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Man Kills Florida Teen over Loud Music; U.S. Snowboarder Snags First Winter Gold; Woody Allen Speaks Out about Abuse Allegations; Snipers Attack California Power Plant; Life-Saving Drug Used for Heroin Overdose; Heroin Use Skyrocketing in U.S.; Wallenda's Newest Hire Wire Attempt

Aired February 08, 2014 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are the top stories that we're following right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Escalating tension in a Florida courtroom. A man accused of murdering a teenager during a fight over loud music claims self-defense. Hear today's heated exchanges and the testimony that could be critical to this case.

And filmmaker Woody Allen breaks his silence addressing accusations that he molested his adopted daughter. His detailed account and his daughter's reaction coming up.

And then to Sochi, Russia, where Ream USA has snagged its first gold. Find out who won and where the U.S. medal stands -- where the U.S. rather stands on the medal board.

All right, let's get started. In Florida and that trial over the death of a teenager and he was killed after an argument over loud music. Prosecutors from the George Zimmerman murder trial are trying this case. They say Michael Dunn opened fire into an SUV full of teenagers at a gas station after arguing with them for playing loud music. Dunn claims self-defense.

I want to bring in Tory Dunnan who is outside the courthouse in Jacksonville.

So, Tory, there was a very big dispute today over whether the teen had a weapon or not. What did the evidence tech who testified today say in this rare Saturday trial action?

TORY DUNNAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So, Fred, really, this has come up quite a bit in court, but today, it was really interesting because the prosecution asked this evidence tech, the person who collected all of the evidence, the lead on that at the shooting scene, whether or not he found any weapons in the car. He said, no, he didn't find any. But the defense attorney says they didn't look everywhere they should have.

I want to point out the fact that this red SUV, with the three teens and Jordan Davis, the three teens say that after the shooting started, they backed up and they left that gas station because they were being shot at. Then they testified they went to a nearby shopping plaza, where they did this roll call of sorts and that's ultimately when they found out that Jordan Davis had been shot and killed.

But the defense says they never checked that plaza nearby, that it wasn't secured, so take a listen to what he had to say today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COREY STROLLA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: So if a weapon was in that car and it was gotten rid of, you could search it all day long and never find one, correct?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: True.

STROLLA: If somebody takes a weapon and throws it into a bush and you don't look in that bush, you're never going to find it, are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: True.

STROLLA: If somebody goes into a parking lot and throws a gun or a weapon under a car and you don't search that area, you're never going to find it, are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Weapons like that do show up and people do find them.

STROLLA: But you wouldn't --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I wasn't -- no, I wouldn't find it.

STROLLA: Right, because you weren't told to look there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DUNNAN: All right, so, Fred, the three teenagers who were in the car with Jordan Davis testified yesterday that there was never a weapon. That they didn't throw it out of the car. They didn't stash it somewhere or hide it or give it to anyone or anything like that. Police also saying that they never found a weapon inside the car, but obviously you can tell what the defense attorney's trying to argue there. They didn't check everywhere they're supposed to.

WHITFIELD: And, Tory, who else is expected to testify today?

DUNNAN: So one of the big names that's being put out there is someone who might testify today or over the next few days would be Jordan Davis' father. Also besides that, Jordan Davis' best friend, Leland (INAUDIBLE), who testified yesterday, apparently, whose mom is among the witnesses who will be testifying as well.

So that's sort of the latest on that front, although I do have to say they're at lunch right now. The jury is at lunch. So there's a bit of a break and we'll see what comes up this afternoon.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Tory Dunnan, appreciate that in Jacksonville.

Elsewhere in Florida, a former police officer accused of killing a man for texting during a movie is vowing to fight for his freedom. 71- year-old Curtis Reeves' lawyer says he will appeal a judge's ruling, denying his client bail.

Police say Reeves got into an argument with Navy vet Chad Olsen after Olsen texted his 2-year-old daughter inside a Tampa theater last month. When the argument escalated, Reeves allegedly opened fire on Olsen. Surveillance video released at yesterday's bail hearing shows Reeves in the theatre before the shooting.

