Missing Fla. Girl's Mom Re-Arrested

Casey Anthony Arrested For Check Fraud, Theft; Named "Person Of Interest" In Daughter Caylee's Disappearance

(CBS/AP)  The mother of a missing Florida girl was back in jail on check fraud and theft charges just over a week after being released on bond for charges related to her daughter's disappearance.

Orange County Sheriff's Office investigators took Casey Anthony into custody at her home Friday night. She was being held on $3,000 bond and was charged with uttering a forged instrument, fraudulent use of personal information and petty theft, Capt. Angelo Nieves said.

According to sheriff's office reports, Anthony used a friend's checkbook to buy items at Target and Winn-Dixie, and to write a check for cash in July.

"She used checks that did not belong to her," Nieves said.

The 22-year-old, who was released from jail on $500,000 bond last week, has already been charged with child neglect, making false statements and obstructing the investigation into her daughter's disappearance.

"The allegations surfaced during the investigation but we had to do our due diligence," Nieves said of the new charges.

Police say Anthony is a person of interest in the disappearance of her daughter, 3-year-old Caylee, who hasn't been seen since mid-June. She did not report her daughter missing until July.

Beth Karas, a crime reporter for TruTV, told CBS Early Show anchor Bianca Solorzano, said that holding Anthony on these new charges may be a way for police to squeeze her for more information, especially after DNA evidence indicates that a hair found in the trunk of her car is linked to her missing daughter.

But that evidence may be circumstantial, Karas said. "You know, hair is shed easily by all of us and transferred easily. While it's a little bit of evidence that maybe the toddler was in the trunk, it's not conclusive, because it could have been transferred on an item in the house and then placed in the trunk."

Much more serious are reports that investigators found signs of human decomposition in the car.

Karas (left) said that such evidence would be "much more compelling when the DNA results come back, if they are tied to little Caylee. Then probably it can be concluded that she is no longer alive."

But if that is the case, can a case be made against someone if there are no remains found?

"People are prosecuted around the country without bodies," Karas said. "It's not common but it is done and there are successful prosecutions."


Attorney Slams "Grandstanding" By Law Enforcement

At a press conference outside the Anthony family home, Casey Anthony's attorney called her latest arrest "grandstanding" on the part of law enforcement.

"They are not searching for anyone," attorney Jose Baez said. "They are disingenuous."

Several people from a California bail bonds company helped Anthony post bond, saying she might be more likely to talk about her daughter's disappearance if she were released from jail. But a bounty hunter with the California company said Friday he no longer believes the girl is alive.

"Absolutely not," Leonard Padilla said.

Clearwater-based bondsman Albert Estes, who shares the same surety group as Padilla's company and helped post Anthony's bond, did not immediately return a phone message.

Anthony family spokesman Larry Garrison called the arrest a "three-ring circus."

"Casey's attorney, Jose Baez, diligently tried to contact authorities to surrender his client," he said. "The arrest and the drama at the Anthony home tonight only added insult upon injury for the family of the kidnapped child."

The State Attorney's Office and Anthony's attorney had discussed granting her limited immunity, according to e-mails from prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick. Under the offer, Anthony would provide statements to investigators, but prosecutors couldn't use them against her in court. However, they could use any evidence they find as a result.

"There are different types of immunity," Karas said. "It doesn't mean she doesn't get charged, scot-free. They'd want to know where that body is. The deal is, you come talk to us. Anything you say to us won't be used against you. We're not going to stand up in court and say, 'She told us this.'

"However, she has to lead them to the body or the remains or else no deal. It's off. Bring us to her."

Burdick said the offer is set to expire Tuesday.

[keithle1]

USA has WAY too many rednecks/white trash. Eeeewwww.

Attach wires to her tongue, nipples & private parts.
Crank up the juice. Stop when the truth comes out.

What mother waits two weeks or so to report her daughter missing? You were too busy? Slipped your mind? Thought she was sleeping over at a friend''s house?

I guarantee that "Mom" is involved.

[cricket264]

I THINK THE POSITIVE POSTS ARE FROM HER RED NECK FAMILY AND HER WILD PARTYING FRIENDS....HAS ANYONE WONDERED WHY SHE WONT ANSWER ONE QUESTION??? WHERE IS CAYLEE???MAYBE IF SHE WOULD JUST ANSWER THAT ONE QUESTION PEOPLE HERE WON''T BE SO CRUEL AS SOME OF YOU HAVE SAID..SO PLEASE CASEY...CINDY...ANSWER THE QUESTION...WHERE IS CAYLEE??? WHY DID YOU DELETE ALL HER PICTURES,ON YOUR MYSPACE??HOW COULD YOU PARTY WHILE SHE WAS MISSING??WHY DID YA NEED THAT GAS AND SHOVEL?? YOU SHOULD HAVE USED THAT GAS FOR YOUR CAR AND NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WOULDN''T HAVE REPORTED THE DEAD BODY SMELL IN THE CAR, AND NEITHER WOULD YOUR WISHY WASHY MOM...

[ahrats]

The mother is the only one who know where she left her child. If she planted her daughter 3 weeks ago no sign of the burial will be obivous. If she gave her daughter to someone else where is this person? the family is using the system and wasting lots of money and police time.Stop lying and just tell the truth, but I guess it a family tradition to just keep everyone in the dark.

[gaye5]

I think that I have missed something here..
How can the family say that the child was kidnapped when they didnt report her missing for weeks..??

formrusmcsgt, you are right, it sure sounds like she is guilty anyone who doesnt report their child missing for even a day is at least negligent of care, I for that reason have no doubt that she is guilty.

[formrusmcsgt]

I have a simple question for all these "hang-em-high" posters. Do you believe in the concept of innocent until proven guilty?

Posted by JehovahWtnss at 11:37 PM : Aug 31, 2008

True.

She''s yet to be charged, much less convicted.

But the fact that she didn''t report her daughter as missing does not point to innocence, in my nook.

[oneworldusa]

Solzana,

Yeah, what ABOUT a lie detector test? Why not?
Good point.

[oneworldusa]

I was watching Nancy Grace before the Olympics. All the news was this missing little girl. Fine. I Hope very much she is found alive and well. Then, I watched the Olympics and 3 weeks later, Nancy Grace, nothing but this same story.

While I really would like to see the little girl found alive and well, continuing this story because of the mother''s escapades and ignoring other stories of missing children in the meantime is irresponsible journalism in my opinion.

Why not give equal airtime to all missing children so that as many as possible might be found before harm takes place. Focusing on a girl who wasn''t even reported missing for a month to begin with, 2 or 3 months later is not really helping society as a whole in my opinion.

[solzanna]

What about a lie detector test???

[jehovahwtnss]

I have a simple question for all these "hang-em-high" posters. Do you believe in the concept of innocent until proven guilty?

[apprxam]

It''s obvious that this young lady was way over her head and just wasn''t mature enought to be a mother.