An Arrest Has Been Made in the Death of Sandra Cantu; Tornadoes Cause Damage and Death in Alabama and Tennessee
HOLMES: All right. We are looking at these computers because reaction is coming in fast and furious to the story about a Texas lawmaker wanting to get people to -- Asians to change their names because they would be easier to pronounce for some.</s>NGUYEN: Yes, as part of voter identification so that the name on the I.D. matches the identification on your voter registration card. All right. But, should people really have to change their names? You are sounding off this morning. Let's first go to my Twitter page and let's see, gosh, there's a whole lot to read through. This one says, "it's hard to imagine there's a person out there who would suggest others actually change their names. Disgraceful." I know you have a lot as well,</s>T.J. HOLMES: Move to the right, right there, and that's my Facebook page is up. And Winfred Warrick makes a point here and says "it just shows that some Americans' mindsets are still archaic. Since this country was formed, its landscape has been multi-racial. Why can't the Texas State Representative enrich her knowledge of Asian culture instead of making ignorant statements?</s>NGUYEN: Yes, but on the flip side, let's go to my Facebook real quick and Darrell suggests that I find the outrage misplaced. It's been a long tradition that Asian people to, "westernize their names. I personally think that practice is an insult to their culture. It's funny how a person can be demonized for saying something that's already happening."</s>HOLMES: That point has been made several times because it is. Some people often do. But I don't think anybody would want to be forced to do so.</s>NGUYEN: Yes.</s>HOLMES: You do it if you want to do it.</s>NGUYEN: All right. Keep sounding off. We're taking your comments and we'll be reading them on the air. But in the meantime, we got a lot to tell you about from the CNN Center this is</s>CNN SATURDAY MORNING, 9: 00 a.m. Eastern, 6:00 a.m. for those of you waking up out there in the West Coast. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.</s>HOLMES: And hello to you all, I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could start your day here with us. Unfortunately, we got some sad, breaking news to bring you this morning. First here, we're going to start in California. An arrest has been made now in the death of eight-year-old Sandra Cantu. The suspect, a Sunday schoolteacher. Yes, a Sunday schoolteacher under arrest for this murder. That story, the details, just ahead. And in Jefferson Parish, outside New Orleans, a deadly shooting leaves three young people dead ages 19, six, and just 23 months. An 11-year-old is in critical condition at this hour. And police say a gunman broke into their home in the early morning hours. The victims were found in their beds. We'll have more on this story. Let's start with this. Military force is growing around that high seas hostage standoff near Somalia. A second U.S. navy warship has arrived and helicopters are also keeping an eye on the life boat where American cargo ship Captain Richard Phillips is being held by pirates. There are coordinated efforts under way by other pirates to reach that life boat, but one captured ship that was being used in the search, well, it's turned back because of the increased military presence. Now the "Associated Press" is reporting that French naval forces ended another standoff near Somalia. Four hostages, including a child, were freed. They were being held on a sailboat. Now one other hostage and two pirates were killed in that. OK. We're also hearing that Captain Richard Phillips may have been tied up now by the pirates. That after he jumped ship, got in the water, tried to escape but then was recaptured. CNN's Stephanie Elam joins us now outside of Underhill, Vermont, where the captain's family lives, his hometown. Stephanie, you've been talking with neighbors and friends. What are they saying right now as they anxiously watch for word?</s>ELAM: No doubt about it, Betty, that people here are on pins and needles hoping for the safe return of their native son, but at this point they're saying the way he's behaved on the sea is not very different than the way he is when he's here with his family. He always takes care of his family, puts them first, and that's what they would expect of his crew as well. We actually spoke to one neighbor who's been a neighbor of the Phillips family for about 15 years. He told us and he gave us an idea of just what kind of a person Captain Phillips is.</s>WALSH: He is a great guy, warm and friendly fellow. He is gregarious. He has got a joke or a story for all occasions. And he's a person that everybody loves. You know and he's got more stories than you can imagine. So it's fun to go out, you know, and go to parties or go golfing with him. He's just a great guy. A great family man.</s>ELAM: And this really is a small town. It's the kind of place where everyone knows everyone here. They bump into each other at the general store, perhaps they see them when they're out for their evening walk. So everyone here just rallying around, putting yellow ribbons up throughout the town, just in hope and praying that Captain Phillips will come home safely -- Betty.</s>NGUYEN: All right. Stephanie, we do appreciate it. Thank you.</s>HOLMES: We turn now to other breaking story we have out of California today. A 23-year-old Sunday schoolteacher under arrest and charged in the kidnapping and murder of an eight-year-old girl. The announcement came to us just a short time ago. Melissa Huckaby, there she is. That is the suspect's name. The body of Sandra Cantu was found earlier this week. There she is, the little girl who had been missing since March 27th. She had been stuffed in a suitcase and dumped in an irrigation pond just a couple of miles from her home.