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CNN Live Event/Special
Boston's Finest # 8 - Boston's Finest
Aired September 01, 2013 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a gun inside, but we're just concerned about the four kids.
JENNIFER PENTON, BOSTON POLICE OFFICER: What are you going to get?
PAT ROGERS, POLICE OFFICER: What would you like?
PENTON: Chicken parm.
ROGERS: Exactly.
PENTON: You're the only person I know that has chicken parm with American cheese.
ROGERS: What's wrong with that?
PENTON: Chicken parm is meant for like mozzarella, provolone.
ROGERS: What you eat --
PENTON: You'll be surprised at what I ordered.
ROGERS: What?
PENTON: Steak and cheese.
ROGERS: You are eating no salad.
PENTON: No salad, no chicken (INAUDIBLE).
ROGERS: No kale, none of that stuff? No cleansing this week?
PENTON: I'm cleansing in a different way.
ROGERS: Welcome to my world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: So many days and nights spent together as partners have turned Jenn Penton and Pat Rogers into close friends.
ROGERS: What's up with your voice? It sounds like (INAUDIBLE).
PENTON: I was up, honestly, all night, (INAUDIBLE) on the phone with my mom back and forth.
ROGERS: What is going on with your sister? PENTON: Her situation at home is probably not going to last. I don't think the landlord that owns where they're living right now wants her there, just based on some of her issues with the court. I told her, well, he can't just throw you out.
ROGERS: Right.
PENTON: You know, they pay their rent. She hasn't caused any issues.
ROGERS: Right.
PENTON: But she doesn't want the police involved. I don't know if this is going have her on the streets. And if she leaves that home, I just don't know how long she can stay out of trouble.
I'm not really sure what to do for Melissa right now. We're kind of at a crossroad where I want her to be in a stable, healthy environment, but we are not sure where that is going to be.
I don't want her in the city. The last time she was here a few years ago, she is getting locked up.
ROGERS: The drugs and just so available.
PENTON: She could reconnect with people, especially if Lewis isn't here with her. If she is just left in my apartment and I'm working 8, 12, 16 hours a day.
ROGERS: She doesn't have that support that she has with him, so.
PENTON: The other option is a hotel. But I don't know how long I could afford that and then she talked about staying with my mom, but not with her medical issues at this point. She is looking for me to help. I want to make sure I don't make the same mistakes I have made with maybe not being there for her as much as I should have been. But there is only so much I can do.
ROGERS: If you need any more help with this or any advice, just give me a call.
PENTON: Thank you. I appreciate it.
ROGERS: No problem.
PENTON: Does that mean you're going to buy me lunch?
ROGERS: Yes.
PENTON: I'm having a rough day.
ROGERS: You should be buying me meals every day.
WINSTON DELEON, OFFICER, FUGITIVE UNIT: They got that match.com? A lot of people hook up on match.
JAMES BOWDEN, OFFICER, FUGITIVE UNIT: You know who always sending me stuff is like the elderly people.
DELEON: On match?
(LAUGHTER)
BOWDEN: Listen, don't get me wrong. Find out I get a sugar mama and she is rich.
DELEON: Would you Mary Oprah?
BOWDEN: Oprah Winfrey? Like the Oprah Winfrey?
DELEON: Yes, the Oprah Winfrey.
BOWDEN: Love her. I would tell her every day too, I would bring her flowers and make her little drawings. Every day, Oprah, I love you. But she is going to want a pre-nup probably.
Hey, Sarg, how are you doing? I have your case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Today fugitive unit office Winston Deleon has a new suspect to chase down, Terry Abercrombie, a known sex offender and no stranger to the Boston police department.
BOWDEN: OK. Does he know about the warrant, or he has no idea? OK, so he doesn't.
Terry Abercrombie has firearm charges, larceny, drugs, assault and battery on police officers. His background is very extensive.
All right. Thanks. No promises. So it's an old ass case. This dude is wanted for raping?
It's a 1992 case.
DELEON: Old.
