pinpoint that anymore definitively, but that red Dodge pickup truck has black trim and tinted windows.

The little girl is just 3 days old. She's about 5.2 pounds. And she is in need of medical attention.

So again, the search is on this morning for that missing newborn just 3 days old. As we get more information from Lubbock police, we'll share it with you here this morning in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: We'll continue to follow that story, as well as other breaking news here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(NEWSBREAK)

LONG: The president is traveling today talking trade, trying to ignore the taunts and the protests. The president is in Uruguay right now. It is the second stop in the Latin America tour that has been met with angry demonstrations.

White House Correspondent Ed Henry is traveling with the president. He joins us now from Anchorena Park in Uruguay -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Melissa.

That's right, I'm here at Estancia Anchoreno, which is the presidential retreat for the Uruguayan president, President Vasquez. And today President Bush had a press conference with his counterpart, and for the second straight day, Mr. Bush sidestepped direct questions about Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who has been leading protests just across the river in Argentina.

The White House doesn't want to give him more attention. They feel that's what Chavez craves. But a reporter today pressed Mr. Bush, saying that "Chavez says basically you're afraid to say his name out loud," almost goading Mr. Bush, who did not fight. Instead, Mr. Bush defended U.S. efforts to end poverty in Latin America. Chavez, of course, has been charging the U.S. has not done enough.

Mr. Bush said that's not true. And Mr. Bush also offered this contrast to Chavez' loud, bellicose approach.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would call our diplomacy quiet and effective diplomacy. Diplomacy all aimed at helping people, aimed at elevating the human condition, aimed at expressing the great compassion of the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, the president also made a little bit of news on the domestic front. He was asked about the fact that FBI director Robert Mueller has admitted the law enforcement agency misused the Patriot Act in order to get information from people and businesses. This has obviously raised civil liberties concerns on Capitol Hill from among Democrats, as well as Republicans.

The president's said he's been briefed by the attorney general, as well as Director Mueller on this. He said he is concerned about it. He said the most important thing is to solve the problem.

And also, when pressed on whether or not he still had confidence in FBI Director Mueller, it took Mr. Bush a little bit to get to that, at first saying that he was glad that Mueller had taken responsibility for this, because he should, but then ended up saying that he does have confidence in the FBI director -- Melissa.

LONG: Ed, let's talk a little bit more about the Latin American tour. There are some feel that South American nations have been neglected or ignored.

What was his relationship like -- or what are the dynamics and what have they been like with President Vasquez so far?

HENRY: Well, it's interesting you ask that, because President Vasquez, remember, was in the White House about a year ago, and it seems very warm. And President Bush is certainly trying to highlight that as much as possible.

And again, while he won't mention Hugo Chavez's name, I think what you're seeing during the seven-day tour through five nations throughout Latin America, Central and South America, President Bush is trying to highlight his warm relations with other leaders, even if they're leftists, and trying to make the case from the U.S. standpoint that you can be leftist in Latin America but not be a radical like Hugo Chavez.

They're trying to hold up these other leaders like President Vasquez as alternatives to Chavez, again without mentioning Chavez's name. And I think also one other interesting note is that President Bush today reiterated his stance on immigration reform, saying he wants Congress to pass a comprehensive plan.

And nothing particularly new on that in terms of what he has said before. We have not heard the president make a passionate pitch for that plan in some time. Obviously, Latin America very interested in the immigration issue. And the president urged Congress to get back to work on that -- Melissa.

LONG: White House Correspondent Ed Henry on the line there from Uruguay.

Thanks, Ed.

LEMON: We want to get back to the breaking news we began this newscast with.

A 3-day-old baby has been abducted from a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, by someone posing as a hospital employee. Again, this is happening at Lubbock, Texas. Police reported this -- or at least got the call around 1:00 this morning.

The newborn, here's the thing. The newborn is jaundiced and is in need of medication. So the person who has this newborn may not know that. So this baby is in a condition where it needs medication. So police and parents are -- it is of utmost importance to get this baby back so that it can get medical attention.

Now, here's what the suspect is believed to be. Described as an African-American woman in her early 20s, approximately 5'3" tall, 150 pounds. No other distinguishing remarks -- or marks at least -- let's see -- about the suspect here.