</s>SHENEMAN: We had considered -- we had talked to a lot of people and we had looked at a lot of people. We had information that it was narrowing the focus as I had mentioned before but I couldn't release that information and I can't give you why we were heading in that direction.</s>HOLMES: We did talk to that sergeant this morning live here on the air after he gave that news conference. He told us that police confident that the suitcase that the little girl's body was found in did belong to the suspect Huckaby. He also told us Sandra Cantu was friends with the suspect's daughter.</s>NGUYEN: Let's get you the latest on weather outside because it has really been dangerous for a lot of folks. Severe storms. Reynolds Wolf has been watching all of it. In fact, these storms have been deadly in many parts.</s>WOLF: They really have especially in places like Arkansas. There's no question they were in Tennessee and even here in Atlanta we had some real window rattling storms that came through last night. Certainly no fatalities but a lot of damage also reported in places like Alabama. And the cleanup is going to begin today. Right now, though, in Atlanta and many other parts of the southeast, conditions are fine. The storm system that created all the rough weather is now moving out to sea. But some wraparound moisture we're going through this morning in Philadelphia, back to New York and even into Washington, D.C.. So any plans you have this morning, maybe going out to take a walk, walk the dog, that kind of thing, you're going to need to bring the umbrella with you. But into the afternoon, better conditions. Certainly a fairly nice day for you in the southeast. High pressure is going to be forming over the great lakes. Low pressure forming along the eastern seaboard bringing more of a northerly breeze. But I want you to focus on what's going to happen in parts of west Texas. We're going to see another storm system gear up, ramp up out of the four corners and with some moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico, it is going to spin a lot of that moisture back into parts of the Rockies. You could see some heavy snow. In fact, we got winter storm warnings in effect for parts of the central Rockies but into west Texas right near the Davidson Mountains and into Midland, Odessa, could have a rough round of weather. Could see some strong thunderstorms, intense lightning, large hail, maybe even some heavy rainfall before the day is out. But this storm system will also be making its way across the central plains and into tomorrow could be moving in spots like Mena, Arkansas, where they're going to be cleaning up today after all the tornado damage. High temperatures across the nation. Well, your high for the day in Kansas City 63. Chicago 51. 65 in Nashville. 67 in Atlanta, warming up into the mid 80s in Tampa and Miami, New York, Boston, mainly some 40s and 50s. Salt Lake City 54 degrees. San Francisco with 59. And L.A. out by the Staples Arena, 65. That's a look at your forecast. Guys, let's send it back to you.</s>NGUYEN: On top of it for us. Thank you, Reynolds.</s>WOLF: Anytime.</s>NGUYEN: All right. Let's listen to this, President Obama is going to be delivering the commencement address to graduates at Arizona State University. That's happening in May. But there's been a whole lot of talk about it because ASU at this point may not be giving him an honorary doctorate degree.</s>HOLMES: This is standard stuff at these commencements. We see a leader, I mean no matter who you are -- I mean comedians, I mean, all across the country when they do commencement speeches they are often given these honorary degrees. Well, ASU says it's not going to give the president one. Why, Betty? Because they say he's not quite accomplished enough.</s>NGUYEN: He hasn't been in that position long enough.</s>HOLMES: Yes. But they say they go with the person's body of work and they say he doesn't have one yet. Never mind he was head of the Harvard Law Review. He's a senator from, you know, the state of Illinois. That stuff, they're waiting apparently to judge him by what he does as president. Well, after this whole controversy they're kind of backing off a bit.</s>NGUYEN: Changed a little bit.</s>HOLMES: A little bit. So they're considering now possibly giving him that honorary degree saying they don't want to slight the president at all but Arizona, as we know is the home state of someone who didn't get along too well with the president during the campaign.</s>NGUYEN: Who is that? John McCain?</s>HOLMES: Yes.</s>NGUYEN: I don't think that has anything to do with it.</s>HOLMES: We're not suggesting.</s>NGUYEN: Not at all but you know, it's an interesting thing to talk about it and it's not only Arizona State University, also Notre Dame is an area we want to talk about, too. Because you know the president has been invited to give a commencement address at Notre Dame, also in May. Well, devout Catholics are angry that the president is pro-choice on abortion and many of them really don't want him to give this address.</s>HOLMES: The head of the diocese there where Notre Dame is he says he will not go to the address, he will not attend. He says he doesn't want them to do it. A lot of controversy sparked up over this. We talked about this last week or actually a couple of weeks ago in our "Faces of Faith" segment. There are petitions online trying to get the university to back off. But one thing that we do know Notre Dame will do, they will give him an honorary degree.</s>NGUYEN: Honorary degree. An honorary doctor of law degree.</s>HOLMES: Yes.</s>NGUYEN: So interesting twist there ...</s>HOLMES: Go figure.</s>NGUYEN: But it doesn't end. We have more news. Water cooler talk for you this morning. Listen to this story, calling all rap fans because one of the hottest stars around really, really wants to talk with you. We're not joking.</s>HOLMES: Yes, his name is Flo Rider. He's hot. If you don't know him, he is pretty popular right now but he has given out his private cell phone number to the public. We'll give you the 411 on this surprising decision.