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CNN Live Saturday
Evidence Mounts Against Miami Serial Rapist Suspect
Aired September 20, 2003 - 16:11 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Armed with DNA evidence, fingerprints, and an eyewitness, police say they've captured a serial rape suspect accused of terrorizing Miami. Our John Zarrella is there where people have got to be feeling a sense of relief - John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: That's certainly correct, Carol, and Miami Police, local officials, and prosecutors all expressing both being overjoyed and relieved today at a press conference at two o'clock this afternoon.
A man that they say is responsible for a string of rapes in an area called the Shenandoah area of Miami is under arrest. They have identified him as 32-year-old Reynaldo Elias Rapalo. He is a Honduran native. He is here in the United States on an expired visa.
They say that they made an arrest last night. They chased a suspicious car. Police noticed the suspicious car, chased it, stopped the man, no problems with him. He consented, in fact, to a DNA swab and from that DNA swab they linked him to the victims of the rapes during the past year. They also had the eyewitness account and a fingerprint match with one of the victims. Prosecutors say they have every reason to believe this is their man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHERINE FERNANDEZ RUNDLE, STATE ATTORNEY: We believe this is the person that has done these horrible acts. He will go through the courts and we'll respect the law and he will be tried in the courts of law according to due process.
But when he is convicted, and I have every reason to believe that he will be, he will receive the maximum sentence that I can ask the courts to give this person under the law and, as far as I understand it, it is life. The death penalty does not apply to this capital case.
There is one capital crime out of all of these. The death penalty no longer applies because the legislature eliminated it as a penalty. Life sentence does and today life means life and that's exactly what this individual, if he's proven under the law to have committed these horrible acts, will get.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: He is in Miami Police custody. Police say that the investigation is continuing. The interrogation believed to be continuing. He has not yet been formally charged. That may come later today or perhaps wait until Monday. We expect probably first appearance in court on Monday.
But, again, police say they believe they have the man in custody responsible for at least eight rapes and attempted rapes in Miami's Shenandoah neighborhood - Carol.
LIN: John, that's exciting news. Thank you very much, John Zarrella live in Miami.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 20, 2003 - 16:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Armed with DNA evidence, fingerprints, and an eyewitness, police say they've captured a serial rape suspect accused of terrorizing Miami. Our John Zarrella is there where people have got to be feeling a sense of relief - John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: That's certainly correct, Carol, and Miami Police, local officials, and prosecutors all expressing both being overjoyed and relieved today at a press conference at two o'clock this afternoon.
A man that they say is responsible for a string of rapes in an area called the Shenandoah area of Miami is under arrest. They have identified him as 32-year-old Reynaldo Elias Rapalo. He is a Honduran native. He is here in the United States on an expired visa.
They say that they made an arrest last night. They chased a suspicious car. Police noticed the suspicious car, chased it, stopped the man, no problems with him. He consented, in fact, to a DNA swab and from that DNA swab they linked him to the victims of the rapes during the past year. They also had the eyewitness account and a fingerprint match with one of the victims. Prosecutors say they have every reason to believe this is their man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHERINE FERNANDEZ RUNDLE, STATE ATTORNEY: We believe this is the person that has done these horrible acts. He will go through the courts and we'll respect the law and he will be tried in the courts of law according to due process.
But when he is convicted, and I have every reason to believe that he will be, he will receive the maximum sentence that I can ask the courts to give this person under the law and, as far as I understand it, it is life. The death penalty does not apply to this capital case.
There is one capital crime out of all of these. The death penalty no longer applies because the legislature eliminated it as a penalty. Life sentence does and today life means life and that's exactly what this individual, if he's proven under the law to have committed these horrible acts, will get.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: He is in Miami Police custody. Police say that the investigation is continuing. The interrogation believed to be continuing. He has not yet been formally charged. That may come later today or perhaps wait until Monday. We expect probably first appearance in court on Monday.
But, again, police say they believe they have the man in custody responsible for at least eight rapes and attempted rapes in Miami's Shenandoah neighborhood - Carol.
LIN: John, that's exciting news. Thank you very much, John Zarrella live in Miami.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
