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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Suspect in the Quadruple Murder in Washington D.C. Has Been Identified; ISIS Takes Control of Another City in Syria; Extraordinary Rescue; Police Search for Quadruple Murder Suspect; California Oil Spill Worse Than Previously Thought. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired May 21, 2015 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:03] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening. Thanks for joining us.
A very full night tonight including the first eyewitness account from someone who is inside the restaurant at Waco when the shooting began. You'll only see it here.
We begin, though, tonight with breaking news. Take a look. The search under way right now for this man. Daron Wint is his name, 34 years old, considered armed and dangerous. He is wanted in the quadruple murder of a Washington, D.C., couple, their 10-year-old son and housekeeper at their home in a wealthy section of the district.
Savvas Savopoulos, his wife, Amy, son Philip, and housekeeper Veraliesa Figueroa were found dead in the 14th in the smoking rooms of their home. Tonight police have a suspect. Here he is again. Take a look, Daron Wint. He once worked for Mr. Savopoulos. They have DNA evidence placing him at the crime scene and reason to believe that he has fled here to New York. This is a very fluid story at this hour. A lot could change in the coming hours.
Pamela Brown is in Washington. Deborah Feyerick is on the scene in New York.
First, the latest from Pam Brown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Major break in the case came Wednesday when ATF forensic specialists recovered Wint's DNA on a pizza crust according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. A nearby Domino's franchise says it delivered pizzas to the home that night and left the food at the door unaware the family was bound with duct tape inside.
RON HOSKO, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: It is incredibly brazen. It shows an element of calm that the person didn't feel rushed.
BROWN: Investigators say Savopoulos' assistant dropped off around $40,000 in cash to the family's house but the assistant was apparently told not to come inside. This as we learned more grisly details about the murder. Phillip Savopoulos had stab wounds and was killed before he was burned beyond recognition. HOSKO: Certainly it was a sadistic killer. A son might have been
used as a tool to make sure the parents were compliant.
BROWN: We learned days after the brutal murders Daron Wint left D.C. His girlfriend told police he fled to New York on a bus last night according to a source familiar with the investigation.
CHIEF CATHY LANIER, WASHINGTON POLICE: Every law enforcement officer across the country are loo king for him. I think even his family has made pleas for him to turn himself in.
BROWN: We're learning more tonight about Wint's past. He served briefly with the marines but left before completing basic training. He's had numerous run-ins with police and more recently worked as American iron work, the construction company where Savas Savopoulos was CEO.
LANIER: Does not appear that this was, you know, just a random crime, that there is a connection through the business of the suspect and the Savopoulos family business.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Again, Pam Brown joins us now. So the police are learning more about the suspect. He has a pretty violent previous criminal history, right?
BROWN: Yes, that's right, Anderson. He's had several run ins with police. Over the past several years he's been arrested for domestic violence, assault, as well as that. And that according to court records, we've been looking at, in 2010 he allegedly threatened a woman and her 2-year-old daughter. He threatened to kill them. He also allegedly smashed through the car window, the windshield of that car and broken through this woman's apartment to steal a television according to court documents. Also that same year, apparently a Prince George's county police encountered him behind a dumpster and he was allegedly carrying a machete as well as a BB gun. These are just charges. He only had one conviction, Anderson, for misdemeanor assault, but now he is facing felony first-degree murder while armed. This massive manhunt still active. He is still at large, Anderson.
COOPER: Pam Brown, appreciate the update.
I want to talk more about that manhunt that's very active now. As we said, it's playing out here in New York. You heard from the chief of police in Washington, D.C., saying police around the country are looking for him, but it's really zeroed in on New York city right now.
Deborah Feyerick joins us from the Cannory (ph) section of Brooklyn.
So what is the latest on this? Are authorities really narrowing it to Brooklyn at this point?
DEBORAH FAYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they do know is they have very strong to the Brooklyn area. What we do know is that police believe that sometime after the murders the suspect traveled here to the Brooklyn area. He's got friends. He's got relatives. He's also got a girlfriend. And that girlfriend was picked up this morning for questioning and she told police that apparently the suspect said to her that he was going to surrender. Well, he's not surrendered. He's still at large. He was using a cell phone, but now it's believed that he's ditched the original phone and is using a different cell phone.
They're not quite sure where they are, but we can tell you U.S. marshals are aggressively looking for him as are police here in New York as well as the Washington, D.C., area, because there's a possibility that he may try to travel back there. But right now, they simply don't know where he is and clearly he's not yet surrendered.
COOPER: And Deb, I mean, this is all moving very fast. Do we know how police were able to find the girlfriend and connect her to Wint?