All right, now to North Korea where American Kenneth Bae has been moved from a hospital to a labor camp. A pro-North Korean publication says Bae has been there for about three weeks. The State Department says it's deeply concerned about the ailing father's health. They are calling on Pyongyang to grant him special amnesty and release him immediately. Bae was arrested in November of 2012.

And for the first time after the news, Kenneth Bae's sister talks to CNN, that's today at 5:00 Eastern Time. It's part of a CNN exclusive about a new effort to free Kenneth Bae that could include you. The announcement of this new campaign exclusively in the CNN NEWSROOM with Don Lemon.

All right. Russian forces aren't letting up on their intense security operation surrounding the Olympic Games. A Russian security source tells CNN special forces carried out a deadly raid in the Republic of Dagestan targeting a group of suspected militants. Five of the suspects were killed including their alleged leader. A sixth was taken into custody.

The source says the suspects were connected to a group linked to militants behind the deadly bombings in Volgograd back in December.

All right, winter games in Sochi and the U.S. has already snagged the first Olympic gold of the games. It's from U.S. snowboarder, Sage Kotsenburg. Sage tweeting out, "Wow, I just won the Olympics, bringing back the first gold here to the USA."

CNN's Rachel Nichols is in Sochi with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR (voice-over): He is the first gold medalist at these games, but the 20-year-old American Sage Kotsenburg does not exactly fit the profile of the clean cut, intense Olympic athlete of days' past.

SAGE KOTSENBURG, U.S. GOLD MEDALIST: My mentality isn't about training, like, you know, or like, you know, going in the gym and making myself better at snowboarding in the gym. That's not really how I like to do it. NICHOLS (on camera): The night before the event, Kotsenburg wasn't visualizing his run. Instead he was tweeting photos of himself making the Olympic rings out of onion rings. Then after making it out of the semi- finals, he tweeted, "Whoa, how random is this? I made the finals at the Olympics."

Twitter loves Kotsenburg, too. Voters have been circulating comparing him to Sean Penn's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" character Jeff Spicoli, which Kotsenburg found thrilling.

KOTSENBURG: That is sick. I'm so down with that. That is pretty awesome that someone did that. I'm stoked to see that. Good old Spicoli.

NICHOLS (voice-over): Kotsenburg hails from Park City, Utah. But none of his family or friends made the trip here to Sochi. He said they get too nervous watching him, and in turn they make him, quote, "too stressed out." So instead, Kotsenburg called his dad after medaling.

KOTSENBURG: He was like, "What?" And they had it on speaker phone. Everyone was there. It was just like the coolest moment ever, just like hearing their voices and they were so stoked.

NICHOLS (on camera): Kotsenburg said he plans to spend the rest of the Olympics thinking of creative selfie pictures he can take with his new medal, watching other events, and eating more onion rings.

KOTSENBURG: It feels like I'm living in a dream. I have really no idea, actually. It just feels so random.

NICHOLS: In Sochi, I'm Rachel Nichols, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, congrats to him.

All right. Let's look again at the overall medal count. Norway just got gold in the skiathalon. They're at the top of the list with four. Netherlands is in second place with three. The U.S. just behind with the one gold medal for now.

(LAUGHTER)

Go, USA.

All right. Woody Allen gives his take on accusations of sexual assault against him. Who he blames in response to Dylan Farrow's recent letter. Next.

Plus, the shocking punishment for a teen who claims he was too privileged to know he was wrong after a deadly DUI crash. Why the victims' families say it's no punishment at all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Woody Allen is telling his side of the story in an ongoing feud with his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow and former partner Mia Farrow. In a new op-ed in "The New York Times," Allen said he never molested Dylan and he blames Mia Farrow for planting the story in her Dylan's mind.

Alexandra Field is following this story.

Alexandra, what other details can you give us on this?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, this is a case of she said-he said. She said the family feud now playing out in a very public way and Woody Allen is again accusing his ex of fuelling this feud.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD (voice-over): Ugly allegations that made big news 20 years ago. Back in the headlines today. Woody Allen saying, quote, "I did not molest Dylan. I loved her and hope one day she will grasp how she has been cheated out of having a loving father and exploited by a mother more interested in her own festering anger than her daughter's well being."

