7/29/02

LC020729

VAL ZAVALA>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS MARLOW>> TRYING TO GET A PIECE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM, BUT WITH HOME PRICES SOARING, WHO CAN AFFORD IT?

SANDY HECKER>> WE'VE SERIOUSLY CONTEMPLATED AT TIMES JUST PICKING UP AND MOVING AWAY FROM CALIFORNIA JUST BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY IN OUR MINDS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD A HOME FOR OUR FAMILIES.

VAL>> PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILING. IT'S ONE OF THE TOOLS AUTHORITIES USE FOR TRACKING DOWN A SUSPECT. TONIGHT A FORMER FBI AGENT SHEDS SOME LIGHT ON WHAT PROFILING COULD MEAN TO THE SAFETY OF OUR KIDS. CAN INVESTIGATORS USE IT TO STOP A PREDATOR BEFORE HE STRIKES AGAIN?

JESS>> AND ON A LIGHTER NOTE, WHO SAYS GETTING OLD IS NO FUN?

[FILM CLIP]

JESS>> WE'LL SPEND A DAY WITH HUMORIST, SANDRA TSING LOH AND HER DAD, AND WE'LL LET YOU DECIDE WHICH ONE IS FUNNIER.

VAL>> THESE STORIES COMING UP NEXT ON LIFE AND TIMES.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT, A PARTNER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

VAL>> GOOD EVENING, I'M VAL ZAVALA.

JESS>> AND I'M JESS MARLOW.

WHEN HOME PRICES CRATERED A FEW YEARS AGO, MANY WONDERED HOW LOW THEY MIGHT GO. NOW IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE. PRICES ARE SOARING AND THE CEILING IS NOWHERE IN SIGHT, BUT CAN THIS BOOM LAST?

VAL>> BY ALL ACCOUNTS, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S REAL ESTATE MARKET IS STILL ROCK SOLID, BUT SALES ARE STARTING TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE THE POOL OF AVAILABLE HOMES IS SHRINKING. IN THE MEANTIME, AS GAY YEE REPORTS, BUYERS ARE PAYING TOP DOLLAR FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THEY CAN GET.

GAY YEE>> JOHN AND JUNE BODDY ARE RIDING THE WAVE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S RED-HOT REAL ESTATE MARKET. LIKE MANY HOMEOWNERS, THEY'RE COUNTING THE DOLLAR SIGNS AS THEIR PROPERTY VALUES SOAR.

JOHN BODDY>> TIMES ARE GOOD.

JUNE BODDY>> TIMES ARE GOOD.

GAY YEE>> BUT TIMES ARE GOOD ONLY IF YOU OWN PROPERTY. ROB AND SANDY HECKER DON'T.

SANDY HECKER>> WE'VE SERIOUSLY CONTEMPLATED AT TIMES JUST PICKING UP AND MOVING AWAY FROM CALIFORNIA JUST BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY IN OUR MINDS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD A HOME FOR OUR FAMILIES.

GAY YEE>> THESE ARE THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE BEST REAL ESTATE MARKET IN YEARS, A GREAT TIME FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY OWN PROPERTY, A HORRIBLE TIME FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS. REAL ESTATE AGENT, IRA SPEARS, DEALS WITH BOTH.

IRA SPEARS>> I DO INCOME PROPERTY AS WELL. I DO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE -- THIS WHOLE MARKET HAS JUST GONE FROM ZERO TO NINETY REAL QUICK.

GAY YEE>> THE MEDIAN PRICE FOR A HOME IN L.A. COUNTY IS WELL OVER $300,000. IT GETS EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE IN ORANGE AND VENTURA COUNTIES, BUT SPEARS SAYS PROPERTY IS SELLING.

IRA SPEARS>> WITHIN HOURS, WITHIN HOURS OF GOING ON THE MARKET.

GAY YEE>> SPEARS IS WORKING WITH THE BODDYS. THEY'RE IN THE MARKET TO SELL. THEY'VE LISTED A SMALL APARTMENT COMPLEX THEY BOUGHT SEVERAL YEARS AGO FOR ABOUT $100,000. WHAT'S IT WORTH NOW?

JOHN BODDY>> HOPEFULLY, WE'RE GOING TO GET $400,000 FOR IT.

GAY YEE>> SPEARS IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE HECKERS.

IRA SPEARS>> WE HAVE SEVERAL PROPERTIES HERE TO SHOW YOU TODAY.

