WASHINGTON -- Metropolitan Police Department Police Chief Cathy Lanier says Kahlil Tatum, 8-year-old Relisha Rudd's suspected abductor, had contact with other young girls at the DC General homeless shelter.
"We are positive that Mr. Tatum did have contact with other girls at the shelter," stated Lanier.
Police are in contact with three or four families, according to Lanier. The police chief did not elaborate about the kind of contact or interaction Tatum had with the girls at the shelter.
"Sometimes there are things that we don't share for a reason. If it is not helpful for the investigation, I'm not going to release it," said Lanier.
On Friday night, officials were investigating a room at a Days Inn motel in Northeast, DC in reference to the Tatum case, WUSA9's Mola Lenghi reports.
Officers from multiple jurisdictions and agencies are searching in Kenilworth Park on Friday for missing 8-year-old Relisha Rudd. Lanier describes the effort as a "technical search" over more than 700 acres. More than 100 people are working for approximately 16 hours a day in the search, says Lanier. They include DC police, cadets, Montgomery County police, U.S. Park Police, the FBI and the National Park Service.
Divers have been going through the multiple bodies of water in the park.
Lanier expects the search to take crews through the weekend. If the search extends past the weekend, law enforcement will probably reach out to community groups to aid in the search early next week, says Lanier.
Officers are not only focusing in the park, according to Lanier. They are also following numerous leads and tips.
The search for Rudd concluded on Friday night but will resume on Saturday morning. "No evidence was located during the search thus far," Police said in a statement.
Questions arose about the date Rudd was last seen following Thursday's press conference. Lanier responded to those concerns on Friday, saying, "We are confident in timeline we produced yesterday."
As we reported first, sources say Tatum bought a shovel and lime as well as extra large garbage bags on March 2nd before spending hours here at the park.
Relisha's mother Shamika Young says, "I just want my baby back." Young let her go with Tatum, allegedly helped him pose as a doctor to explain the little girl's extended absence from school and told authorities Relisha was with her godfather and fine, before stalling on an Amber Alert for the girl.
The Police Chief said in a press conference, "Providing bad information to the police can result in a criminal charge."
At the end of each day, Lanier says the MPD will provide an update on any new developments in the search and investigation.
Lanier told reporters on Friday, "We are very hopeful that we will find Relisha alive."
The Police Chief says Tatum may still be in the area, and she is pleading with him to turn himself in.
Prince George's County (Md.) police are leading the search for Kahlil Tatum, says Lanier. She described it as a "very aggressive search." At this time, there is no reason to believe Tatum has left the Metro area, according to Lanier. Kahlil Tatum remains on the FBI's Most Wanted list for the murder of his wife in a Prince George's County hotel.
Lanier assured the public that "no stone is going unturned here."
