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Teen Rejects Plea Deal; Flash Flooding in Texas; Rebuilding in New Jersey

Aired May 25, 2013 - 16:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN: An 18-year-old in Florida has turned down a plea deal that would have labeled her a sex offender. Kaitlyn Hunt faces two battery charges for having sex with her 14-year-old girlfriend.

Sarah Ganim has the story.

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SARAH GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Authorities in India River, Florida say this is a sexual predator.

KAITLYN HUNT, BATTERY SUSPECT: I'm scared of losing my life, the rest of my life and not being able to college and be around kids and my sisters and my family.

GANIM: Instead of trying out this month for a college cheer team, 18- year-old Kaitlyn Hunt is defending herself against charges she sexually assaulted a child, except, that child is Hunt's high school classmate, a freshman, age, 14.

KELLEY HUNT-SMITH, KAITLYN HUNT'S MOTHER: To hold someone accountable for a felony for having a relationship with a peer seems outrageous to me.

GANIM: It's not just the law that seems outrageous to the family, but the punishment. Kaitlyn Hunt is facing 15 years in jail and a lifetime labeled as a sexual predator. She turned down a plea that would have offered house arrest and probation because it would mean two child abuse felonies on her record.

KELLEY HUNT: A decision like that is like the lesser of two evils. Her life has been destroyed already.

GANIM: But the parents of the younger girl say Hunt knew the relationship was not appropriate.

LAURIE SMITH, ALLEGED VICTIM'S MOTHER: We had actually told Ms. Hunt that this was wrong.

GANIM: Court documents show police believe based on a Facebook message "she knows she's 18 and there can be consequences for their relationship." JIM SMITH, ALLEGED VICTIM'S FATHER: We had no alternative but to turn to the law and use it basically as a last resort.

GANIM: The sheriff of this small town near Vero Beach says this is not about anyone's sexual orientation. In Florida a 14-year-old can't consent to sex.

SHERIFF DERYL LOAR, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA: We have had cases in the past where we have had same-sex, similar circumstances, albeit some of the evidence may not have been as intriguing, I guess. We've also obviously had 18-year-old males with relationship with 14-year- old females.

GANIM: But her family believed the younger girl's parents wouldn't be upset if Kaitlyn was a boy.

KELLEY SMITH: We would not be here if the parents were not dated, to take it criminally I feel they're using the law, the age law to pursue their agenda.

GANIM: A claim the other family rejects.

JIM SMITH: It didn't come from us because that's not how we feel.

GANIM: When Hunt goes to trial in June, she'll have the backing of the ACLU. The state attorney, Bruce Colton told CNN "I do think it's a shame that this case couldn't be settled in some other way."

(on camera): Now that Kaitlyn Hunt rejected that plea bargain what she's risking is trial where she could be convicted and if she is, she's facing 15 years and a lifetime labeled as a sexual predator.

Sarah Ganim, CNN, Miami.

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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We're monitoring severe flooding right now in Texas. Fire officials say one person has died, and crews have rescued about 100 people. We'll have more on the flooding in San Antonio, next.

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WHITFIELD: Severe flash floods have taken over parts of San Antonio, Texas today, killing one woman. Fire officials say she was swept off the roof of her car. Her body was found near a creek. Officials also say one man is missing. Crews have rescued about 130 people now off the roofs of homes and cars. And they have gotten even more calls of possibly more than 250 calls for help.

But there are no other reports that anyone is hurt at this time. More than nine inches of rain have fallen in parts of Bear County today. The San Antonio River it has hit a new record. Fire officials are warning people of course to stay off the roads. When you see that high water, you just got to turn around. Karen Maginnis, a meteorologist here in the severe weather center. So there's a lot that they're dealing with right now.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And they want to know what's going to happen later on today. And here is essentially the scenario that we are drawing now. It looks like in that area, from interstate 35, here's 35, here's 10 and here's 37. It will be this corridor that could see additional rainfall. Sometimes heavy. Sometimes severe. That's what we've seen over the last couple of hours. As it shifted further east from San Antonio.

San Antonio out of it completely? No, there could be a few leftover showers, could be maybe isolated heavy. But for the most part, we've watched it shift towards the east. So what can we expect as we go towards the evening? Well as I mentioned, it looks like the eastern corridor can't rule out the possibility of a thunderstorm here or there. But this is what we have seen over the last couple of hours, some reports of tornadoes that have made their way into Victoria County, also Refusio County, as well as Goliad County, there have been several warnings.