[20:05:03] FEYERICK: Well, it appears that they were tracking his cell phone, and through the cell phone and through records, they were able to establish the fact that he did know somebody here in this area and that was one of the things that led them to believe that he Brooklyn. Again, he does have friends, he does have relatives. They are obviously investigating the possibilities that he may be seeking shelter, may be hiding out with one of them. But right now they're really not trusting the girlfriend very much because her story keeps changing. And so it's not clear whether he's here, how long he was here, if he was here, how he got here. So all of that right now under very extensive investigation, Anderson.
COOPER: But the latest you'd heard is that he had come by bus yesterday?
FEYERICK: That was one of the things that authorities were investigating, that he traveled to the New York area by bus. He doesn't have a vehicle. And it's -- there's a possibility now that he may have somehow commandeered a vehicle to get away from this area.
Again, all we can tell you is all of that right now is under investigation. There are a lot of people out there hustling trying to find this guy.
COOPER: Yes, no doubt about that.
Deborah Feyerick, thanks.
Joining us now is former NYPD detective and our new CNN law enforcement analyst, Harry Houck. Also, former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes and George Mason University forensic scientist Kelley Knight joins us as well.
Harry, obviously, I don't want to give away any kind of operational details so use your judgment on this.
HARRY HOUCK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Right.
COOPER: But in a case like this, and you know, you talk about a massive manhunt, how do police go about it? Does every officer have his photo out there?
HOUCK: Yes, definitely. Every officer probably in the city, and specially in Brooklyn, and every single unit has got this photograph. They got all the information about this guy. Even if he changes the way, as you can see the one picture shown right there when he's in the yellow top there, can see this guy's face. It is very distinct face, alright. So you got undercover officers are out there. And you got -- in areas where he might have been known to frequent before when he was in New York. You got detectives out there making phone calls. I mean, I think, you know, we got this guy in a tight net right now.
COOPER: It's interesting, though, because I mean, when I heard everybody has his photograph, I was kind of skeptical about that. But then just last week when that guy with the hammer attacked the police office all police officers had that guy's photo and those two officers recognized the person from the photos and followed the person based on his photographs. So that actually works.
HOUCK: Right. It definitely works. And you know, and cops are very observant. They can see something if somebody looks like something like that. I mean, I used to be able to tell a guy from the back of his head from looking at the front photo. But, this is personal now, Anderson, OK? This guy tortured and killed a 10-year-old boy in the most horrific way you can ever imagine. And every cop probably feeling exactly the same way. They want this coward and they want this guy tonight.
COOPER: Tom, do you think that he acted alone? Do you think there could be addition suspects? Because the story haven't ruled that out yet. Although, he is the only person or least, there is only one person seen in the security camera footage leaving, running away from the house.
TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I think it's just hard to tell with that, Anderson. I mean, you know, you look at the build of this guy, the muscles, that it appears that he would have had enough ability strength wise to take control of two women and a child. And then by holding them, threaten the father and get the father to comply and ask for the money and do whatever else that he was demanding they do. That he does.
But you know, if he had somebody else with him, he'd have to share the money. Maybe he decided afterward he didn't want to share the money and maybe the other person, you know, notified the police and helped accelerate the ability to find him and make the DNA match. We just don't know that at this point.
COOPER: Kelly, the suspect, he erased the security camera footage at the house. Set the house and car on fire. Left behind pizza crust apparently, according to authorities, with his DNA on it. What do you make of that?
KELLY KNIGHT, FORENSIC SCIENTIST, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY: Well, it's interesting that he made some attempt to try to eliminate the forensic evidence by erasing the home security video and trying to burn the home and burn the car. But he left some of the forensic evidence behind which tells me that he may not be as knowledgeable about the success rates that we have with forensic evidence as he may think. It also tells me that there's a good chance that there probable some forensic evidence that may still be left behind.
COOPER: You know, Harry, a lot of people don't think, and this is kind of a takeaway for everybody on this, when you have a home security system, oftentimes the recording device is -- it's not in a safe or anything. It's not locked away. So it's accessible if you are inside the home.
HOUCK: Exactly. And a lot of times it's not working. I've had cases, yes, we have security in our house here, but you know, the camera hasn't been working for months and nobody fixed it, you know.
I think what's really interesting about this case, though, is $40,000. That amount of money. All right? Somebody had to tell him about this $40,000. I mean, how could he have found out? He used to work for this guy before, all right? But he doesn't work -- they didn't say he worked for him now. So how would he find out about this $40,000? I don't think there was anybody else in the house with him that day. And I think he actually went there before the husband got there and took control of the first set of hostages in order to be able to control the husband who was supposedly a karate expert. And he didn't want to have to fight him, you know, and fight three other people at the same time.
