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Investigators Working Leads in Florida Kidnapping Case

Aired February 04, 2004 - 15:00   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: Well, last hour, investigators in Sarasota, Florida, released new information in the apparent kidnapping of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia.
CNN's John Zarrella brings us up to date now.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, the information has really been slow to come. And I know that for the investigators as well, that's a tough, tough thing to swallow. The latest information right now is that they are working some 400 leads. But, so far, none of those leads have led to Carlie Brucia's rescue, nor to finding out or being any closer to knowing exactly who her abductor is.

We do know that trying to figure out that process of who the abductor is very difficult. The FBI and NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, working the problem, trying to enhance that videotape. They are working both at the Kennedy Space Center and at the Marshall Space Flight Center. At the Kennedy Space Flight Center, working some very new, sophisticated computer equipment that has been developed in response to the Columbia accident, NASA needing to get better images of the space shuttle.

For the first time now, they're using that imaging equipment to try and get higher-resolution pictures of the abductor. So far, working around the clock, but haven't come up with that image that they want to release to the public of who this man is.

Meantime, for the family, this long wait becomes ever more agonizing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Eleven-year-old Carlie Brucia was less than half a mile from her home Sunday evening when police say she was taken by a stranger as she walked behind this car wash in Sarasota, Florida.

MAJ. KEVIN GOODING, SARASOTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We will stop at nothing. We will not stop until we find you. And if you can, Carlie, please call or run for help. But most of all, Carlie, do not give up.

ZARRELLA: Family members say they are sure the abductor is no one they or Carlie knew. They are sure because this motion-activated surveillance camera at the car wash captured what happened. A white man in his 20s or 30s approached the sixth grader, exchanged a few words, then took her by the forearm and led her away. For Carlie's family, the emotional torture mounts with each passing hour.

SUSAN SCHORPEN, CARLIE'S MOTHER: I love you. I need her home. I'm begging and pleading, please help me bring my daughter home.

ZARRELLA: Police and family members are praising car wash owner Mike Evanoff. After talking with police Monday morning about a missing girl in the area, Evanoff decided to check his camera recordings, and there it was.

MIKE EVANOFF, CAR WASH OWNER: And I just came in and saw her walking and him walking. And just right away right when I saw that, it just threw chills and shivers right in my body.

ZARRELLA: A driving range next to the car wash was open Sunday evening. Police are hoping someone there might have heard or seen something that will help.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: Now, Florida's Governor Jeb Bush has spoken with the family. He has assured them that the full resources of the state of Florida are being put into place to try and find their daughter, Carlie Brucia. And the governor is also asking for an investigation into why it took more than 24 hours for the Amber Alert to be issued.

On the ground here, authorities are saying there are protocols that have to be gone through. And they had no idea if she was a missing child, a runaway or what until the next day, when they finally got a look at that video and saw that she had actually been abducted. Then they wanted to look into family members, friends before -- and friends of the family before they finally went with the Amber Alert at 7:30 Monday evening.

So, again, still no concrete leads or answers, Kyra, to the whereabouts of Carlie Brucia -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: John Zarrella, thank you.

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 February 4, 2004 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, last hour, investigators in Sarasota, Florida, released new information in the apparent kidnapping of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia.
CNN's John Zarrella brings us up to date now.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, the information has really been slow to come. And I know that for the investigators as well, that's a tough, tough thing to swallow. The latest information right now is that they are working some 400 leads. But, so far, none of those leads have led to Carlie Brucia's rescue, nor to finding out or being any closer to knowing exactly who her abductor is.

We do know that trying to figure out that process of who the abductor is very difficult. The FBI and NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, working the problem, trying to enhance that videotape. They are working both at the Kennedy Space Center and at the Marshall Space Flight Center. At the Kennedy Space Flight Center, working some very new, sophisticated computer equipment that has been developed in response to the Columbia accident, NASA needing to get better images of the space shuttle.

For the first time now, they're using that imaging equipment to try and get higher-resolution pictures of the abductor. So far, working around the clock, but haven't come up with that image that they want to release to the public of who this man is.

Meantime, for the family, this long wait becomes ever more agonizing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Eleven-year-old Carlie Brucia was less than half a mile from her home Sunday evening when police say she was taken by a stranger as she walked behind this car wash in Sarasota, Florida.

MAJ. KEVIN GOODING, SARASOTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We will stop at nothing. We will not stop until we find you. And if you can, Carlie, please call or run for help. But most of all, Carlie, do not give up.

ZARRELLA: Family members say they are sure the abductor is no one they or Carlie knew. They are sure because this motion-activated surveillance camera at the car wash captured what happened. A white man in his 20s or 30s approached the sixth grader, exchanged a few words, then took her by the forearm and led her away. For Carlie's family, the emotional torture mounts with each passing hour.

SUSAN SCHORPEN, CARLIE'S MOTHER: I love you. I need her home. I'm begging and pleading, please help me bring my daughter home.

ZARRELLA: Police and family members are praising car wash owner Mike Evanoff. After talking with police Monday morning about a missing girl in the area, Evanoff decided to check his camera recordings, and there it was.

MIKE EVANOFF, CAR WASH OWNER: And I just came in and saw her walking and him walking. And just right away right when I saw that, it just threw chills and shivers right in my body.

ZARRELLA: A driving range next to the car wash was open Sunday evening. Police are hoping someone there might have heard or seen something that will help.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: Now, Florida's Governor Jeb Bush has spoken with the family. He has assured them that the full resources of the state of Florida are being put into place to try and find their daughter, Carlie Brucia. And the governor is also asking for an investigation into why it took more than 24 hours for the Amber Alert to be issued.

On the ground here, authorities are saying there are protocols that have to be gone through. And they had no idea if she was a missing child, a runaway or what until the next day, when they finally got a look at that video and saw that she had actually been abducted. Then they wanted to look into family members, friends before -- and friends of the family before they finally went with the Amber Alert at 7:30 Monday evening.

So, again, still no concrete leads or answers, Kyra, to the whereabouts of Carlie Brucia -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: John Zarrella, thank you.

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