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How the case unfolded

July 20, 2002

By JOHN McDONALD
The Orange County Register

The arrest of Alejandro Avila capped one of the largest manhunts in Orange County history. The FBI profiler who worked the case called it "an absolute model" of how to apprehend an elusive killer. Between 6:45 p.m. Monday, when Samantha Runnion was kidnapped, and 9:55 a.m. Friday, when Avila was arrested, federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies logged more than 60,000 hours of work to capture the suspect.

"Forensic and significant investigative evidence makes us certain that he's our man," Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona said.

How the case unfolded, including some new elements that emerged Friday:

Deputy arrived in minutes

A sheriff's deputy was on the scene of the kidnapping within four minutes of the call that Samantha had been snatched by a man outside her Stanton town home. Carona said a countywide alert was sounded within 10 minutes of the 911 call. The Child Abduction Regional Emergency signal went out within one hour of the kidnapping, he said, and some radio stations began to broadcast descriptions of the kidnapper.

A frantic 911 call

At about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a man named Justin who lives near Killen Trail in Lake Elsinore called 911 and said he had found a dead body. He frantically told the dispatcher he was very scared.

"It's a baby, I think it might even be the little girl that's been on the news," he said. "It's a little girl, I swear."

400 agents in the field

An estimated 400 FBI and Orange County investigators were sent into the field on the case, to collect physical evidence and to follow up leads from some 2,000 tips. Rewards totaling about $160,000 were offered. As of Friday, it was not clear who would receive the reward.

A key tip

The tip that eventually led to the arrest came in at about noon on Wednesday, from a person who mentioned Avila by name, according to sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino. Law- enforcement officials declined to give the news media the name of that caller. On Wednesday, Avila was still one of up to 50 possible suspects being investigated.

The number of suspects dropped as evidence, including confirmed alibis, was developed.

Avila was placed under surveillance by investigators at 5:20 p.m. Wednesday. He was detained by investigators Thursday morning and questioned in an Orange County hotel room.

Search warrants

Search warrants were executed late Thursday night in Lake Elsinore, at Avila's sister's home, his mother's home, and in Temecula at his workplace, Guidant Corp., a medical-products firm where he was a production-line supervisor. Three green cars he had access to also were seized. The kidnapper was believed to have used a green car.

Avila arrested

Avila's status was changed from "detained" to "arrested" at 9:55 a.m. Friday. Five minutes later, Carona appeared on national television to announce the arrest.

"It was a quick arrest in my experience," said Charlie Dorsey, the FBI profiler who worked the case. "The reason was the cooperation between law enforcement and the joint effort of the media and the public. It's an absolute model of how this should work and can work."

Sheriff officials said forensic testing that included DNA analysis shows that Avila is the killer.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office said Friday that the case was under review by prosecutors and Avila is expected to be brought into court to face charges Tuesday.