A rebuttal of Dylan Farrow's claims in an open letter last week, quote, "Woody Allen took me by the hand and led me into a dim closet- like attic on the second floor of our house, then he sexually me."

Allen then and now blames ex Mia Farrow's bitterness over their separation, but Dylan, who he adopted with Mia Farrow, immediately took aim at his new denial, quote, "His op-ed is the latest rehash of the same legalese, distortions, and outright lies he's leveled at me for the past 20 years."

The abuse claims first surfaced when Allen and Farrow split after 12 years together. Connecticut declined to charge Allen because they thought 7-year-old Dylan was too fragile a witness. Psychologist called Dylan coached.

WOODY ALLEN, FILMMAKER: The reason the authorities are dropping this case is purely and simply because they know there is no chance they could possibly win it.

FIELD: Allen fought for custody, but Mia Farrow was granted custody of the children. The judge's scathing decision said Allen had, quote, "no parenting skills," that his own therapist believed him to be inappropriately intense with Dylan.

For Allen, it was a second hit to his reputation. Mia Farrow had discovered his nude pictures of 19-year-old Suni, Farrow's adopted daughter with composer Andre Previn. Suni met Allen when she was 8. In a 1992 interview, Allen quoted Emily Dickenson. "The heart wants what it wants," and ultimately married Suni five years later.

(END VIDEOTAPE) FIELD: Allen's op-ed will be published in tomorrow's paper and he says that's the last that he's going to say on this topic. Meanwhile, earlier this week, Mia Farrow sent out a tweet in support of her daughter and in it she said that this really isn't about her, it's about her daughter's truth -- Fred

WHITFIELD: All right. Alexandra Field, thanks so much.

Another entertainer in the spotlight. Maybe not liking it for this. Justin Bieber. Only just can't seem to stay out of trouble these days. The FAA now says it is, quote, "looking into a problem on board that charter flight that he took from Canada to New Jersey." Law enforcement sources say Bieber and his father were extremely -- verbally abusive rather to the flight attendant.

They apparently ignored repeated orders from the pilot to stop smoking marijuana. According to those sources, the cabin reeked with pot smoke, forcing the pilots to wear oxygen masks.

Coming up, an assault on an American power plant. And no one's caught. Is it terrorism or vandalism? And could it happen to the whole country?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: New revelations about a sniper attack on a California power substation are raising fears of potential terrorism. Ten months ago, 150 rounds from an assault rifle were fired on a San Jose substation, knocking out 17 transformers that fueled power to Silicon Valley. Was it terror or a random act?

CNN's Dan Simon is following the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was captured on surveillance video. You can see a brief streak of light. Perhaps a flashlight carried by an attacker. Then come the sparks. They are bullets hitting the chain link fence that surrounds the Pacific Gas and Electric or PG&E substation in San Jose, a station that feeds power to Silicon Valley.

California Congressman Henry Waxman says it shows our electrical grid isn't adequately protected from both cyber and now physical attacks.

REP. HENRY WAXMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: This was an unprecedented attack on an electric grid substation using military-style weapons.

SIMON: The April attack occurred just before 1:00 in the morning. The snipers first went into an underground vault and cut telephone cables. A half hour later they sprayed the substation with bullets for nearly 20 minutes knocking out 17 transformers, according to PG&E.

When police arrived the shooters were gone but they found more than a hundred shell casings from a high powered assault rifle. No fingerprints. It seemed like a professional job. To prevent a blackout, energy workers rerouted power. But it took nearly a month to make the repairs.

WAXMAN: Under slightly different conditions there could have been a serious power outage or worse.

SIMON: It was a little known attack and it's not clear what the motives were. But now months later some are trying to bring it to the forefront, arguing that if similar shootings happen throughout the nation at once collectively they could take out a large chunk of the electrical grid leaving millions in the dark.

Jon Wellinghoff is the former chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. I spoke to him by phone.

JON WELLINGHOFF, FORMER CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION: This is more about the larger issue of physical security of these high voltage substations nationwide and the need to ensure that some defensive measures start being put in place.