BOWDEN: Yes, it's old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: While recently serving time for an unrelated crime --
BOWDEN: That was his last booking picture?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Abercrombie gave a DNA sample that they matched up with evidence from an unsolved 1992 rape case.
BOWDEN: Do have an active warrant for him. But the Sarg, he don't think that he knows because it's an old case. He was arrested last year in a car like in a black Chevy caprice. The suspect was stopped in a car that is registered to his girlfriend's house. We were trying to set up on that. There is a good possibility that he is at that address.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Now, 21 years after the crime, officers Deleon and Bowden pick the case back up. BOWDEN: A lot of the old cases like they have a DNA sample from someone who committed a crime back then. No, it's like they match it up to the database. And sometimes they get the hit. It's been solving a lot of crimes.
DELEON: Just thinking on the victim's side, there was no one caught, there is no closure. And we have a suspect who is walking around as if nothing happened.
BOWDEN: You want to go check the mail becomes or you want me to check it?
DELEON: The address?
BOWDEN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: It's a simple first step. Check the names on the mailbox to see if the suspect live there's.
DELEON: Any luck? No names?
BOWDEN: Not for that apartment.
DELEON: Maybe we could do like a ruse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: If Winston knocks on the door and shows the girlfriend the warrant for Abercrombie, there is a risk she will tip him off. But an experienced cop knows there are always other ways.
DELEON: Oh, there we go.
We found a different warrant for someone else at that same address.
BOWDEN: That poor guy. What did he do, man?
DELEON: I guess he has some drug issues.
BOWDEN: Now I'm going to go over to the address and knock on the door looking for this person. But in actuality, I'm actually looking to see if Mr. Abercrombie live there's. We want to get this guy off the street, but the same time, we have to think tactics. We're not going rush in there by ourselves without backup.
We're going to do a sweep in the morning and bang it out.
PENTON: Lima 422?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down to for Fairmount for Pat down.
PENTON: We'll be in there as soon as we can. I got to go search a female on the train tracks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: It's procedure. Female suspects requiring a full body search must be search by a female officer.
PENTON: Sarg, what's her deal?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got the call from a civilian about these two knuckleheads, the one in the orange shirt and the one in the cruiser being over here on the tracks. So, we get over here to go for a dash. They run. We catch them. He is shivering like a leaf.
PENTON: Bolt cutters?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is over there waiting. I don't know if they were planning to be some place.
PENTON: Something is up. The male parties had some bolt cutters and other tools that he used to break into houses and she was waiting in her car.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not with him. That's the thing. I was in my car. I know them, but I'm not with them.
PENTON: All right, you were waiting for them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just got here. I know them.
PENTON: Check your bra.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I haven't been with them.
PENTON: Any open cases?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
PENTON: What is your open case for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: B and A.
PENTON: Step over there.
Baggies everywhere, needles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be careful. I see needles all over the place.
PENTON: Yes. There is a crack pipe and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The car (bleep). Certain cars disgusting.
PENTON: I'm just going to pop the trunk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PENTON: Baggies everywhere, needles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got them?
PENTON: Yes, I have them. I'm just going to pop the trunk. Pat!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The trunk is full of silverware.
PENTON: She probably stole it from someone's house.
ROGERS: But they're all beating people. The kid and the arm locked up both his brothers. The B & E case I go to trial on Tuesday is his brother. Then they have this. It's in the baggy.
PENTON: You know, this definitely isn't hers. There is a bag with jewelry in it and then there is all that silver.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's from my house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's from your house?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
PENTON: What is the jewelry? What's in that bag.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's silver and gold. I can't tell you specifically.
PENTON: But what about all the silverware in the trunk?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's just in there.
PENTON: That's just in there? OK. I know when people are full of (bleep).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I say something? Yes. I have a drug problem. I'm not lying to you. I'm trying to get help for it.
PENTON: It is tough to stay positive when you deal with people that talk about sobriety and they talk about getting clean but they are trying actually still out on the street, trying to buy drugs and robbing people or stealing from their own families.
I look in our system to see if anything is reported stolen from around here.
