Text Message Leads To Girl's Rescue

Kidnapped Teen Uses Attacker's Cell Phone From Underground Bunker

(CBS/AP)  Filyaw had eluded police since November with an elaborate system of bunkers hidden in the woods around his home, Kershaw County Sheriff Steve McCaskill said. Filyaw not only hid from authorities there, they allege, he also raped and held captive the 14-year-old girl since Sept. 6.

"These are the kind of people who need to be behind bars and stay behind bars," said Sheriff Steve McCaskill.

McCaskill said it looked like Filyaw was trying to dig another bunker under that one as a possible backup, but had to abandon it when it filled with water.

Filyaw had dug two bunkers in his own yard and two in the woods and had used them to hide out since he was charged in the earlier case.

His girlfriend, Cynthia Hall, has been charged as an accessory and with neglect in that case, McCaskill said. Investigators say she allowed the assault to take place in her home and provided Filyaw with supplies to live in the bunker.

Police were tipped off to Filyaw's location Sunday after getting a call from a woman who said he tried to carjack her outside a restaurant, authorities said.

Filyaw gave up easily, McCaskill said, adding that he didn't think the suspect had help escaping.

Authorities said Filyaw was wearing a shirt that had the image of a sheriff's badge on it when he met the 14-year-old girl and the teen was walked around in the woods by her captor until she became disoriented. He used handmade grenades and a flare gun to threaten her while she was in the bunker, McCaskill said.

The sheriff said police found off-brand cigarette butts and pornography left behind in all Filyaw's hiding places.

Deputies had been searching for months for the unemployed construction worker. Officers tried to arrest him at his home earlier this week, but he escaped using a hole in the floor of his bedroom that allowed him to hide under his mobile home, McCaskill said.

The sheriff said Filyaw had a prior conviction for burglary and has been charged several times with public drunkenness and driving under the influence.

Filyaw's yard was overgrown with weeds Sunday, and no one answered the door.

A handwritten sign was attached to a gate leading into the back yard. "Anyone who tries to get past this gate will be shot. No questions asked. This includes cops," it read, with the word "cops" underlined three times.

Meanwhile, the driveway in front of the teenager's home was decorated with "Welcome Home" balloons.

"It's just amazing. I am just happy to have her home and safe," Madeline said.

[bennylaval]

Dawson tragedy-the comment against me is yet another in countless examples of how the left likes to be abusive, intolerant, insensitive, and idiotic. Like I often say "liberal left" is an oxymoron. And CBS News does not want to do anything about it even though it violates their rules of engagement.
There should be gun control but, like I said before, it doesn't make any difference in cases like these. Armed security guards would probably be more effective. And the Goth movement is largely responsible for this tragedy as well as the Columbine tragedy and the triple murder in Ontario. It was in that province where the 1st school shooting occured in the '70s, not in the US. Anastasia was the most wonderful, beautiful, and special person there could be and I love her very much. And I can't think of her as gone.

Sometimes the 'fear of the unknown' prevents people from talking and asking about a subject. Euthanasia of sexual offenders is one such topic. We should not euthanize these criminals to save money or simply for convenience of needing to store and feed them in our already overcrowded prisons either. We shouldn't euthanize sexual predators simply to protect our children from heinous harm. The majority of sexual predators are repeat offenders. We should euthanize sexual predators to forever purge them from society. Even after castration many seek hormones to allow them to continue destroying the lives of others. Chemical euthanasia is simply an anesthetic overdose which causes no pain to the recipient and works very quickly.

[osidebear]

It's always a terrible tragedy when something like this occurs, and we as a society should do all we can within the law to prevent and punish such actions. However, there is no "epidemic" of child-snatching going on in this country, as ausdale seems to think there is. Rather, there is an epidemic of over-reporting cases such as this, leading the American public to ever-higher levels of fear. Fear sells papers, sends TV news ratings higher, and allows pandering politicians and "journalists" to promote their own cynical agendas.

[ydion9961]

Our children are the most presious people in our lives. I agree, kidnappers should be locked up forever. Unfortunately, the violators have laws to protect them that are so outdated.

We need to get lawmakers that are willing to change the laws.

[ydion9961]

These people need to be locked up for ever. Our children are the most presious loved ones we have. I know kidnappers have great laws on their side, but we need better ones on ours.

What's the matter?, no one has anything to say about this story?, I mean the Pope reads somthing out of a book, and nobody can say nothing good of it!. Yet we here on earth have a terrable epidemic on our hands, is anybody's child safe anywhere?,is there any way to stop this?. This is now an everyday ordeal in to many peoples lives young and old, male or female, white or black, here or there, it just does'nt make sense!!!...