SIMON: He suggests measures such as opaque fences instead of open chain ones that you can see and shoot through. And more sophisticated surveillance cameras to help identify suspects.

Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So the debate continues. Was this terrorism or an isolated incident of vandalism?

Bob Baer is CNN national security analyst and a former operative at the CIA, joining us from Los Angeles. The bureau there.

Good to see you. Well, no one would argue that this is not a good thing that something like this could happen, but why is it important to classify this as either an act of terror or a random act?

ROBERT BAER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, you know, this could have been a probe. If it was simple vandalism, we may not see it again. It's not one person, it's not a big threat. But if this was a test for something else, this could be a problem and you know, it looks to me 150 rounds apparently were fired. The fingerprints were wiped off. Phone line -- fiber optic phone line was cut. They used high -- you know, high velocity, high caliber bullets.

It doesn't sound particularly good to me. I think what would happen if they hit about two or three of these power stations all at once. You could take out northern California, you could take out New York city. Things like that. And so I think the alarm raised over this is justified.

WHITFIELD: So fingerprints wiped off. How does the investigation proceed? How does one go about trying to figure out the motive or even finding those responsible? BAER: Well, you can take the casings and try to track them down, but you know, that's hard to do. There's just so many bullets available in this country. And the fact they haven't done it so far is concerning to me. I mean, this was an organized attack. And you know we are vulnerable with these fences.

You know, I've spent a lot of training with the CIA trying to take out these power plants abroad for insurgencies and, you know, people who know what they're doing can shut down electricity for a long period of time.

WHITFIELD: And so in your view what does this say about the culprits, and that they are still on the loose months after the fact, 10 months later?

BAER: You know, I don't think they're teenagers having a good time. Dumb teenagers, I don't think. I think this is somebody with an agenda. The fact that the FBI has worked on this very hard and hasn't caught anybody, I don't think we're going to see the end of this.

WHITFIELD: OK, meantime, let's shift gears now. Then certainly not very settling, but let us shift to the Olympic Games, winter games, and what's taking place there. Some real vulnerabilities being opened up in Dagestan.

What do you know about that and how unsettling might that be as the games continue?

BAER: Well, it's good news, bad news. The good news, there hasn't been an attack so far. You know, the day to do it would have been the opening ceremony. Really scare people. It didn't happen.

The Russians are on top of this. They're hitting people all over the Caucasus. There was one yesterday, a strike against insurgents. I think on one hand the Russians haven't completely controlled this but they protected the Olympics and I think, you know, Sochi, keep our fingers crossed, it looks like it's going to be safe.

WHITFIELD: Are you in agreement with some security analysts, whoever, who will say it's after the 48 hours that one needs to be worried about because while the security is tightest most grand around the opening ceremonies, it's what may take place, you know, in the interim during the midst of the -- games. People might -- become relaxed. Security may even become relaxed. There's a sense of complacency.

Do you worry about that?

BAER: You know, in the village, in Sochi itself, no. I mean, the Russians know everybody who's in that town. Everybody. Everybody's got I.D.s. They know who goes in. They check all materials coming in. They're very good at this. It's the rest of Russia that I worry about, that they're going to make some sort of statement in the middle of this. Take down an airplane, blow up a bus somewhere.

That's what concerns me. I don't see how that the Russians can entirely protect the whole country in this period during the Olympics. If they do, you know, bravo to them.

WHITFIELD: And even though your worries are mostly outside of that ring of steel, what about the notion of, you know, sleeper cells, people who may have moved in to Sochi while the construction was taking place weeks or perhaps even months before the games were to begin.

BAER: You know, they could have put some sort of timer in there, a bomb that went off, there's always vulnerabilities, but I'll tell you, I've worked with the Russians before and they're very good and if they're determined to protect Sochi, you know, they may be -- they'll probably carry it off.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, let's hope that is the case indeed.

Bob Baer, thanks so much from Los Angeles. Appreciate it.

The U.S. Olympic team gets its first victory, by the way, in Sochi. Hear the crazy reaction of the American who won gold.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the U.S. gets Olympic gold and not just any gold. The first gold medal of the winter games in Sochi and it happened in an event never before seen at the winter games.

