North County Blade-Citizen from Solana Beach, California • 10

(PS) North County Times 10 SATURDAY, Amu 19, 2003 TTEHT MXEJ EEsmiRisioiN: PETERSON Continued from A-l Feb. 17: Scott Petersons mother, Jackie, tells The Associated Press her family believes kidnappers abducted Laci Peterson with intentions of holding her captive until she delivered the baby. Feb. 18: Authorities issue a search warrant for the Petersons home in Modesto, where they remove possible evidence and take measurements. March 6: Modesto police officially declare the case a homicide.

March 12: Authorities search San Francisco Bay again. April 14: The body of a woman and a male fetus that washed ashore in Richmond are found. Here are some key dates in the case of missing woman Laci Peterson: Dec. 24, 2002: Laci Peterson reported missing from her Modesto home by her husband, Scott Peterson. He says he came home from a fishing trip to Berkeley Marina and his wife, who was eight months pregnant, wasnt there.

Dec. 28: Authorities search water near Berkeley Marina for the first time. Dec. 31: Modesto police shift their focus in the case to foul play. "The investigation is progressing with that as the main focus, but we have not ruled out other possibilities, homicide Detective Jon Buehler says.

Jan. 3, 2003: Modesto police ask the public for help verifying the whereabouts of Scott Peterson in the days before Christmas. In Berkeley, police spend hours combing the waters near the marina. Jan. 9: A sonar search in the water near the marina reveals an object that authorities think is a body.

It turns out to be an anchor. Jan. 14: Authorities and friends expand their search to Southern California. Jan. 17: Laci Petersons family and friends hold a news conference to demand that Scott Peterson tell authorities everything he knows about the case.

ber Frey, a massage therapist from Fresno, comes forward and confirms she had an intimate romantic relationship with Scott Peterson. Jan. 28: In a televised interview, Scott Peterson admits he had a relationship with Frey and says he had told his wife abput it. It wasnt anything that would break us apart," he says. Feb.

5: Laci Peterson's family members step up their criticism of Scott Peterson, saying he sold his pregnant wife's car and considered selling the couples house. Feb. 10: Laci Petersons expected due date. Everybodys aware of it, says Modesto police Sgt. Ron Cloward.

Jan. 18: As Suspicion of Scott Peterson grows, authorities investigate his whereabouts in connection with the disappearance of a San Luis Obispo woman in'1996, when Scott and Laci Peterson lived there. Authorities later determine he had nothing to do with the second missing woman. Jan. 19: Scott Peterson brings search for his missing wife to Los Angeles, where he and his family distribute fliers to volunteers at a hotel.

Jan. 23: Laci Peterson's family says Scott Peterson told authorities he had been involved with another woman. Jan. 24: One month after Laci Peterson disappeared, Am- while his wife was pregnant with the couples baby. Massage therapist Amber Frey said she became Scott Petersons girlfriend after he told her he wasnt married.

Shortly after, Peterson said hed told his wife about the affair in the days before she however, Scott Petersons moves and statements have been scrutinized by authorities. Peterson traded in his wifes Land Rover for a new pickup truck, considered selling their home and eventually admitted an extramarital affair with a Fresno woman heart goes out to Lads family. Scott Peterson had told police he last saw his wife Christmas Eve as he left to go fishing in San Frandsco Bay. Modesto police seized his boat, pickup truck and nearly 100 items from the couples house but had not formally named him as a suspect in his wifes disappearance. Wasden said the police department spent 70,000 staff hours working on the case and investigated 9,000 tips that came in by telephone, e-mail and regular mail.

From virtually the moment his wife was reported missing. of each other early this week, washed up on the rocky shore of San Francisco Bay about three miles from where Scott Peterson said he went fishing the day his wife disappeared. They were identified Friday evening through a comparison with DNA samples from Scott Peterson and Laci Petersons parents, said Californias attorney general. Were scientifically convinced the match is one in billions, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer said at the state Department of Justices DNA laboratory in Richmond. Lockyer said that the DNA evidence creates a slam dunk case for conviction.

However, the cause of the deaths has not been determined, said Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf. Peterson was arrested by plainclothes police in San Diego before noon Friday. The arrest was made hours before the DNA results were known because Peterson was considered a flight risk and had indicated moments before his arrest that he had discovered he was under police surveillance, Lockyer said. Modesto police and state agents used wire taps on phones and radio transponders on vehicles to keep track of Petersons whereabouts, Lockyer said. Authorities obtained an arrest warrant Thursday, and feared he might flee to nearby Mexico, said Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden.

Wasden wouldnt discuss possible motives for the alleged murder, but said he believed the slaying took place in Modesto. Peterson, 30, was being driven to the Stanislaus County jail Friday night for a court appearance next week. He had not made a public appearance since the remains were found in Richmond, 90 miles from the couples Modesto home. His attorney, Kirk McAllister, did not immediately return telephone messages Friday from The Associated Press. A knock at the door went unanswered Friday evening at the home of Scott Petersons parents in Solana Beach.