There were a few very brief tornadoes that are reportedly that have touched the ground. No reports of any injuries or damage as of yet. But nonetheless, there is that potential. The atmosphere is very saturated. The temperatures have been very warm. We've got that return flow or the flow coming up from the Gulf of Mexico. So tornado warning goes until 3:30. And this is that Goliad County and Refusio County and here is that particular cell, right there. That's the one that we'll be watching as it moves to the north at about 15 miles per hour.

Now as Fred mentioned, we've already seen just about 10 inches of rainfall in San Antonio. And they are saying that those rivers are still going to remain high, at least it looks like until tomorrow. Take a look at these images. You see that bus? There were reportedly three people that were rescued off of that bus. To our knowledge, they are fine. We don't have any reports other than they were rescued. There's a kodiak. The rescuers got this gentleman from off the top of a building that was on a golf course and then it was enough to wade in after a certain point.

But Fred, very scary moments, it's not over yet. I mean you can't recover that quickly from 10 inches of rainfall.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. All right so folks out there have to continue to be cautious. Because that flash flooding could continue throughout the evening when you have that kind of rainfall. Right? I mean, the water could rise and really catch a lot of people offguard.

MAGINNIS: Yes, the worst hours we saw were about mid day today. After 10 inches of rain, maybe you see all that rain coming down and then all of a sudden these rivers start filling up and you wonder uh- oh, that's what was happening there.

WHITFIELD: And it moves. All right. Thanks so much. Our Karen Maginnis, appreciate that.

All right. So maybe the biggest challenge that people are facing in Moore, Oklahoma is rebuilding their lives, pretty huge. That might take a little longer than rebuilding the town. But it is already beginning. A slow return to some normalcy. Just a little.

Nick Valencia joins us live now. What sort of things are you seeing, that say that people are trying to move forward? I know this is also a big graduation day.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You talk about normalcy, Fred, that is what a lot of the kids that are graduating today from South Moore, West Moore and Moore High School are focusing on. This is a day where they can sort of do away with the depression, do away with the sadness that they've all been feeling over the course of the last week. We spoke to a couple of students at the graduation today earlier today. One of them said they're just very thankful that they're able to move on.

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JAKE SPRADLING, STUDENT: I know a lot of kids lost family members, I mean I know tons of people that lost their homes. So it's one of those things that they thought about moving it back to where they could go to funerals and stuff like that.

VALENCIA (on camera): So you're glad it's today?

SPRADLING: Yes, I'm glad it's today. It means to me that we're not going on different routes, we're staying on the same path that we were meant to be on.

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VALENCIA: Fred, I want to read you something from the valedictorian of South Moore High School. This is something we just got in from our crew there. It says "We are damaged, but we survived. We're hurt, but we are resilient. We are graduating, but we are not done with our successes." These students, so emotional over the course of last few days, just trying to grasp on as you mentioned to that normal lifestyle, a lot of them have lost family members, they've lost friends, loved ones, and they're all left with that memory of the uniqueness that every one of those loved ones leaves behind.

Today was a very big day for those high school graduates. And right now, we're just thankful for them and we're thankful for their time that they've given us and they're very happy to be focusing on the - being the class of 2013, a very proud day and a lot of congratulations to them. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Big proud day. You know, meantime, just looking at the backdrop behind you, Nick. And you know, we use the words you know returning to normalcy. It just doesn't even seem possible when you look at the damage behind you. And you know, people still picking through, trying to find just one thing in some cases to hold on to. Does it seem like folks are having hard time? That there are some folks that are just having a hard time trying to figure out where to begin when you look at just the massive destruction, even four days out. VALENCIA: Oklahomans have a lot of faith, Fred, and we keep talking about resilience but that's what we hear. I've heard no one complain here. I've heard no one be frustrated here. It's like as if they're prepared to deal with things, Oklahomans have gone through a lot, they've dealt with a lot of tornadoes, the tornado back in 1999. The Oklahoma City bombing tragedy is something that they're accustomed to dealing with. And it seems as though they're prepared to go forward and move forward with their lives. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Valencia, thanks so much. Appreciate that, from Moore, Oklahoma. So we have new images of something else tragedy taking place. North of Seattle, in Washington, can you believe these cars were on this bridge when a portion of that bridge simply collapsed. Sending it right into the river.

Well, now the NTSB has released these images and they did so, not too long ago. You can see the cars that fell into the Skagit River when the bridge has simply gave way. Police say an 18-wheeler caused the collapse after it hit one of the overhead beams Thursday. NTSB inspectors are investigating the accident. Washington's governor says it will cost $15 million to repair that bridge.