She has a round face, black hair that's been dyed auburn. That's distinguishing. And was pulled back in a short ponytail with a scrunchy. Last seen wearing a pink hospital scrub-style shirt with purple and blue flowers on it, blue scrub-style pants, a black jacket with fur around the hood, and carrying a tan purse or bag. Now, the suspect was last seen in a 2000 to 2006 red Dodge pickup truck with black trim and tinted windows.

Again, this is a 3-day-old baby, African-American baby, about 17 inches long, I'm told.

Is that correct?

Five feet -- at least 5.2 pounds. Sorry. Excuse me -- 5.2 pounds.

Again, this information is just coming in, so excuse me for that.

And again, this is of utmost importance because this baby is in need of medical attention.

Joining us on the phone right now, Lieutenant Scott Hudgens from the Lubbock Police Department. He's going to tell us what we need to know about this.

Are you there?

LT. SCOTT HUDGENS, LUBBOCK, TEXAS, POLICE: Yes, I am.

LEMON: What do we need to know about the suspect and this baby?

HUDGENS: Well, obviously we need to find this baby to get the medical attention that she needs. And anybody that's got some information on this child, please give us a call here at the police department so we can follow up on those leads.

LEMON: Now, last seen, what, around 1:00 this morning, this baby and the suspect?

HUDGENS: Right. About 1:30 probably this morning.

LEMON: And that's Central Time, right?

HUDGENS: That's correct.

LEMON: Yes. In the pickup truck going where, what highways?

HUDGENS: Well, we don't know what direction of travel they took. We just -- they were just last seen in the parking lot of the hospital, was the last information we had. So we don't know where they may be headed. LEMON: Lieutenant, this person ever seen in the hospital? Did hospital employees or workers know this person at all? Was she familiar?

HUDGENS: No. The family says they don't know who she is and the staff didn't recognize her.

LEMON: Explain the medical condition of this child for us again. Will you?

HUDGENS: All that I know is that she's jaundiced and that she's in need of medical attention for that condition.

LEMON: Yes. Manpower, as far as working on this case trying to find this baby and this woman?

HUDGENS: We've got our entire persons (ph) crime section and our juvenile crime section involved in this investigation, as well as our entire patrol division. They've got all the flyers and are looking for the vehicle and everything.

LEMON: Lieutenant, this seems highly unusual. Ever come across this?

HUDGENS: We did have another abduction about two years ago, and -- however, it was a local woman that did the abduction. We were able to recover that child fairly quickly.

LEMON: OK.

Lieutenant Scott Hudgens, the Lubbock Police Department.

We thank you for joining us.

Again, this baby is jaundiced and is in need of medical attention, I understand. The person may be watching this or someone who may know who took this baby. But you may want a baby? But you know what? This baby needs some medical attention, so get it back to authorities or to a hospital, and get her well.

LONG: Yes. And of course these initial hours right after any sort of abduction like this are critical.

LEMON: Very important, yes.

We'll continue to follow this breaking story, as well as other breaking stories right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Of course, as this one progresses we're going to follow it for you.

Well, check out this disturbing video.

(SCREAMING)

LONG: We're going to tell you what happened in a Nevada supermarket that had customers running for their lives.

LEMON: Also up next, find out how a robbery victim used a craigslist Web site to track down her stuff and a couple of suspects.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're following a developing story here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A 3-day-old baby has been abducted from a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, taken by a person posing as a hospital worker. Now, this baby is in need of medical care, medical attention. We're told the baby is jaundiced and needs medication.

That is a look at baby on the left, the suspect on the right. Here are some distinguishing features about the suspect.

Described as an African-American female, early 20s, approximately 5 feet tall, 150 pounds, a round face, black hair, dyed auburn hair, pulled back with a short ponytail and a scrunchy, wearing hospital scrubs. The colors, pink, purple and blue flowers, blue scrub-style pants, a black jacket with fur around the hood, and carrying a tan purse or bag.

Very specific about this information because, again, this baby is sick and needs medical attention. The suspect last seen driving a 2000 through possibly 2006 red Dodge pickup truck with black trim and tinted windows.

Now, we heard from the lieutenant at the Lubbock Police Department just a short while ago who says not sure exactly which direction that vehicle went in, but they are asking the public for help trying to get the suspect.

As soon as we get more information on this story we'll bring it to you live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LONG: Now that search, Don, has been under way in Lubbock, Texas. We have another search going on as well for a missing boy in south Georgia.

