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Teen in Oaklyn Plot Gets $1 Million Bail

Aired July 07, 2003 - 13:58   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: If it were a video game parents would be outraged. Three teens, a sinister scheme and enough guns and ammo to start a war. But authorities in Oaklyn, New Jersey, just outside Philadelphia, say it's a real-life drama and could well have been a real-life catastrophe.
Today the teems are in jail. The weapons under lock and key. And our Jason Carroll live in Oaklyn with the latest -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Kyra, the father of one teenagers, the teenager by the name of Matthew Lovett, his father says that his was a shy kid, a quiet kid who pretty much kept to himself. A kid who had never been in trouble before.

But police say that he was the alleged ringleader of this group of three teenagers that were charged in connection with this murder plot. Lovett is the oldest of the group. He is 18-years-old. The names of the other two boys not being released because ages. one is 14, the other is 15-years-old.

Students say that many others in the school would make fun of Lovett because he always black all the time, and that because he kept to himself and because he drew violent pictures or comics while he was in school.

Police say that they found rifles strapped on to the boys when that plot unraveled. They also say that they found a mini cache of weapons at Lovett's home, including rifles, a shotgun, several handguns, swords, 2,000 rounds of ammunition. They also say that Lovett's father had permits for all of those weapons. The boys plot unraveled on Sunday, early Sunday during a failed carjacking attempt.

Just a short while ago, prosecutors and police here held a press conference. Prosecutors say that this obviously (UNINTELLIGIBLE) situation that had the makings of a disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VINCENT SARUBBI, CAMDEN CO. PROSECUTOR: This kind of conduct that you've heard over the last day or so is the kind of conduct that we normally would consider along with some of our most serious offenders. This isn't the kind of thing that you'd expect to hear from a 14 or 15-year-old or an 18-year-old for that matter. And I think that's what makes it shocking. Whether you want to compare it to a Columbine situation, that's a different story. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Prosecutors also announcing late this afternoon that they will seek to have the 14 and 15-year-old tried as adults. At this point, all three are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and Lovett is being held on $1 million bail -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jason you heard the prosecutor mention Columbine but the first thing that came to my mind, Washington, D.C. area and the shooting spree that took place. Is there any evidence or any information leading to the situation being a copycat type scenario? Do prosecutors know exactly why they were planning on doing this?

CARROLL: Well, prosecutors point out that this early on in the investigation. What they are doing they're is seizing the computers from some of these students to try to a gather some more information form there.

In terms of a motive, which is what I think you're getting to, when you talk to the other students at the school who spoke to us this afternoon, all of them tell us that this was a kid that was picked on constantly, ever since elementary school. Because of the clothes that he wore, because he didn't have other friends. And as one student told me he said, Maybe all his anger just -- this was his way of trying to release it in some way, shape or form -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jason Carroll. Thanks, Jason.

Well the target of the alleged carjack attempt that exposed the alleged murder scheme said that he knew that he was in serious danger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW RICH, VICTIM OF ATTEMPTED CARJACKING: They had the intent to kill me. I mean I've seen that look before. They had the intent to kill. And that's when I knew my sixth sense told me it's time to move on. Don't stand, don't play around with these guys. Just get out of there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And Matthew Lovett's family says the alleged young mastermind of the Oaklyn plot was bashful and brainy in high school and a devoted defender of his younger brother who was ridiculed his whole life because of a cleft palette. Lovett's father says the weapons Matthew and others supposedly planned to use were his and Matthew never showed the slightest interest in any of them.

Lovett's uncle spoke with a CNN affiliate WTXF in Philadelphia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CRYMES, MATTHEW LOVETT'S UNCLE: ... the opportunity to kill our family every day for the last 20 years and he didn't do it and he waited until they left. Right? He wrote a nasty note. But I don't believe that he would have under any circumstances followed through with that. He's not that -- that's not him. Not Matthew.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And as our Jason Carroll told us Lovett's bail has been set at $1 million.

