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Alleged Rape Victim Demands Army Inquiry Into Suspect's Escape

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ̶  A 15-year-old alleged rape victim from the Antelope Valley stepped forward today to demand an Army investigation into how her  accused rapist was able to escape military custody and avoid recapture for a  week.

"Jaymee," and her grandparents -- her legal guardians -- held a news conference at the office of attorney Gloria Allred calling for a military inquiry into the escape of rifleman Daniel Brazelton.  Brazelton, aged 20, was in custody and escaped from a vehicle that was stuck in traffic at Fort Stewart near Hinesville, Georgia.  It was unclear whether or not he was handcuffed.

Allred said the Army never told the alleged victim about the suspect's escape, and that she was terrified when she found out he was on the loose.  Brazelton, an expert marksman, had previously posted a photo of his gun on his web page and talked about getting a silencer.

"I was living in fear because Daniel was out there somewhere," Jaymee  said. "I was worried about what he might say or do while he was free and not  in custody of law enforcement."

Brazelton was on active duty at the time of the alleged attack in December 2009 and was arrested on February 3rd on a charge of raping a minor.  He was held in Liberty County Jail and, four days after his arrest, waived extradition to California to face trial.

On February 11th, Allred said Brazelton was taken from the jail to Fort Stewart -- the largest military installation east of the Missisippi River and  home to the Army's 3rd Infantry Division -- for treatment of an undisclosed  medical problem.  While in Army custody, he was able to get a cell phone to send several messages to his Facebook page and greetings to his friends and family telling them he was being taken to California to go to jail.

The Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies issued a special bulletin stating that Brazelton was believed to be en route to Palmdale or Lancaster and should be considered "armed and dangerous."

Deputies advised the alleged victim of Brazelton's escape but the teen said she wanted the Army to explain how he was able to escape.

"The Army needs to own up and fix what they are doing wrong in transporting a soldier arrested on a rape charge, so that no other family has to go through the fear of their lives being taken because of their irresponsibility."

Brazelton was caught in Daytona Beach, Florida on Friday and taken into custody without a struggle.

Allred said she will write to U.S. Army Secretary John McHugh and to Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein demanding they investigate the escape  and answer her client's questions.

"Was he handcuffed during his transfer by the Army?" Allred asked. "How did he acquire a cell phone to send several messages to his Facebook page? Was he permitted to have a weapon while in custody? How was he able to escape the van he was being transported in, and why did the Army never contact the victim  or her family about Brazelton's escape?"

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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