GAY YEE>> THEY'RE LOOKING TO BUY A HOME, BUT AREN'T FINDING MUCH WITHIN THEIR BUDGET.

ROB HECKER>> WE'VE BEEN MARRIED FOR FOURTEEN YEARS, WE HAVE TWO BOYS. FOR ABOUT A YEAR, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A HOUSE.

GAY YEE>> THE HECKERS ARE HOPING FOR A COMFORTABLE THREE-BEDROOM, TWO-BATH HOUSE IN THE $250,000 RANGE. A LOT OF MONEY TO THEM, BUT BARELY ENOUGH FOR A STARTER HOME IN TODAY'S MARKET.

SANDY HECKER>> ALL RIGHT, WHAT ARE YOU SHOWING US TODAY?

GAY YEE>> THIS IS HOW THE GREAT AMERICAN DREAM TURNS INTO A NIGHTMARE. IT'S CALLED STICKER SHOCK.

SANDY HECKER>> WOW. THE FLOOR'S NICE. IT HAS OVERHEAD LIGHTING, ROB. WE COULD PUT A CEILING FAN IN HERE IF WE WANTED TO.

ROB HECKER>> YEP.

SANDY HECKER>> I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE HOUSES JUST IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD A YEAR AGO WERE GOING FOR ABOUT $205,000 OR $210,000. NOW THIS IS $250,000.

GAY YEE>> ROB AND SANDY ARE LOOKING IN THE WHITTIER AREA.

ROB HECKER>> WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT ONE?

SANDY HECKER>> IT'S STILL -- GOSH, IT'S STILL KIND OF SMALL. I DON'T THINK WE COULD FIT OUR BEDROOM SET IN THAT MASTER BEDROOM.

GAY YEE>> THEY'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR A YEAR AND CAN'T BELIEVE FINDING A DECENT AFFORDABLE HOUSE IS THIS HARD.

SANDY HECKER>> WE'RE CREDIT CARD DEBT-FREE. WE DO HAVE TWO CAR PAYMENTS. ONE WILL GO AWAY IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT THAT'S IT, AND WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT BEING MORTGAGE-POOR EVERY MONTH.

SANDY HECKER>> DID HE TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THIS NEXT HOUSE?

ROB HECKER>> ONLY THAT IT'S IN OUR PRICE RANGE.

GAY YEE>> HOUSE NUMBER TWO IS LISTED AT $239,000, BUT IT'S A FIXER.

SANDY HECKER>> OH, MY GOD.

GAY YEE>> THE HOME IS BEING REMODELED, BUT ROB AND SANDY SEE DRAWBACKS.

SANDY HECKER>> I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY WANT $240,000 FOR THIS HOUSE. I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD ENOUGH SIZE. IT'S ONLY GOT ONE BATHROOM, THOUGH.

ROB HECKER>> YEAH, THAT'S A BIG DRAWBACK. I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD SIZE, BUT THERE'S NO BACK YARD.

GAY YEE>> ROB AND SANDY WONDER IF IT'S WORTH IT TO KEEP ON SEARCHING.

ROB HECKER>> YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT KIND OF MAKES YOU THINK, WELL, YOU KNOW, IS IT WORTH STAYING HERE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

GAY YEE>> OR WAIT JUST A LITTLE LONGER?

ROB HECKER>> OR WAIT A LITTLE LONGER.

GAY YEE>> THE HECKERS HAVE PLENTY OF COMPANY. LESS THAN A THIRD OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CAN AFFORD TO BUY A HOME.

GAY YEE>> BUT SUPPOSE YOU DO WAIT? WHAT ARE THE RISKS IN THAT?

ROB HECKER>> IT'S LIKE GOING TO VEGAS AND PLAYING BLACKJACK. YOU KNOW, A FIFTY-FIFTY SHOT IS DO YOU WAIT OR DO YOU BUY? IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOU.

GAY YEE>> AND IF YOU WAIT, WHAT COULD HAPPEN?

ROB HECKER>> YOU CAN NEVER BUY A HOUSE. WE'LL BE RENTERS FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES.

GAY YEE>> FOR NOW, THEY'RE STILL IN THE GAME. THE QUESTION IS, FOR HOW LONG?

JESS>> GAY JOINS US NOW. YOU MET WITH THE HECKERS SOME WEEKS AGO. WHAT'S THEIR STATUS TODAY?

