from CNN
 

CNN) --

.http://www.kare11.com/assetpool//ima...81_alfonso.jpg

An arrest has been made in connection with the disappearance of a 22-year-old college student, police in Grand Forks, North Dakota, said Monday evening.

Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., 50, of Crookston, Minnesota, was taken into custody in Crookston at 7:20 p.m. (8:20 p.m. EST), shortly after the state's attorney's office in Grand Forks issued an arrest warrant for him on a kidnapping charge. He is being held at a jail in Crookston, about 25 miles southeast of Grand Forks, where University of North Dakota senior Dru Sjodin went missing November 22.

The search for Sjodin is still in progress, police said.

Authorities believe Sjodin may have been abducted while she was talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone, according to Associated Press reports. She had finished her shift at Victoria's Secret at the Columbia Mall in Grand Forks and had gone shopping at another store in the mall.

Her boyfriend, Chris Lang, told authorities he was talking to Sjodin on the cell phone when the conversation abruptly ended, the AP reported. Police said Lang reported that Sjodin said "something to the effect of 'Oh my God,' or 'Oh no" ' before the line went dead.

The search had been centered in Fisher, Minnesota, about 10 miles east of Grand Forks, where the call was traced to her cell phone, the AP reported. It was widened to the Crookston area because the cell phone signal could have carried that far, officials said.

Since Sjodin's disappearance, hundreds have turned out for organized searches, according to the AP. Police have received hundreds of calls to a tip line

like others have already posted, there has been an arrest. but they still haven't found dru. the search will continue tomorrow. they have had over 900 leads that they are sifting through. also, they have been searching the river with underwater cameras and will continue to do so tomorrow.

just so some of you can get some of our local news:
fargo paper: www.in-forum.com
fargo news: www.kvlytv11.com

here's the latest article just posted on in-forum.com

Man arrested in Sjodin disappearance
Dave Forster , Matthew Von Pinnon and Steven P. Wagner
The Forum - 12/01/2003

A Level 3 sex offender recently released from prison and living in Crookston, Minn., was charged Monday night with kidnapping in the Nov. 22 disappearance case of Dru Sjodin.

Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., 50, is being held for kidnapping in Crookston’s Tri-County Correctional Center.

Police did not immediately disclose what led them to Rodriguez, or if signs of Sjodin had been found.

Rodriguez, released from prison May 1, has a history of sexual contact and attempted kidnapping of adult women, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections Web site.

Rodriguez has raped women in two earlier instances and has used a weapon to gain compliance, the site says. Rodriguez was known by one of his victims and unknown to two others.

Rodriguez, 5 foot 4 inches tall and 159 pounds, was no longer under supervision, according the corrections Web site. Level 3 sex offenders are deemed those highly likely to re-offend.

Law enforcement officials said in a press release Monday night that no other information would be released until an 11 a.m. press conference today in Grand Forks.

News of Rodriguez’ arrest came to Sjodin’s family at 8:05 p.m. Monday from a Forum reporter who was with them at the time.

Sjodin’s father, Allan, asked: “Is it legit?”

About 10 family members then watched in the lobby of the Grand Forks Hilton hotel as WDAY and WDAZ TV reported Rodriguez’s arrest.

WDAZ reported Rodriguez was arrested at his mother’s home in Crookston.

Sjodin’s family members immediately began making cell phone calls to authorities and friends upon hearing the news. There was then a scurry of activity -- they hugged each other and paced the hotel hallways.

Sven Sjodin, Dru’s brother, said, “It’s good news, but we still have a mission ahead of us. We all know she’s still alive.

“We have a piece of the puzzle. Now we just have to get her back.”

Allan Sjodin, Dru’s father, said he would not comment on the arrest until today’s press conference.

Grand Forks Police refused to say last Wednesday whether or not detectives were interested in talking with Rodriguez.

A call placed to Rodriguez’s mother’s house last Wednesday night was answered by a woman. The Forum wanted to find out if Rodriguez had been questioned in the search.

When asked, the woman on the phone said, “That’s none of your business” and hung up.

Also last Wednesday, a worker at El Roco Night Club, where Sjodin worked nights as a waitress, said she recognized Rodriguez’s face when shown his mug shot, by a Forum reporter, from Minnesota’s sex offender Web site. She said she last saw him a couple of months ago, but other workers there said they didn’t recognize him.

Waitress Stephanie Brumwell was working Monday night when TV reports hushed the crowd with news of the arrest. Neither she nor the two bartenders on duty recognized Rodriguez, but Brumwell said they all were so shocked they didn’t pay close attention to his face.

“Emotions were running a little bit wild,” she said, minutes after hearing the news. “Hope is definitely still alive.”

Dru Sjodin, a 22-year-old University of North Dakota senior, was last seen leaving the Columbia Mall in Grand Forks.

She graduated from high school in Pequot Lakes, Minn., where she was an honor student, athlete and homecoming queen.