Police are searching for this 6-year-old, Michael Barrios Jr. He was last seen Thursday night playing on a swing set near his home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER BARRIOS SR., MISSING BOY'S FATHER: He's got to be around somewhere. He's going to turn up. You know?

I came home from work yesterday, and to a child missing. That's very difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Yesterday police were using special heat sensors mounted on a helicopter in order to search the area around Brunswick on the Georgia coast.

This is video captured on a cell phone in Las Vegas. It's a frightening attack at a grocery store.

A man with a knife -- you can see him there running after store employees and customers -- and then being chased himself. Witnesses say he didn't say a word and was just slashing at people.

Las Vegas police say the attack appeared random. The suspect is in custody this morning. Bail set at $250,000. Four people were treated for injuries.

LEMON: Well, either two really stupid criminals or one really smart burglary victim. The 18-year-old suspects were picked up by police, thanks to some expert detective work by the burglarized homeowner in Bremerton, Washington.

Now, here's how it went down.

When Leah Davis' (ph) home was broken into, well, she started poking around craigslist on the Web looking for her stuff. Well, eventually she arranged a meeting with two young guys who tried to sell her Palm Pilot back to her. She was able to I.D. one of them through a MySpace account and the police did the rest of the work.

And we want to call your attention to CNN.com, where the number one story this morning is the arrest of a 15-year-old girl in the stabbing death of her mother.

Veronica De La Cruz is at the .com/DESK with more on this bizarre story.

What do you have, Veronica?

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN PIPELINE ANCHOR: Well, Don, the killing took place nearly a month ago in Lafayette, Colorado. Prosecutors allege teenager Tess Damm and her live-in boyfriend had been using Linda Damm, her mother, her credit cards in the weeks before her mother was killed. Now, even more bizarre, the pair allegedly tried twice to dispose of the body but failed.

Now, these are the three teens that are in question for that killing. We found a MySpace account for the boyfriend. He's identified as 17-year-old Bryan Grove.

And because of privacy issues, I can't show you the MySpace page in detail. But what's on the page is this -- a lot of dark poetry and an ominous warning under the picture of his girlfriend, Tess Damm, which reads something along the lines of this: "If you look at my girlfriend, I will slit your throat."

So that is the MySpace page. But you can get more on this story. It's the number one story right now at CNN.com -- Don.

LEMON: OK. Thank you very much for that, Veronica.

Talking presidential politics with the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Do you think that Barack Obama is the answer to George Bush?

LOUIS FARRAKHAN, NATION OF ISLAM LEADER: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And wait until you hear what he has to say about Senator Hillary Clinton and former mayor Rudy Giuliani.

My conversation with Louis Farrakhan is next.

LONG: And coming up about 15 minutes from now, what this father and son are accused of just may shock you. Why a telephone party line connection ended with two arrests.

The details ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, he is one of the most revered figures in America, and one of the most reviled. At 73 years old, Minister Louis Farrakhan is nearing the end of a long and controversial career as the leader of the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan is suffering from prostate and colon cancer, and last month's appearance in Detroit was billed as his last major address.

Pictured here in a 1963 rally with Malcolm X, Farrakhan became the leader of the Nation of Islam in the 1970s. And while he is credited with helping to rebuild the group's influence among African- Americans, his controversial pronouncements sparked outrage among many whites.

He once called Judaism a dirty religion, and has expressed some admiration for Adolph Hitler. The State Department accused Farrakhan of cavorting with the likes of Moammar Gadhafi, Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro.

But that didn't faze Farrakhan's followers, whose crowning achievement was the Million Man March in 1995. Hundreds of thousands of black men filled the Washington Mall to hear messages about self- respect and self-reliance.

Well, earlier this week, I interviewed the Reverend Louis Farrakhan in his home in Chicago. And we began by talking about his health.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FARRAKHAN: I was vomiting, but nothing was coming up, and pushing out blood at the same time. And so I was in constant, constant pain, and I was dying.

And it got so bad, some of my natural path physicians told me that they didn't want me to take the operation because it was horrific, because it was a complete pelvic exoneration, where everything in the pelvis would be taken out. And my medical doctor said if I didn't take the operation, I would surely die. I came out four weeks after the operation and then had the speech six weeks after the operation.

LEMON: In your speech you talked about the war in Iraq.

FARRAKHAN: Yes, I did.

