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Delivery driver detained in Nancy Guthrie abduction investigation released after several hours in custody: ‘What the f–k am I doing here’

By
Nicholas McEntyre

Published Feb. 11, 2026, 5:17 a.m. ET

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Expert points to early stumbles in probe of Savannah Guthrie’s missing mom

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The Arizona DoorDash driver who was detained by law enforcement Tuesday night in the search for Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper has been released after several hours in custody.

The newly freed man, identifying himself as a delivery driver named Carlos, expressed his frustration after authorities detained him in connection with the alleged kidnapping of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie — both of whom he had never heard of.

“They held me against my will,” Carlos, 36, told reporters outside his home. “They didn’t even read me my rights until two hours later.”

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A man identified as Carlos was released from police custody after he was detained in the search for Nancy Guthrie on Feb. 10, 2026.CBS News
The man claims his wrists were left swollen from the handcuffs.

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Carlos, standing outside his home in Rio Rico – a tiny border community roughly 60 miles south of Tucson – cried out his innocence after being released.

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“What the f–k am I doing here? I didn’t do anything to be honest, I’m innocent,” he recalled.

The man says he was riding in a car with his wife when they noticed law enforcement vehicles trailing them. They decided to pull over, and Carlos hopped out of the car.

Carlos said that he works in Tucson for a parcel delivery service, but doesn’t recall encountering Guthrie, who has reported missing on Feb. 1.

“I told them, I work in Tucson for GLS, I might have delivered a package to her house but I never kidnapped anybody,” he told ABC15. “They hold me from 4:00 p.m. till now.”

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NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie with her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since Feb. 1, 2026.savannahguthrie/Instagram

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Law enforcement officials outside a home in Rio Rico, Arizona, on Feb. 10, 2026.Pic-Andy Johnstone for California Post
Carlos says he told investigators that he had never heard of Guthrie or her daughter, “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, because he doesn’t watch the news.

“I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it. And they better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name, I’m done,” Carlos said.

Carlos claims he wasn’t given a reason for why officials sought him out in the investigation, and no charges were filed against him.

The timeline of the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mom:

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While he was in police custody, authorities began searching Carlos’ home, which he shares with his wife, children and in-laws.

It wasn’t known what officials were looking for, but Carlos claimed police broke down the front and garage doors.

“Look what they put my family through,” he said, pointing to the front door.

Carlos’ mother-in-law says all their cell phones were confiscated, as was the car Carlos was riding in.

“They showed me a video to see if it was him, to see … if I recognize the things he was wearing, he doesn’t have any of that. He doesn’t have anything that comes in the video,” Carlos’ mother-in-law told ABC15.

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The FBI released photos of an armed individual outside Nancy Guthrie’s home on Feb. 1, 2026.FBI
“They went inside, busted the doors from my house, they went inside and took my son to the living room,” she said.

The woman said she was not familiar with the Nancy Guthrie case. She’d only seen the news on Facebook, but hadn’t closely followed the story.

“They already asked us a lot of questions about it, like I said I have nothing to hide, you can go in my house, you can search anything you want, there’s nothing to hide. I don’t know the lady, I don’t know about the lady,” she told NewsNation.

The car was later returned to the family’s home.

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What do you think? Post a comment.

Earlier Tuesday, the FBI released photos of a masked and “armed individual” caught on video tampering with a doorbell camera outside the elder Guthrie’s home on the morning of her disappearance.

The suspect seemed to have a flashlight in his mouth — and lumbered around Nancy’s patio in sneakers, a fleece and a backpack as he fumbled with the camera, one point grabbing nearby flowers and placing them in front of the lens.

A handgun was clearly seen holstered in the front of his pants.