Posted on 06/05/2005 5:22:32 AM PDT by Kaslin
SAN NICOLAS, Aruba - Authorities detained two men Sunday in connection with the disappearance of an Alabama teenager, who went missing nearly a week ago in Aruba while on a high school trip, the attorney general said. ADVERTISEMENT
Caren Janssen called the men "suspects" in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, 18, but declined to provide further details. The men were not among the three described earlier by police as "persons of interest."
Police officers and three FBI agents, who are playing a supportive role in the investigation, took the two men into custody at two different houses in the southeastern town of San Nicolas, according to an AP photographer at the scene.
Police knocked on the door of one house, put the suspect on the floor and handcuffed him. Officers later detained a second man. They both were led to an unmarked police car and taken away.
Neighbors described the men as security guards who worked at a hotel closed down for renovation near where the 18-year-old blonde was staying at the Holiday Inn. Police and FBI agents searched the hotel Saturday.
Fox just reported that a bloody mattress was found in one of the suspect's homes.
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I'm glad U.S. law enforcement is involved. Not that Aruba's authorites are inept...I just think they probably don't know how to deal with something like this. And it is in Aruba's best interests to solve this crime...in order to polish that reputation of being relatively safe...something like this could do serious damage to their tourism industry.
I agree with your husband.
My first thought when I heard this- White slavery. Shipped off to some third world country. Isn't she the second this happened to there? First was never found.
New Orleans? Born and raised here, wouldn't go downtown for ANYTHING. It's much worse than even 10 years ago. I consider walking the Vieux Carre at night suicidal. Teens are too trusting- think it's all a big party. Trust me, there are loads of people waiting to take advantage of the 'out for fun' types here. I'd steer all tourists- especially teens and college type girls- elsewhere.
They seemed to have welcomed the presence of the U.S. authorities. Can you imagine if this was Cuba?
Human jackals couldn't let it be.
The hunting was too tempting.
Lower ranks of police always know when these scum show up, but are not allowed to cull.
It's nature, but we think we're above it.
As above, so below.
Teen age girls out in the third world think nothing of going off with exotic strangers in search of fun and 'whatever'. After all, who would harm an American tourist out for fun?
The only thing that reins in some predators is the fact that these countries survive on tourism--and the natives learn that bad publicity is bad for the economy, so they usually put pressure on the bad guys to keep predation to theft and robbery. Even so, many will point out the guilty ones because they always know who dun' it.
Aruba is most definitely a beautiful place. There is always a breeze so it is never humid like the Bahamas. The natives are very friendly too. Although they do claim a low crime rate, they have a very large prison on the unpopulated side of the island. When I was visiting, a tour guide claimed the prison mostly housed drug traffickers who try to use Aruba as a gateway from South America.
They seemed to have welcomed the presence of the U.S. authorities. Can you imagine if this was Cuba?
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I don't have any stats, but I would guess the bulk of Aruba's tourists come from the U.S. If American tourists become spooked, there goes Aruba's tourism industry.
I think there was some initial reluctance to bring in U.S. help, so I don't know that the Aruban authorities necesarily "welcome" our presence...I think it's more that they realize they have to let us become involved...for their own good.
There is always a breeze so it is never humid like the Bahamas.
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And the climate is largely desert. Aside from tourism, their other "industry" is the use of the aloe vera cactus. Grows wild all over the island. On one of my trips to Aruba, I toured an aloe vera factory where they made skin care and first-aid products from the plant.
The more you travel in these islands the more the facade fades and the more you see the small town mentality of the locals, most of whom are pathetic throw-backs to pirate days of old.
Sad but true and so few really spend enough time there to see it clearly for what it is.
They depend on that.
I have an Okoboji t-shirt! (and a Sioux Falls coffee mug and a set of coasters from Norfolk, NE.) Tell me I'm not stylin'!!
True of a lot of places. When I travel to a place I'm not familiar with, I usually take the guided bus tour. Those tours never show you the seedy part of town.
That said, I have had tour guides in many places, both in the U.S. and in foreign countries, give us tourists detailed cautions. When I was in Florence with a tour group, our guide gave us all explicit safety precautions....places to not go to even in the daytime, and particularly, how to protect valuables from pickpockets and thieves. Mopeds were popular forms of transportation there at least at that time, and one of the theives' tricks was to drive the moped as close as possible to the sidewalk and when they saw a woman with a shoulder bag on the shoulder closest to the street, they would either grab the strap or use something sharp to cut the strap and pull the handbag away. We women were told to always put a shoulder bag on the shoulder farthest from the street and to always hold the bag as close to the body as possible -- never let it swing about loosely. Too easy for thieves to take your bag.
Here are my observations as a Texan recently returned from a 13 year stint as an Aruban resident.
Ditto the Aruba is safer than most large american cities comments. Most violent crime exists among the scumbag sector of Aruban society.
Carlos and Charlies as a dining and dancing establishment?Yeah,right. Catatonic drunken teenage tourist girls are routinely carried away from such establishments. What goes on here stays here.
What kind of parents send their kids off to a place famous for such activity, and since when is it routine to send a squadron of F.B.I. agents overseas to hunt for a missing person?
Finally, if the worst occured, a body could easily be washed away without a trace by the prevailing strong winds and currents. Without a body it will be nearly impossible to get any convictions in the Aruban/Dutch court system.
I would hazard a guess that this is probably the first violent crime that has occured in Aruba in many years. Aruba is hardly a third world armpit. It's a very small island, with little to no crime, and it's only industry is tourism. When I was there, they had a big sign in the middle of the town celebrating 900 and some odd days since even a fatal traffic accident had occured. The island of Aruba is very clean and neat, no serious crime at all, and probably the only crime they deal with are drunk and unruly tourists and maybe a little shoplifting. I can tick off half a dozen horrendous crimes right off the top of my head that have occured in FL just this year alone.
According to a gentleman from National Geographic who was interviews on Fox News this morning, Aruba is one of the safest places to vacation. He said there was one murder on the island last year, and very little crime in general. And yet, people here are very quick to say it was stupid for her parents to allow her to go there, even with a large group of classmates. Sometimes, bad things happen. Something bad could have happened to her had she stayed home. Just pick up a newspaper, watch a newscast, and see the fairly frequent reports of a young woman disappearing in seemingly safe circumstances.
An international 'C O P S " show working with various law enforcement to sting these vermin.
Killing two birds with one stone.
Entertaining & sending a message at the same time.
"Yeah, really, who does that?"
It was in another report that her friends saw her leave like this.
What kind of parents send their kids off to a place famous for such activity, and since when is it routine to send a squadron of F.B.I. agents overseas to hunt for a missing person?
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Well, as has been established, this is not a family of poor working stiffs like most of us. These folks have used their money and influence to make sure that everything that can be done will be done to locate their daughter. And as I said, it's not so much that Aruba may want U.S. help, but they have been made to see that it is in the country's best interest to accept that help.
"Although they do claim a low crime rate, they have a very large prison on the unpopulated side of the island."
IF it's a large prison then how can the crime rate be low?
Or are they tough on crime with long sentences?
I've heard it is beautiful there too.
But I'm wondering how many countries would cooperate. A place that depends on tourism and has an image to protect -- yes. But I'm amazed at how some countries, even those which depend on the U.S. for tourism and financial aid, don't really give a dang when it comes to crime against Americans.
Then I suspect they've just doubled the rate.
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