GAY YEE>> THEY ARE STILL LOOKING. THAT RANGE OF THE $250,000 MARK IS JUST A HARD ONE TO HIT. THERE WAS A HOUSE THAT CAME UP RIGHT IN THEIR PRICE RANGE AND THERE IMMEDIATELY WAS A BIDDING WAR. IT WENT TO THE $260,000 RANGE AND THEY WERE JUST OUT OF IT. THEY COULDN'T.

VAL>> HOW FRUSTRATING. THEY MAY REALLY HAVE TO DECIDE -- IF THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL THIS TIME AND HAVEN'T FOUND SOMETHING, THEY REALLY MAY HAVE TO DECIDE TO MOVE OUT OF CALIFORNIA.

GAY YEE>> FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS, THAT IS THE PROBLEM. THEY JUST CAN'T GET IN. THERE ISN'T MUCH INVENTORY RIGHT NOW AND THAT'S BEEN THE GOING PROBLEM. IN FACT, HOUSING SALES, THE NUMBER OF HOUSES ACTUALLY BEING SOLD, HAS DIPPED. AS ONE EXPERT PUT IT, PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO SPEND ALL THAT MONEY ON AN OVER-PRICED DUMP. SO THERE ARE STILL HOUSES SITTING THERE AND THEY ARE LITERALLY SITTING THERE BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPECTING TOO MUCH FOR WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE OFFERING, BUT THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO BUY.

JESS>> AND THE PRICES ARE NOT GOING DOWN.

GAY YEE>> THEY ARE NOT GOING DOWN.

JESS>> TO WHAT EXTENT IS THIS INFLUENCED BY THE RECENT DIFFICULTY WITH THE STOCK MARKET?

GAY YEE>> SEVERAL ECONOMISTS ARE SAYING, A LOT. THE FACT THAT THE STOCK MARKET HAS GONE SOUTH, SOME PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY THINKING I'M TAKING MY MONEY OUT OF THE STOCK MARKET. I'M GOING TO BUY A SECOND VACATION HOME. WHO KNOWS? IN TEN YEARS OR TWENTY YEARS DOWN THE LINE, THAT WILL BE MY RETIREMENT HOME AND THAT WILL BE A BETTER AND STRONGER INVESTMENT.

JESS>> DIVERSIFICATION.

GAY YEE>> YES.

VAL>> IT DOES SEEM TO BE A BETTER DEAL AT THE MOMENT THAN STOCKS. GAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE THAT.

TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES, IT SOUNDS LIKE SCIENCE FICTION, BUT A CALIFORNIA BIOTECH FIRM HAS FOUND A WAY TO MAKE MEDICINE BY PUTTING HUMAN GENES INTO CORN.

>> AND WHAT'S WONDERFUL ABOUT PLANT CELLS IS THAT THEY READ THE SAME GENETIC CODE. THEY HAVE EXACTLY THE RIGHT MACHINERY TO READ THAT GENE TO MAKE THE MESSAGE TO SEND TO THE PROTEIN SYNTHETIC MACHINERY AND PLANT CELLS ALSO HAVE THE SAME OR VERY SIMILAR PROTEIN SYNTHETIC MACHINERY TO WHAT YOU AND I HAVE, AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT.

JESS>> IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY MANY PARENTS ARE FEELING FRIGHTENED AND A BIT HELPLESS THESE DAYS. THE TRAGIC CASE IN ORANGE COUNTY SHOWS HOW A PREDATOR CAN GRAB A CHILD EVEN IF THE PARENTS DO ALL THE RIGHT THINGS. AUTHORITIES CAN'T ALWAYS STOP A CHILD ABDUCTOR, BUT THE NEXT BEST THING IS TRACKING DOWN THE SUSPECT BEFORE HE CAN STRIKE AGAIN. AS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE, THE CLUES CAN COME FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT TOOL KNOWN AS PROFILING.

VAL>> AND JOINING US NOW TO TELL US MORE IS TOM PARKER. HE IS FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE FBI'S LOS ANGELES BUREAU AND HE CURRENTLY HEADS A SECURITY MANAGEMENT FIRM KNOWN AS THE EMERALD GROUP. WELCOME TO LIFE AND TIMES.

TOM PARKER>> THANK YOU.

JESS>> IN THE ORANGE COUNTY CASE THAT WE'RE ALL NOW FAMILIAR WITH AND ALL SADDENED ABOUT, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF THAT CHILD'S BODY, THERE WAS A PROFILE THAT SUGGESTED THIS WAS A SERIAL PREDATOR, HE WOULD DO THIS AGAIN. ON WHAT DID THEY BASE THAT KIND OF JUDGMENT?