[20:10:15] COOPER: Tom, in a case like this, how often to you find that there is -- there is a connection, it is not just sort of a random home invasion, that there is some sort of link?
FUENTES: Well, I think that, you know, that you do have it very often that leads this person to pick that house. What we don't know, and to Harry's point is, with the employment, we haven't heard when did he work there? How long did he work there? What were the circumstances of him leaving the company? Was he fired? Did he have some reason to dislike or hate the CEO?
You know, because you see a level of torture and psychotic behavior at that house -- I'm sorry, psychopathic behavior at that house that may go beyond just picking up $40,000 and just go to want to torture that family and punish, you know, the father.
COOPER: And, again, the idea of ordering pizza in the midst while you have people held hostage, it's a pretty cold calculating thing.
FUENTES: Yes. A typical psychopath. Kills people, torture them, brutalize them, have dinner, no problem.
COOPER: Kelly, when a house has major fire damage such as this, how difficult is it to get DNA fingerprints in burned areas of the home? Is it even possible?
KNIGHT: Well, it really depends on the quantity and quality of DNA that's left behind. From what I've read, it seems like the fire was primarily isolated to the second floor as well as the attic. So that tells me that there's a good chance that there is a lot of evidence that possibly remain not damaged on the first floor which would be -- which would be one of first areas where you would want to try to collect some of the evidence.
If there were some areas where they were collecting evidence where there was a fire exposure, again, it really depends on the quantity and the quality of that actual DNA sample that they're obtaining.
COOPER: All right.
KNIGHT: Obviously fire damage can significantly degrade DNA, but if you were able to obtain a portion of the area that wasn't burned, you could still get a profile.
COOPER: Yes. Obviously the vehicle, itself, was lit on fire.
Kelly Knight, appreciate it, and Harry Houck, Tom Fuentes.
You heard in Pam Brown's report that suspect at one time worked for Mr. Savopoulos. Coming up next, the new details we're learning about the family and family businesses.
And later, the story that might just redeem your faith in humanity. Meet the people behind the rescue of this infant child. People saving lives and risking their own in the chaos that is Syria. Dr. Sanjay Gupta got the exclusive, and you'll be glad he did.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:15:54] COOPER: Well, as the search intensifies in New York for Daron Wint the grief only deepens in Washington for Savvas Savopoulos, wife, Amy, their son, Phillip, and housekeeper. The family's two daughters were away at boarding school when tragedy struck. Understandably no in connected to the family is talking. However, we do speak on Monday with the other housekeeper who Mr. Savopoulos texted and asked not to come in on the day of the murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So when you got that text, were you thinking that that was strange or unusual to get a text like that?
NELITZA GUTIERREZ, SAVOPOULOS HOUSEKEEPER: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did you first think when you got it?
GUTIERREZ: I called her right away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did she answer?
GUTIERREZ: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many times did you call?
GUTIERREZ: Just one time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you heard, though, that they all died in that house, tell me what you thought.
GUTIERREZ: I almost have a heart attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: As we mentioned at the top, investigators are talking to her and many others. They're covering a lot of ground including family business dealings here and we're learning tonight overseas.
More on that angle now from Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 46-year- old Savvas Savopoulos was the president and CEO of American iron works, a multimillion dollar building materials manufacturer. But running that company was just the tip of the iceberg.
Savopoulos was a martial arts hobbyist, according to online postings. And was involved in starting a martial arts studio here in Virginia. And according to one source, the $40,000 that his murderer is believed to have gotten away with was earmarked for that martial arts project, but his business and property ventures went far beyond the beltway.
And we've learned that he had another company here in Puerto Rico. An office in this building is headquarters of a financial services firm called sigma investment strategies. According to the company, Savopoulos founded the firm in 2013, was its CEO and regularly traveled here to San Juan.
A close business associate says Savopoulos was working on making Puerto Rico the permanent residence for himself and his family. Savopoulos also owned a second home in the virgin island of St. Thomas and owned land in St. Roe (ph) according to local news reports.
Back here in D.C. the Savopoulos family seemed to live a charmed life. Savvas and wife, Amy, were listed in the so-called green book of who is who of Washington social elite. Their 10-year-old son, Philip, attended (INAUDIBLE), a prestigious all boys school. They were philanthropists giving at least $100,000 to the national cathedral school and the family regularly attended services here at St. Sophia Greek orthodox cathedral according to the "Washington Post." Sadly, it is also where the funnels for Savvas, Amy, Philip will be held. They are survived by two teenage daughters who were away at boarding school when tragedy came to their home.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Only imagine the horror they're experiencing. In addition to just being awfully sad. This case is also sadly familiar to many people who watched it play out.