An answering service at the hot line set up by the Peterson Ufo VdtvM Flooring and New Kitchens to orth County by the Truckload North Yl A Visit Us Before The Design Center. in family said the family has no comment. A spokeswoman for Laci Petersons family said relatives were devastated by the confirmation of the deaths, but grateful they finally had an answer after ihonths of uncertainty. Families in their circumstances will always tell you the worst thing is not knowing, said spokeswoman Kim Petersen, executive director of the Carole Sund-Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation. I dont know if relief is the right word.

The waiting this week has been horrific for them. She said the family planned to make a public statement Monday. This community has been deeply hurt today, Petersen said. Fridays announcements drew a crowd of well-wishers to the Petersons home. Many brought flowers, some stood silent while others said quiet prayers.

My heart goes out to the family, said Shanti Cardey, 29, outside the house with her two young girls. I feel a lot of sadness and anger. I feel very sorry for the family. I pray for them everyday. Many neighbors remembered Laci Peterson as a bright, friendly person.

We still want to say a prayer for Scott, even though he could be this horrible person, said 11-year-old Heather Richards. God will be there for him, even if he did something wrong. Raynette Poe, 36, said she was angry: How can he hurt his own child, and why? My iMAP NEW HOME? We Can Save You Thousands. Now Open: Kitchen and Bath Shop With Any Kitchen FREE GRANITE COUNTERTOP Let Us Design Youf'fi I gPT8pn If eT 1 1 Hew Kitchen! Dome See Our New Kitchen Showroom Displays Matt-rials Only. See Store For Details ASS MOHAWK HAPTwrjOQ FIOOO'NG ALL HARDWOOD 40 OFF OR MORE Reg.

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FT. 63 OFF EVERY CERAMIC OR PORCEUIR TILE ON SALE To 40-60 OFF inir mi Reg. FT. out a gun and fired three rounds, Rowland said. Patterson collapsed and the four suspects ran east.

A Carlsbad police officer who had been at the mall for a shoplifting case and had just walked out to the parking lot heard the shots and saw the juveniles running toward him, he said. The officer ordered them down at gunpoint, but one ran across the street and up a hillside and another jumped into a car and drove away, Rowland said. Officers caught the 16-year-old who ran up the hillside and questioned him in the shooting, he said. Officers at first believed he was a witness, got his information, and then released him, Rowland said. Afterward, the officers showed the photo of the teenager to witnesses and they identified him as the gunman, he said.

Detectives arrested him at his home Friday, Rowland said. The 16-year-old then took officers back to the mall and showed them where he had discarded the gun in the bushes, he said. The Oceanside teenager was arrested on suspicion of homicide, Rowland said. The suspect who drove away in the vehicle was arrested by Oceanside police on suspicion of narcotics violations, he said. The two juveniles who surrendered immediately to the officer were eventually released, Rowland said.

The two were part of the confrontation but did not take part in the shooting, he said. Shoppers at the mall Friday said they were not concerned about the shooting but were surprised to hear it happened in Carlsbad. It hits close to home, said Ebony McNabb, 18, of Vista. Laurie Catz, 40, of Ocean-side, there with her young daughter, said she had also heard about the shooting but it did not cause her to reconsider their safety. No, not at all.

It happens anywhere, Catz said. in 1 were 421 reported crimes at the mall 182 of those were shoplifting cases compared with 630 cases in 1993, she said. Of the 421 cases last year, 17 were violent crimes that included one rape, three aggravated assaults and 13 robberies, Diamond said. On Friday, the day after the' shooting, the shopping center was busy. Parents took their children to sit on the Easter Bunnys lap and families milled around.

Its business as normal I think the traffic in the center is a testimonial to how comfortable they feel, Plaza Camino Real General Manager Emmett Duman said. Meanwhile, police were reviewing an autopsy report concluding that the victim, 21-year-old Melvin Patterson of San Diego, died of a single gunshot wound to the head. The shooting happened at 7 p.m. Thursday at the shopping mall at 2525 El Camino Real. I think this was a random encounter between two groups and unfortunately they met there, police Lt.

Bill Rowland said. Patterson was with two friends, a male and female, in the shopping center when he was approached by two juveniles, Rowland said. One of them reportedly commented on a San Diego shirt worn by someone in Pattersons group. Insults were thrown out, Rowland added. The groups argued about possible gang affiliation, he said.

Some gang names and slurs were mentioned, then the two groups parted. But the two juveniles then called two friends to join them at the mall and began searching for Patterson, Rowland said. Detectives have not confirmed that either the suspect or victim was a gang member. The two groups met outside the mall in the south parking lot near Macys and a second argument started, he said. Patterson took out a knife and one of the four suspects pulled Lsui I) 2 yirow- NOW $1 reg.

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