It's hard not to think about my sister, especially when I deal with young females. You want the best for them. You want to believe them, but you know in the back of your mind that they might disappoint you. You get used to being let down.
BRIAN ALBERT, SERGEANT, FUGITIVE UNIT: It will be busy today. We'll figure out the rape case. What is the address you have for that?
DELEON: Apartment one. His name is on a mailbox, kind of scratched out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: The fugitive meeting is meeting to talk about the case Winston Deleon is heading up, the search for rape suspect Abercrombie.
ALBERT: I mean, I'm more than glad to do it earlier than later. Is he doing anything in the mornings, do we know? DELEON: Not to my knowledge.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This address, Winston wants to do a ruse. He has a picture of someone else. So we're not going to let the girlfriend know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police are really looking for him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The case is not there and we ask go down.
ALBERT: Winston just coming down b right now.
DELEON: Sarg, we're here.
ALBERT: We're here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: The police are hoping to misdirect with the warrant for someone else will get Terry Abercrombie's girlfriend to unwittingly give them some information to go on.
BOWDEN: Anyone went to back?
DELEON: Yes. It says knock hard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?
DELEON: Ma'am, good morning. Boston police.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're getting an answer at the door now.
DELEON: Hi, how are you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm good.
DELEON: Can I come in and talk to you for a second?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got a warrant?
DELEON: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. They are going inside now.
DELEON: You live by yourself?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
DELEON: OK. Do you know this kid here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
DELEON: He give us an address to the courts and he has a warrant. We just got to clear the apartment and make sure he is not here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go ahead.
DELEON: OK. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you're saying he is not here. And she is allowing us to look.
DELEON: How long have you lived here for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five years.
DELEON: Do you live here by yourself?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By myself.
DELEON: OK. Any other males living here? OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
DELEON: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you do with all this medicine in here for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some is mine. Some is my friend's.
DELEON: Is he a male, female?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is a male.
DELEON: We're just trying to clarify because we got information there is a male living here. We want to make sure it's not him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I have a boyfriend.
DELEON: Does the boyfriend live here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He might stay a night or two.
DELEON: Ok. What's his name?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Terry.
DELEON: Terry? What's his last name?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abercrombie.
DELEON: Abercrombie. OK. He doesn't look like him, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
DELEON: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll show you a picture of terry.
DELEON: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Terry.
DELEON: OK. All right. I appreciate it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No problem.
DELEON: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Investigating a 21-year-old crime holds the usual suspicions at bay, and consequently the unit is closer to their target.
DELEON: His mail is here. I saw his mail over there. His medication is there. This is a good surveillance video address.
Our next step is to set up surveillance, watch the location, and wait to see if we see him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, guys?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's up, Sarg. Can I talk a sec?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you know about the search warrant and what we're doing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know the address we're going to?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: The gang unit is planning a raid with the SWAT team. The target, a level two arm career criminal who calls himself magnetic Tom.
MANNY CANUTO, OFFICER, DAY GANG UNIT: This case was developed by the night guys, Danny Griffin and Rick Moriarty. They had information that this individual was known to have numerous weapons and was dealing drugs out of this house.
EARL PERKINS, SERGEANT, GANG UNIT: Tony and I got a couple things we got to do. But there is a bunch of issues with the warrant. There is kids inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does bother me when we know there is kids in the house. I have two kids myself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's tough, you know.
PERKINS: Tony and I are going to get with the informant one more time and tighten up some stuff. There is a dog and the potential for firearms. We don't know how many firearms are going to be there. We have some pictures of the address on the outside. But we've got get some better recon pictures, particularly in the back of the address so, that when we get with SWAT, they have a better understanding of the outside layout.
CANUTO: OK.
PERKINS: Can you care of that for us while we do this other stuff?
CANUTO: We'll run up there and take it.
PERKINS: OK. Don't get caught.
CANUTO: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: A SWAT raid can leave nothing to chance. Knowledge after owl of the targets' possible entrance and exit points is critical. So the gang unit's reconnaissance pictures will be key to planning the operation.