Almost eight years ago, you might remember two killers invaded the Petit family home, in Cheshire, Connecticut. And what they did shocked the entire country. When it was over, a mother, two daughters had been tortured, raped and murdered. The house was torched. The father, though, badly injured, managed to escape. He will never be the same. The true murderers were eventually caught, convicted and sentenced to death.
David Heilbroner produced an HBO documentary on the case called the Cheshire murders. He joins us now.
I mean, there are a lot of similar -- kind of eerie similarities in these cases, the family setup, the fact that people invaded the home and actually spent a lot of time there.
DAVID HEILBRONER, FILMMAKER: Yes, I mean, it even goes further than that. Because it both crimes really had a financial motives, you know. And the Cheshire murders, (INAUDIBLE) held the parents, held the mom until t morning. They took her to the bank in order to withdraw $35,000. Here, you know, Daron Wint held the family until the morning and had the dad deliver $40,000.
So they are eerily similar because someone breaks unto a home, holds the hostage, waits until the morning, gets the delivery of the money, torches the house and runs. And you have to wonder, and I don't -- and copycat crimes happen very often, but this is really strange similarities.
[20:20:13] COOPER: Do you believe there may have been some copycat element to it or that this man may have actually sort of looked at the previous case?
HEILBRONER: Well, you know, I mean, I used to be a prosecutor. And you look at the history of crime and there are really very few copycat crimes. You know, maybe natural born killer, you know, some spawn some imitators. But this has so many similar elements. And what they are on may have tried to do is not make the one mistake that Petit family killers did which is take the mother to the bank and leave her alone in the bank which would have tipped off the cops. In this case, he held Dad inside, dad texted his assistant who brought the money. So was he -- did he learn from this case? Because I don't know of any other case quite like this.
COOPER: In your investigation to the Petit case, do you know how chaotic was it in the home? Because, you know, we hear this guy which ordered pizza.
HEILBRONER: Yes.
COOPER: It indicates a level of control and calm.
HEILBRONER: Yes.
COOPER: Was that the same situation in the Petit home?
HEILBRONER: It was very much the same and it was terribly scary to think about it. In Petit case, you know, all three women were tied to their beds and kept there for entire night as these two intruders roamed the house, and in one case with Joshua, sexually abused the 11- year-old.
You know, we don't know what happened and caused of death is yet to be released here which I think is going to tell us a lot. But you know, there are stabbed wounds, there are blood, there is blood trauma. So, in this almost certainly didn't happen in the last few moments of the night, so something awful was going on slowly, methodically and building to this terrible crescendo.
COOPER: Just awful. David Heilbroner, I appreciate you being on. Thank you very much. Eerie similarities.
New developments also to report in the death of Freddie Gray. Late today Baltimore state's attorney Marilyn Mosby announced grand jury indictments of six police officers. One who drove the van has been charged with second degree depraved heart murder. Three officers have been charged with several counts including involuntary manslaughter. Two others with second-degree assault and a number of other lesser counts.
Just ahead, ISIS takes control of another city in Syria and also seizes a border crossing. But President Obama says the U.S. and its allies are not losing the fight.
Plus an exclusive look at the white helmets in action. Dr. Sanjay Gupta spent time with the brave volunteers who serve as first responders in Syria risking their lives to save others.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:25:27] COOPER: Today, President Obama denied that the United States and its alleys are losing the fight against ISIS in the Middle East even as ISIS made new grounds. The last Syria/Iraq border crossing controlled by Syrian troops fell today to ISIS. That victory comes just the day after ISIS routed the historic city Palmyra, the site of spectacular ancient ruins now in danger of being blundered or destroyed altogether. It's the first time ISIS has seized an entire city from Syrian government forces.
Today ISIS seized the airport and notorious prison on its outskirts and now control more than half of Syria. Think about that. Half of the entire country. We're not even talking about Iraq. Its conquest of Palmyra comes just days they ISIS fighter seized the key Iraqi city of Ramadi in Anbar province sparking mass exodus of civilians you see there.
Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins me with the latest.
I mean, this -- it's pretty stunning the advances they've made. Incredible gains for ISIS. What's the latest?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: You know, Anderson, behind the scenes in Washington a lot of worry, a lot of concern. The U.S. intelligence community looking at all this and wondering where it's going. That what they're watching for is there a tipping point? Is ISIS now really able to match so much firepower, so much combat power? Could they push Assad out of power finally in Syria? What would happen in Syria? Would there just be a bloodbath? Would there be massive instability?
