Return to Transcripts main page

Breaking News

Three Men Released on Bond After Arrest at Reservoir

Aired May 17, 2002 - 11:30   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Something of a puzzle shaping up in eastern Connecticut this morning. Federal agents and local police there have been questioning three men after what they say is been some suspicious activity by these three men at a Connecticut reservoir.

Deborah Feyerick is joining us right now on the telephone. She's there in eastern Connecticut, and she's been following this story. And as I understand it, Deborah, there's been a number of developments lately.

What's going on?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There have, Leon.

Well, police from eastern Connecticut right now are assuring the public that the drinking water is safe, this after three men climbed a 40-foot water tower and videotaped the filtration tank. Officials say the tank was immediately shut down and the water was tested. It proved that there was no contamination. The men are originally from India. They're between the ages of 19 and 21. Two are students in the Bridgeport, Connecticut area. They told FBI agents they had gotten a new video camera and were trying out. They were arrested and charged with criminal trespass, which is a misdemeanor. They were released on a promise to appear in court. That means no bond.

Now the FBI special agent in charge Michael Wolfe (ph) said the men were questioned, INS was contacted, checked their backgrounds. They all checked out, and so the FBI basically had no legal grounds to hold them, so they released them -- Leon.

HARRIS: Very well. We were -- the sketchy reports that we had been reading of course describe these men as Middle Eastern looking men, and that they were doing something suspicious on top of these water tanks. All they were doing then, at least in the eyes of the police right now, or what the police believe, is just videotaping, that's it.

FEYERICK: Well, that's certainly what they believe. But again, in order to videotape this reservoir, they had to basically go over a fence and then climb a 40-foot tower. So it definitely appears suspicious.

I spoke to one woman here in the area. She was lives here. And she said she was very concerned. She didn't think that these men should have been let go, but the FBI said we has no grounds to hold them at all. There is some concern of course, because given the climate of September 11th, somebody climbing a water tower is not particularly the best thing do in this climate.

HARRIS: It seems as though, it doesn't matter what they looked like, they went that far out of their way to do that, it does seem suspicious.

Well, real quickly, Deborah, did the officials say whether or not they would be following these men in the meantime or anything like that, or what?

FEYERICK: They gave no indication to that. Certainly that would be good policing, though.

HARRIS: Got you. Deborah Feyerick in eastern Connecticut, thank you very much.

Again, the story coming out of eastern Connecticut, that police there have been concerned about a possible threat to the water supply there at the reservoir because there was some suspicious activity by three men who were videotaping the reservoir area, for whatever reason. Now the word is that those men have been released and they will be in court in a later date. So we'll keep our eye on that story as it develops.

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