CANUTO: When you're hitting a house like that, you have numerous options going in there. These guys carrying all types of guns and stuff. If this suspect decides that he doesn't want to go easy or he wants to put up a fight, especially if he has a gun in there, which we think he does, then you got little kids around. There is always potential that will go back. I just stay back a little until they get the dog under control.
I am afraid of dogs. A while back when I was younger, I was bitten by a dog. Since then I became afraid of dogs.
D ARAUJO, OFFICER, DAY GANG UNIT: I don't think it's going to be a little dog. Or it wouldn't even be a concern to us if it was a Chihuahua.
So you're not afraid of a Chihuahua? Is that what you're saying?
CANUTO: I'm not afraid of Chihuahuas.
ARAUJO: No?
CANUTO: No.
D is actually going to walk out, go to the back, take a few pictures for Sergeant Perkins. I'll stay back here and see if anyone is coming. I'll give him a heads-up. Hopefully he gets it done quick and come back in the car, and we'll take off like this never happened.
I mean, people walk by the front of the house. But when you're going to the back of the house, people feel like hey, hold on, you know. What is this guy doing the back of my house. Immediately you're thinking someone is out there to get them or cops are hip to what is going on.
If D gets made, you can blow up the whole thing. And months and months of an investigation by Sarg and those guys and the detectives, it's pretty much down the drain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CANUTO: Some decent pictures of the back?
ARAUJO: Yes.
The exit comes to the porch. Anyone can come down.
CANUTO: All right. We'll bring it back to the Sarg and see what he says.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's all the chocolate?
PERKINS: Rodney was in here. He ate all the chocolate. So you have to wait until tomorrow.
Got them. Perfect. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
PERKINS: And you didn't get caught, right?
CANUTO: D taking pictures? He's never going to get caught.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is good stuff, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So about time you try something different.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going lie. These are probably the best home fries I've had in a while.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's train style.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Today, Craig Dunkers (ph) is joining Winston Deleon on the stakeout for the terry Abercrombie case.
DELEON: Sent me a rape case from 1992.
CRAIG DUNKERS (ph), OFFICER: 1992?
DELEON: Yes. It's an old case, one of the DNA hits. I don't think he knows it's coming. But we're going to go pay him a visit over at Bailey Street.
DUNKERS (ph): How long have you been there you think?
DELEON: I don't think he live there's. His girlfriend live there's.
DUNKERS (ph): How old is he?
DELEON: He suppose 50 years right now. But, it's just like 20 years ago.
DUNKERS (ph): Has he been staying out of trouble?
DELEON: There is other sexual offense too, so, apparently it's something he normally do.
DUNKERS (ph): It's a shame he is running for 20 years. He should be in prison for 20 years doing something like that.
DELEON: Hopefully he go to jail for the rest of his life.
You kind of get attached. You learn about a suspect's history and how much he did since 1992. No, he's got to pay for his crime.
DUNKERS (ph): You're buying?
DELEON: I got you.
DUNKERS (ph): You are buying? I don't know my heart can take it.
PENTON: What's that shady dude doing here? He's parked. Shady, creepy.
ROGERS: Want to park in this parking lot and see if anyone meets up with her.
PENTON: Definitely.
ROGERS: B & E? Larceny.
PENTON: Yes, and drugs.
ROGERS: Well, her license is suspended.
PENTON: They're sitting in a car, not doing anything. I'm not leaving.
ROGERS: It is there to find out. She hasn't met up with whoever she has, it wouldn't be worth it. They would rather stop her while she is moving, you know what I mean?
PENTON: They're pulling out. Perfect.
What's going on, guys? Roll down the window.
ROGERS: Are you aware your license is suspended?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I went to town hall yesterday and got it straightened out.
ROGERS: It's still in the system as suspended today.
PENTON: I'm going to ask you to step outside and have a conversation with me, OK? Who is this girl?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My girlfriend for like ten months.
PENTON: OK, awesome. How long have you been clean?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have been clean for 11 months. She has been clean for 13.
