This browser does not support the Video element.
Person of interest being questioned in Nancy Guthrie case [PREV. COVERAGE]
A person of interest has been detained for questioning in the 2-week search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie.x
PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KTTV) - A person who was questioned over the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Arizona has reportedly been released.
According to FOX News' Matt Finn, the person who was questioned by authorities was let go after a brief detainment on Tuesday, February 10. Finn's report came early Wednesday morning.
After being released, the man spoke with reporters in Arizona. Finn reports the man told the press that his name was Carlos Palazuelos.
The man explained he was pulled over and was detained during the traffic stop, Finn reports. The man claiming to be Carlos Palazuelos said he had "nothing to do with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie," Finn said in the report.
The man works in Tuscon – where Guthrie was last seen – delivering packages, he told FOX News.
Over the course of Palazuelos' brief detainment, he was never explicitly identified by investigators as the suspect. Palazuelos himself confirmed he was not named as a suspect after being let go.
In an interview with KNXV-TV, Palazuelos said he never really followed the Nancy Guthrie story.
"This is big major news. It's Nancy Guthrie," KNXT-TV reporter Ford Hatchett explained to the man about the situation in the interview. "Her daughter is Savannah Guthrie, who hosts the TODAY show on NBC. So it's been big news – she's been missing for more than a week and so [Pima County Sheriff's Department] put out that they detained a person of interest… and I guess that was you?"
"I guess so," Palazuelos said with a laugh.
Palazuelos told KNXT-TV's Hatchett in the interview that he's innocent.
"I didn't do anything. I didn't even know what was going on," Palazuelos told Hatchett in the interview.
What we don't know:
As of Wednesday, 12 a.m., Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts remain unknown. Her health condition also remains unknown.
The backstory:
So far, no suspects accused of kidnapping Nancy Guthrie have been named in the nationwide search for the 84-year-old mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie.
As of Wednesday, only one person has been arrested in the Nancy Guthrie case. The said suspect is accused of asking Guthrie's relatives about the ransom money, not necessarily the alleged kidnapping act.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 11 on February 5, Derrick Callella is facing federal charges over allegations of texting one of Guthrie's daughters asking about the ransom.
The court documents said Callella was charged with transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce, and without disclosing his identity, utilizing a telecommunications device with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspect ID'ed as ex-Los Angeles County employee accused of stealing unemployment benefits
Timeline:
The news of Callella's arrest and Palazuelos' detainment and immediate release come more than a week after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen in her home in Pima County, Arizona, on January 31.
On February 2, a local TV station in Tucson, KOLD-TV, received an alleged ransom note that included a demand for a specific amount of money as well as a deadline for the said ask.
The alleged note listed a Bitcoin wallet address for the family to send the money, should the victim's loved ones cave. On February 10, TMZ's Harvey Levin reports an activity was detected in the Bitcoin account allegedly linked to the ransom note.
Less than a week before Levin's report about the alleged Bitcoin activity, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings posted a video message on social media addressing the alleged ransom demand.
"We too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media," Savannah said on February 4. "As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her."
Savannah's sister Annie also issued a statement in the video message.
"We are always going to be merely human, just normal human people who need our mom," she added in the Feb. 4 video statement. "Mama, if you're listening, we need you to come home. We miss you."
Savannah's brother Lt. Col. Camron Guthrie issued a separate video post on February 5 also urging the suspect to come forward.
"Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact," Lt. Col. Guthrie said.
On February 10, the FBI released images showing a masked person outside Nancy Guthrie's home on what federal investigators claim was recorded on the morning of her disappearance. The masked person has not been identified as of February 11.
This browser does not support the Video element.
FBI releases new surveillance pics in Nancy Guthrie case
The FBI on Tuesday released several new pictures of a masked individual outside Nancy Guthrie's home the morning of her disappearance.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.
The Source: This story referenced reporting from FOX News' Matt Finn, in addition to previous reports from KSAZ-TV, a FOX-affiliate station in Phoenix. The article also references the KNXT-TV video that showed a reporter speaking with a man who self-identified as Carlos Palazuelos, the man detained for questioning, but was never named suspect.