TOM PARKER>> WELL, JESS, THAT TYPE OF A PROFILE AND THAT TYPE OF INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT IS REALLY BASED ON WHAT HAS BECOME ALMOST A SCIENCE NOW, A BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE, IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE WAY A CRIME WAS COMMITTED AND, ESPECIALLY IN THIS CASE, THE WAY THE VICTIM WAS LEFT AND ABANDONED AND DRAWING FROM WHAT IS OBSERVABLE AT THE CRIME SCENE AND ASSESSING THAT AND ACTUALLY TURNING IT INTO SOME VERY DISCERNABLE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PERSON THAT COMMITTED THE CRIME.

JESS>> BUT WHAT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE COULD THERE BE THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS PERSON WOULD DO IT AGAIN SOON?

TOM PARKER>> WELL, OBVIOUSLY IN THIS CASE, WE DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE EVIDENCE YET, BUT THE MANNER IN WHICH THE VICTIM WAS LEFT --

JESS>> -- ALMOST IN PUBLIC VIEW?

TOM PARKER>> ALMOST IN PUBLIC VIEW. THERE ARE A LOT OF INDICATIONS FROM THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE HEARD THAT THIS WAS AN OFFENDER WHO FITS INTO WHAT IS CALLED THE ORGANIZED CRIMINAL PROFILE. THIS IS USUALLY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO LEADS SOMEWHAT OF A STABLE LIFE AND COMMITS THE CRIME IN A VERY PLANNED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT FASHION THAT STILL IS ACTING OUT CERTAIN FANTASIES THAT THEY HAVE AND CERTAIN DEFECTS OF THAT PERSON --

VAL>> -- FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU SAID ORGANIZED, IS IT TRUE THAT I THINK I HEARD THAT HE FOLDED HER CLOTHES VERY NEATLY BESIDE HER? THAT'S INDICATIVE OF A CERTAIN PROFILE?

TOM PARKER>> THOSE CERTAINLY DO FIT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WHAT IS CALLED THE ORGANIZED PROFILE. BASED ON ANALYSIS OF A LOT OF CRIMES LIKE THIS OVER THE YEARS AND INTERVIEWS WITH A LOT OF PREDATORY CRIMINALS, THERE REALLY ARE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH SHOW UP TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT CAN REALLY BE FIT INTO A PERSONALITY TYPE.

VAL>> BUT I THINK IN FACT THAT THE PROFILE -- NOW WE SHOULD SAY, THOUGH, THAT THE DATA FOR CHILD ABDUCTORS IS NOT AS EXTENSIVE AS FOR OTHER KINDS OF CRIMES, BUT NEVERTHELESS, THEY DESCRIBE THEM AS -- WOULD YOU CONFIRM THIS -- THEY'RE SINGLE, WHITE MEN, OLDER THAN TWENTY-FIVE WHO LIVE ALONE WITH THEIR PARENTS?

TOM PARKER>> WELL, YOU'VE KIND OF --

VAL>> -- ALONE OR WITH THEIR PARENTS, I'M SORRY.

TOM PARKER>> ALONE OR WITH THEIR PARENTS OR WITH A PARTNER. THERE, AGAIN, ARE CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN THIS ORGANIZED AND DISORGANIZED INDIVIDUAL AND YOU HAVE PULLED FROM SOME THAT ARE IN BOTH OF THOSE CATEGORIES. BUT THAT DOES GENERALLY FIT THE TYPE OF PREDATORY SEXUAL CRIMINAL THAT WE'VE SEEN IN SOME OF THESE RECENT CASES.

JESS>> AND IT FITS THE MAN WHO WAS INDICTED IN THIS CASE.

TOM PARKER>> IT APPEARS TO FIT HIM VERY CLOSELY, YES.

VAL>> NOW ARE THERE TIMES WHEN PROFILING ACTUALLY IS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE, WHEN IT WILL LEAD THE AUTHORITIES ASTRAY?

TOM PARKER>> THAT'S TRUE. THOUGH PROFILING IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING BECOMING A SCIENCE, A BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE, IT STILL FALLS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN AN ART AND A SCIENCE. BY NO MEANS IS IT AN EXACT SCIENCE OR AN EXACT ART. MISTAKES CAN BE MADE AND WRONG CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DRAWN.