Yes is the answer. They worry about that. They worry about what's happening in Iraq, they worry about the future of Baghdad. A lot of warnings from the intelligence community, but what we're not seeing is a change in U.S. strategy. Continued airstrikes, continued support for the Iraqi forces.
But Ramadi really now the lesson learned. Another case where the Iraqi forces by all accounts simply packed up and left. You had trained the Iraqi forces, but if they're not going to stay and fight, what are you going to do? President Obama is not putting U.S. combat troops on the ground -- Anderson.
The last time I was I Baghdad everyone was saying there, there's no way Baghdad, itself, will fall, there's no way Baghdad will fall. Are there growing concerns about Baghdad itself? You have troops in Fallujah -- you have ISIS in Fallujah and Ramadi.
STARR: Seventy miles away. You are spot on. There is concern. The conventional wisdom, you know, in the public arena is, look, you know, ISIS stays to its Sunni stronghold. It's not going to risk going to Baghdad. It doesn't have the fire power to go to Baghdad. They'll never do it, the Shia will rise up. They're just never going to do it.
Got to tell you, people I am talking to in the administration, again, watching this very carefully, they are worried there will be a new round of ISIS terrorist attacks inside Baghdad, and watching for that mass of potential ISIS combat power. Could they get on the road, could they try and go to Baghdad? That's where really the problem comes in for the Obama administration. They simply cannot let Baghdad fall.
COOPER: Yes.
STARR: Anderson?
COOPER: A lot of American personnel in Baghdad, itself.
Barbara Starr, appreciate it. Thank you.
Syria's civil war now in its fifth year has killed some 300,000 people according to human rights groups. Well, the entire neighborhoods and cities reduced to rubble. We've seen this now for years. Tonight a "360" exclusive, rare inside look at a group of courageous Syrians who risk their lives every day to try to save their fellow citizens. They're called the white helmets. Volunteer first respond, who travel to southern Turkey for training and return home to wait for the next bombs to fall. Sadly they don't wait long.
Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta embedded with them to watch them in action.
[20:30:02] Here's exclusive report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're watching an extraordinary rescue in Aleppo, Syria. For 12 hours these men have been digging and drilling. And they're about to save a life of a two-week-old baby. The baby saviors, known only by the iconic protective gear they wear on their heads, in an area of the world bursting with too many men in black hats, they are the cavalry. The white helmets.
JAMES LE MESURIER, FOUNDER, MAYDAY RESCUE: They have all chosen, they have all chosen to risk their lives to save others. And that makes every single one of them a hero.
GUPTA: James Le Mesurier is the architect of the organization.
JAMES LE MESURIER, FOUNDER, MAYDAY RESCUE: In Syria, there is no 911 system. There is nobody that you can call. You can't pick up a phone and call a fire service. You can't call a local police department. They don't exist.
GUPTA: So, this group of ordinary Syrian men and a few women have organized themselves to fill that void. Zuhera Manzi (ph) was once a blacksmith. Ibrahim Azopi, a barber. Amad Rahal, a detective. He was supposed to get married next week, but for the time being, they have left their previous jobs. Their previous lives. And now volunteer to run toward when everyone else is running from.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
GUPTA: We are traveling along the border between Turkey and Syria. We're with the White Helmets. They've just gotten a call. We want to see exactly what they do.
This is all part of an intense training to become even better. Even faster. All of a sudden this area filled with smoke. There is concern that there may be another bomb or another attack coming so they've asked for all the lights to be turned off. They don't want to be a target, themselves, but you can see just how challenging that makes their job.
The concern is that. The white helmets tells us this video is of a barrel bomb being hurdled from a chopper by the Syrian government.
As you see, they can be wildly inaccurate. As you hear, they are incredibly vicious.
A barrel bomb dropping on your house is like a 7.6 order of magnitude earthquake 50 times a day.
These bombs are so malignant, full of explosives, rebar, wire, nails. Anything else that can brutally maim and kill. But now the White Helmets are concerned about a newer enemy. Chlorine gas. They were able to save these children, but believe chlorine gas led to the death of a family of six.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Helicopters normally carry two barrel bombs. And they drop the first barrel bomb which then explodes, and the pilot then remains in the sky circling where the explosion took place waiting for a crowd to gather and waiting for rescuers to come to the scene. When a crowd gathers, they release the second bomb. And that is a double.
(voice over): 84 White Helmets have now been killed. Mostly by double taps. It is why Syria is one of the most dangerous places in the world and why being a White Helmet might be the most dangerous job in the world. And yet they go on. 2,600 have saved the lives of 18,000.
(on camera): How long, more does it go on do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One day at a time.
