Police Searching For Attempted Kidnapping Suspects

Discussion in 'The Search for Rachel Cooke' started by "J_R", Aug 17, 2004.

  1. "J_R"

    "J_R" Shutter Bug Bee

    08/16/04 - 10:45 pm

    An attempted kidnapping of a 15-year-old girl in Round Rock has neighboring families on alert.

    Since school has already started there, parents are now warning their kids about possible dangers walking to and from school.
    ...snip

    The 15-year-old was running in this neighborhood by herself around 8:45 p.m. on August 11, a neighborhood she thought was safe, but authorities say you can never be too safe.

    "A red Nissan Altima pulled up, and the passenger of the car got out and tried to pull her into the car, but she was able to getaway and run off," Williamson County Sheriff's Detective John Frost said.
    ...snip

    The suspects are described as two Hispanic males, approximately 50-year-old and 30-years-old. They were last seen driving a red Nissan Altima with shiny hubcaps.

    Williamson County Sheriff's Department says anyone with any information should call the Williamson County Sheriff's Department.

    Information leading to an arrest could make you eligible for a reward.


    http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=2182584&nav=0s3cPvtq
     
  2. "J_R"

    "J_R" Shutter Bug Bee

    If this area is where I think it is, it's less than 20 miles from the Cooke home.

    From RC's journal:

    Monday, August 16

    There was an attempted abduction of a 15-year-old girl who was jogging in her Round Rock neighborhood. Fortunately, the girl fought free of the two males who were trying to take her. The Williamson County Sheriff's Office says there is no evidence that relates this to Rachel's disappearance. On the other hand, they is no evidence that proves the attempted abduction is not related to Rachel.
     
  3. "J_R"

    "J_R" Shutter Bug Bee

    WILLIAMSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

    Sketches of suspects in attempted robbery. Anyone with information about the suspects should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 253-7867 or the sheriff's department at 943-1300.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. LurkerXIV

    LurkerXIV Moderator

    Rc, Jr

    Did you see this? Any possible connection? Did this guy ever work at the restaurant where Rachel worked?

    WEST COVINA — He secretly videotaped young women changing into uniforms during job interviews and today the former general manger of a Hooters restaurant was given the maximum sentence.

    Juan Martin Aponte, who ran a Hooters in West Covina, was sentenced by West Covina Superior Court Judge Mark Grant Nelson.

    Aponte, who has been in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail, pleaded no contest on July 12 to two counts of using a minor for a sex act and three counts of eavesdropping.

    All five charges are felonies, for which Aponte, who turns 33 Sunday, will now serve time in state prison.

    When Aponte was arrested in May, authorities said he had videotaped job applicants without their knowledge before the restaurant opened for business.

    Search warrants were served at the construction trailer where the job interviews were done and at Aponte's home in Monrovia. Some 180 digital recordings were recovered, officials said.

    Authorities began investigating Aponte in February after a young woman told West Covina police she was asked to try on a Hooters uniform during a job interview. She said she suspected that a digital camera in the dressing room was on and decided to notify police.

    The case was filed May 18 after an extensive investigation by West Covina police.

    A lawsuit filed in March against Aponte and Hooters alleged invasion of privacy, employment discrimination, battery and violation of a Labor Code provision barring employers from videotaping employees. Another similar lawsuit was filed in June against Aponte and the restaurant chain.

    The defendant was fired by Hooters, which cooperated in the police investigation. The restaurant opened in June on West Covina's Restaurant Row.
     
  5. RC

    RC FFJ Senior Member

    It depends. Where is West Covina?
     
  6. SoCalGal

    SoCalGal Member

    Here is a map

    Here is a map
     
  7. LurkerXIV

    LurkerXIV Moderator

  8. LurkerXIV

    LurkerXIV Moderator

    Aponte is a Sex Offender

    I know it's a long shot. W. Covina is about 12 miles east of L.A. It's a two-hour drive there from San Diego.

    However, Aponte was the newly-appointed general mgr. of the newly-opened W. Covina Hooters.

