A delivery driver who was briefly held over the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother Nancy last night has broken his silence to protest his innocence.
Carlos Palazeulos was detained on Tuesday night in Rio Rico, Arizona, around 60 miles from Tucson, where the 84-year-old woman vanished on January 31.
It remains unclear why police turned their attention to him, but it came hours after the FBI released the first surveillance photos of a suspect seen lurking near Guthrie’s home on January 31, the night she was taken.
Palazuelos was questioned for several hours then released without charge. Police are yet to name any other suspects, but FBI Director Kash Patel says investigators are considering ‘multiple persons of interest’.
After his release, Palazuelos spoke with reporters outside his home.
‘They held me against my will, they didn’t even read me my rights two hours in.’
When asked if he knew who Nancy was, he told reporters ‘no’. Police followed him while he made deliveries on Tuesday night, he said.
‘They told me to stop moving. What the f*** am I doing here? I didn’t do anything to be honest, I’m innocent.’
Palazeulos added that he had no idea who Savannah was either, saying he did not watch the news and that officers had not asked him any questions.
Authorities also carried out a search of his home near Interstate 19. He was released shortly after 1am local time.
‘They told me I was being detained for kidnapping. I asked them, “Kidnapping of who?”‘ he added.
He continued: ‘I hope they find the suspect, cause I’m not it – they better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name.’
Palazeulos also added that while he was in custody police searched his home, where he lives with his wife, children and in-laws.
He claimed that officers who raided the address broke down his front door and his garage doors.
Federal authorities were inundated with tips and are looking at more than ‘one person of interest’ after they released horrifying doorbell camera footage yesterday.
An armed figure wearing a ski mask and black latex gloves was spotted tampering with Nancy’s Nest doorbell camera in the early hours of February 1.
As officials continue their search, TMZ reported that a Bitcoin account referenced in ransom letters sent to media outlets has saw some activity after a deadline passed.
The news website is one of three outlets that received alleged ransom notes in connection with Nancy’s abduction.
Unidentified sources involved in the investigation told the outlet that officers believe the ransom notes were written by the kidnapper.
Sources said the letters referenced specific damage to Nancy’s home and other details that have not been made public.
Nancy was last seen entering her home in Tucson on the evening of January 31 after having dinner with her daughter, Annie, and son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni.
The next morning, she was reported missing after failing to attend a virtual church service with friends, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
Since then, law enforcement has continued to comb over the home, which sits on a large lot on a street with no lights, while Savannah and her two siblings, Anne and Camron, plead for help in finding their mother.
Annie and Cioni realized she was missing around 11.10am on February 1, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office said.
They reported her disappearance to police at 12.03pm. Her phone, wallet, vital daily medications and car were still at her Catalina Foothills home.
Cioni said he saw his mother-in-law enter her home through the garage before he drove off the night before at around 9.45pm MT.
Investigators found drops of blood on Nancy’s front porch – that were later confirmed to be hers – and that her doorbell camera was disconnected at around 1.45am.
Less than 30 minutes later, her security camera detected movement. Her pacemaker stopped transmitting data to her Apple Watch and phone shortly afterwards, suggesting she had been taken out of the devices’ range.
Nancy requires medication every 24 hours and it is unclear if whoever abducted her has ensured she has access to her medication.
Bar the video released by officials on Tuesday, there has been little new information about the case.
