As Ray Ortiz watched the helicopter carrying the Grady family and Detective Vega take off on its mission back to Isla Roca, Special Agent Morales shouted over the rotor noise to get his attention and direct him back into the building. “Ray,” she beckoned.
Ortiz followed her back into the building and upon entering the conference room he noted troubled faces of the other officers in the room. “It's out,” Morales informed him.
“What's out?” Ortiz asked.
“That was Amanda Delgado, a reporter from WORA TV,” Lieutenant Ramos said as he hung up his cell phone. “She was asking for a quote about the search for Joseph Grady.”
“You told her 'no comment,'” Ortiz said.
“Of course.”
“AP already has the story,” Morales said, looking to her laptop screen where the story was displayed.
FBI SEARCHES FOR MISSING TEXAS TEEN
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (AP)- The FBI and local law enforcement are engaged in a search for Joseph Grady, age seventeen, of Houston, Texas, who has been missing since Monday evening, according to an unnamed police source. Grady reportedly did not return from a group diving trip near the island of Culebra late Monday afternoon. The FBI could not be reached for comment.
Culebra is one of many small islands in Peurto Rico and is often visited by American tourists on short day trips from Puerto Rico's main island.
“Police are questioning all of the tour operators who work here,” said Mike Gomez, owner of tour company Goventure in Fajardo. “I think they hope another boat picked him up.”
Joseph Grady and his two brothers were on a tour with Isla Bonita SCUBA from Vieques on Monday. Isla Bonita SCUBA offers diving tours around the Puerto Rico islands daily.
The FBI is coordinating the search for Grady. They have not released an official statement.
“Who leaked this?” Ortiz asked, looking around the room at the two Detectives from Fajardo, Ramos and Special Agent Morales. Nobody confessed.
“It was bound to come out soon enough. We should have already released a statement,” said Ramos.
“It hasn't been forty-eight hours yet,” countered Morales.
“Well we don't have a choice now,” said Ortiz. “Lieutenant, can you arrange a press conference for this afternoon? We need to get in control of the story.” Ramos nodded and began to dial his phone and step out of the room.