Joining me now is CNN's Amanda Davis.

Amanda, tell us about this snowboarder who put the first gold on that tally board.

AMANDA DAVIS, CNN WORLD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you couldn't have wished for a better start to the games for Team USA. A 20-year-old from Idaho, Sage Kotsenburg. He surprised everybody really to take the gold and as you said, a new event here at the Olympics. The snowboard slope style.

And we've had so much controversy this week in the buildup to this event with the megastar that is Shaun White pulling out. Team USA didn't really expect to do that well in it, but Kotsenburg had other ideas. He surprised himself to even make it into the final. Put in a fantastic performance in his first run that nobody else could better and even at his press conference, he still seemed a little bit shocked at what he had done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOTSENBURG: It feels like a dream right now. Just winning a gold on the first day and the first event of slope style ever being in the Olympics is seriously the craziest thing ever. You know, like I thought about it a little bit, but I never really -- I don't know, there's something like, I didn't really think it would happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: In terms of the other U.S. athletes today, we were lucky enough to be inside to see the women's ice hockey team get their campaign off to a winning start. They beat Finland 3-1 and happening right now, the final of the ladies moguls has just started up in the mountains. Hannah Kearney, hoping to successfully defend her gold from Vancouver.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then, you know, tell us about some of the troubles. Some of the athletes are having or I guess some of the complaints that are taking place there.

DAVIS: Yes. There have been a fair few accommodation issues over the last week. We ourselves experienced them. We arrived and didn't have hotel rooms and it seems the athletes haven't escaped either.

Picture that scene from "The Shining" where Johnny emerges through the wall with his ax. Well, basically, the same thing happened up in the Athlete's Village in the mountains, minus the ax, I have to say. USA bobsled member, Johnny Quinn, went to the bathroom, got locked inside, didn't have his telephone with him this morning, and so he decided the only way to get out was to burst through the door and he had his own "Here's Johnny" moment quite literally.

And I'll tell you, he must have some pretty strong muscles in those arms or shoulders or whatever he used. They're not the strongest doors here, but I wouldn't like to try and bash my way through one of those doors, so whatever happens with him and his teammates in the bobsled next weekend, he will most definitely be remembered for what has happened in his bathroom.

WHITFIELD: I'll say. All right, hey, well, he's a bobsledder, so you know, he's got some strength there. We saw it on display again in a different way.

All right, thanks so much, Amanda. Appreciate that.

All right. Here in the States, many are still mourning an actor who passed away and they're also hoping to learn more from an investigation. We're going to talk next about the rise of heroin use in this country. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Final good-byes to Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. Mourners and fans lined up outside a church as the casket carrying Hoffman's body arrived. Inside, a private service for family, friends and some of Hollywood's biggest names. A public memorial is planned for Hoffman later on this month. The 46-year-old died last Sunday of an apparent heroin overdose.

Hoffman's death has renewed attention on heroin abuse in this country. That includes Staten Island, where every five days, a person dies from a heroin overdose. But police are testing something that's helping them save lives.

Here's Alexandria Field.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FIELD (voice-over): It's a potentially life-saving drug designed to reverse opioid prescription drug and heroin overdoses. In one case last month, a pair of New York City Police officers put it to the test and saw it worked.

OFFICER KEVIN KOURUPOS, NEW YORK POLICE: We used the Naloxone, we injected it into his nose. Shortly after, I'd say about 20 to 30 seconds, he did stop breathing and his eyes opened.

FIELD: As part of a pilot program a group of NYPD officers in Staten Island are now armed with Naloxone nasal spray and trained to use it at the sign of an overdose. That means now they don't have to wait for an ambulance.

Heroin related overdose deaths went up 84 percent in New York City between 2010 and 2012. The problem is particularly bad in Staten Island, where the death rate from overdoses is almost three times higher than the rest of the city.

LUKE MASTA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAMELOT: It's so mainstream now. The problem is so mainstream. This is mainstream. This is Staten Island there. It knows no boundaries.

FIELD: Luke Masta brought us to the drug rehabilitation center he runs on Staten Island.