VAL>> WAS THERE A CASE WHERE IT REALLY MESSED THINGS UP?

TOM PARKER>> WELL, OVER THE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF CASES. I THINK PROBABLY THE MOST WELL-KNOWN ONE IN CALIFORNIA WERE SOME OF THE FALSE LEADS THAT EVOLVED FROM THE MURDERS UP IN YOSEMITE A FEW YEARS BACK.

JESS>> EVERYBODY INITIALLY BELIEVED THE NOTION THAT THIS WAS THE WORK OF DRUG-DEALING BIKER GANGS.

TOM PARKER>> I RECALL THAT, YES.

VAL>> OH, RIGHT, AND IT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE THE CASE.

TOM PARKER>> IT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE THE CASE. IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN EMPLOYEE OF ONE OF THE HOTELS NEAR THE PARK WHO REALLY DID FIT INTO THE ORGANIZED PREDATOR PERSONALITY PROFILE MUCH MORE SO THAN SOMEONE ON DRUGS OR IN SOME KIND OF A GANG CULTURE AS THE MOTORCYCLES GROUPS ARE.

VAL>> ARE PROFILES COMPOSED WITH A LOT OF HELP FROM COMPUTERS OR IS IT REALLY HUMAN BEING'S INSTINCTS AND CONNECTIONS? HOW IS IT DONE?

TOM PARKER>> WELL, IT HASN'T GOTTEN TO THE POINT YET WHERE IT'S TRULY AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TYPE PROGRAM THAT WOULD FIT INTO A COMPUTER. THERE REALLY IS A LOT OF THE HUMAN ASSESSMENT THAT HAS TO GO INTO THESE PROFILES AND CERTAINLY THE ABILITY TO GATHER UP ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE INVESTIGATION AND REALLY ASSESS THAT AND ANALYZE IT AND THEN START MAKING IT FIT THE OTHER HISTORICAL PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE BEING SEEN AGAIN AND AGAIN IN THESE PREDATORY CRIMINALS.

JESS>> ON A RECENT BROADCAST, WE HAD A FORENSIC ARTIST TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU GATHER INFORMATION TO CREATE THE SKETCHES THAT HAVE BEEN SO HELPFUL. HOW HELPFUL ARE THOSE SKETCHES?

TOM PARKER>> WELL, THE SKETCHES TURN OUT TO BE QUITE HELPFUL. NOT ALWAYS IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY IDENTIFYING A PERSON WHO LOOKS LIKE THE SKETCH, BUT IN ELIMINATING PEOPLE THAT REALLY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE PERSON COMMITTING THE CRIME. IN MOST CASES, THE SKETCHES END UP BECOMING QUITE CLOSE TO THE ACTUAL PERPETRATOR, SO IN THAT SENSE, THEY CAN BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL ESPECIALLY IN THE ABSENCE OF OTHER LEADS.

JESS>> AND WE HAVE TO MAKE A GREAT DISTINCTION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILING AND RACIAL PROFILING.

VAL>> RACIAL PROFILING, YES.

TOM PARKER>> THERE'S A BIG, BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE. RACIAL PROFILING IS, AS WE'VE HEARD, REALLY SOMETHING THAT IS BASED MORE ON ETHNICITY OR ON RACE AND IS OFTEN USED FOR NEGATIVE TYPES OF BEHAVIOR TOWARDS PEOPLE OF THAT RACE OR ETHNICITY.

JESS>> AND YET THE CLASSIC PROFILE HERE IS A WHITE MALE.

VAL>> THAT'S INTERESTING, YEAH.

TOM PARKER>> YES, THAT'S VERY TRUE.

VAL>> BUT PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILING CAN STILL ENTAIL ETHNICITY OR RACE?

TOM PARKER>> VERY MUCH, IT CAN BECAUSE BEHAVIORS INFLUENCE PERSONALITY, PERSONALITY INFLUENCES BEHAVIOR AND PERSONALITY IS OFTENTIMES BASED ON THE UPBRINGING, THE CULTURE THAT THE PERSON GREW UP IN AND CERTAINLY THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY CURRENTLY LIVE.

JESS>> WERE YOU SURPRISED AT ALL AT HOW RAPIDLY YOUR OLD AGENCY, THE FBI, GOT INVOLVED IN THE ORANGE COUNTY CASE?