PENTON: Awesome. What are you guys doing over here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going to coffee. And then her phone, it was like we were having problem texting each other. I can receive her texts, but she can't receive mine. She used mine to call her phone company to try to fix the problem. So that's why we were sitting there for 45 minutes. So, you seen (INAUDIBLE). PENTON: OK. Trying to fix it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
PENTON: We split them up which is something we often do to see if the stories are going to line up or if, you know, they're feeding us bs.
Mind if I talk to you Miss Diana? Step out for me, ma'am. What is going on? Who is this to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My boyfriend.
PENTON: Very quickly you can tell if someone is lying by asking them the same questions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did you guys meet?
PENTON: AA.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, good. How long have you been clean?
I was wrong. They both had serious problems with drugs, but they have moved on from that. They're trying to stay clean and help each other out.
That's good. I'm glad you guys are trying to do the right thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not trying. We're doing it.
PENTON: You are doing it and I think that's great. She said she paid it on Friday.
ROGERS: Yes, you're all set. It's still in the system as suspended.
PENTON: You guys are going to watch the pats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
PENTON: OK. Have a good day.
ROGERS: Yes, their stories --
PENTON: Their story was on a lock.
ROGERS: They didn't lie.
PENTON: It makes you think anyone can change. And so I believe that Melissa, if she wants to and she puts her mind to it, can and will change her life. But she has to want it for herself.
DELEON: The guy is older, but at the same time, you know, like assault and battery on a police officer on his record. You never know what their reactions and getting locked up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: The fugitive team is headed to Bailey Street to stake out Terry Abercrombie's girlfriend's address. DELEON: This way. All the way to the left.
DUNKERS (ph): Right there is good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Winston.
DELEON: Joe, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where you at?
DELEON: Bailey Street and Dorchester.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. I'm making my way up there. I had a meeting I had to go to. I'm on my way back now.
DELEON: So did they proscribe you that itch cream so you're not going to be itching anymore?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, but I got your Viagra.
DELEON: All right, Joe.
DUNKERS (ph): There he is right there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead, Winston.
DELEON: We got my target with glasses and dark colored blue jeans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
DELEON: He is dangerous. You know, we got to be on our a-game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Boston police. Come to the door. Terry, come to the door. Boston police and you have a warrant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll kick it from this side. And then you slide in the front. I did what it said to do here. It asked me to knock hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police, police, we have a warrant! Police! We have a warrant.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boston police! We have a warrant, Boston police! Where is Terry?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know where he is.
DELEON: We knew she was lying. We knew he had a good perimeter around the house. We knew he didn't exit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No movement here.
DELEON: But he had to be somewhere in the building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is Terry? Where is Terry?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He left.
DELEON: That's when we decided to go up the back stairwell to the roof.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Sarg.
DELEON: We weren't going to leave there without finding him. I noticed that the rubble was pulled off the roof. Mr. Abercrombie had pulled the rubber off the roof and rolled himself into that rubber.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My man, just don't move.
DELEON: We unrolled him and placed him into custody. You commit a crime, you can run from the law, you can hide from the law. But if you got DNA out there, it's going to catch up to you. The victim could know say OK, you know, it's over. At least there is some type of closure that the person who did this is now in jail and can't do it to someone else.
DUNKERS (ph): So it was good that we did that little bit of surveillance video and we saw him. We knew he was in there.
Just look for his friend. OK, we're just the regular dumb police. We'll leave now.
PENTON: Hi, John. Is everything OK?
MELISSA JENNIFER'S SISTER: Well, I need to talk to you about something. So I figured I would stop by.
PENTON: OK. Have a seat, honey.
MELISSA: I was going to come talk to you about going to a program.
PENTON: Really?
MELISSA: Yes.
PENTON: I'm just going to ask, and don't get defensive. Why are you ready now?
MELISSA: You know, I just don't want this. You know, problems where I'm living with the landlord, you know, probation, everything is, you know, not working for me, and I'm tired of living the way I'm living. Worrying about that one fix that I need to get back to normal. I don't want to do that anymore. It sucks waking up dope sick every day. And I don't want to die. So I thought you said you would help me if I asked. So I'm asking. Will you help me?