MASTA: It's not going to address the problem. But it will save some lives.

FIELD: He says friends and family members of addicts should all have Naloxone and be ready to use it.

NICK, ADDICT IN RECOVERY: I lost my friend who was 15 at the time. He had overdosed.

FIELD: At a treatment center we visited Nick who asked us not to share his last name. For a third time now, he's in rehab for a heroin addiction that has ruled his life. But he never stopped to think it could actually end his life.

(on camera): Was there any point that you were thinking about the possibility of overdosing?

NICK: To be honest with you, no. I didn't really think about overdosing. You know. I just wanted to get high, you know. And any means to get it or do it, I was doing it.

FIELD (voice-over): Nick says he'll fight to stay clean when he leaves rehab in the next three months. If he can, he'd like to go to college. He says he wishes more addicts had his opportunity to recover.

Officer Kevin Kourupos says with wider use of Naloxone, more could.

KOURUPOS: I do think that every police officer should have it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Alexandria Field reporting.

So that's one tool being used by New York Police officers, but how is law enforcement handling the surge of heroin use across the country?

Gil Alba is a former NYPD detective and the founder of Alba Investigations.

So, Mr. Alba, arrests are being made within days of Hoffman's overdose. That's not typical, however, is it? That once someone ODs, then very quickly, investigations kick in and arrests are being made in connection to the drug that was supplied to that person who died.

GIL ALBA, ALBA INVESTIGATIONS: Well, they certainly put an attention to this and that's basically from the media which, you know, was massive in putting this out. So the New York City Police Department immediately went after to see, you know, where the drugs were coming from so they arrested some people at this particular point, but still, where did drugs come from? Who sold it to them? How did they get it? So they're still investigating this whole case and it will take them a while to investigate this and find out what really happened to him.

The tragedy of course is here you have somebody with such a high profile, on the top of his game, dies by himself with a syringe in his arm in the bathroom by himself. And you know, how said is that to all of us and really we want to know answers.

WHITFIELD: But, you know, I wonder how typical this scenario is. You know, how rampant is the use of heroin these days? How inundated are communities and even jurisdictions, law enforcement jurisdictions, if they're able to investigate overdoses, they're able to investigate these heroin cases. With the same rate or the same kind of rapidity as, you know, the use of heroin. The growth of heroin.

ALBA: Well, you know, moneywise, you know, how much money can you spend on having this investigated? So really has to do with how many people can you put out there for this kind of a problem, which I'm sure it's getting worse, so you're going to have to spend some more revenues on this problem.

I mean, the heroin coming into this country, why is it such a problem? Because we are the consumer. We want it. And we're the biggest users of heroin, so that's why it's come into our country. And where does it come from? Basically, from Mexico. And even South America -- South American countries through heroin come through Mexico. So it's -- that's the way it comes in, so it's a lot easier to come in through Mexico.

WHITFIELD: Are you seeing any real breakthroughs in any jurisdictions as to how to investigate the use of heroin, how to investigate the drug trafficking? I mean, any real breakthroughs or are you seeing that instead, you know, the problem is so pervasive that it has gotten way ahead of any kind of law enforcement tactics or strategies?

ALBA: Well, it is way ahead because, you know, here you have the Mexican coming in from Mexico, but you see all the cartels, how they're so aggressive in the last few years and all the killings. So that's coming. They've been doing this for years. So the drugs coming into the United States is coming through Mexico, but it's a lot easier. But as far as arrests are concerned, I think from the year 2005 to 2012, the seizures of heroin went up almost 200 percent. So law enforcement's doing a lot more about this and they're aware of the problem.

WHITFIELD: All right, Gil Alba, thanks so much for joining us in New York. Appreciate your time.

ALBA: Thank you very having me.

WHITFIELD: All right. We've got an even deeper look into the heroin crisis in America. Join CNN's Don Lemon for a special report, "Heroin, A Century of Seduction" today, 4:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

A teen who killed four people while driving drunk was not sent to jail. Where did the judge send him? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Finally free. Two men convicted of murder as teenagers spent more than two decades in a New York maximum security prison until new DNA evidence proved they couldn't have killed Antonio Yarborough's mother, sister and cousin.

