A man who was detained by police and held in custody for several hours in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has been released, and spoken to the media about it.
Carlos Palazuelos, 36, was allegedly taken by law enforcement while driving in his car on Tuesday (February 10), 10 days into their search for the 84-year-old mother of TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
But after spending hours in custody and telling investigators that he had never heard of Nancy or daughter Savannah, protesting that he doesn't even watch the news, the delivery driver was eventually released without charge.
Speaking to reporters outside of his Arizona home, Palazuelos claimed the handcuffs had left his hands swollen, telling CBS: "They held me against my will. They didn’t even read me my rights until two hours later."
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Protesting his innocence and lack of knowledge about the case, he shared his frustration, saying that he asked: "What the f**k am I doing here? I didn’t do anything, to be honest, I’m innocent."
Before Palazuelos was released from police custody, DoorDash put out an emphatic statement in light of the arrest, which reads: "We are urgently investigating reports that an individual detained in relation to the Nancy Guthrie case was a delivery driver.
"We have reached out to law enforcement and are ready to support their critical investigation in any way we can. Like tens of millions around the world, our hearts are with the Guthrie family during this heart-wrenching time."
He also spoke about the moments before being detained, with him noticing that he was being tailed by law enforcement as he drove in his car with his wife. When they pulled him over, Palazuelos decided to step out of the vehicle.
The man told officers that he works for a delivery service, and might have dropped off a parcel at Nancy Guthrie's home on February 1, the day when she is believed to have gone missing.
"I told them, I work in Tucson for GLS, I might have delivered a package to her house but I never kidnapped anybody," he said, speaking outside of his home.
But he was still detained and held for several hours, without a clear understanding of what was happening, or why officials thought he was part of their investigation. No charges were filed against Palazuelos.
He added: "I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it. And they better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name, I’m done."
It has been a busy 24 hours for law enforcement investigating Guthrie's disappearance. Yesterday afternoon (February 10), FBI Director Kash Patel revealed the first image of a potential suspect in the case.
In the newly released pictures and footage recovered from the 'back end' of a video doorbell that had been tampered with, a masked and armed individual wearing thick gloves can be seen tampering with the porch camera, before leaving the property.
The FBI has urged anyone with tips or leads to call 1-800-CALL-FBI in addition to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office number, 520-351-4900. A $50,000 reward has been posted for information leading to Nancy's safe recovery or a conviction.
Pima County Sheriff's Office has been approached for comment.
William Morgan