Evidence Seized At Swinton Home
By Tak Landrockt.landrock@krdo.com
COLORADO SPRINGS – NEWSCHANNEL13 first reported Thursday that Rozita Swinton, 33, is a “person of interest” and that Texas authorities were in Colorado Springs to interview her. Swinton was arrested by Colorado Springs Police and faces a local charge of false reporting. Police, along with Texas Rangers searched her home.
“During the search, officers found several items that indicate a possible connection between Swinton and calls regarding the ‘FLDS’ compounds in Colorado City, Arizona and Eldoronda, Texas,” according to a news release from the Texas Rangers.
Sources say the evidence is the cell phone Swinton used to call Flora Jessop, a woman who runs a Phoenix, Arizona rescue mission for girls trying to escape the polygamist sect.
“I’ve been receiving calls for about two weeks from someone claiming to be the twin sister of the little girl in Texas,” says Jessop.
She let CNN record some of the conversations last week. The majority of the calls are of someone who’s crying and only speaks a few words at a time. “How old are you?” asks Jessop. The caller answers; “16.” Jessop then says; “You’ll never have to have sex with your father again, because that’s not right!” The caller, crying responds; “Don’t trick me.”
Jessop has more than 40-hours of recorded calls. She became suspicious and contacted federal authorities who began tracing the calls.
Investigators believe Swinton is the one making the calls and that she is also the 16-year old “Sarah” who claimed she was being raped by her 50-year-old father at the Texas Polygamist compound.
“The seriousness of these calls was conveyed from the family crisis center to Child Protective service,” says the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Hours after being released from jail, Jessop claims she’s received another call, apparently from Swinton. When Jessop asked why she lied, the woman finally admitted her name is Rose.
Swinton now faces Federal charges. She will be in court on May first, to face the local charge of false reporting.
