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American Morning
Texas Teenager Tried to Stop Abduction
Aired August 15, 2002 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now onto Texas, where a Texas-sized sigh of relief is coming our way after the safe return of one month old Nancy Crystal Chavez. She was reunited with her family yesterday, some 24 hours after the kidnapping ordeal began. Margarita Chavez paid special thanks to a 13-year-old boy who tried in vain to stop the abduction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARITA CHAVEZ, BABY NANCY'S MOTHER: I don't want to forget this teenager that was the first to try to stop this lady.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: As you can see from the visible wounds on her face, the mother was bruised from being dragged by the suspect's getaway car. The boy who tried to stop the getaway car was also hurt.
From Abilene, Texas, Roberto Cano, his mother, and Jesse Alberto (ph) join us this morning.
Good morning. Glad to have you all with us.
ROBERTO CANO: Good morning.
JESSE ALVARADO (ph): Good morning.
MARIA CANO, MOTHER OF ROBERTO CANO: Good morning.
ZAHN: So Roberto...
ALVARADO (ph): A correction on the names.
ZAHN: Oh, yes, please?
ALVARADO (ph): A correction in the names. Roberto Cano and Jesse Alvarado (ph).
ZAHN: Jesse Alvarado (ph), OK. I'll make sure we get that right.
So, Roberto, tell us a little bit more about more about what happened the day you were in the Wal-Mart parking lot. What caught your attention?
ROBERTO CANO: Well, I just got out of the car and I looked over. I heard a bunch of screaming, "My baby! My baby!" I looked over there and I seen a lady. I guess she was arguing with her, I guess about whose baby it was. At the time I guess she was trying to say it was her baby.
So I didn't think nothing of it. And then I found out it was serious.
And as I realized that I was the only person that was helping, nobody was helping her. Everybody was just standing there looking. I seen her jump on the car and the car took off. So I started chasing after the car, trying to help her. And still yet nobody was helping. I was the only one. And I seen her fall and I looked over at the car and I asked her to stop. And she looked over and laughed at me.
And I asked her to stop again and she laughed and that's when I took an attempt to punch the window out.
ZAHN: Were you able to succeed in doing that?
ROBERTO CANO: I'm not sure, but I think I did.
ZAHN: Did you get hurt?
ROBERTO CANO: My hand's partly broken, but I'll be all right.
ZAHN: So what went through your mind yesterday when you saw the pictures of baby Nancy being reunited with her mother?
ROBERTO CANO: It made me feel good but yet I wish I could have been the one that got the baby. But it made me feel real good to hold her in my arms.
ZAHN: Maria, you must be so proud of your son.
MARIA CANO: Yes.
ZAHN: You heard what Mrs. Chavez said about him, that she can't forget this teenager who was the first one to try to stop the alleged kidnapper.
MARIA CANO: I no speak English, but and I want to say I feel proud for my kid and I want to say thank my god because I stayed in that right place and he helped, and he can help this lady.
ZAHN: You raised him right, mom.
Jesse, how proud are you?
ALVARADO (ph): Yes. I'm very proud of Roberto and I'm glad everything turned out real good for the baby and her parents. But, yes, Roberto, I'm real proud of him. God bless him. He was, you know, he just, the way he reacted, you know, it was good. It's very good.
ZAHN: Roberto, we want to close with a quick question about your sitting down with a police sketch artist. And we're going to show you how close your description of Paula Roach came to what she actually looks like. Tell me what that experience was like.
ROBERTO CANO: I didn't really get to look at her that good, but I just remembered that little laugh she gave me. That's what made me mad. I can't, I still can't get that look out of my face, that little laugh. She looked at me and laughed at me. And that's the only picture that I could get in my mind for her to draw was that laugh that she gave me. That's the only thing I remember from her.
ZAHN: Yes, I don't blame you, when you hear a sadistic laugh like that and you know what's going on, you probably will never forget that. But it is quite extraordinary how detailed your description was of her and how close it came to what she ultimately looked like when investigators found her.
Well, Roberto Cano, we salute your bravery and your courage. Mom, great job in raising him, Maria Cano. And Jesse Alvarado (ph). Thank you all for your time this morning.
And, again, congratulations on making the outcome a positive one and not what everybody feared the most.
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