GUPTA: Just for "The White Helmets," another day is another chance to save a life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allahu akbar!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allahu akbar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: It's terrible risks that they take. That was Sanjay Gupta reporting from southern Turkey.
Just ahead, we have breaking news. New threats tonight against Texas police from biker gangs, alleged plots involving car bombs, grenades, and Molotov cocktails.
Plus, a waitress who was inside the Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco during the deadly brawl is speaking out for the first time in a "360" exclusive.
[20:34:43]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Quick update on our lead story tonight. The search for Washington, D.C., quadruple murder suspect Daron Wint. This is a 2008 mugshot of him we've just gotten hold of. So, this is the first time we have seen this image. We're showing it to you because he is believed to be out there. There's a massive manhunt on the way. He's believed to be armed and dangerous. He's about 5'7", 34 years old. As I said, I want to repeat, considered armed and dangerous. He may have fled from Washington, D.C., to Brooklyn, New York. But frankly, he could be anywhere at this point. We're going to continue to follow this obviously throughout the evening, bring you any updates.
Meantime, there is more breaking news tonight. Late word of new potential threats against Texas police officers in the wake of that deadly shootout in Waco. A bulletin has been issued warning about claims that criminal biker gangs are arming themselves with some serious firepower preparing to retaliate. CNN's Evan Perez joins me now with the latest.
So, what more do you know about these alleged threats? Because when I talked to the sergeant last night I think it was, he said - he seemed to be kind of backing off some of the concerns for police officers. That clearly, though, seems to have changed.
EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Anderson, this is a new warning that came after the earlier one that police had previously warned about which was that there were biker gangs that were possibly headed to Waco. Now, this one was issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
[20:40:00]
PEREZ: And it warns about members of the Bandidos and Black Widows gangs, specifically targeting members of law enforcement with grenades, Molotov cocktails, C4 explosives. And it lists specific cities where law enforcement officials could be in danger including Austin and - Austin and Houston and Dallas. These are the biggest cities in Texas obviously. Now, according to this bulletin, these gang members are out for blood and they're specifically targeting law enforcement because they believe their quote/unquote brothers were targeted by law enforcement in that twin peaks melee, Anderson.
COOPER: All right. Evan Perez, thank you very much. We'll continue to follow that as well.
Today police in Waco said they've actually recovered fewer weapons from the scene of that deadly brawl than they initially reported. They found more than 300 weapons, not more than 1,000 as they claimed yesterday. Members of five biker gangs had gathered at the Twin Peaks restaurant for a meeting when the brawl erupted. Tonight in a "360" exclusive, a waitress who was inside the restaurant is speaking out for the first time and so is one of her former coworkers, a bartender who quit days before the shootout. Our Gary Tuchman has the exclusive interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two women who worked at the Twin Peaks restaurant. One of them a waitress who was there when the shots rang out. Amy who doesn't want her real name used doesn't want her face shown for her safety. She says the trouble started in the parking lot of the restaurant.
AMY, TWIN PEAKS RESTAURANT WAITRESS: At first it seemed like it was just a simple fistfight.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Were they yelling and screaming?
AMY: There was a little bit of yelling. Like you couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but you could hear a little bit.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Amy says almost all the bikers were on a patio outside of Twin Peaks, a patio that fits about 100 with standing room only.
AMY: The next thing you know is, you just hear the first gunshot go off and then a couple fired after that. TUCHMAN (on camera): And what are you thinking?
AMY: Thinking I didn't know what -- I honestly didn't know what the hell was happening. I didn't know if gunshots were going to become flying toward the building or if they were just going to be going back and forth between who was shooting. There was a lot of screaming. Where you just - like you hear all of us, oh my god, what's going on, like, just start streaming and take off running to the back. Some of the people were arming, like, down squatting and - like squatting and running at the same time or crawling to the back.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Employees and some customers hid inside a walk- in refrigerator and freezer.
(on camera): So, you walked into the refrigerator. And how many people were in there with you?
AMY: With me, there were seven waitresses and then one customer and, like, six or seven, maybe eight of the kitchen staff and back of house staff. It was pretty scary. Because we were like - and we were trying to put stuff in - because in - the refrigerator where we were, like we actually had the racks to move in front of the door to kind of barricade ourselves, so if anyone were to come in, trying to actually get after everybody like we were at least - we at least were protected.
TUCHMAN: But what were you does discussing while you were in the refrigerator with everybody?
AMY: Just if we were even going to make it through.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Amy says after about ten or 15 minutes bikers outside the refrigerator, at least some of whom ended up being arrested, told those in the refrigerator the coast was clear.
(on camera): So, you walked out of the refrigerator in a line.
AMY: Yeah.
