DNA triggers arrest

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — A neighbor of a 7-year-old girl abducted from her bedroom three weeks ago was arrested Friday after her blood was found on his clothing and in his motor home, police said. The girl was still missing.

David Westerfield, 49, was taken into custody for investigation of kidnapping in the disappearance of Danielle van Dam, who vanished in the middle of the night.

Police chief David Bejarano said DNA tests confirmed the blood in Westerfield’s vehicle and on a piece of his clothing was the girl’s.

"I can’t stress enough how strong that link is," the chief said.

Danielle was reported missing from her second-story bedroom the morning of Feb. 2 when her parents went to check on her.

Bejarano would not offer any details about what may have happened to the girl and would not discuss why she was kidnapped.

"We are very happy that police have made an arrest. … But the fact still remains that we don’t have our daughter. We still need to find Danielle," the girl’s mother, Brenda van Dam, said outside the family home.

Bejarano said police have no conclusive evidence on whether she is alive, but added, "As a father, I’m optimistic that at some point we will find Danielle."

Westerfield, a self-employed engineer and divorced father who lives two doors down, appeared calm as he was led into an unmarked police car.

Damon van Dam, the girl’s father, has previously said that the family did not know Westerfield well.

Westerfield has told reporters that he saw Brenda van Dam at a bar near their home the night before Danielle was reported missing. Westerfield also said he went away that weekend and later showed police the locations in the desert east of San Diego.

On the Net: www.daniellemissing.com

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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