Sharrif Wilson was just 15 years old at the time. He told Piers Morgan police coerced a confession out of him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARRIF WILSON, EXONERATED AFTER 21 YEARS: Many years, I felt horrible. That I had to do that. And that I actually did it. Knowing that we wasn't guilty for a crime that we didn't commit. But I just feel horrible and I felt horrible then. I still feel horrible now that we had to go through this long process just to get justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's been a difficult road for these young men.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO YARBOUGH, DNA EVIDENCE OVERTURNED CONVICTION: I haven't slept yet. I've been up for over two days now. I have no worries right now. I'm just extremely happy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The D.A. says because of the new evidence, their 1992 convictions would not stand up in court again.

A judge orders a Texas teen who killed four people in a drunk driving accident to rehab. In December, 16-year-old Ethan Couch was sentenced to 10 years probation. The case grabbed national headline after the defense argued the teen suffered from affluenza.

Ed Lavandera has new details about his sentence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The juvenile court judge sentenced Ethan Couch to 10 years probation. First he'll go to a Texas rehabilitation facility, but there's a catch. There is no minimum time the 16-year-old will have to spend in the treatment center.

Couch was convicted in December for a horrific drunk driving crash that killed four people and severely injured two others. Victims' families call the punishment a travesty.

MARLA MITCHELL, VICTIM'S MOTHER: No matter what game he or his family think they've beaten, the world is not ever going to take eyes off of him. And they're going to be waiting. Waiting for him to mess up again if he does.

LAVANDERA: The Ethan Couch saga made national headlines because of a bizarre defense strategy. A psychologist testified Couch was a product of something he called affluenza, a lifestyle where wealth brought privilege and there were no consequences for bad behavior.

Couch's attorney blasted news media coverage of the case for focusing on the affluenza testimony.

REAGAN WYNN, ETHAN COUCH'S ATTORNEY: I think that word might have got said once by a witness in passing. And all of a sudden that became the story.

I would submit it was ridiculous to think that we walked into court and said this is a rich white kid and she decided to probate him. It's just crazy to think that that's what happened.

RICHARD ALPERT, PROSECUTOR: Really? Well, that's ironic because it's his expert that brought that before the courtroom.

LAVANDERA: Prosecutors say there's no question the affluenza theme affected Couch's punishment.

ALPERT: It was a stupid thing to say. It was -- it affected the credibility of that expert and it will follow that expert wherever he testifies. It was a dumb idea.

LAVANDERA: In court, Couch's family refused to comment, but victims' families say Couch and his parents show no remorse.

Eric Boyles' wife and daughter were killed by Ethan Couch.

(On camera): How hard is this for you, sir?

ERIC BOYLES, WIFE AND DAUGHTER KILLED: I really don't want to go there. LAVANDERA (voice-over): Ethan Couch will be on probation until he's 26 years old. His lawyer hopes intense therapy will turn his life around.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Fort Worth, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And Nik Wallenda, he is on the high-wire, again. In fact, he really never leaves it. But where is the next challenge?

But first, for millions of Americans, fitness is an obsession. For others, it's a challenge.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to a group of people who have teamed up for the "Fit Nation" competition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there. You know, we used to call this team the six pack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go six pack.

GUPTA: But after meeting them decided to call them the Sassy Six. They're Connie, Sia, Karen, Mike, Ron and Jamil.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Let's go.

GUPTA: And they stormed into town for our fifth annual CNN Fit Nation kickoff weekend, and they're an amazing to me. They're going to inspire you, they're going to touch you. And many of them have health challenges ranging from heart disease and diabetes. One is a cancer survivor. Another has had gastric bypass surgery. And they are as mentally tough as they are expecting to be physically tough.

What they've decided, what we're hoping you decide as well, that it's time to make huge wholesale changes to their daily routines, from nutrition and fitness to how they schedule their lives, sleep, work, training.

So here's how we did things. We got them fitted for their bikes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Foot fire.

GUPTA: We had them trained like the NBA Atlanta Hawks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready, stance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Defense.

