Blog Posts by Clayton Sandell

  • Urgent Hunt for Serial Bank Robber

    By Clayton Sandell | ABC News Blogs – Thu, Nov 8, 2012

    An assault rifle-wielding serial bank robber suspected of shooting a police officer in February and hitting banks from California to Washington has struck again in Idaho, the FBI said Thursday.

    The "AK-47 Bandit" is considered armed and dangerous. He is suspected of robbing a Chino, Calif., bank in February, opening fire on police as he fled. The wounded officer was hospitalized but survived.

    The FBI says the bandit later hit banks in Vacaville and Sacramento Calif., before committing another robbery in North Bend, Wash.

    The latest holdup occurred Wednesday in Rexburg, Idaho. The suspect used his rifle to order employees and customers of the East Idaho Credit Union into a vault, the FBI said. He then stole an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing in a dark blue sedan with tinted windows and red and blue license plates.

    The suspect is described as a male 5'10? tall, wearing a mask, black gloves and a black coat with a hood.

    The FBI is offering a $50,000

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  • Wooden Cross Clue in Jessica Ridgeway Death

    By Clayton Sandell | ABC News Blogs – Fri, Oct 19, 2012

    A cross recovered during the Jessica Ridgeway investigation is shown in this handout photo supplied by the Westminister Police Department October 19, 2012. The 1 1/2 inch tall by 1 inch small wooden cross could become a pivotal piece of evidence that helps authorities identify and locate Jessica's killer. The search for the 10-year-old Colorado girl who authorities believe was abducted on her way to school has led to the discovery of a dismembered body at a park several miles from where the fifth grader vanished , police said October 18, 2012. REUTERS/Westminster Police Dept/Handout
    Police in Westminster, Colo., today released pictures of a wooden cross they say could be a "pivotal" piece of evidence in the search for 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway's killer.

    "The cross was recovered at one of the crime scenes, but we are not releasing the details at this time," Westminster Police investigator Trevor Materasso told ABC News.

    The cross is about an inch and a half tall and an inch wide with three vertical bars etched on one side.

    "Authorities are looking for someone who may carry or wear this type of cross, may have recently purchased one of these, or is known to have some association with one. Police are also looking for a local business that may sell these specific crosses," a police press release said.

    Ridgeway was abducted on Oct. 5 on her walk to school. Her dismembered body was found several days later. Police have received thousands of tips but, so far, have had few promising leads.

    "We recognize there is a predator at large in our

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  • Cops Find Body in Jessica Ridgeway Search

    By Clayton Sandell | ABC News Blogs – Wed, Oct 10, 2012

    Police have found an unidentified body in in an Arvada, Colo., park, just a few miles from where 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway went missing last Friday.

    It could take time to make a positive identification of the body found in the Pattridge Park open space in Arvada, police said, and officials haven't tied the crime scene to the missing girl.

    "The Arvada Police Department and Westminster Police Department are working jointly with additional resources to process that crime scene," Westminster, Colo., police investigator Trevor Materasso told reporters this evening. "At this time, we're unable to make any connection to the disappearance of Jessica Ridgeway. That crime scene will exist through the evening and into tomorrow morning."

    However, investigators believe it is the body of the 10-year old who vanished last week on her walk to school, sources told ABC News.

    Earlier today, investigators said Jessica's parents were not suspects in her disappearance, which they

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  • Morning Missile Mystery Lights Up Western Skies

    By Clayton Sandell | ABC News Blogs – Thu, Sep 13, 2012

    The bright trails of two missiles on a collision course lit up the early morning western sky Thursday, prompting concerned calls to police and TV stations across at least five states.

    The glowing cloud-like formation could be seen in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Utah. ABC affiliate KTNV posted pictures of the strange sight above the Las Vegas Strip.

    The Associated Press reported the contrails were from a Juno ballistic missile fired at 6:30 a.m. from Fort Wingate near Gallup, N.M. That missile was then intercepted by an advanced version of the Patriot missile that lifted off from the White Sands Missile Range.

    In Saguache County, Colo., someone called 911 at about 6:40 a.m. to report a possible plane crash, according to ABC Denver affiliate KMGH-TV.

    An official at North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, told KMGH that there were no reports of any crashes in southern Colorado. A spokesperson for White Sands Missile Range said the missile

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  • Largest Solar Flare May Create Sky Show

    By Clayton Sandell | ABC News Blogs – Wed, Mar 7, 2012

    The geomagnetic storm unleashed overnight by the biggest solar flare so far this year will not make a direct hit on Earth, but will strike more of a glancing blow early Thursday, forecasters at the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo., said this morning.

    Radiation from the flare is already causing blackouts of high-frequency radio frequencies used by aircraft flying over the poles, according to the center.  The flare is categorized in the X-5 class; X is the strongest type on scientists' scales.

    There could still be some impact to power griThe sun erupts with one of the largest solar flares of this solar cycle in this NASA photo taken on March 6, 2012. REUTERS/NASA/SD0/AIAds, radio communications and satellites from the geomagnetic storm- known as a "coronal mass ejection"- but experts say the effects should be relatively minor. As a precaution, however, power grid operators have been alerted and airlines are rerouting flights away from normal polar routes, said NOAA space weather scientist Joseph Kunches.

    The effects of the storm will last for about 24 hours, ending Friday,

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