LEMON: You talked about the president. You say he should be impeached.

FARRAKHAN: Oh, definitely. The president lied to the American people. That's a high crime. And our babies, black and brown and Asian and poor white are dying because of a lie that this man told.

What America's doing is bringing democracy at the point of a gun, and at the point of a gun she wants to make another country democratic. But we're losing democracy at home.

This man will throw America deep into Armageddon if he's allowed his way. And the Democrats seem so weak and cowardly to confront this thing.

LEMON: You're talking about Democrats, one of which who is running for president who lives in your very neighborhood. What do you think of him?

FARRAKHAN: I like him very much. I'm not saying that I'm going to vote for him, but I like him because he's fresh.

LEMON: Do you think that Barack Obama is the answer to George Bush?

FARRAKHAN: No. I think he's capable of being an answer, but who will provide him with the money so he can contend with Mrs. Clinton and her big bank, or Giuliani and McCain and their growing bank? So the people that bankroll you, they're the ones that ultimately call the tune.

LEMON: So what are you saying?

FARRAKHAN: I'm saying that no matter who sits in the White House, if you don't uproot the structure that corrupts them, you still don't have a president. You have a figurehead.

LEMON: Do you think Barack Obama can do that?

FARRAKHAN: No, absolutely not. He knows some of the ugliness of politics, because he's been in it long enough. But the real wickedness of the face of politics, you're looking right into the face of Satan himself, and Satan doesn't intend to be uprooted by an upstart from Chicago, or Ms. Clinton from New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: During his three decades as a leader of the Nation of Islam, Farrakhan has been no stranger to controversy. He's been called anti-white and anti-Semitic. And the State Department once accused him of cavorting with dictators.

Hear what he has to say about those controversies in our next hour.

LONG: Good morning once again. I'm Melissa Long, in today for Betty Nguyen.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon, in for T.J. Holmes.

It's 10:30 on the East Coast, 7:30 out West.

LONG: And still to come this morning, how you can keep more money in your bank account and out of Uncle Sam's hands. We're going to find out how to come out the winner this tax season, about 20 minutes from now.

But the other big story we've been following this morning, a missing newborn, little girl just three days old has apparently been abducted from a Lubbock, Texas hospital. There is a picture of the little girl Michelle (ph) (INAUDIBLE) is her name, apparently abducted this morning by someone posing as a hospital employee. We have a composite sketch of the person described by those who saw somebody wandering around that hospital. She's described according to Lubbock police - I'll give you the information they're sharing with us -- African-American female, young 20s, about 5'3". There you see surveillance tape given to us here at CNN of that woman in the hospital itself. You see the knapsack, the parka as well. She's about 150 pounds, 5'3" according to the police there.

What you can't see right now, her hair. Apparently it's been dyed auburn, pulled back into a short ponytail, as you see right here in this composite sketch. Underneath that jacket apparently this woman has wearing a pink hospital scrub-style shirt with some flowers on it. So be on the lookout for that as well. Police are also on the lookout for the vehicle, a dodge pickup truck, color red, some black trim, tinted windows, can't really give you the exact year though, possibly 2000 through 2006, can't be more precise than that right now.

But again, the baby the most serious concern this morning, because this little girl needs some medical care. She is jaundiced. Earlier today we spoke to the Lieutenant Scott Hudgens (ph) of the Lubbock police department. He said that she is in dire need of medical care, just a three day old baby and the staff did not recognize that woman who we just showed you was wandering around that Lubbock hospital. If you happen to have any information, here's a number for you, the Lubbock police department, the number I want to give you, 806-775-2788, again 806-775-2788. This is an ongoing investigation this morning. Police in that area need your help. Again, an abduction from the Lubbock police department at about 1:30 a.m. local time. And it is during these initial hours right after her abduction that are the most critical to finding children. DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: If you can get that surveillance video back up, what you don't see in that video is a baby. But if someone is abducting a baby they may not be walking out of the hospital holding the baby. The baby could be under the jacket.

LONG: ... or in a very large bag absolutely or they don't really know if this is her coming or going

LEMON: ... from the hospital. But I would suspect if this is her leaving the hospital that she has a baby hidden somewhere. You just don't walk out of a hospital with a baby going, here's the baby.

LONG: Again, a newborn, just 5.2 pounds and in need of medical attention.

