Delivery Driver Briefly Detained, Then Released In Nancy Guthrie Case
A man was detained Tuesday night for questioning in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie — several hours later, he was released. Carlos Palazuelos, 27, told reporters he was “terrified” by the ordeal and felt like he was “being kidnapped.”
Palazuelos, a delivery driver, said he was pulled over near his Rio Rico, Arizona, home and questioned after investigators believed his eyes resembled those of a masked individual carrying a gun and tampering with her home security cameras. The FBI released the video from Guthrie’s home camera hours before the apprehension.
Asked whether he delivered a package to Nancy’s house, he said: “I don’t know, it might have been a possibility.”
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday that Palazuelos was detained while deputies followed up on incoming leads. Authorities said they have received about 4,000 calls in the 24 hours after the doorbell footage, though not all are related to the Guthrie case.
Wednesday marks 12 days since Guthrie, the mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home.
THERE’S MORE
TMZ received a new letter tied to Guthrie’s disappearance Wednesday morning, claiming to know who the kidnappers are and demanding one Bitcoin in exchange for the information. The email differs from earlier communications and does not claim to be from the kidnapper directly. Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker told Fox News that he is “highly skeptical” of it as bad actors look to capitalize on the ongoing situation.
One Bitcoin, which fluctuates greatly, is currently worth about $66,000 as of Wednesday afternoon — more than the $50,000 reward the FBI is offering for information leading to Nancy’s return.
TMZ and two Arizona stations previously received ransom-style notes tied to a Bitcoin wallet, demanding $6 million. Tucson station KGUN reports that the wallet received a small payment of less than $300 Tuesday night.
Bigger picture: Bitcoin transactions can occur outside traditional financial systems. The cryptocurrency has become a common tool in extortion schemes, including ransomware attacks and kidnappings, since its launch in 2009.