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Search Underway in California for Young Girl

Aired August 13, 2002 - 14:32   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: An intense search is underway in southern California, where, nearly 48 hours ago, a young girl disappeared. Police say Jessica Cortez may have been kidnapped, but they're not ruling out anything else.
CNN's James Hattori is monitoring the search effort in Los Angeles -- James.

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you say, Carol, more than 36 hours -- going on 48 -- since her disappearance. But L.A. city and police officials say they are doing everything possible to find 4- year-old Jessica Cortez. Whether she was kidnapped or drowned in the lake behind me, in Echo Park, just outside of downtown Los Angeles.

In fact, within the past couple of hours, a lot more police officers have arrived on the scene. They're going leafletting through the area, canvassing the neighborhood. Police boats are preparing to search the lake.

To underscore all of this emphasis, L.A.'s mayor, James Hahn, visited the scene a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JAMES HAHN, LOS ANGELES: My heart goes out to the Cortez family, who are all concerned and worried about what has happened to Jessica. You should know that every resource available to us, all the different agencies, are working as hard as they can to find little Jessica. We are very grateful to Sheriff Lee Bacha (ph) for the assistance he has provided to us with latest sonar technology. And his dive crews will go into the lake, into the deeper part of the lake, to see if there is any place that we haven't checked yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HATTORI: Investigators, of course, are still look for a kidnapping suspect, a 20- to 25-year-old African-American or Hispanic man who had been seen in this park approaching young children over past week. Witnesses also saw him walking with Jessica Sunday before she disappeared.

Meantime, if she did, in fact, drown, divers are now prepared to use special sonar equipment to scan the bottom of this lake. It's very murky. There is a lot of silt that has obstructed the progress of divers thus far. But police say they are confident that with this equipment with the effort they are making today, they will be able to finish the search of the lake. Meantime, the search for the kidnapping suspect goes on as well -- Carol.

LIN: James, I understand the FBI is now involved? What is their role?

HATTORI: I think any time there is a kidnapping of a child involved, they are there to lend support. I believe most of the lead activity is being taken by the city authorities. The FBI, of course, has access to interstate information and should there be some sort of a movement between states, they would get involved in that case.

LIN: Thank you very much, James Hattori, live in Los Angeles, at Echo Park.

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