THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2008 NEWS 5A ABDUCTION Kidnapped boy returns safely to relieved father Mexican drug dealers posing as police abducted the 6-year-old for four days BY KATHLEEN HENNESSEY ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS โ€” A 6-year-old boy abducted from his home at gunpoint was safe in his father's custody Sunday as police tried to untangle any ties the young-ster's family had to the Mexican drug dealers suspected of taking him. Puffinburger Police were interviewing Cole Puffinburger after he was found alone Saturday night on a quiet street outside a Methodist church in Las Vegas. "We're speaking with the boy today," FBI spokesman David Staretz said Sunday. "I know he's been interviewed by law enforcement, and we'll probably get a better idea of where he've been." Robert Puffinburger waits to talk at a news conference in Las Vegas early Sunday. Robert's son Cole Mason Puffinburger, who was kidnapped Wednesday, was found alive Saturday in Las Vegas. Cole's father, Robert Puffinburger, was a picture of relief at a news conference, as he smiled, cried and thanked police and neighbors for helping to bring Cole home. "I'm just so glad he's safe," his father said. appeared sparsely furnished, with a bare mattress on the living room floor. No one answered the door. ASSOCIATED PRESS Staretz would not comment further on what had happened to Cole in the four days since he was snatched from his mother's home by two men posing as police officers. Police have said they believe the abduction Wednesday was an attempt by drug dealers to send a message to the boy's grandfather. Robert Puffinburger and police had concentrated search efforts on a largely Hispanic neighborhood a few miles from where Cole was found. They posted fliers in English and Spanish with a photograph of the boy, a slight, smiling blond in glasses. Cole was found in "extremely good condition" but was taken to University Medical Center as a precaution, Las Vegas police Capt. Vincent Cannito said. Cole was treated and released to his father's care early Sunday, hospital spokesman Rick Plumber said. Robert Puffinburger would not comment on Cole's mother or her father, 51-year-old Clemens Tinnemeyer, who police say may have stolen millions from dealers involved in trafficking methamphetamine. On Sunday, a blue painted sign in the front yard of the home from which Cole was abducted read, "Welcome Home Cole." The home Tinnemeyer was scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate Monday in Riverside, Calif. He was arrested there Friday and was being held in nearby San Bernardino on a material witness warrant issued by a federal court in Nevada. Las Vegas police didn't know whether Tinnemeyer had a lawyer. Police have declined to elaborate on what role he played in the drug operation or whether the kidnappers had been seeking a ransom. Tinnemeyer described himself as a carpenter of 22 years when he and his wife, Diane, filed for bankruptcy in 2001. The couple live in an older Las Vegas neighborhood of weathered rambler-style homes on acre lots. The Tinnemeyers have lived there for close to 20 years, according to a neighbor who didn't want to be identified because he feared for his safety. ing and going, he said. Cole was often at the home in the care of his grandmother, who works in a lunchroom of the local elementary school. Until about two years ago, the house was busy with cars com- Tinnemeyer spent time in what he said was a recording studio behind the home, the neighbor said. He left in a motor home in May. The neighbor said he continued to see Diane Tinnemeyer daily but had not seen her husband since. Messages left at a number believed to be for the Tinnemeyer home were not returned. A black Staretz said authorities continued the search Sunday for another "person of interest," a Mexican citizen identified as Jesus Gastelum. pickup truck sat in the driveway Sunday, but no one came to the door. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATED PRESS A Palestinian woman is denied entry by an Israeli border policeman as she attempts to cross the Kalandia Checkpoint on her way to pray at the Al Aqa Mosque for the holy fasting month of Ramadan, between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah Sept. 19, 2008. Israel considers land exchange deal BY ARON HELLER ASSOCIATED PRESS JERUSALEM โ€” Israeli leaders are seriously considering a dormant Saudi plan offering a comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab world in exchange for lands captured during the 1967 war. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Sunday. Barak said it may be time to pursue an overall peace deal for the region since individual negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians have made little progress. Barak said he has discussed the Saudi plan with Prime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni, who is in the process of forming a new Israeli government, and that Israel is considering a response. Saudi Arabia first proposed the peace initiative in 2002, offering pan-Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from Arab lands captured in 1967 โ€” the West Bank, Gaza Strip, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The 22-member Arab League endorsed the plan last year. The Etc. Shop DKNY 928 Massachusetts 843-0611 www.theetcshop.com 55 years of AMAZING pizza, burgers & beer You're not around for 55 years unless you have something amazing to offer. Just 'cross the bridge 401 N.2nd St. 842-0377 Analyst Ghassan Khatib, a former minister in the Palestinian Cabinet, said interest in the plan was "a little bit late" but welcome. ment in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. rare issues on which Arabs have consensus." "I strongly believe that the Arab initiative is the best approach to peace between the Arabs and the Israelis," he said. "It fulfills all the legitimate objectives of Israel and those of the Palestinians and at the same time it has this regional dimension and it reflects one of the While Israel's outgoing prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has welcomed the Saudi plan, he and other leaders want to keep small parts of the territories captured in 1967. Israel also objects to language that appears to endorse a large-scale return of Palestinian refugees to lands inside Israel. Israel says a massive influx of Palestinians would destroy the country's Jewish character. Israel has said the plan is a good basis for discussion, but expressed some reservations. At the Kansas Union, 5th Floor Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Featuring careers in public service presented by representatives from federal, state and local government "There is definitely room to introduce a comprehensive Israeli plan to counter the Saudi plan that would be the basis for a discussion on overall regional peace," Barak told Israel's Army Radio. Public Service Career Fair 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. He noted the "deep, joint interest" with moderate Arab leaders in containing Iran's nuclear ambitions and limiting the influence of the radical Islamic Hezbollah move- OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS Coordinated by the University Career Center. Also sponsored by the Career Centers of the School of Business and the School of Engineering. For additional info, visit www.KUCareerHawk.com Contributing to Student Success! ANDERSON CHANDLER LECTURE SERIES THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS PRESENTS AN EVENING WITH Andrew J. Jetter PRESIDENT AND CEO, FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF TOPEKA "Looking Ahead: The Future of Housing Finance in America" TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008 ยท 7:00 P.M. THE LIED CENTER OF KANSAS