PENTON: Of course I'm going to help you.
MELISSA: Thank you.
PENTON: My God. Of course I'm going to help you, honey. I'm so happy.
But I was initially shocked, but I was also relieved that she felt that she could come to me. I don't think Melissa has ever come to me for help.
I'm really glad to hear that, Melissa. It sounds like everything -- you've thought everything out.
MELISSA: Every time I always went to a program or was supposed to because the courts to wanted me to do it. I never wanted to do it myself. It's like the first time ever I wasn't handcuffed on my way to a program.
PENTON: One of the best things that row can do for mom and the best gift that you can do is just doing what you're doing right now.
MELISSA: I just hope that she knows that I love her, and that everything will work out the way it's supposed to. And that we're all, you know, a family.
PENTON: A family.
My fear is that she is not going the get there, that we actually might get her through those doors. And I was afraid that she could change her mind or that she could get cold feet. I can't not have it happen. I think right now the best idea is for you to spend the night. I can give you some clothes. And when I get on the phone with some programs, and see if we can get you into one of them tomorrow.
MELISSA: OK.
PENTON: The next step, now that she is here is to get her help as soon as possible. I have always wanted to help her, regardless of I believed her or not. It wasn't an option at that point.
What do you think? I'm going to give you some of these clothes. Just some light t-shirts, I think.
MELISSA: Yes, I like them.
PENTON: That would be good. What else are you going to need?
I had a friend of mine who knew of a long-term treatment facility that wasn't in Massachusetts. And I was able to get Melissa a bed there.
How are you feeling right now? When was the last time you were on a plane?
MELISSA: Oh, God, years ago. That won't bother me. I'm just nervous about being there. It's a new start. It's not familiar surroundings. I'm ready for it. It's what I want.
PENTON: I haven't been there for her in the past, and I want this to be different. And I think she needs support, and she needs to know that I'll be there at the end of it. MELISSA: I have never been so far away. I'm so nervous and excited at the same time. I hope that I learn how to be clean and sober and how to live like a normal person, a day to day thing like everybody else does.
PENTON: My biggest hope is that Melissa takes this opportunity, finishes this program, and just becomes clean.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KATERU LARSON-SMITH, INTAKE, THE FLORIDA HOUSE EXPERIENCE: What led you to come to treatment?
MELISSA: Everything pretty much. Just living the way I live. I don't like it. I don't like it anymore. It's tiring.
LARSON-SMITH: It's tiring. Yes, I understand.
Did you reach out to a friend and that's how you decided?
MELISSA: She's right here.
LARSON-SMITH: Your sister? Your sister. OK.
MELISSA: Yes.
LARSON-SMITH: This is Charles. He is going to be your nurse.
CHARLES ROSE, NURSE, THE FLORIDA HOUSE EXPERIENCE: Hi. How are you doing? I'm Charles. Nice to meet you.
MELISSA: Hi. Nice to meet you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. How are you doing?
MELISSA: Nice to meet you.
PENTON: Jennifer.
DOCTOR ALBERT CASTELLON, MEDICAL DIRECTOR (ph): Nice to meet you.
How are you feeling? Are you ready to make this change?
MELISSA: Yes.
CASTELLON: I know this is hard. You've been through this before too, right?
MELISSA: Yes.
CASTELLON: A lot of times you don't even realize how the family is reacting. What are your options?
MELISSA: Death. I have done it all.
CASTELLON: Death? MELISSA: That's about it.
CASTELLON: That's right. But what else? Get clean. So this will be your last treatment, right?
MELISSA: Yes. I do what I have to do and suck it up.
CASTELLON: That's right. Your sister is back in your life now.
MELISSA: She hasn't been for a while.
CASTELLON: No?
MELISSA: A long while.
PENTON: We will take care of you when you get back.
MELISSA: I know. I want to be able to take care of myself.