LEMON: So we're going to come right back in a little bit. But first, let's go over to the computer desk and talk to the dotcom desk. Veronica de la Cruz, what do you have for us Veronica?

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: Good morning to you Don, this question. Who were the people in your neighborhood? We're tracking sexual predators online and you might be surprised to find out how many live in your area. I'm Veronica de la Cruz. I'll have the details next from the dotcom desk. Melissa.

Thank you Veronica and are these two ladies the victims of poisoning? With links to Russia coming up at the top of the next hour, new details on the condition of these Americans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We have been following this developing story since the top of our newscast. A newborn baby, only three days old, has been abducted from a hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Get your pen and a piece of paper out because we want you to write down this information, these phone numbers that we have for you if you know anything about this. So before I give you the information and what we're looking for, I'm going to tell you what numbers you can call. That number is 1-806 -- it's right there at the bottom of your screen -- 775-2788. If you're anywhere in that area, police really want to find this baby. Obviously family members are desperate to find this baby. There is also a crime line that you can take down, 806-741-1000.

1:00 a.m. Central time in Lubbock, Texas, police say this baby was abducted from the hospital by someone posing as a hospital worker. Now you're looking at a composite sketch of that person. The suspect is described as African-American female, in her early 20s, about 5'3" inches tall, 150 pounds, round face, black hair but here's the thing, dyed auburn and pulled back into a short ponytail. Look at this surveillance video here. You see those blue pants, those scrub pants? They're looking for that under the jacket is a hospital scrub-style shirt, purple and blue flowers on it. That shirt is pink and she's wearing a -- they say black jacket here but to me that looks more like a gray sort of jacket with fur on the hood and also carrying a tan very large bag, right, a purse that is tan in color. So we're not sure if this is her entering or leaving the hospital, but that is the suspect. That baby is in need of medical care. It is jaundiced, it needs medication. So police are really wanting to find this baby. If you have any information call that phone number. We're going to continue to update you throughout our hours here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LONG: Now a disturbing case in Covina, California. Authorities have arrested a father and son accused of luring a 14-year-old girl to an apartment and repeatedly molesting her for a week. This story from Randy Page of our affiliate KCAL.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDY PAGE, KCAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is where police say the 14-year-old girl was held at some points against her will for seven days. Police say she was raped and sexually abused. The 50-year-old Thomas Heinz Sr. and his 28-year-old son Thomas Heinz Jr. are charged with various sex crimes and false imprisonment. Covina police say they were able to find the young girl thanks to her quick-thinking grandmother and caller ID.

LT. SCOTT PIERSON, COVINA POLICE DEPT: Grandma was the hero here because our victim was allowed to make a telephone call and she called grandma. Grandma has caller ID and she was sharp enough to write down the telephone number, determine that it was a Covina prefix and she called us with that telephone number.

PAGE: Show you this picture. Recognize him? Eyal Beckerman says he saw Thomas Heinz Jr. here with a young girl just a few days ago. What exactly did you see?

EYAL BECKERMAN, NEIGHBOR: Just -- I probably seen like this -- the young man kissing the young girl. That's about it.

PAGE: Beckerman is a security guard and says he lives directly above the Heinz apartment. He says his wife heard someone screaming for help.

BECKERMAN: We heard some screaming outside our window but we didn't know exactly what it related or where it was.

PAGE: Could you hear what the person was saying?

BECKERMAN: Just help me.

PAGE: What is it like to look back on it now and start putting the pieces together?

BECKERMAN: It is frightening to think that you're right upstairs from this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Of course Melissa, the question is how do you keep your child safe from sexual predators? Veronica de la Cruz has been tracking that online. Veronica, what have you found?

DE LA CRUZ: Don, I've been looking at this website all morning. It's called familywatchdog.us and basically what it is is an online database of predators across the country. It was created as a direct result of the Jessica Lunsford murder in Florida. Jessica was only nine years old when she was abducted, sexually assaulted and buried alive just a short distance from her home and that is so key here.

Now as you probably know, John Couey was convicted this past week of killing the nine-year old. The death penalty phase of his trial begins on Tuesday and it all brings us back to this website, Don, familywatchdog.us. I'm going to go ahead and show you how you can use it. I have it pulled up on my website and we're searching the area around the CNN center, I've punched that in. And what you will find is a map and you'll see a bunch of tiny little dots. I'm going to zoom in here so you can get a closer look and it is all color-coded. All the red dots stand for the sex offenders who have committed crimes against children, the yellow dots are sex offenders who have committed rapes, blue is sexual battery and green might be another sexual offense.