TOM PARKER>> NOT REALLY. IN ANY SITUATION WHERE A YOUNG CHILD IS KIDNAPPED, THERE'S A GENERAL RULE THAT IF THERE IS NO INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT CHILD WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, THERE'S A PRESUMPTION THAT THE CHILD HAS BEEN TRANSPORTED ACROSS STATE LINES.

JESS>> AND THEREFORE A FEDERAL CASE?

TOM PARKER>> THEREFORE A FEDERAL CASE. IN THIS CASE, I THINK BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE CHILD, THE NATURE OF THE ABDUCTION, THE FBI ENTERED IT VERY QUICKLY AND QUITE APPROPRIATELY SO.

VAL>> TOM PARKER, FORMER FBI AGENT YOURSELF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING BY.

TOM PARKER>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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VAL>> SANDRA TSING LOH. YOU MAY KNOW HER. SHE MAKES PEOPLE LAUGH AS AN AUTHOR AND AS A PERFORMER, BUT COULD HER SENSE OF HUMOR BE HEREDITARY? TONIGHT YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET THE ORIGINAL COMEDIAN IN SANDRA'S FAMILY, HER DAD.

JESS>> WE FIRST MET HIM A FEW YEARS BACK. THAT'S WHEN SANDRA'S FATHER, EUGENE, SHOWED US JUST HOW ENTERTAINING THE GOLDEN YEARS CAN BE AND NOW WE'RE ABOUT TO SHOW YOU. SO JOIN US AS WE EMBARK ON THE EXCELLENT ADVENTURES OF MR. LOH.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> I'M A WRITER AND PERFORMER WHO'S DONE MANY THINGS IN MY CAREER. OVERALL, I'VE TRIED TO CHART THE JOURNEY OF BEING AN OVER-EDUCATED, UNDER-EMPLOYED, SOMETIMES SINGLE, SOMETIMES MARRIED, MULTI-CULTURAL, THIRTY-SOMETHING, VALLEY-DWELLING WOMAN STRUGGLING TO MAKE IT IN TODAY'S HARSH 90'S LOS ANGELES. BUT NO MATTER WHAT I DO, THERE'S ONLY ONE QUESTION PEOPLE ASK ME YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, WHICH IS "HOW IS YOUR DAD?" SO TODAY, I AM GOING TO TRY AND ANSWER THAT QUESTION, HOPEFULLY, FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL.

MY DAD IS SEVENTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD AND A NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER. EVERYONE IN MALIBU WEST KNOWS HIM. A LOCAL SURF ROCK GROUP EVEN RECORDED A SONG CALLED "MR. LOH". HE WAS THEIR EGG MAN, THEIR WALRUS. YOU'LL SEE WHY.

EUGENE LOH>> GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME TO MALIBU WEST. I JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU MY BUNGEE JUMP PICTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. PEOPLE PERSUADED ME TO BUNGEE JUMP. I SAY, "WHY SHOULD I?" THEY SAY, IF YOU'RE OVER SIXTY-FIVE, IT'S FREE. YOU SEE, EVERY TIME IT'S FREE, I GO FOR IT.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> HOW'S MY FATHER BEEN DOING? MAYBE THE BEST WAY TO ANSWER THAT IS TO SHOW YOU WHAT MY FATHER'S BEEN DOING. LET'S BEGIN HERE. AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HERE? YOU'RE AT A RUG PLACE AND THERE'S BELLY DANCING.

EUGENE LOH>> RIGHT. THIS IS VERY INTERESTING.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> SHE'S SHOWING A LOT OF LEG.

EUGENE LOH>> YEAH, IN TURKEY, I MET TWO YOUNG LADIES FROM AUSTRALIA, SO WE TRAVEL TOGETHER. SO THIS PLACE, SHE BOUGHT SOME CARPET. SO THE ENTERTAINMENT THEY HAVE THIS BELLY DANCER. YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY IT WAS A VERY GOOD TRIP BECAUSE AUTOMATICALLY THEY GIVE YOU FORTY PERCENT DISCOUNT FOR OLD MEN.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> SO IT'S GREAT GETTING OLDER BECAUSE YOU GET EVERYTHING FOR FREE?

EUGENE LOH>> YES. BECAUSE DIRTY OLD RICH MEN, THEY HAVE MONEY. I MEAN THEY'VE GOT IT FREE, YOU KNOW?

SANDRA TSING LOH>> HERE WE GO.