All right. It's been seven months since super Storm Sandy hit the east coast. They are rebuilding, but a whole lot remains unfinished. We'll take you to the Jersey Shore, when we come back.

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WHITFIELD: It's been seven months and folks on the New Jersey shore are still trying to rebuild after getting hit by Superstorm Sandy. Poppy Harlow went back to see how the recovery is going as the area gets ready for the crucial summer tourist season.

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POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The iconic boardwalk in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, coming to life again after Sandy.

MAYOR BILL AKERS, SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY: We said it would be done by Memorial weekend and it's going to be done.

HARLOW: Mayor Bill Akers says 85 percent of the boardwalk's businesses will open by this weekend. All they need now?

AKERS: People. I mean, you need good weather and you need people.

HARLOW: The owner of Lucky Leo's is depending on it.

BILL METTLER, FORMER MANTOLOKING RESIDENT: This is where I make 100 percent of my money is right here on this boardwalk.

HARLOW: But the problem is many of the people have no homes to come back to. Just down Ocean Avenue in Mantoloking, not one house spared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just look at it and tears come to my eye every time I drive up and down Route 35 and look at those houses. HARLOW: Famous for images like this.

METTLER: Supports gave way, the porch dropped down and it tilted the house toward the ocean.

HARLOW: For Bill and Louie Mettler, it's just too much.

LOUIE METTLER, FORMER MANTOLOKING RESIDENT: If we could have rehabbed it, absolutely we would have done it. It's just, it's too broken.

HARLOW: This week, they watched their home come down.

LOUIE METTLER: It's sad it is, that it's being destroyed. That we couldn't save it.

HARLOW (on camera): Of the 520 homes here in Mantoloking, 56 of them washed away the night Sandy struck. Many, many more so damaged they're uninhabitable, being torn down one after the next after the next. All in, Sandy took about 40 percent of the homes in this town.

(voice-over): Now, a beach so eroded it offers little protection from future storms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most people will want to rebuild and will rebuild, I think the reluctance will exist until we can guarantee them safety from a similar storm.

HARLOW: Mayor George Neville is fighting for 20-foot high dunes, a protective wall beneath them and quadrupling the width of the beach.

LOUIE METTLER: It has to happen, this town will not survive another series of storms like this.

HARLOW: Stan Witkowski feels guilty, guilty his home survived.

STAN WITKOWSKI, MANTOLOKING RESIDENT: So what my neighbors lost, so much.

Most of our neighbors are not here. Many homes are not here. They'll never come back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do we look young there.

HARLOW: Like the Mettlers, after decades of memories -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's one my favorite pictures of you.

HARLOW: A few saved from the rubble.

Poppy Harlow, CNN, Mantaloking, New Jersey.

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WHITFIELD: Heading further north now, thousands gathered in Boston today to run that last mile of that Boston Marathon, the event called the One Run was to honor victims of the bombings and emergency workers. A last month's explosions near the finish line killed three people and wounded more than 260 others. And we'll be right back.

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WHITFIELD: Around the world millions of girls are just trying to get access to basic education. In Haiti, there are a few public schools and private schools are expensive. But one young girl won't give up.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Rose (INAUDIBLE). I'm 12 years old. I only have one brother, I have four sisters. I am small. I like wearing my uniform. I wear navy ribbons, a navy dress, with black shoes. And I'm beautiful.

I live in a house that is slightly cracked. My mom works as a dress maker. When I leave this school since this is my last year. My mother will not be able to pay for me to go to school. I want to go to a big school in order to develop my talents.

In this board I do my homework and every afternoon my mother buys me chalk. When I let my imagination go, I think of extraordinary things. I want to be a teacher. Because I love to teach children. To give them courage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. CNN films "Girl Rising" premieres Sunday, June 16th, 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

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WHITFIELD: The CNN "Newsroom" continues at the top of the hour with Joe Johns, he'll have more on the flooding in San Antonio, Texas. Also ahead, Sanjay Gupta looks at what you need to do to keep safe during a tornado.

But first, back to more Oklahoma. Today people there are laying to rest some of the 24 victims who lost their lives in the tornado. Here's a look at their legacies.

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MIKKI DIXON DAVIS, MOTHER OF KYLE DAVIS: We will miss him tremendously, but, I'll see him again. When it's my turn to make that journey. So -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was so good.

ANGELLETTA SANTIAGO, TAWUANA ROBINSON'S DAUGHTER: She called me and she said "Hey, the tornado has touched down. I am in my closet and I love you."

JOSHUA HORNSBY, FATHER OF JANAE HORNSBY: She was the best kid anybody could every had. She was a ball of energy, a ball of love.