Suspect held in case of missing 11-year-old Florida girl

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) -- The suspect linked to a missing 11-year- old girl whose abduction was captured by a surveillance camera is in custody but not cooperating with investigators, authorities said Thursday.

Joseph P. Smith, 37, is not answering any questions about the disappearance of Carlie Brucia, who has been missing since Sunday evening, Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill said.

"We want to know where Carlie is," Balkwill said.

Smith was taken into custody Tuesday on a probation violation charge unrelated to the disappearance. A telephone tip led authorities to link him to the car wash's surveillance video.

He has not been charged in the disappearance but remains jailed without bond in the probation violation.

"We have strong evidence that he is in fact the perpetrator," said Capt. Jeff Bell, the lead Sarasota County sheriff's investigator on the case.

Smith has been arrested at least 13 times in Florida since 1993, according to state records. He was arrested in 1997 in Manatee County on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges, but was acquitted a year later. Records also show other arrests ranging from misdemeanor battery to felony drug possession.

Smith's car was being searched by investigators. A home he had recently lived in was cordoned off with yellow police tape and several paper bags, presumably holding evidence, were carried out by investigators.

Officials declined to say what, if anything, was found in the searches except to say that no body was found.

Carlie's stepfather, Steven Kansler, was among those who visited the cordoned-off home. He was visibly distraught as he left there late Wednesday night.

Chuck Chambers, a private investigator hired by the girl's family, said Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America" that investigators had told Kansler "something about a body," but "there was no evidence after that there was a body." He said the family was in seclusion.

The video footage of Carlie's apparent abduction showed a tattooed man wearing a mechanic's shirt with a name patch leading the girl away. Carlie did not appear to know him, and the girl's parents said they did not recognize him. The girl was going home from visiting a friend when she took a short cut near the car wash that had the security camera.

Smith works as a mechanic and has many tattoos, officials said.

Ron and Linda Thompson, neighbors of Smith, said they were shocked that he was linked to the disappearance, but conceded that the videotape looks like him.

"We haven't known any side of Joe that would indicate that he's capable of this," Linda Thompson said on NBC's "Today." "He's always great with his kids. ... We're stunned."

Carlie's family remains hopeful that she will soon come home, Kansler said Wednesday, shortly before officials announced Smith was in custody.

"She's full of life and she's not going to give up," Kansler said.

Friends from the girl's former Girl Scout troop took a day off from school Wednesday to pass out fliers at malls, canvass neighborhoods and distribute pink ribbons adorned with Carlie's name.

"I don't feel too good about this, knowing my best friend is out there with a stranger," said Tiffany Meeks.

A reward fund of $50,000 was offered for information.

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On the Net:

Center for Missing and Exploited Children: www.missingkids.com

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office: www.sarasotasheriff.org

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