BOSTON -- A Connecticut man now in custody in New York state is being called a person of interest in the murder of Molly Bish, who disappeared in 2000.

The man's roofing job put him in central Massachusetts often and that has caught the eye of Bay State detectives.

Newscenter 5's Gail Huff reported that Bish's parents, John and Maggie Bish, were pleased that the man's history is being checked, especially after they learned about what police allegedly found in the man's van when he was arrested on Halloween.

John Regan, 49, was arrested Oct. 31 after he allegedly tried to pull a 17-year-old girl into his van at a high school parking lot in upstate New York. Inside his van, they allegedly found a noose, tarp and pictures of women. Because the roofing salesman made frequent business trips to Sturbridge, Mass., authorities are calling him a "person of interest" in the disappearance of Molly Bish.

"We're hopeful that we'll find Molly's perpetrator soon. We've been in this situation before, had these near misses before and it's a rollercoaster ride," John Bish said.

Molly Bish was kidnapped from her lifeguard job at Cummins Pond in June 2000. Her remains were found in a wooded area of Palmer, Mass., three years later. The Worcester County District Attorney's office said in a prepared statement, "We average at least two calls a week on this type of tip. We look into everything. We don't have any information or evidence that would link Mr. Regan to the Molly Bish case."

"I pray every single day. I go to church. I pray in the morning that we can find who did this to Molly," Maggie Bish said.

Regan is being detained in a psychiatric ward after attempting suicide in jail. His arrest marks the second time he's faced a kidnapping charge in just over a year.