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American Morning
Capture of Nikolay Soltys: Ukrainian Community Speaks Out
Aired August 31, 2001 - 11:38 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to focus now on California, where investigators do say that Nikolay Soltys is cooperating with them. The Ukrainian immigrant was captured at his mother's home in Sacramento yesterday. He is accused of killing six relatives -- among them: his pregnant wife and 3-year-old son. Soltys spent 10 days on the run.
We're going to talk now to two prominent members of the Slavic community in Sacramento. Valentin Kalinovskiy is an assistant pastor at Bethany Slavic Missionary Church (ph). David Ponomar owns several media properties that produce programming for the immigrant community.
Gentlemen, good morning. And thanks for joining us this morning from Sacramento.
VALENTIN KALINOVSKIY, ASST. PASTOR, UKRAINIAN CHURCH: Good morning.
DAVID PONOMAR, RUSSIAN MULTI MEDIA: Good morning.
KAGAN: Reverend, let's start with you.
Can you tell us what the community's reaction has been to the arrest and capture of Nikolay Soltys?
Reverend, can you hear us?
KALINOVSKIY: Yes.
Well, this is very tragic news that we heard 10 days, 11 days ago. It was very stressful for our community. But when Nikolay was captured, it was such a nice, such a great relief for us. We could sleep. We could go out. Our kids could play. And it was very good, very good.
We appreciate the sheriff's department for doing that work.
KAGAN: Give us a sense of what it has been like over the last 10 days within that community there. There was a strong feeling that Mr. Soltys was staying in the Sacramento area. Was there great fear that he was in the Ukrainian community?
PONOMAR: First of all, when it happened, nobody really recognize what's going on. But day after day, it's more fear growing in the community, yes, because nobody know where he is. Maybe he's around the block. And the last day, a lot of people just refused to talk about it.
KAGAN: Was there a sense, Reverend -- some people said that the Ukrainian community might be fearful of cooperating with the police. Was there initially a distrust with the police and a reluctance to cooperate?
KALINOVSKIY: Well, I would say that the Russian community, we're part of America. And we just speak other language. And we -- the culture a little bit different. But, mostly, we cooperate with the police since we've got to the United States.
We know that police here is not like in Russia and Ukraine. And we have been cooperating very good with the police for all the time, yes.
KAGAN: In fact, Mr. Ponomar, the police did compliment the media, especially within the Ukrainian community, for cooperating. Can tell me some of the efforts that your stations did?
PONOMAR: Actually, we did, in our radio station, we change all the schedule and turn to talk show. We're talking with the people about this case and update information, translate to Russian from sheriff's department what's going on in this case and how the people can help and where they call and all this.
KAGAN: This has been an incredible tragedy that has not just hit your community, but especially this family. How is the Ukrainian community gathering now around the Soltys family at this time of loss for them?
KALINOVSKIY: We visit the family. And we spoke with them. And our community gathered together. We pray a lot. And we know their heart was broken. And there is nothing we could say to help our families.
But I know it's going to take some time before they will heal. But the tragedy in their family has happened. And we're just going to have to support them, help them. And our community needs gathering, needs someone to tell them good words so they could -- they believe in America. They believe that this is the greater country to live. And I would like this to be so.
KAGAN: Have you had a chance to talk with any member of the family since the capture?
KALINOVSKIY: Yes, we have. I spoke with the family yesterday night. We had quite a good time with them, a couple hours. And the family was -- seems very relieved. And they was very happy. They even pass on couple of jokes. And so they're doing -- they're doing much, much better.
KAGAN: Great relief for the capture. Did they share any feelings about Nikolay Soltys? KALINOVSKIY: We spoke a little bit about Nikolay. And the -- they said that they knew that something is going to happen -- Nikolay a very smart man. And he plan ahead what he's going to do. And very sad that we -- we didn't think that he might do to their kids, but they expect him to be very violent.
KAGAN: Well, a great relief once again for the Ukrainian community and the Soltys family now that Nikolay Soltys has been taken into custody. We saw that live here on CNN yesterday.
Reverend Valentin Kalinovskiy and David Ponomar, gentlemen, thank you for joining us this morning from Sacramento. We very much appreciate it. Thank you.
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