Dec 27, 2007 12:46 pm US/Eastern
Suspects Detained In Lawrence Soldier Kidnapping
BAGHDAD (WBZ) ―
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POW Flag hangs on the house of Spc. Alex Jimenez's father in Lawrence
WBZ
The military announced Thursday that it had detained two more suspects in the capture of three U.S. soldiers earlier this year, including Spc. Alex Jimenez of Lawrence.
One of the suspects is thought to have "facilitated" the kidnapping of the American soldiers taken during a May ambush near Youssifiyah, about 12 miles south of Baghdad, and to have used his house to hide the soldiers, the military said in a statement.
A weapon belonging to one of the soldiers was found at the residence of the other suspect. The men were detained on Monday and Tuesday in Ramadi, the military said.
Alex's family hasn't been seen at his father's Lawrence home in a couple of days, but neighbors say any news is good news.
"Everybody will be happy because of something like this," says Tony Hajnasr. He says anyone can sympathize with what the Jimenez family is going through. "Its hard for everybody, even if its not them, you know, anybody else in the world, even in America. When it happens like that, they're gonna be suffering," says Hajnasr.
Spc. Jimenez and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty of Waterford, Mich., were seized May 12 when insurgents attacked and overran a checkpoint in the volatile area south of Baghdad known as the "triangle of death."
A third soldier, Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., of Torrance, Calif., also was captured during the raid. His body was found May 23 floating in the Euphrates River. Four U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi translator were killed during the ambush.
The Islamic State of Iraq, a front group for Al Qaeda, claimed in an Internet video earlier this year that the three missing soldiers were killed and buried. The militants showed images of the military ID's of Jimenez and Fouty but offered no proof that they were dead.
However Alez's family has always maintained hope that he is still alive. Signs of that hope can been seen all over his father's home In Lawrence.
Tony Hajnasr says news of the capture gives them all hope that Alex will be found alive. "Its good news for something to happen like this because (when) they catch people like this and they find out where the guy is. Because he's still alive and that's nice."
U.S. officials have said they have detained around a dozen suspects in connection with the soldiers' disappearance.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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