Atlas
06-23-2005, 01:08 PM
Judge arrested in Aruba case
Fifth suspect in custody after U.S. teen's disappearance
Thursday, June 23, 2005; Posted: 4:07 p.m. EDT (20:07 GMT)
Paul Van Der Sloot was arrested after being questioned by police as a witness over the weekend.
ORANJESTAD, Aruba (CNN) -- An Aruban judge, the father of a 17-year-old suspect in the disappearance of an Alabama teenager, also has been arrested in the case, a prosecution spokeswoman said Thursday.
Paul Van Der Sloot is being viewed as a suspect in the case of Natalee Holloway, a missing 18-year-old from suburban Birmingham, Alabama, Mariaine Croes said. He was arrested about 2 p.m. Thursday.
"He's a suspect," Croes said. "There's a reasonable suspicion that he knows something."
Police questioned him over the weekend in connection with the case. A law enforcement source close to the investigation said at the time that the judge was interviewed as a witness.
He spent about five hours in the police station Saturday for questioning and was brought in again on Sunday while his wife, Anita, visited their 17-year-old son Joran.
Last week, an Aruban judge ruled that Paul Van Der Sloot could not visit his son in jail. Earlier, authorities had searched Van Der Sloot's home, seizing two cars and removing bagfuls of evidence.
This week, Holloway's mother said more individuals "need to be pursued" in connection with the case.
Beth Holloway Twitty said Wednesday she's sure the four young men in custody -- but not formally charged in the case -- have more information to divulge.
"I have no doubt that they know what and who and where and when and why and how. I have no doubt," Twitty said on NBC's "Today Show."
"The only thing I think, there are some other individuals, though, that need to be pursued, and I know the local authorities are doing that and will be doing that," she added.
Twitty told CNN's "American Morning" she met Tuesday with the parents of Joran Van Der Sloot, one of the four young men in custody. He's one of the last people reported to have seen Holloway.
She said the Van Der Sloots invited her into their home when she was handing out prayer cards in their neighborhood.
Twitty refused to give details about their 90-minute discussion.
"I think I walked away with the confirmation that we still have some individuals that we need to pursue," she said.
Holloway, an honors student from the Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook, disappeared May 30 after she left a nightclub with Joran Van Der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, ages 21 and 18 respectively, authorities said.
She was in Aruba with about 100 classmates to celebrate their recent graduation.
The three men and a fourth suspect, 26-year-old disc jockey Steve Croes, face accusations of two counts of murder and one count of kidnapping leading to murder.
None have been formally charged, and Twitty says she has seen "no evidence whatsoever" that her daughter is dead.
Defense attorneys for Van Der Sloot and the Kalpoes have said their clients maintain their innocence.
Satish Kalpoe to mom: 'We didn't do anything'
The mother of the Kalpoes said Thursday that one son had admitted he and his brother made up a cover story to protect Joran Van Der Sloot.
Nadira Ramirez told CNN she was permitted to visit son Satish Kalpoe at Aruba's prison within the past week.
Initially, Ramirez said, her sons had told her and police they dropped Holloway off at the Holiday Inn, where she was staying. But Satish Kalpoe told his mother later that was a lie aimed at protecting Van Der Sloot.
In fact, he told his mother, he and his brother had dropped Holloway and Van Der Sloot off at the beach by the Marriott hotel, about a mile from the Holiday Inn.
Ramirez tearfully said her son insisted he and his brother were innocent.
"'We didn't do anything. We will be out from here. Don't cry,'" she said he told her.
"I asked him, 'Satish, are you sure you guys didn't do anything?'" she said.
She said he responded: "'No, mama. We gave that girl and Joran a lift.'
"They don't even know Natalee. They said she didn't even introduce herself to them," she said. "They don't know anything else about that."
Ramirez's account echoes comments made by one of two security guards who were arrested June 5 in connection with the case and released June 13.
The guards, Abraham Jones, 28, and Mickey John, 30, were never charged.