Oh no... this doesn't sound so good :'-(

From the city's web site:

Arrest Made Related to the Disappearance of Dru Sjodin

At 7:20 p.m. on 01 December 2003, law enforcement officers arrested Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., age 50, of Crookston Minnesota on a warrant issued by the Grand Forks States Attorney’s Office and signed in Grand Forks District Court for the charge of Kidnapping, a Class A Felony in North Dakota. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. is being held at the Tri-County Correctional Center in Crookston Minnesota.

Out of respect for the Sjodin family and in the interest of the integrity of the investigation, no further information will be released at this time. All agencies involved are working to find Dru and continuing the investigation.

Anyone with information that may assist in locating Dru Sjodin or who may have information regarding this abduction should call the Grand Forks Police Department Tip Line at 701-780-8213.

A press briefing will be held in the lobby of the Grand Forks Police Department at 11:00 am CST on Tuesday, 2 December 2003. No additional information will be released until this press briefing.



Release issued: 8:15 p.m. Monday, December 1, 2003
Release prepared by: Captain Michael Kirby

i hope for the best, but i can't help but expect the worst...it's just the way i am. these days, these stories have far too few happy endings. however, finding him is a big step and hopefully dru is alive and well and will be reunited with her loved ones soon.

Her family still sounded a little positive - so I'm going to keep thinking happy thoughts for Dru until I have good reason not to.

Also, thank you ladies for keeping us posted - this isn't getting much media attention here, so I've been keeping my chapter posted via GC updates.

my heart breaks for this situation-- that's just horrible... i hope that everything will be okay at 11 am tomorrow

Man faces hearing in student's disappearance
Minnesota man served sentence for rape

Tuesday, December 2, 2003 Posted: 10:10 AM EST (1510 GMT)

Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was arrested Monday on a kidnapping charge.


(CNN) -- A 50-year-old Minnesota man faces an extradition hearing Tuesday in Crookston, Minnesota, following his arrest in the kidnapping of a North Dakota college student who vanished after she left her job at a mall just over a week ago, court officials said.

Authorities said Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. of Crookston, was arrested shortly after the Grand Forks state attorney's office issued an arrest warrant for him on a kidnapping charge in the disappearance of Dru Sjodin, a student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.

Sjodin disappeared November 22, and the search for her is still in progress, police said.

Rodriguez, who is listed as a predatory offender by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, was released from prison on May 1 after serving time for charges that include rape, aggravated assault and kidnapping. The Web site on which he is registered describes him as 5 feet 4 inches tall, with "a history of sexual contact and attempted kidnapping with adult females."

"Offender used force and has used a weapon to gain compliance," the site says. It does not say how long of a sentence he served, but notes that he is no longer under supervision.

The Grand Forks Police Department refused to elaborate on the arrest.

"Out of respect for the Sjodin family and in the interest of the integrity of the investigation, no further information will be released at this time," a police statement said.

A news conference is scheduled for Tuesday.

Sjodin disappeared as she left the mall in Grand Forks where she worked at a Victoria's Secret store. Her car was found in the parking lot.

Friends contacted police after she failed to show up at a second job that night, and after an alarming phone call with her boyfriend that was cut short. In that call, friends say, her last words were "no, no, no, OK, OK, OK."

The search had been centered in Fisher, Minnesota, about 10 miles east of Grand Forks, where the call was traced to her cell phone, The Associated Press reported. It was widened to the Crookston area because the cell phone signal could have carried that far, officials said.

Since Sjodin's disappearance, more than 1,000 volunteer searchers have braved the snow and cold to search for her.

well, the press conference didn't give much more info. they basically said the community is safer now that rodriguz is in custody. they're still looking for dru and they won't discuss any details at this time.

Cautiously Encouraging
 

The noon press conference was very guarded, with a refusal to divulge details such as evidence. What I find encouraging is that the suspect was charged with "kidnapping", and nothing more egregious. The arrest was based on "probable cause", and no further details were released.

Re: Cautiously Encouraging
 

I understand the press is trying not to "leak" too much information at this supposedly critical point in the case, BUT I hope they have a little more than probable cause. We have all heard about cases where people were locked up for years on mistaken identity (witnesses inaccurately identifying people).

Here's more info...I was not able to watch the press conference as I was in class at that time. When I got home, however, I did talk to one of my friends who told me that the whole thing was basically pointless. Here's some info that I have picked up throughout the day though...
The man arrested has kidnapped about 3 women in te past. He has never killed anyone, but has used a weapon (knife). the worst thing he has done to them, well, besides rape, is sstab wounds. But never killed. Knowing this keeps hope alive, in my eyes at least. I do not know how accurate this informtion is, but it is just stuff I have heard...Fingers still crossed...More search volunteers needed tomorrow...

thanks for all the updates... i'm still praying for her safe return

accountability
 

why was this guy out of jail? when the "powers that be" are held accountable for the actions of felons such as this repeat offender, maybe the world will be a safer place. dru and her family are in my prayers.

Im praying for her family and for her safe return. However we dont know that this guy even has anything to do with her dissapearance. Im kind of hoping that he does since he is now in custody and maybe they'll be able to find her w/o her being hurt. I hope she is ok.

Nichole