Once you click, this is what you're going to find. You'll find a profile of the person and we're going to go ahead and stay with John Couey right here and type in his name. Once you click on one of those dots, you come up with a profile and an address of the person. Here's John Couey. There's his mug shot, any of the aliases that he might be going by, his convictions and a description of the person, including any markings, tattoos, criminal histories. It is a really, really remarkable website with a lot of information on there.

Earlier we were asking you if publicly identifying sexual predators with different colored license plates would make a difference. We've received lots of good e-mails. I want to go ahead and share a couple of those with you now. We got this one in from a woman named Jamie in Syracuse, New York, who says sexual predators are the reason I can't look my two-year-old daughter in the eye and tell her there is no such thing as monsters. Maybe those license plates should say "monster on board," so our children know the truth.

And I got this e-mail in from Allen in Hanford, California who says -- I don't see that florescent green license plates for sex offenders being that efficient. Who says they have to drive? Who says they won't just steal a regular license plate? Then he goes on to say this, what about if they -- what if they're just driving through another state and someone sees that license plate and takes it upon themselves to punish that man or woman because they have been labeled a sex offender? We like to thank everybody who's written in. If you'd like to share your thoughts, you can send them to weekends@cnn.com. I'll send it back to you guys.

LEMON: It definitely is a very complicated story because you can see both sides. But again, as I said to the person who joined us earlier, Veronica, if you speak to anyone who is a sex offender or a predator, they'll tell you that those urges don't go away.

LONG: That website has been really instrumental. DE LA CRUZ: Familywatchdog.us.

LEMON: Thank you so much for that.

LONG: Let's talk about a deadline now, it's the deadline to file your taxes. Did you do them yet? No?

LEMON: Are you kidding me? Last-minute Joe here, always.

LONG: Actually this may work to your benefit. We're going to find out actually coming up in this segment. We're also going to talk about how your long distance phone bill could mean a bigger refund this tax season.

LEMON: Coming up next, find out what you need to dial up a refund. Everybody wants to know that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: The breaking news story this morning is about a newborn, just three days old missing this morning from a Lubbock hospital. There is a picture of the little girl, again just three days old and she is in need of medical care this morning. If you happen to have any information, there's the number for you, 806-775-2788. Let's get some more information on the search for the little girl. Gwen Stafford, a senior VP at Covenant Medical Center is on the line for us this morning. Gwen, thanks so much for your time.

VOICE OF GWEN STAFFORD, SR VP, COVENANT MEDICAL CTR: Good morning Melissa.

LONG: Gwen, take us back to about 1:30 a.m. local time. How did someone notice that something was awry? Was the baby missing first or was it that there was somebody walking around the hospital that didn't seem to belong?

STAFFORD: Right now we're very, very focused on finding that baby, that baby and working with the police and giving them, providing them all the information they need. But early this morning there was an individual posing as a hospital employee that entered the victim's room as I understand, maybe two or three times and took the infant and then -- and then at that time, left the building with the baby.

LONG: OK. We're trying to understand a little bit more about the baby's health. Was she in the (INAUDIBLE) Was she in just a nursery?

STAFFORD: The baby was rooming in with the mommy and is jaundiced so was under a (INAUDIBLE) light which sometimes certainly babies need. And so that's our concern, number one, re-uniting this little one with the mommy and the family. But because of the health condition, the baby needs medical attention.

LONG: I want to talk about the health condition in a moment, but first about the mom. What type of interaction did she have with this person this morning? STAFFORD: Again, my understanding that this individual went in to the room dressed as a hospital employee in scrubs and said the baby needed to be returned to the nursery. And the mother said, no, she's rooming in with me. And then I think the individual entered a second time and perhaps a third time -- I want to make sure I don't know -- but there were repetitive times. Finally I think she said the baby must go to the nursery. That's when the mother released the baby at that time.

LONG: We are looking at a composite sketch right now. That information that led to the sketch, was that from the mother herself and any of the other staff members there?

STAFFORD: That would be correct. The mother and family saw this individual and so it was their collective information that enabled police to come up with this sketch.

LONG: They've never seen her before?

STAFFORD: I do not know the answer to that question.

