Sjodin's mother calls suspect's mother

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- While officials and friends searched without success for Dru Sjodin, her mother went looking for help from the mother of the man charged with kidnapping the missing college student.

"I asked her to reach out to her son and please ask him to lead us to Dru," Linda Walker told the Grand Forks Herald for its Thursday editions. "I asked mother-to-mother."

Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., 50, of Crookston, Minn., is being held on $5 million bond. Rodriguez has said through his attorney that he had nothing to do with the Nov. 22 disappearance of Sjodin, who is enrolled at the University of North Dakota.

Walker said Dolores Rodriguez did not respond to her request when they spoke Saturday.

Meanwhile, National Guard soldiers from North Dakota and Minnesota will help scour the countryside for Sjodin beginning today.

Minnesota expects to send 150 soldiers to cover roughly 500 square miles of Polk County in northwestern Minnesota after Sheriff Mark LeTexier asked Gov. Tim Pawlenty for help.

Up to 90 North Dakota soldiers will help about 55 Highway Patrol troopers, Crime Bureau agents and state conservation officers go over 275 to 300 square miles, local and Guard officials said.

Areas south and west of Grand Forks are near the Columbia Mall, where Sjodin disappeared and within the 25-mile range of the signal coming off her cell phone, said Dan Hill, sheriff of Grand Forks County.

Hill has been criticized by the Sjodin family and others for saying Tuesday that Sjodin probably won't be found alive. He also said authorities will not stop looking for her.

Hill met with Sjodin's father, Allan Sjodin, at the police station Wednesday morning to explain himself.

"He extended his hand out to me, and I walked up to him and told him I was so sorry that I said what I said," Hill said. "He gave me a big hug and I hugged him back."