ABC NEWS: Family members of the California man who wrote and produced the controversial anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims" fled their home early Monday morning to join the filmmaker in hiding.
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula has not returned to his Cerritos, California home since being interviewed late Friday night by federal probation officers about his role in the creation of the film, excerpts of which have ignited violent anti-American protests across the Muslim world.
Shortly before 4 a.m. Monday, officers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department escorted members of Nakoula's family, who had their faces covered, out of the house and into police vehicles so they could rejoin Nakoula at an undisclosed location.
"They decided they would be safer where they could move about and live a normal life," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Department. "All we did was pick them up and reunite them with Mr. Nakoula."
Whitmore said the family's current whereabouts are unknown to him, and it was his understanding that they won't ever return to their Cerritos house, though that decision was "entirely up to the family." (+ video) » | Frank Elaridi and Randy Kreider | Monday, September 17, 2012
