***BREAKING NEWS****
According to VolunteerTV in Knoxville Clemens Tinnemeyer may be in Memphis....
Police: Cole's grandfather "person of interest"
The search for Cole Puffinburger has gone nationwide and now possibly international. News 3's Dan Ball reports that police say Mexican drug dealers are responsible for the six-year-old's kidnapping.
Detectives are now looking for Clemens Fred Tinnemeyer as a person of interest in the disappearance of six-year-old Cole Puffinburger.
Cole was kidnapped at gunpoint during a home invasion early Wednesday morning. Tinnemeyer is Cole's grandfather and police are now confirming they believe it was his involvement in drug trafficking and stolen drug money that led to Cole's abduction.
"Tinnemeyer has stolen a large sum of money, all proceeds from illegal drug activity," says Metro Capt. Vincent Cannito.
"They wanted to send a very clear message. They got the attention of an entire nation."
Tinnemeyer, who goes by "Clem," hasn't been seen or heard from since May. His family reported him missing on September 11.
Tinnemeyer is 5'10" tall, weighs approximately 210 to 250 pounds, and has hazel eyes and brown hair. Police have released photos of the vehicle they believe he may be driving. It's a white Dodge, four-door pick-up truck with the Mississippi license plate number KA6251.
At a press conference Friday, detectives said they believe the suspects are from Mexico and have ties to some sort of organized drug operation.
"We believe that they are Mexican nationals," says Capt. Cannito.
"We have reason to believe that the network we are dealing with is very aware of the situation."
The search for Cole has now reached an international level, with media outlets plastering his picture on national news outlets and online web sites such as Missing Kids, MySpace, and Amber Alert. These sites are constantly updating the latest details on the search.
Authorities have hundreds of detectives and officers working every lead that they receive with the hope that one will lead them to Cole.
"We will not stop looking for this child," assures Capt. Cannito. "This agency has gone on a 24-hour watch."
Six-year-old Cole Puffinberger is 3'11" tall, weighs 48 pounds, and has blonde hair and blue eyes. He also has distinctly stained front teeth, an overbite, and wears silver wire-rimmed prescription glasses. Cole was last seen wearing a black John Cena wrestling shirt, dark jeans, black Vans shoes, and a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt with black, blue, and white stars.
Metro mentioned that Mexican drug dealers are responsible for Cole's kidnapping. While police haven't said if it is one individual or an entire organization, they do know that Mexican drug cartels have caused a surge in violence and kidnappings in the United States.
Drug trafficking has claimed 3,800 lives this year alone.
In June, President Bush approved a bill to set aside $400 million to aid Mexico in this drug battle.
News 3's Katherine Whaley reports that Tinnemeyer, Cole's grandfather and a person of interest in his kidnapping, is also a convicted criminal.
The 51-year-old also owns a home here in Las Vegas. It's only a block away from Cole's elementary school. People who live nearby say they often saw Cole at the Tinnemeyer's house.
One neighbor says Cole even lived there for a time. Neighbors who knew Tinnemeyer are feeling very uneasy. Even though Cole and his family were targeted, they are warning their children to watch out for people they don't know.
Clemens Tinnemeyer seems to have simply vanished.
In the missing persons report filed by his family, his wife Diane, believed to be a janitor at Cole's elementary school, says Tinnemeyer is an RV driver who would leave home for weeks at a time.
She claims she hasn't seen him since May of this year.
For police, finding out what happened to Tinnemeyer could provide some vital information in the desperate search for six-year-old Cole.
If you have seen either Tinnemeyer or Cole, please call the Metro Police Department or you can leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 385-5555. No lead is too small.
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