LONG: OK, now what about the baby herself, three days old, has jaundice so she needs medical care. What kind of medical care?

STAFFORD: Well, I think certainly -- I'm not a physician, Melissa. But a jaundiced baby certainly needs to be monitored, have that pediatrician watching them and making sure that the function of all those little internal organs are going right. So I won't pretend to be a physician. But a jaundiced baby at three days old certainly needs immediate medical care.

LONG: OK. Again, for any information to help police and the hospital there, the Covenant Medical Center to piece together this crime -- 806-775-2788. Gwen, I know it is a hectic morning before you there at Covenant Medical Center. Thanks so much for joining us here on CNN this morning.

STAFFORD: Right. And please join us in prayers to get this little baby back to his mommy.

LONG We will of course and 806-775-2788, again the clock is ticking. This baby disappeared about 1:30 a.m. local time, eight-plus hours ago now and this baby again as you heard needs medical care.

LEMON: An update on another breaking story happening here in the CNN NEWSROOM, this video is just in from Chicago, the site of a fire, a three-story apartment building, four people dead in this fire, at least four people according to the Chicago fire department. This fire started this morning and there were reports that people were jumping from rooftop to rooftop in order to get out of the way of this fire. But again, at least four people dead in Chicago. It is a neighborhood called Wrigleyville which is very close to Wrigley Field in Chicago, very cold morning as you can see there. People awakened in the middle of the night by a fire that killed at least four people. At least one man who was jumping from rooftop to rooftop to try to avoid the fire jumped three floors and is in stable condition now at a hospital. We'll continue to update this story as well as other breaking news right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LONG: And still to come this morning on CNN, when Uncle Sam gets your money, what does that money buy?

LEMON: How about a lot of pork? Coming up later in the CNN NEWSROOM, details on where your dollars are going.

LONG: And in just about three minutes, find out how to keep more of your money away from DC.

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This just in to the CNN NEWROOM. We want to get you back to that fire in Chicago. A developing story happening here, at least four people dead from a fire in Chicago's north side. We have some new video into the CNN NEWSROOM. You can see it right there. It is a three-story apartment building. This fire happening overnight, starting in the stairwell of this building, four people dead from this, one person in stable condition we're hearing, jumping from the third floor to try to escape that fire. Joining us now is public information officer for the Chicago fire department, Mr. Larry Langford. Larry, nice to talk to you, wish it was better circumstances.

VOICE OF LARRY LANGFORD, CHICAGO FIRE DEPT: Yes. We've been here since about 6:55, 6:56 this morning is when the alarm came in. The 911 center got the call and based on the calls that they received they went to a (INAUDIBLE) and box alarm, getting extra companies because they knew they had people inside this building. We got on the scene. The fire had already started in the stairwell and it spread to one or two apartments. One person was found on the sidewalk. He had jumped from a third floor window. He broke a leg and had some burns.

We then started our search while we were extinguishing the fire. We found four people inside, three males, one female, all adults, all had died as a result of the actual fire. Chicago police department's now on the scene conducting an investigation along with the state fire marshal looking at that stairwell.

LEMON: You know what, I'm reading the wires here, Larry and you're quoted as saying that this is a bad one.

LANGFORD: Yes, this is a bad one. These people inside, looks like they never had a chance. The fire spread very rapidly. Our fire house closest one here is about three blocks away. We were here in under three minutes and they were already deceased when we got on the scene.

LEMON: Now according to reports at least from your department, you're saying at least four people dead. Are you still searching?

LANGFORD: The search is still under way. We have not gone to what we call the stage of saying the search is final and complete. There is a lot of debris in there from this fire so we're looking very carefully to make sure that there are no other victims. It's going to be a little while. LEMON: All right, so just real quickly, all accounted for. Have you spoken to people in the building? Are they still looking for some family members maybe?

LANGFORD: We know that there are family members but there was a party in this building so we don't know how many people were actually home or not.

LEMON: Still don't know the cause as well, all right, starting in the stairwell. All right, Larry Langford from the Chicago fire department. Thank you so much for joining us. Fire kills four there in Chicago. They're still searching for possible others and we'll update you on that in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LONG: The other story we've been following of course, the missing baby just three days old taken from a hospital this morning in Lubbock, Texas, 806-775-2788 if you have any information to help police. The story we'll continue to follow next hour here on CNN.

LEMON: We'll be right back.

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