EUGENE LOH>> WHY DON'T YOU. THIS IS IT. THAT'S THE WAY I ENTERED THE BEACH CLUB.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> OKAY.

EUGENE LOH>> NOT WALK IN. I CLIMBED OVER THE FENCE. BECAUSE JUST EXTRA EXERCISE I DO EVERY DAY.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> BELLY DANCING, BUNGEE JUMPING, EXERCISING. I SHOULD MENTION, INCIDENTALLY, THAT GROWING UP WITH MY DAD WAS NOTHING LIKE THIS. HE WANTED HIS KIDS TO STUDY MATH AND SCIENCE. AT MY DAD'S INSISTENCE, I EARNED A DEGREE IN HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS FROM CAL TECH. WE LAUGH ABOUT IT NOW.

EUGENE LOH>> EVERY SATURDAY I HITCHHIKE BACK FROM POINT DOOM TO THE HOUSE BECAUSE I'M NOT PATIENT TO WAIT FOR THE BUS. AND THIS LADY, SHE PICKED ME UP. SHE SAID, "WHY DON'T YOU COME TO OUR PARTY TOMORROW? I ASKED SOMEBODY TO SEND SOMEBODY TO PICK YOU UP." SO I WENT TO THE PARTY. YOU SEE THAT'S A VERY NICE PARTY.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> SO, YOU'RE DOING KIND OF THE HITCHHIKING PARTY CIRCUIT. LOT OF LUCK. AND HERE YOU'RE ON A JEEP SOMEWHERE?

EUGENE LOH>> YOU SEE, I HITCHHIKE ALL OVER THE PLACE. I THOUGHT I SHOULD HITCHHIKE IN SOUTH AFRICA TOO, SO I STOPPED A PARK RANGER AND HE GAVE ME A RIDE.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> I KNEW MY DAD HITCHHIKED IN L.A., BUT I WAS AMAZED TO SEE HE'D BEEN TAKING HIS ACT, NOT TO MENTION HIS TRADEMARK UCLA BAG, AROUND THE WORLD.

SO HERE WE ARE, ACTUALLY WITH MY FATHER HITCHHIKING. WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH A RIDE TODAY AND THIS IS HOW HE DOES IT. SO WHY DO YOU DO IT? WHY DO YOU HITCHHIKE?

EUGENE LOH>> SOMETIMES IT IS A NECESSITY. SOMETIMES IT'S A PLEASURE. SOMETIMES YOU MEET NICE WOMEN AND THEY INVITE YOU TO PARTY.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> WHAT'S THE LONGEST IT'S EVER TAKEN YOU TO CATCH A RIDE?

EUGENE LOH>> OH, DEPENDS. MAYBE HALF HOUR. BUT THAT'S ALSO AN EXPERIENCE. WHEN PEOPLE DON'T GIVE YOU A RIDE, YOU FEEL HUMILITY, YOU FEEL HUMBLE. WHEN PEOPLE GIVE YOU A RIDE, YOU GET EXCITED, SO IN BRIEF TIME YOU HAVE A NICE TURN OF EMOTIONS, LIKE A SMALL HISTORY.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> A BEAUTIFUL PHILOSOPHY. HELLO.

EUGENE LOH>> THIS LADY, SHE IS A COOK. SHE LOVES ME, SO AFTER SHE COOKS, SHE COME OUT OF KITCHEN AND EAT WITH ME. GIVE ME FREE FOOD. I TELL YOU, I MUST HAVE SOME ATTRACTION. I DON'T KNOW WHY.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> SO THAT'S HOW YOU SAVE SO MUCH MONEY? AND HERE, WHY ARE YOU HAVING THIS WHITE SCARF?

EUGENE LOH>> OKAY, NOW THIS IS SUMMER SCHOOL, SO I SING LIKE ITALIAN -- [SINGING] -- ANYWAY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SINCE IT'S ITALIAN SONG, I CARRY A WHITE HANDKERCHIEF, SO MY TEACHER SAY YOU'RE IMITATING PAVAROTTI. I SAY NO, I'M IMITATING TIGER WOODS BECAUSE TIGER WOODS ALWAYS WEAR THE RED T-SHIRT.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> THIS IS A SONG MY FATHER LIKES TO SING ABOUT LONGING FOR HOME. [SINGING] WHAT STRIKES ME ABOUT MY DAD IS THE KIND OF CHILD-LIKE ENTHUSIASM WITH WHICH HE SEEMS TO APPROACH EVERYTHING. IT DOESN'T REALLY FIT WITH HIS HISTORY. AT AGE TWELVE, HE WAS AN ORPHAN IN SHANGHAI. IN THE SIXTIES, HE WAS A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AEROSPACE DAD WITH THREE KIDS AND A MORTGAGE. AND NOW, I DON'T KNOW. IN RETIREMENT, MAYBE HE'S JUST MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME.

