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Breaking News

Police Search for Abducted California Girls

Aired August 01, 2002 - 12:01   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to begin in the L.A. suburb of Lancaster, which today is ground zero now in a statewide search for a missing truck and two kidnapped teenagers, as we've been telling you.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez joins us on the phone with the latest on what the police had to say. They are calling this a life-and-death situation, Thelma, right?

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They sure are. In fact, they say that this man, they consider him armed and dangerous, and they are calling for a statewide alert. They are asking people to look for a man in a white Bronco who allegedly kidnapped two teenage girls at gunpoint from a rural lovers lane area near Lancaster, California.

That man is described as having a dark complexion. He's between the ages of 30 and 40, he has a medium build, and investigators say that the women's, the girls', names are Tamera Brooks, 16 years old, and Jaqueline Marris, 17 years old. The girls were apparently in separate vehicles with their boyfriends early this morning and that the suspect, they say, arrived at the water tower area in a stolen Saturn, a car that was reportedly stolen in a carjacking in Las Vegas.

The suspect apparently approached Tamera Brooks and then Jaqueline Marris. They were with their boyfriends. The boyfriends were tied up, and the suspect sped away in a Bronco with the teenagers.

Now, one of the boyfriends broke free. He ran to a pay phone and called authorities. And the sheriff, Tom Pigott, L.A. County sheriff, held a news conference a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM PIGOTT, L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: ... the message we are trying to get out to the public is if you see this vehicle or you seek to contact these young ladies, if you run into any of these people, do not take any independent action on your own. We are considering this person to be armed and dangerous. We ask that you simply call 911, notify your local law enforcement, and we will respond to that information.

(END VIDEO CLIP) GUTIERREZ: Now, the girls apparently do not know each other, though investigators describe them as being very popular, that their relatives are out on the scene right now, and hoping to search for them. The Border Patrol has been alerted.

And again, that license plate number on the Bronco: It is a white 1994 Bronco, California license plate 1AIZ 962.

Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Thelma, thank you so much. And I know you will be working the story from here, so we will continue to check in with you as new developments come about.

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