GUPTA: And we swam laps. Many of them back to back, and then even climbed Stone Mountain.

What is so fascinating about these teams is that they ended up bonding and supporting each other on a daily basis now and they're all together hitting the reset button from now until they cross that Malibu track or on finish line on September 14th.

I have no doubt they're all going to do. Good luck to you. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Sanjay.

And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: "YOUR MONEY" is coming up at the top of the hour. Christine Romans joins me with a look ahead now.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

Ready or not, Sochi's winter games are here. Figure skating, skiing, curling, and this year a new event. Sponsor bashing. Russia's controversial crackdown on its gay community has been highly criticized. The question is, are the world's most recognizable brands regretting their $100 million decisions?

That's next on "YOUR MONEY."

WHITFIELD: All right. Looking forward to that. Thanks so much, Christine.

All right. Walking a tightrope, it's one family's signature occupation, and today at the Georgia Dome, Nik Wallenda will take on a new challenge indoors 100 feet above the floor.

Wallenda sat down with me earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIK WALLENDA, HIGH WIRE WALKER: Today I'm actually walking over the top of the field there at the Georgia Dome, looking forward to it. It's something I've been very excited about for a while. We've been working on the permitting, the engineering, all of that stuff. And very excited. I'll be over 100 feet above the field working directly over the stage where the concert will be playing.

And just very excited. It's an amazing venue, an amazing event. $10 a person to get in. Very, very cheap and some of the best Christian bands out there.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So this time, this will be indoors. That's something that's different than we've seen but then you're going to have an audience, a live audience. It means a lot of people. You're not going to have the serenity of, say, like, Placid or Niagara Falls, rather.

WALLENDA: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Or even the Grand Canyon. WALLENDA: You're giving me ideas for my next one.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, there you go. We'll talk. So what does that do for your performance? I mean, does it offer like a new challenge for you in this challenge when you've got a live audience?

WALLENDA: It does. You know, it's funny, I posted the other day I'll be walking over the Georgia Dome over 100 feet up. And I've got a bunch of tweets back and stuff people saying, that's nothing. But the truth is, every one we take seriously. Just as serious as the last.

My great-grandfather lost his life actually on a walk between two buildings in Puerto Rico on a wire that was pretty minuscule compared to the other walks that he had done. So because of that, we've learned that it doesn't matter whether you're 50 feet up, 100 feet up or, you know, 1500 feet over the Grand Canyon, either way, you still have to stay focused and treat them all the same.

And there's different challenges. Here at the Dome, we had to rig between the chained letters that are hanging all over the entire set for the actual concert. There's a back drop curtain that's right there so my balance have to maneuver around that. So there's many, many challenges, indoors or outdoors. You always have to stay just as focused, one or the other.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So the next challenge is really what drives you, and is it your core. So you and your team. How do you come about these challenges? I mean, are you sitting around and just, you know, throwing darts and just saying, let's think of the most --

WALLENDA: You know --

WHITFIELD: You know, extraordinary next place?

WALLENDA: Really a lot of the ideas just --

WHITFIELD: What are the criteria for it?

WALLENDA: I feel like I'm very in tune with my great-grandfather, Carl Wallenda, and you know, in the middle of the night, I'll wake up with a thought, and I'll write it down. And you know, where it'd be the Grand Canyon -- Niagara Falls, even when I was a small child, about 4 years old when that vision came to my mind, and I said, I want to be the first person in the world to do that.

Same with the Grand Canyon. And I'm looking forward that we're doing two more specials that will be live in the next two years with the Discovery Channel and extremely excited about those. We can't talk exact specifics, but I'm working on some big stuff.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. It's always big stuff for Wallenda. He is one of the performers at the Winter Jam Christian Music Concert, and the show is going to be pretty extraordinary. All right. We are now awaiting word from the U.S. Justice Department. Attorney General Eric Holder is about to make a historic announcement on same-sex marriage. We'll bring that to you live as it happens.

And we'll take you back to Sochi for more on the Winter Olympic Games and show you some of the high-profile women who are making their mark.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. See you back here, 2:30 Eastern Time. "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.