Kidnap Suspect May Have Links to Las Vegas Girl

Aug. 16 -- Police in Vallejo, Calif., investigating the kidnapping of an 8-year-old girl who cunningly escaped her captor on Saturday said a number of other police departments believe the same suspect might be involved in the disappearance of other little girls as far away as Las Vegas.

“We’re really at the exploratory stages at this point,” said Lt. JoAnn West, of the Vallejo Police Department, which is handling the 8-year-old’s kidnapping case. “We haven’t made any link yet.”

Curtis Dean Anderson on Tuesday appeared in Solano County court handcuffed and was charged with 11 crimes, including kidnapping, molestation and forced oral copulation. He was originally scheduled for a Tuesday arraignment.

His court-appointed lawyer, Mark Roelke, persuaded the judge to delay Anderson’s formal arraignment until Friday so that he could review the case. Because of the multitude of charges and his lengthy criminal record, prosecutors say Anderson could face life in prison.

Amazing EscapeThe 8-year-old was abducted on Thursday as she walked home from school. She said she managed to escape when the suspect left her alone in his car for a few minutes with her leg shackled in the front seat. She found the key and managed to flag down a delivery truck driver. The driver, Carl Tofua, saw the suspect pursue the girl and then return to his car.

“She was kind of relieved that the guy drove away and she knew she was gonna be saved,” Tofua said.

While Vallejo police are trying to determine if Anderson might be responsible for the December disappearance of another Vallejo girl, Xiana Fairchild, 7, police in Las Vegas are taking yet another look at an October disappearance of another girl. All three girls are dark-skinned, about the same age, and all disappeared while walking to or from school alone.

Karla Rodriguez, 7, was last seen Oct. 20 at 8:30 a.m. as she left home to walk to school in Las Vegas. The missing persons report at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says the 50-pound girl was wearing a black jacket, red pants and a blue and white shirt when she disappeared.