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American Morning

Custody Hearing Scheduled Wednesday for Abandoned Texas Girl

Aired June 16, 2003 - 07:17   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: A custody hearing is scheduled Wednesday in Texas for a 7-year-old girl, but her case is far from ordinary. She was abandoned by her mother last week. Check out this security video. This was during a botched shoplifting attempt. A surveillance camera videotaped the incident. Authorities think that the adults may have actually been using the little girl in the scam. The girl is now in the care of Child Protective Services in Houston.
With us this morning from Houston, Captain David Marcaurele of the Sugar Land Police Department.

Captain, good morning. Thank for being with us.

CAPT. DAVID MARCAUELE, SUGAR LAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

KAGAN: Take us back to last Monday to this shoplifting incident. What can you tell us took place?

MARCAUELE: There were, we feel, three women who brought this child, the 7-year-old child to a local grocery store and gathered up some items that they were planning to steal. And instead of just taking them out themselves, they sent in the 7-year-old child to retrieve the items. And when the store management recognized what was happening, the women abandoned the child at the store and left the scene.

KAGAN: Now, unfortunately, it's not that unusual for adults to use children in the commission of a crime, but usually in a situation like this they come back and claim the child.

MARCAUELE: Usually, especially at this age, it's unusual to do that and also, as you said, quite unusual not to want to come back and get your child, even if you have to face certain consequences.

KAGAN: Some other odd things here. This little girl, she's 7 years old, but she seems to lack the typical information that a 7- year-old would know about her personal situation.

MARCAUELE: That has caused a little bit of difficulty. I think it's because of how the child has been living in her situation that she was not quite aware of everything. However, she has been as cooperative as can be expected. It's a very traumatic episode in her life.

KAGAN: Absolutely. What kind of information do we have on mom? MARCAUELE: We have a name of Maria Reyes. We had an address. We've checked it out. We have not found her as of yet. We're not real sure where she is, and we're asking that anyone who has information to call us. We are actively looking for her now. We have a warrant for that particular person.

KAGAN: And will that also include child abandonment now?

MARCAUELE: Yes, we have a warrant for abandonment.

KAGAN: Was there another incident involving the same family?

MARCAUELE: Well, there was an incident that we think involved this same young girl. It happened in a neighboring jurisdiction. However, the people who brought the girl there were different in that case. So, yes, this child within that group has been used before this incident.

KAGAN: And so, what happens now? What if the parents don't come forward?

MARCAUELE: Well, right now, our main concern from the very beginning has been this child, and right now the child is under the care of Children Protective Services, has been placed in a home, and that is our main concern.

So, we do -- we are actively looking for these individuals, but I can say that if we -- even if we don't find them immediately, our main concern being the health and safety of this child has been addressed.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Well, good luck in dealing with the situation. Captain David Marcaurele from the Sugar Land Police Department in Texas, thanks for your time, sir.

MARCAUELE: 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.





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Aired June 16, 2003 - 07:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A custody hearing is scheduled Wednesday in Texas for a 7-year-old girl, but her case is far from ordinary. She was abandoned by her mother last week. Check out this security video. This was during a botched shoplifting attempt. A surveillance camera videotaped the incident. Authorities think that the adults may have actually been using the little girl in the scam. The girl is now in the care of Child Protective Services in Houston.
With us this morning from Houston, Captain David Marcaurele of the Sugar Land Police Department.

Captain, good morning. Thank for being with us.

CAPT. DAVID MARCAUELE, SUGAR LAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

KAGAN: Take us back to last Monday to this shoplifting incident. What can you tell us took place?

MARCAUELE: There were, we feel, three women who brought this child, the 7-year-old child to a local grocery store and gathered up some items that they were planning to steal. And instead of just taking them out themselves, they sent in the 7-year-old child to retrieve the items. And when the store management recognized what was happening, the women abandoned the child at the store and left the scene.

KAGAN: Now, unfortunately, it's not that unusual for adults to use children in the commission of a crime, but usually in a situation like this they come back and claim the child.

MARCAUELE: Usually, especially at this age, it's unusual to do that and also, as you said, quite unusual not to want to come back and get your child, even if you have to face certain consequences.

KAGAN: Some other odd things here. This little girl, she's 7 years old, but she seems to lack the typical information that a 7- year-old would know about her personal situation.

MARCAUELE: That has caused a little bit of difficulty. I think it's because of how the child has been living in her situation that she was not quite aware of everything. However, she has been as cooperative as can be expected. It's a very traumatic episode in her life.

KAGAN: Absolutely. What kind of information do we have on mom? MARCAUELE: We have a name of Maria Reyes. We had an address. We've checked it out. We have not found her as of yet. We're not real sure where she is, and we're asking that anyone who has information to call us. We are actively looking for her now. We have a warrant for that particular person.

KAGAN: And will that also include child abandonment now?

MARCAUELE: Yes, we have a warrant for abandonment.

KAGAN: Was there another incident involving the same family?

MARCAUELE: Well, there was an incident that we think involved this same young girl. It happened in a neighboring jurisdiction. However, the people who brought the girl there were different in that case. So, yes, this child within that group has been used before this incident.

KAGAN: And so, what happens now? What if the parents don't come forward?

MARCAUELE: Well, right now, our main concern from the very beginning has been this child, and right now the child is under the care of Children Protective Services, has been placed in a home, and that is our main concern.

So, we do -- we are actively looking for these individuals, but I can say that if we -- even if we don't find them immediately, our main concern being the health and safety of this child has been addressed.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Well, good luck in dealing with the situation. Captain David Marcaurele from the Sugar Land Police Department in Texas, thanks for your time, sir.

MARCAUELE: 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.





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