TUCHMAN: Your hands up. Who told you to put your hands up?
AMY: The police did. As we were going through, like, somebody in the front was told to put their hands up. So, they kind of passed the word back. So we were just passing it back to each other.
TUCHMAN: So, you went out with your hands up. You must have been very relieved.
AMY: A little bit, but it was kind of nerve-racking having guns pointed at you while you are walking out of the building.
TUCHMAN: By the police?
AMY: Uh-huh.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Veronica Williams left her job as a bartender a week before the shooting.
(on camera): So, it's your opinion, though, that the police gave your bosses fair warning, the possibility of big-time trouble with the ...
VERONICA WILLIAMS, FORMER BARTENDER, TWIN PEAKS RESTAURANT: Yes.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Veronica says she was working in the restaurant last month when cops came to talk to the bosses.
(on camera): Tell me what the police officer told your managers.
WILLIAMS: He said there was conflict between some of the clubs, the motorcycle clubs and it, you know, would be in the best interest to not have any biker events.
TUCHMAN (voice over): But events continued to be held. The top manager at the Waco Twin Peaks did not return our phone calls. Today, Amy is grateful to be alive.
AMY: I'll look back at it, I'm just, like, we're all beyond blessed that it wasn't worse than it already was.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Gary Tuchman joins us from Waco tonight. Have Waco authorities asked to talk with Amy, the waitress still employed by Twin Peaks since the shooting took place?
TUCHMAN: Yes, shortly after the Sunday shootings here, Anderson, Amy was talked to by the police. A brief interview about ten minutes. But they haven't asked to talk to her since. She is aware she can be called as a witness for an eventual trial or trials and that's one of the reasons she doesn't want her face to appear on camera. It's understandably a little nerve-racking for her. But I can tell you, Anderson, both these women are very nice people who are very shaken up.
COOPER: I'm just wondering, Gary, what's the vibe like in Waco? I mean obviously for media this is a huge story. And Waco, does it - I mean are people talking about it? Does it seem something people are worried about?
TUCHMAN: Yes, people are stunned. But they're very used to bikers here and so-called biker clubs. There's a lot of motorcyclists around here. You see them all the time. But nothing like this has ever happened so people here in Waco are just as stunned as the rest of us around the United States.
COOPER: All right, Gary, I appreciate your update. Thank you, tonight.
[20:45:00]
COOPER: Up next, it turns out that oil spill in California is worse than first thought, five times worse. The popular beach is shut down just before the Memorial Day holiday weekend. And there are new questions about the operator of the pipeline in question. All of it ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: California oil spill is worse than first thought, in fact five times bigger than experts first estimated. Cleanup crews are working 24 hours a day as they desperately try to rescue birds drenched in oil and scoop up gobs of oil from popular beaches in Santa Barbara County. California's governor has declared a state of emergency, with officials now estimating 105,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from a ruptured pipeline. It's equivalent to the volume of water an average American home uses in one year. Simply put, it is a big mess, and it turns out the pipeline operator has a long record of problems. Sara Sidner tonight reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The evidence of the havoc the oil spill has caused shown all over the bodies of the five pelicans and a sea lion rescued so far. The magnitude yet to be assessed for the damage to the ocean's other beautiful creatures. The company responsible for this mess, Plains All American Pipeline.
RICK MCMICHAEL, PLAINS ALL AMERICAN PIPELINE: Skimming vessels so far have recovered 7,770 gallons of an oily water mixture.
[20:50:00]
SIDNER: It turns out the company has a checkered history when it comes to its infrastructure. In 2010, the company and some of its subsidiaries agreed to spend $41 million to upgrade 10,000 miles of crude oil pipeline. As part of a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department. This after violations between 2004 and 2007 for 10 crude oil spills in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kansas. And just last year, a rupture sent 10,000 gallons of oil flowing onto a Los Angeles street. Its record in the top five worse for infractions compared to other similar companies. The spill affecting Santa Barbara's coastline, one of the worst here.
What does the company say about all that? We asked.
Can you just answer one more question that the public may want to know? 500 barrels. What does that mean? How much oil is that?
PATRICK HODGINS, PLAINS ALL AMERICAN PIPELINE: Approximately 42 gallons to a barrel, so that would be 105,000 gallons.
SIDNER: Initially you said 21,000. Why the huge jump in the amount?
HODGINS: Again, that was a worst-case scenario. The 500 barrels would be 21,000 gallons, as you pointed out.
SIDNER: What do you say to the public that's angry about this spill and your record when it comes to problems?
HODGINS: Again, we deeply regret what has happened and again, we will continue to work with the federal, state and local agencies to mitigate this incident as quickly as possible.