After his release, John said Deepak Kalpoe confided to him while they were in jail together that he had lied to police
Fifth suspect in custody after U.S. teen's disappearance
Thursday, June 23, 2005; Posted: 4:07 p.m. EDT (20:07 GMT)
Paul Van Der Sloot was arrested after being questioned by police as a witness over the weekend.
ORANJESTAD, Aruba (CNN) -- An Aruban judge, the father of a 17-year-old suspect in the disappearance of an Alabama teenager, also has been arrested in the case, a prosecution spokeswoman said Thursday.
Paul Van Der Sloot is being viewed as a suspect in the case of Natalee Holloway, a missing 18-year-old from suburban Birmingham, Alabama, Mariaine Croes said. He was arrested about 2 p.m. Thursday.
"He's a suspect," Croes said. "There's a reasonable suspicion that he knows something."
Police questioned him over the weekend in connection with the case. A law enforcement source close to the investigation said at the time that the judge was interviewed as a witness.
He spent about five hours in the police station Saturday for questioning and was brought in again on Sunday while his wife, Anita, visited their 17-year-old son Joran.
Last week, an Aruban judge ruled that Paul Van Der Sloot could not visit his son in jail. Earlier, authorities had searched Van Der Sloot's home, seizing two cars and removing bagfuls of evidence.
This week, Holloway's mother said more individuals "need to be pursued" in connection with the case.
Beth Holloway Twitty said Wednesday she's sure the four young men in custody -- but not formally charged in the case -- have more information to divulge.
"I have no doubt that they know what and who and where and when and why and how. I have no doubt," Twitty said on NBC's "Today Show."
"The only thing I think, there are some other individuals, though, that need to be pursued, and I know the local authorities are doing that and will be doing that," she added.
Twitty told CNN's "American Morning" she met Tuesday with the parents of Joran Van Der Sloot, one of the four young men in custody. He's one of the last people reported to have seen Holloway.
She said the Van Der Sloots invited her into their home when she was handing out prayer cards in their neighborhood.
Twitty refused to give details about their 90-minute discussion.
"I think I walked away with the confirmation that we still have some individuals that we need to pursue," she said.
Holloway, an honors student from the Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook, disappeared May 30 after she left a nightclub with Joran Van Der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, ages 21 and 18 respectively, authorities said.
She was in Aruba with about 100 classmates to celebrate their recent graduation.
The three men and a fourth suspect, 26-year-old disc jockey Steve Croes, face accusations of two counts of murder and one count of kidnapping leading to murder.
None have been formally charged, and Twitty says she has seen "no evidence whatsoever" that her daughter is dead.
Defense attorneys for Van Der Sloot and the Kalpoes have said their clients maintain their innocence.
Satish Kalpoe to mom: 'We didn't do anything'
The mother of the Kalpoes said Thursday that one son had admitted he and his brother made up a cover story to protect Joran Van Der Sloot.
Nadira Ramirez told CNN she was permitted to visit son Satish Kalpoe at Aruba's prison within the past week.
Initially, Ramirez said, her sons had told her and police they dropped Holloway off at the Holiday Inn, where she was staying. But Satish Kalpoe told his mother later that was a lie aimed at protecting Van Der Sloot.
In fact, he told his mother, he and his brother had dropped Holloway and Van Der Sloot off at the beach by the Marriott hotel, about a mile from the Holiday Inn.
Ramirez tearfully said her son insisted he and his brother were innocent.
"'We didn't do anything. We will be out from here. Don't cry,'" she said he told her.
"I asked him, 'Satish, are you sure you guys didn't do anything?'" she said.
She said he responded: "'No, mama. We gave that girl and Joran a lift.'
"They don't even know Natalee. They said she didn't even introduce herself to them," she said. "They don't know anything else about that."
Ramirez's account echoes comments made by one of two security guards who were arrested June 5 in connection with the case and released June 13.
The guards, Abraham Jones, 28, and Mickey John, 30, were never charged.
After his release, John said Deepak Kalpoe confided to him while they were in jail together that he had lied to police