Detroit Father Maintains Innocence In Case Of Missing Girl
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The father of a missing 2-year-old girl spoke out Tuesday with his attorney by his side.
WWJ's Stephanie Davis reported that D'Andre Lane got emotional at times when talking about how he's become the focus of the investigation over reports that he allegedly threatened one of his other six children.
"You wanna say I threated people, where is the proof? You wanna say I sent emails, I sent messages ... what have none of these messages come forward? Why is none of this stuff being put out in the media?" said Lane.
"Everybody is saying things. It's speculation, speculation, speculation. The only fact is that my daughter is not with her family. That's it," he said.
A Personal Protection Order was filed by Lane's ex-wife, alleging that he threatened to kill their son.
Lane claims he was carjacked in Detroit on Friday and that the thieves drove off with his daughter, Bianca Jones, still strapped in her car seat. The car was found but the child is missing.
Lane said he's focused solely on getting his daughter back safely and is unconcerned that police doubt his story. "I don't care what you do, just bring her home," he said.
Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee said the father's story is under "intense scrutiny" by investigators.
Lane told reporters he can't pinpoint when this investigation turned on him.
"Like, soon after everything happened I was talking to police and I heard some officers off to the side say, oh, he has a criminal record. I know what that means," Lane said.
Lane was released Monday from the Oakland County jail where he was being held in an unrelated matter. His attorney, Terry L. Johnson, would not let Lane answer a reporter's questions about the moments before the alleged carjacking.
More than 150 volunteers helped investigators canvass the neighborhood where Bianca lives and where the car Lane was driving was found. About 75 to 80 law enforcement officers, including city and state police officers and FBI agents, are searching for the girl and following up on tips from the public, Detroit police Sgt. Eren Stephens said Tuesday.
The reward for information in the case has been rising. An anonymous $5,000 reward has been added to a $15,000 anonymous reward and one for $2,500 from Crime Stoppers, Stephens said. Stephens would not comment on whether Lane still was being questioned by Detroit police.
One volunteer, Al Horton, questioned if enough is being done to find Bianca.
"I haven't seen the mayor, I haven't seen the governor," said Horton. "I mean, you know, if this was the suburb they'd have the National Guard, the Coast Guard, I mean, the Marines looking for the little girl."
Anyone with information on Bianca's disappearance or whereabouts is asked to immediately call 911 or the Detroit Police Department at (313) 596-2260.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
