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CNN Live Saturday

Police Convinced Runnion's Killer Is Behind Bars

Aired July 20, 2002 - 12:07   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Orange County, California, authorities say there's no doubt in their minds that Samantha Runnion's killer is now behind bars. Alejandro Avila is in custody after his arrest yesterday, and he's awaiting now charges in the kidnapping and the murder case.

We get the latest from CNN's Rusty Dornin in Stanton, California. Hi there, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it's unusual to hear a sheriff so absolutely convinced. Sheriff Mike Carona says he's 100 percent convinced that they have the right man, the man who killed 5-year-old Samantha Runnion.

Now, Alejandro Avila only became a suspect some 12 hours before his arrest. Police will only say that it was several tips that led them to this and also a huge amount of forensic evidence. Now, they did go through his apartment. Apparently there were three cars impounded belonging to his family, and there were several areas which they say they have collected evidence, but Sheriff Mike Carona says he really feels that he has an airtight case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF MIKE CARONA, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Mr. Avila made a lot of mistakes in committing this crime. He made mistakes at the original crime scene of the abduction, and he made mistakes at the crime scene in Riverside County. We capitalized on those mistakes, and so I will tell you that we have a tremendous amount of physical evidence that we are still sifting through that will be part of the prosecutors' case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, the memorial across the street from here from the command center for Samantha Runnion continues to grow with cards and flowers and letters. This community is still hit hard by this young girl's kidnapping and death. In the short term, of course, people are relieved that the suspect has been arrested so quickly, but in the long term it still impacts the feelings of how safe they feel in their own backyards -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Rusty, how are the parents doing? I know that Samantha's mother has been in seclusion for quite some time now. How are they holding up?

DORNIN: Apparently from what the sheriff says -- of course, as you said, she has been in seclusion, she has not spoken publicly to the media, but that she's doing as well as can be expected in this particular case. Her father, who lives in Massachusetts, of course, told reporters that he's absolutely devastated, but that he will always in some way feel connected to his young daughter.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much, Rusty Dornin, from Stanton, California. Appreciate it.

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