Joy Behar raises questions about Hispanic driver’s detention in Nancy Guthrie case

TUCSON, ARIZONA: 'The View' host Joy Behar on Wednesday, Feb 11, implied that police may have detained a reported person of interest in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie because of his ethnicity.

Authorities are said to have detained 36-year-old delivery driver Carlos Palazuelos for questioning on Monday in Rio Rico, Arizona. Investigators reportedly took an interest in Palazuelos because he resembled a man captured in security footage and acknowledged he may have delivered packages to Guthrie’s home in the past. 

Joy Behar hints race may have influenced detention

Despite the circumstances surrounding the detention, Behar insinuated that race may have factored into the decision. “They stopped a man, a 36-year-old guy, that had been in his car in Rio Rico, Arizona, about an hour’s drive from Tucson, when police officers asked him his name and then detained him. I think he’s Hispanic, just saying,” Behar said.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has not confirmed whether Palazuelos was formally arrested in connection with Guthrie’s disappearance.

Carlos Palazuelos talks to the press

According to ABC 6 Action News, Palazuelos claimed officers arrested him during a traffic stop and conducted an extensive search of his vehicle. Authorities also reportedly secured a warrant to search his residence and vehicle as part of the investigation.

“They didn’t even tell me what’s going on until the detectives got here … They told me I was being detained for kidnapping, and I asked them, ‘Kidnapping of who?'” Palazuelos said.

Palazuelos said he remained in custody for several hours, during which he answered questions tied to the ongoing search for Guthrie. While he acknowledged he may have delivered a package to her residence at some point, he maintained that he had no personal relationship with Guthrie, who has been missing since February 1.

Authorities later released Palazuelos, after which he told reporters he is “innocent” and that he had no involvement in Guthrie’s disappearance.

Law enforcement officials told CNN that the detention was carried out based on investigative leads and that the individual was never charged with a crime.

Investigation ramps up as FBI tracks multiple leads

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the investigation Tuesday night during an appearance on "Hannity."

"Without polluting the investigation, I will say we have made substantial progress in these last 36-48 hours, thanks to the technical capabilites of the FBI and our partnerships," he said, "And I do believe we are looking at people who, as we say, are persons of interest, but as you know with any investigation, you're a person of interest until you're either eliminated or you're actually found to be the culprit of the culprits involved and that's the stage we're at right now."

Investigators have been relying heavily on surveillance footage collected from Guthrie’s property. According to the FBI, the video shows a masked man approaching the front door of her home and attempting to obscure a security camera using branches from a nearby bush. The footage was released shortly after an alleged ransom deadline expired.

Media outlets are said to have received purported ransom notes tied to the case, including one that demanded $6 million in cryptocurrency.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos also revealed that investigators discovered a trail of blood outside Guthrie’s front porch. DNA testing confirmed the blood belonged to Guthrie. Officials said there is currently no confirmed proof of life but expressed hope that she is “still out there."

Authorities also noted that she requires daily medication for high blood pressure and heart-related issues and relies on a pacemaker.

Guthrie’s daughter, 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie, shared the surveillance images on her social media on Tuesday. “We believe she is still alive," she wrote.

The FBI has since announced a $50,000 reward for information that could help advance the investigation or lead to Guthrie’s safe recovery.