CBS News
Body of missing Tampa mom, reportedly abducted alongside daughter, believed to be found
Police in Florida say they found a body that they believe belongs to a woman who was reported to have been abducted earlier this week alongside her daughter, according to CBS News affiliate WTSP.
Sylvia Pagan, 34, was last seen in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday morning, WTSP reported. The Tampa Police Department issued a “Missing & Endangered Alert” for Pagan, describing her as a 5’3 woman weighing about 155 pounds.
At 1 a.m. local time on Monday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued an Amber Alert for Pagan’s 9-year-old daughter, Briana.
Tampa police said in a news release that they believed Briana “may have also been accompanied” by Pagan and Jovanni Caceres Steffani, 38, who Tampa police called a “person of interest.”
WTSP reported that investigators believe Steffani and Pagan spent the night together at Pagan’s Tampa home before leaving the following morning. Investigators found no evidence anyone had been harmed at the house, WTSP reported, and there was no record of domestic violence calls to the address.
Tampa Police Department/X
Around 2 a.m. local time, about an hour after the Amber Alert was issued, police say Steffani was found dead with a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” in Suwannee County, which is about 200 miles north of Tampa. Deputies had confronted him at a hotel, WTSP reported.
Briana was found safe at the scene, having been released from the hotel before Steffani’s death, WTSP reported.
Pagan remained unaccounted for even after the Amber Alert for Briana was lifted. Police said that they were “deeply concerned for her overall well-being.”
Police did not say where they found the body that they believe to be Pagan’s, or release any information about the cause of death. A volunteer in the search for Pagan told WTSP that searchers found what is believed to be Pagan’s body in a roadside ditch, covered by a blue child’s pool. The clothing and shoes on the body matched the description Pagan’s family provided, the volunteer told WTSP.
WTSP reported that the medical examiner’s office is working to confirm the identity of the remains and determine a cause of death.
“This is not the outcome anyone wanted,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement provided to WTSP. “We send our condolences to Sylvia’s loved ones, but most importantly her daughter Briana during this unimaginable loss.”
CBS News
Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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