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Breaking News

Longo Captured in Mexico

Aired January 14, 2002 - 09:29   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Some breaking news to talk about: An arrest of one of the FBI's ten most-wanted men. On the phone right now is CNN's Justice Department Producer Terry Frieden -- Terry, what have you learned.

TERRY FRIEDEN, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning. Christian Michael Longo of Portland, Oregon is in custody in Mexico this morning. He was captured overnight by authorities in Mexico. The story is just breaking, so we don't have any details of the circumstances of the arrest.

He was put on the FBI's most-wanted list just last Friday. He is wanted in the deaths of several members of his family. It was a much publicized series of slayings in Oregon and, again, on Friday he was put on the most-wanted list, and he was captured overnight.

ZAHN: Terry, I happened to catch "America's Most Wanted" on Saturday night where they had an exclusive interview with Christian Michael Longo's father as well as an interview with his slain wife's sister, and they actually did a very good job, I think, of putting up a description of what he would look like, what his hair would look like. He was apparently was a very vain man, and they showed the mole looked like on his forehead.

I am wondering, have you heard anybody at the Justice Department saying in addition to this guy's name ending up on the FBI's most- wanted list, that the fact it was highly publicized over the weekend might have made some difference?

FRIEDEN: It may very well have made some difference. It certainly has in similar cases in the past. We don't know yet in this case whether that was the factor. We'll probably find out later today, when there's a press conference in Portland, Oregon.

ZAHN: It was heartbreaking to hear the details of the killings of the members of his family, because he is accused of just dumping the bodies of his young children in that very cold Portland water, and then the police, of course, not realizing until several days later that his wife was the victim of, allegedly, of the same plot.

Terry, thanks so much for that update. We appreciate it.

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