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CNN Live Event/Special

Riverside Police Press Conference

Aired August 20, 2002 - 16:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: John, I'm going to interrupt you. John, I'm going to interrupt you because that news conference in Riverside, California where that 10-year-old girl is missing is just about to get underway. We'll take you there now.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Assistant Chief Mike Smith is stepping to the microphone.

ASST. CHIEF MIKE SMITH, RIVERSIDE POLICE: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I wanted to give you an update as to where we are with this investigation and obviously it has been changing so I appreciate your patience with this matter since you've been here most of the morning with us.

I can tell you, as many of you know, that we responded to the 5600 block of Durango this morning at about 7:15 in the morning in regard to a missing child. After we arrived, and began to take a look at the scene and talk to some initial witnesses, we determined that the child was last seen in her bedroom last night at about 10:30 by her mother. As a result of the information we gathered, we conducted a full scale search that began this morning that. That involved utilization of our patrol people, our motor officers, our helicopter et cetera.

We also called the Riverside sheriff's department, utilizing their bloodhounds to begin to track some scents. We contacted CHP as this investigation unfolded and they have been working with the CHP and more recently with FBI all morning. Initially, the CHP entered the missing child into the state track system. I believe you are familiar with that but it is the technology to recover abducted kids system. This was upgraded shortly after 11:00 to a full Amber alert.

What I want to tell you now is we have credible information that an individual whose name I believe you have, Glenn McArthur Park, and I think have you a vehicle description of him is in fact, we believe, in company with our victim, Nichole Taylor Timmons. The information that we are working at this time is that the two are together that they are perhaps in central California some place.

We do not know where. We are particularly interested, obviously, in any assistance from the public in locating Glen Park. He may have some other names, AKAs, if you will, who is in company with our victim. We are asking that if anybody has any information that they contact 911, the local CHP or local law enforcement authorities or if have you any information, feel free, please to call 909-320-8001 and please use caution, just notify your local law enforcement agencies and they will respond to that.

QUESTION: And why central California? Does he have some kind of tie there?

SMITH: We have information that perhaps he is traveling through the state and may be in fact heading out of state.

QUESTION: What is his relationship with the family?

SMITH: The information that we have is that he was family acquaintance, that he had served as a baby-sitter at one period in time.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

SMITH: At this time, I'm just going to say that we have information that leads us to believe that he is out of this area, that which does not mean that certainly he has, you know, attempted to return to this area. We don't know exactly where he is, but we do have good information that he perhaps is at least in central California.

QUESTION: Did anyone (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Amber Alert, is that part of this?

SMITH: The Amber Alert has assisted us with this information, yes.

QUESTION: Has anyone in the local area, did they see them together this morning?

SMITH: We are still talking to witnesses and we have a variety of accounts from witnesses in this investigation.

QUESTION: Do you fear for the safety of this little girl in his company.

SMITH: Obviously we are very concerned that this child was taken from her home without parental permission and is traveling in the company with this gentleman, with this man, yes.

QUESTION: Has he ever given any threats before?

SMITH: I don't have that information right now.

QUESTION: You said he had AKAs; does he have a record?

SMITH: Investigators are still checking that and we are checking some other background information on some other - on some AKA names also.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: None that I'm familiar with to discuss at this point. QUESTION: There are some (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: Well, obviously, you can speculate as to many motives when somebody without parental permission takes a child from their home. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

QUESTION: You found the dad, biological father?

SMITH: I don't know if investigators at this time had talked to him or not. We do have information, as you know, that he was leaving the country. We are obviously attempting to speak with him. He is not considered a suspect at this time, no.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: I understand that they are at least living apart, yes.

QUESTION: What do you know about Park in terms of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) his relationship with the family...

SMITH: I won't go into detail at this time. We are obviously working this investigation this morning. We do know that he was acquainted with the family and had actually served as a baby sitter one point.

QUESTION: You mentioned going out of state, any (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: We have some information as to that he is going out of state. I don't want to discuss exactly where at this point. We will give you some updates as this investigation progresses. But detectives obviously are following up the information that I'm also sharing with you.

QUESTION: Did the mother at any point, Mike, indicate a relationship there went sour. He stayed there sometime. He worked there sometime.

SMITH: We have had that discussion. I'm not ready to share that at this meeting here today.

QUESTION: Was she helpful at all?

SMITH: She has been helpful. She obviously has some concerns about this individual which led us very quickly taking a strong look at him initially clouded by the fact that we had information that the biological father of our missing child was also leaving this morning to go out of the country and we had things to eliminate -- OK.

QUESTION: What about the report that child and the adult were seen up (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: We've had hundreds and hundreds of phone calls from the public and from other law enforcement agencies throughout southern California with regard to this investigation already. And suffice it to say, we've had lots of people providing information. So Lieutenant Wallace will provide you a photograph of the individual that we are seeking. I believe you all have photographs of the child also and a vehicle description we are looking for. OK.

QUESTION: Is there anything -- a possible - (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: Well, I'm not reluctant to do that. It's just that I know that as we are all mobile that those things can change as perhaps even the individual himself is listening to this press conference. So suffice it to say, the two of them are together. We have that information and we implore the public to please follow the information on the Amber alert or that has been provided by the media and hopefully this thing will conclude safely and the safe return of this child.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: He did live in this area, yes, he did.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) boyfriend as well.

SMITH: I won't characterize him as a boyfriend, no.

QUESTION: Detectives are looking in the hills above the cemetery here. Have you gotten a tip about there?

SMITH: We're doing a variety of things. So not specifically to that area and obviously I don't have all of the information as to what individual detectives are doing.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: His name is Glen McArthur Park. His birth date is 3/8/34. Now the individual also has some other AKAs that we're looking at also.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

SMITH: The information that I have is that they are together. The child was with him and was alive and this morning. sometime this morning. OK, thank you very much.

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