EUGENE LOH>> THAT'S BETTER.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> MY DAD'S ADVENTURES ARE FUNNY, BUT KIND OF SCARY TOO. AREN'T YOU AFRAID OF THE DANGER INVOLVED?

EUGENE LOH>> OH, YES. ALWAYS THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF DANGER. ONE IS THE TRAFFIC DANGER, ANOTHER IS A PEOPLE DANGER. BUT I LOOK SO SHABBY, I DON'T THINK --

SANDRA TSING LOH>> -- SO THAT DANGEROUS PEOPLE WOULDN'T PICK YOU UP TO ROB YOU OR ANYTHING.

EUGENE LOH>> YEAH. ON THE OTHER HAND, SOME PEOPLE THINK THIS CHINESE OLD MAN, THE OLD MAN THEY HAVE PITY ON ME. THERE IS LOTS OF NICE WOMEN THAT GIVE ME A RIDE TOO. HEY! EXCUSE ME. CAN I GET A RIDE JUST NEAR BY?

DRIVER>> SURE, HOP IN.

EUGENE LOH>> I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, OKAY? THANK YOU.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> I THINK HE ACTUALLY GOT A RIDE.

EUGENE LOH>> THANK YOU.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> BYE.

EUGENE LOH>> WHERE ARE YOU GOING NOW?

DRIVER>> TO PICK UP MY SON.

EUGENE LOH>> OH, I HOPE I DON'T TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME.

DRIVER>> IT'S OKAY.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> IT'S ALWAYS OKAY. EVEN ANJELICA HUSTON HAD TIME ONE DAY TO PICK MY DAD UP. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE HAD ANOTHER FRIEND TO DROP OFF WHICH TOOK HIM A LITTLE OUT OF HIS WAY. EVER THE ZEN PHILOSOPHER, MY DAD TOOK IT IN STRIDE.

EUGENE LOH>> WELL, THANK YOU.

DRIVER>> YOU'RE WELCOME.

EUGENE LOH>> CAN I GIVE YOU A KISS?

DRIVER>> SURE.

EUGENE LOH>> (LAUGHTER) YOU DO THAT PRETTY GOOD. THAT'S SOMETHING. NEVER TELL YOUR HUSBAND, OKAY? (LAUGHTER)

DRIVER>> (LAUGHTER) I WON'T.

SANDRA TSING LOH>> I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF L.A. AS KIND OF A HARSH UNFRIENDLY KIND OF PLACE. BUT FOR MY DAD, A STRANGER IS TRULY JUST A FRIEND HE HASN'T MET. SO FOR ALL OF YOU WHO KEEP ASKING "HOW IS YOUR DAD?", WELL, NOW YOU KNOW. MAYBE DOING THIS REPORT TODAY WASN'T ALL THAT BAD. I MEAN, LOOK AT ALL THE EXPERIENCES WE SHARED TOGETHER. WE LAUGHED, WE SANG, WE DID OUR EXERCISES. WE EVEN GOT KISSED BY A STRANGE WOMAN ON PCH. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT IT'S MORE THAN I USUALLY DO IN A DAY. SO AS FAR AS MY DAD GOES, ALL I CAN SAY IS GOD BLESS.

[SINGING]

JESS>> IF THAT'S THE LOW LIFE, WE SHOULD ALL BE SO LUCKY (LAUGHTER).

VAL>> THAT'S RIGHT.

JESS>> SANDRA TELLS US HER DAD IS JUST AS FIT AS HE EVER WAS. HE'S NOW IN HIS EIGHTIES AND, ACCORDING TO HIS DAUGHTER, HE HAS RECENTLY REMARRIED TO WIFE NUMBER FOUR AND HAVING, HE SAYS, A GREAT TIME.

VAL>> HE IS. I MET HIM AT A PARTY. HE KNOWS HOW TO HAVE FUN.

THAT'S OUR PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT. YOU CAN GET TRANSCRIPTS OF OUR BROADCASTS AT WWW.KCET.ORG.

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