Paroled Kidnapper Held In Calif. Girl's Abduction

PETALUMA, Calif. A convicted kidnapper was questioned Wednesdayas the prime suspect in the abduction of a 12-year-old girl who wastaken from her bedroom during a slumber party and is still missing,authorities said.

The disappearance of Polly Klaas set off a search involvinghundreds of volunteers. Hundreds of thousands of fliers with asketch of the abductor were distributed nationwide.

Richard Allen Davis, 39, was arrested Tuesday on the CoyoteValley Indian Reservation, about 110 miles north of San Francisco.

FBI spokesman Rick Smith said that Davis, who is being held inthe Mendocino County jail because of parole violations, resembles acomposite sketch of the kidnapper and that authorities receivedadditional information last Sunday that led them to investigateDavis.

Tribal officials said he was not a member of the tribe and wasliving with other non-members they have been trying to evict for twoyears.

Davis was convicted in 1985 of kidnapping, robbery, first-degreeburglary and assault and sentenced to 16 years in prison, said stateDepartment of Corrections spokesman Tip Kindel. He was paroled inJune.

The arrest was the first major break in the case since theyoungster was taken at knifepoint from her bedroom Oct. 1.

The case has attracted intense publicity and drew nationwideattention when it was featured on the "America's Most Wanted"television show. Actress Winona Ryder, a Petaluma native, offered a$200,000 reward for information leading to the girl's safe return.