SIDNER: The governor of California deemed the spill a state of emergency to assist with the oil cleanup. In the lush city of Santa Barbara, the reaction loud and clear.
CROWD: Get oil out! Get oil out!
SIDNER: What are your thoughts? What does that do to you?
MAYOR HELENE SCHNEIDER, SANTA BARBARA: It's heartbreaking, and the Gabiota coast is a global ecological treasure. There's not many places like it throughout the globe, and for it to happen there is extremely significant in the sense of what that could mean long term in terms of impact.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Sara Sidner joins us now from Santa Barbara. So did company representatives ever directly answer questions about their prior record?
SIDNER: You know, we asked three or four different times, some other reporters asked three or four different times. They never really answered the question. They kept coming back to that same nonanswer. We will continue to try to get answers, and Anderson, I just want to let you know, right now you can really smell this. It's giving me a little bit of a headache. You can see it. I mean, it is very clearly still on the beach. There's still a lot of cleanup to do. That caution tape stopping people from going down to the beach. This beach is going to be closed for seven days. This is Refugio (ph) Beach, a beautiful slice of life near Santa Barbara city. It's a lovely place a lot of people like to visit, but they won't be visiting it any time this week.
COOPER: When people just repeat nonanswers, when company flacks just repeat nonanswers, it makes it seem like they think everybody else is stupid and isn't going to realize they're not even answering the question. I'd rather they just say, look, I'm not going to answer any questions. At least that would be honest. This is just ridiculous. Sara Sidner, appreciate your efforts to keep after them.
Again, we want to keep you updated on the manhunt in Washington area, here in New York and areas in between for Daron Wint, police believe he's the one seen fleeing here from the scene of that quadruple murder in Washington, D.C. We want to show you his photo. He's believed to be out there, armed and dangerous. Mr. Wint is about 5'7", 34 years old. He had worked for one of the victims. Police believe he may have fled from Washington, D.C., to Brooklyn here in New York, and they warn that he should be considered as I said armed and dangerous.
Coming up, something thankfully to make you smile at the end of a long day. The Ridiculist is next. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:57:00] COOPER: Time now your the Ridiculist. For the past few days, we've all been paying tribute to the one and only David Letterman. As you know, last night was his last show. And if you couldn't stay up that late, you've probably seen clips today. It was amazing. But you might have missed what was probably the coolest tribute to Dave's retirement. Conan O'Brien's show starts at 11:00 so it's already on when Letterman starts. Watch what Conan did last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O'BRIEN: Okay, it's now 11:35. Oh, record us but switch to Dave. Bye! Go, go. But hit record. Just today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: See, that never happens. That would be like me telling you to stop watching us right now and switch over to Bill O'Reilly. I'm pretty confident I probably would not do that. Now, if anything, I'd switch over to Univision to watch Amores Contrompa (ph). Is that right? Anybody? You're going to let me just hang here, aren't you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
COOPER: It's a Spanish language soap opera. Not sure there's a lot of audience crossover, although I've often thought our show has the same kind of drama and excitement as a Mexican telenovella. Is that really on opposite of us? I don't think it is. Is it really? Wow. It is. Okay. What is it called? What? (inaudible). There you go. If you were watching Conan and indeed switched over to Letterman, you missed what happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: They're gone now. Now we can do whatever the [ bleep ] we want.
[cheers and applause]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, Dave, what a legacy. What a legacy, Dave. Look what you've inspired.
O'BRIEN: Thanks for the inspiration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Anyway, getting back to me, I've been on Conan's show. He's unpredictable. That we know. Years ago when my book came out, "The New York Times" number one bestseller. Did I say that? Was I saying that out loud? I think that every time I mention my book. Anyway, he did something that came up when we spoke recently at the Paley Center.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: During the interview, you won't remember this.
O'BRIEN: I do remember this. COOPER: During the interview you took a drink and then you put it
down on my book.
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
COOPER: I just remember --
O'BRIEN: It was great because someone else might not have said something. You actually were kind of --
COOPER: I stopped the whole thing.
O'BRIEN: You stopped the whole thing. I was using his book he was promoting as a coaster.
COOPER: I was like, I spent a year and a half writing that thing. You're freaking putting a drink on it.
O'BRIEN: Yeah. Yeah. And then I think I ended up throwing it out the talk show window.
COOPER: Yes, you did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: You never know what you're going to get with that guy. One day he's chucking your book out the window, the next he's mastering the art of the fitting farewell on the Ridiculist. I like Conan. That does it for us. We'll see you again 11:00 pm Eastern for another edition of "360." Mike Rowe's "Somebody Gotta to Do it" starts now.