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 July 7, 2003 - 13:58   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: If it were a video game parents would be outraged. Three teens, a sinister scheme and enough guns and ammo to start a war. But authorities in Oaklyn, New Jersey, just outside Philadelphia, say it's a real-life drama and could well have been a real-life catastrophe.
Today the teems are in jail. The weapons under lock and key. And our Jason Carroll live in Oaklyn with the latest -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Kyra, the father of one teenagers, the teenager by the name of Matthew Lovett, his father says that his was a shy kid, a quiet kid who pretty much kept to himself. A kid who had never been in trouble before.

But police say that he was the alleged ringleader of this group of three teenagers that were charged in connection with this murder plot. Lovett is the oldest of the group. He is 18-years-old. The names of the other two boys not being released because ages. one is 14, the other is 15-years-old.

Students say that many others in the school would make fun of Lovett because he always black all the time, and that because he kept to himself and because he drew violent pictures or comics while he was in school.

Police say that they found rifles strapped on to the boys when that plot unraveled. They also say that they found a mini cache of weapons at Lovett's home, including rifles, a shotgun, several handguns, swords, 2,000 rounds of ammunition. They also say that Lovett's father had permits for all of those weapons. The boys plot unraveled on Sunday, early Sunday during a failed carjacking attempt.

Just a short while ago, prosecutors and police here held a press conference. Prosecutors say that this obviously (UNINTELLIGIBLE) situation that had the makings of a disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VINCENT SARUBBI, CAMDEN CO. PROSECUTOR: This kind of conduct that you've heard over the last day or so is the kind of conduct that we normally would consider along with some of our most serious offenders. This isn't the kind of thing that you'd expect to hear from a 14 or 15-year-old or an 18-year-old for that matter. And I think that's what makes it shocking. Whether you want to compare it to a Columbine situation, that's a different story. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Prosecutors also announcing late this afternoon that they will seek to have the 14 and 15-year-old tried as adults. At this point, all three are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and Lovett is being held on $1 million bail -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jason you heard the prosecutor mention Columbine but the first thing that came to my mind, Washington, D.C. area and the shooting spree that took place. Is there any evidence or any information leading to the situation being a copycat type scenario? Do prosecutors know exactly why they were planning on doing this?

CARROLL: Well, prosecutors point out that this early on in the investigation. What they are doing they're is seizing the computers from some of these students to try to a gather some more information form there.

In terms of a motive, which is what I think you're getting to, when you talk to the other students at the school who spoke to us this afternoon, all of them tell us that this was a kid that was picked on constantly, ever since elementary school. Because of the clothes that he wore, because he didn't have other friends. And as one student told me he said, Maybe all his anger just -- this was his way of trying to release it in some way, shape or form -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jason Carroll. Thanks, Jason.

Well the target of the alleged carjack attempt that exposed the alleged murder scheme said that he knew that he was in serious danger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW RICH, VICTIM OF ATTEMPTED CARJACKING: They had the intent to kill me. I mean I've seen that look before. They had the intent to kill. And that's when I knew my sixth sense told me it's time to move on. Don't stand, don't play around with these guys. Just get out of there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And Matthew Lovett's family says the alleged young mastermind of the Oaklyn plot was bashful and brainy in high school and a devoted defender of his younger brother who was ridiculed his whole life because of a cleft palette. Lovett's father says the weapons Matthew and others supposedly planned to use were his and Matthew never showed the slightest interest in any of them.

Lovett's uncle spoke with a CNN affiliate WTXF in Philadelphia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CRYMES, MATTHEW LOVETT'S UNCLE: ... the opportunity to kill our family every day for the last 20 years and he didn't do it and he waited until they left. Right? He wrote a nasty note. But I don't believe that he would have under any circumstances followed through with that. He's not that -- that's not him. Not Matthew.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And as our Jason Carroll told us Lovett's bail has been set at $1 million.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com