CASTELLON: Just let it all go and let it happen. Let the process happen.
PENTON: Why don't you call mom for one last time, OK?
MELISSA: Hi, mom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go do your thing, girl.
MELISSA: All right. I love you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is going to be the first day of the rest of your life.
MELISSA: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you OK?
MELISSA: I'm going to miss you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know, honey. I'm going miss you too. When you get clean, just know that I'm going to miss you, all right?
MELISSA: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Bye-bye, sweetheart.
MELISSA: Here's Jen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
PENTON: Mommy, I'll talk to you later, OK.
MELISSA: It will be OK, OK?
PENTON: Mom's proud of you. I'm proud of you.
MELISSA: I need to smoke a cigarette.
PENTON: I think she wants to be clean and she wants to be sober. And she wants it to last.
MELISSA: I haven't cried in a long time. Like I thought I didn't have feelings.
Are you OK? I love you. You know that. I always have.
PENTON: I love you too, honey.
MELISSA: I always asked where you were. I still do.
PENTON: Well, now you'll know where I am.
MELISSA: I do know where you are. And you know where I am. All right. I'm going to go, because I don't feel good.
PENTON: You're going to go? OK.
MELISSA: I love you.
PENTON: All right, honey. I'll be back. You be good, OK? I love you. Be strong, OK?
Dealing with Melissa allowed me to examine my shortcomings as a sister and as a family member. I feel like I should have done this a long time ago.
Oh, God. It was an extremely humbling experience.
CANUTO: As soon as I put that vest on, it means business. You're going to this dangerous house. This individual is known to have a gun. There is a crazy pit bull in the house. There is children. You don't want to hurt the children. Anything can happen.
MATTHEW KERVIN, SERGEANT, SWAT UNIT: Doing a search warrant today at Washington Street for the gang unit. We're going to be looking for a black firearm. The suspect is Magnetic Tom. Some of you might know him. He is six feet tall, 220 pounds. He has a couple of firearms charges. Threat charges. That's the outside of the first floor. We're going to do a knock and knock and announce. If the suspect will come to the door, there is four kids in there, and there is also a pit bull that is supposed to be free reign of the house and is supposed to be a little crazy too. Have seen multiple there with firearms. Apparently he carries a gun when he is in the house. Apparently paranoid of other people he has problems with, not necessarily the police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anything else? (INAUDIBLE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Arrive about a minute out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not far away from the target location. UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: The SWAT team and gang unit are on the way to a raid to bust the suspect known as Magnetic Tom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, this guy seemed a little bit crazy. He is walking around the house with his gun in his waist. You never know what is going to happen.
CANUTO: When you're hitting a house and you know there is children in there, that's the most important thing. Make sure the kids don't get hurt. We want to make sure these kids are safe.
DELEON: I have to announce Boston police.
Boston police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boston PD!
DELEON: The SWAT team broke down the door.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go!
CANUTO: There was a huge pit bull in there. They managed to get in and control and remove the pit bull.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up!
CANUTO: They're clearing it room by room. When I first walked in, there was a bedroom. We found two small children.
I have kids back here.
Two more kids came from the back. They looked like they were in shock.
DELEON: They located the suspect in a bedroom with a female and also with a baby. And they were brought outside and placed in an ambulance for their safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are they? Where are the weapons.
CANUTO: Made the comment, you guys are here to look for guns. Have I guns to protect my family. We found one bag in a bag of clothes. We found another bag and ammunition in a nightstand beside the bed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Careful on these stairs, guys. Careful on the stairs. They're loose.
CANUTO: When you have a guy off the street like Magnetic Tom, the main important thing is hopefully you provide a better life for these kids that are growing up in that situation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A male shot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See myself, 808.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know why I stopped you, right? Come on. You were speeding tonight, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't make us out to be liars, OK? We know what we saw. He is going to ask a question again. And please give him the correct answer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know why I stopped you, all right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. That's all I needed, all right? See what I'm saying?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sam, Sam, go, go, go! Go, go! Go, go, go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground!