    These restaurant chains generally promote from within. Could Aponte have worked for Hooters in the San Diego area? And if so, when?

    Might he have a Texas connection?
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2004
  9. LurkerXIV

    LurkerXIV Moderator

  10. Voyager

    Voyager Active Member

    Lurker....

    I had not read this story before you brought it here....Of course, I think that any possible link to Rachel or her work place should be followed up on....Thanks for bringing it to our attention Lurker....(though I cannot seem to access the last two links you posted....Is it just my computer?)

    Did Rachel work at Hooters in the San Diego area or near her home in Texas while she was home on vacation from college?

    RC, is there any way to access information about this pervert's work history that might either lead to something or ally any suspicions that he might be involved in Rachel's case?

    Is the new local police chief any more proficient and efficient at his job than the previous one RC? Is he any more cooperative in following up on leads in Rachel's case?

    Voyager
     
  11. "J_R"

    "J_R" Shutter Bug Bee

    Hey Y'All after our storm last weekend, RC told me he is getting like 19K baud on his dial up so I don't think he is spending too much time on-line right now. I am sure he will respond when he gets a chance. Meanwhile, I will answer what questions I can.

    Voyager, Rachel worked at Hooters in California.

    The interim Sheriff Jim Wilson (not to be confused with R-Party Candidate Sheriff Elect James Wilson) seemed to be working Rachel's case to the best of his ability the last RC and I talked about the case. Of course RC can't share everything he knows just as the SO can't share everything with him.


    The new sheriff has to be elected. While James Wilson won the Republican nomination there does have to be an election (in November and I believe he takes office in January.) The last I heard James Wilson is running uncontested by the Democratic party. Clear as mud?


    It does get confusing because the names are so close and both ran for office on the Republican ticket but Jim Wilson is very easy to pick out in a crowd.
     
  12. LurkerXIV

    LurkerXIV Moderator

    Voyager,

    The links work fine for me. Maybe your security firewall is blocking them?

    I want to know where Juan Martin Aponte was on January 10, 2002.
     
  13. Voyager

    Voyager Active Member

    JR and Lurker....

    Thanks JR for the answers to some of my questions...hopefully RC will be back online and able to contribute to this discussion soon...

    Lurker, don't know why I could not access those links yesterday, but I went back this morning and they worked just fine....my computer has been acting up a bit the last few days though, don't know what's up with that!

    Anyway, I think that your question in an important one and needs to be addressed....Another factor that needs review and investigation, in my mind, are the 180 digital recordings of young women, a number of them even under the age of 18, which were found in this man's home and in the rented constrution trailer where he was conducting the Hooters interviews....

    Since this man shows a proclivity for filming young women, one wonders if he might be somewhat obsessed with the young and attractive women employed by this company.....Who knows, even if he was never employed by the Hooters where Rachel was employed, he might have been a customer there or have been there at some time and become obsessed with some fantasy of Rachel, secretly filmed her with a digital as she worked in the restaurant or was on campus in San Diego and even followed her to Texas....

    One wonders if all of these digitals have been completely reviewed and if the police department in West Covina has positively identified all of the women on those digitals....If not, it seems that a comparison with pictures of young women who have gone missing might be a good idea... I wonder if the officers in Texas investigating Rachel's case have heard about this West Covina conviction with it's digital evidence, and if so, would consider sending Rachel's picture to them to see if a match can be made....

    Voyager
     
  14. RC

    RC FFJ Senior Member

    I sent the information to LE. Thanks for identifying it. Rachel worked at the downtown San Diego Hooters in the Gaslight Section.

    The only thing is does Juan own a yellow Pinto and sometimes go by Bill? Just joking. It's a lead worth looking into.

    Robert
     
  15. LurkerXIV

    LurkerXIV Moderator

    Rc

    I hope this lead pans out.

    Today was a beautiful day in my part of Pennsylvania, so I went outside and planted a dozen pastel pink, white, and yellow tulip bulbs around the dogwood tree that I put in last fall in Rachel's memory.
     
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