HAYLEE DONATHAN - 3 yo - Crestline OH

Haylee Donathan - Another Three Year Old Missing

Posted on June 9th, 2009
by Jan Barrett in All News, Society and Culture
Read 90 times.

Our country seems to have an epidemic going around playing with the lives of our innocent children. As I was reading the news this afternoon I came across another article warning the public about yet another little girl missing. An Amber Alert has not been issued but authorities have issued a missing child’s advisory for three year old Haylee Donathan.
She was last seen on May 28th in Crestline Ohio in Crawford County. Reports are that she was with her mother, Candace Watson and Robbi Potter. Now normally this wouldn’t seem to be a problem but authorities seems to think Haylee could be in danger according to the Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse.
Investigators have discovered that Potter is a Tier III sex offender that had recently been released from prison and placed on parole. He has been living at a halfway house after he was convicted of sexual battery with a minor. Potter’s parole condition includes that he is barred from being with children. Now they have issued a warrant for this man’s arrest.
According to Crestline police, Candace Watson is fully aware of Potter being a convicted sex offender and she went off with him willingly, she has not been forced to go.
Potter is believed to be together with Watson and little Haylee at a private campground in Central Ohio but is thought to be heading towards the west coast.. They were last seen driving around in a blue or black 1988 Chevrolet pickup truck with Ohio plates CKX 6248 or EKB 3855 or with an expired temporary tag number Q 645 916which has been expired since November 2008. Watson is known for using different license plates on the vehicle.
The mother, Candace Watson is described as 24 years old with brown shoulder length hair, 5 ft 1 in tall and weighs about 170 lbs.
Potter is said to be 27 years old with short brown hair. He is 6 ft tall and he weighs about 200 lbs. He does have tattoos on both arms. On the right arm he has a dream catcher and angel. Then on his left arm he has tattoo’s of a cross, angel, clouds and the name Naomi.
Haylee is three years old and she has brown shoulder length hair and blue eyes. She weighs about 37 lbs.
http://www.bloggernews.net/121181

Haylee Donathan is 3 years old and hasn’t been seen since May 28,
2009. The child is in the companionship of her mother, Candace Watson
age 24, and registered sexual offender Robbi Douglas Potter, age 27.
Candace Watson allegedly met the sexual offender, Robbi Potter while he
was in jail for sexual battery of a minor. He served less than three
years for his crime and within hours of being released, disappeared
with Watson and her 3-year-old daughter, Haylee Donathan. Now,
Crestline, Ohio police believe that Haylee’s life is in extreme danger
and they are asking the public’s help in finding her. Robbi
Potter is not allowed to be around children and a warrant has been
issued for his arrest. It is believed that Potter met Watson only
several days before the three left for a supposed camping trip in the
in Delaware County, Ohio. Candace Watson’s grandmother states that she
received a phone call from Watson on May 31, 2009, but no one has seen
or heard from her or Haylee Donathan since. When Watson spoke with her
grandmother she told her that they would be back from the trip a week
ago. They never returned and no one has heard from them. Authorities
believe that the trio might be headed as far away from Ohio as Arizona
or Colorado. Though Robbi Potter had been charged for sexual
battery on a minor, he has a rather intensive rap sheet that includes
charges that were dismissed. In 2002, Potter was charged with unlawful
sexual conduct with a minor, that charge was ultimately dismissed. He
faced two sexual battery charges in 2005, one charge of interference
with custody, and was serving three years on three counts of sexual
battery form 2002. Authorities state that Robbi Potter has served time
in both federal and local prisons and jail. No Amber Alert has
been issued in the case because Haylee Donathan’s mother is traveling
with them; she has legal custody. Authorities, however, want to
emphasize that the child is in extreme danger, even though there has
been no Amber Alert.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of 3-year-old Haylee Donathan, who is believed to be with her mother, Candace Watson, 24, and Robbi Potter, 27, a registered sex offender.Potter escaped from the Volunteers of America transitional halfway house in Mansfield, Ohio.
According to investigators, Haylee’s father James Donathan, her
uncle Cyle Watson, and another person, Nicole Kirkpatrick have been
charged with assisting Potter escape from the halfway house. Authorities have been investigating possible leads that Haylee may be in Phoenix, Ariz.Potter is a white male, about 6’0”, 200 pounds with short, straight, brown hair, with a beard and blue eyes.Candace Watson is a white female, approximately 5’1”, 170 pounds with shoulder-length, straight brown hair.They are believed to be driving a 1988 blue or black Chevy pick-up
truck with a 30-day tag Q645916 or Ohio license plate CKX6248 or
EKB3855.Haylee is a white female, approximately 2’5”, 37 pounds
with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a white
t-shirt with Minnie Mouse on the front and light purple shorts.If
you have seen Haylee, her mother, or Potter, please call 911, the
Crestline Police Department at 419-683-2222 or the Richland County
Division of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at
419-774-3930

MANSFIELD, Ohio — The uncle of a 4-year-old girl whose disappearance has sparked a nationwide search explained his
involvement in the case Friday from inside the walls at the Richland County Jail.
During the interview with the
Mansfield News Journal, Cyle Watson admitted that his niece, Haylee Donathan, may be in
danger.

Donathan was last seen on May 28 in Crestline, Ohio. Police believe the girl is with her mother,
Candace Watson, and Robbi Potter, a registered sex offender who escaped from a halfway house in
Richland County.
Earlier this week, investigators announced that Watson and two other people face charges in
connection with helping Potter escape.
During the jailhouse interview, Watson explained how he became involved in the case.
Watson said that he goes way back with Potter, to the days when both served time in an Ohio
prison for sexually abusing children, Connelly reported.
According to Watson, Potter owed him money from their days in prison together. Watson said he
wanted revenge, so he promised to help Potter escape from the halfway house.
Watson claims that he hoped Potter would be caught during the escape and get in trouble.
"This is mind-boggling," Watson said. "It went from a trick and now things are really, really
serious. It's like, this guy messed with this girl and there's a chance he might be messing with my
niece."
Watson said his sister, Candace, met Potter for the first time on the day of his escape. He
claims that she may be under Potter's control.
"(Potter's) a very, very manipulative person," Watson said. "You guys look at him in a picture
and he looks like a regular person, but he's not. He's very manipulative."
In addition to Watson, Haylee's birth father, James Donathan, and his girlfriend were charged
with aiding Potter's escape, Connelly reported.
Investigators this week were checking possible leads near Phoenix, Ariz., after receiving tips
that Haylee may be there, 10TV News reported.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is handling the search.

BUCYRUS — A 42-year-old Bucyrus woman didn’t need to be reminded of Robbi Potter.
She’ll never forget him.

Potter, 27, molested the woman’s 9-year-old daughter nearly 10 years ago. The girl was one of his two
victims; the other was 7. Potter was sentenced to three years in prison
for two counts of sexual battery.

Potter is back in the news this week. He absconded from a Mansfield halfway house, hooked up with
Candace Watson of Crestline and her 4-year-old daughter, Haylee
Donathan. They have not been seen since May 31.

“I wish I had something great to tell you, but not much has changed,” said Drew
Deserto, assistant chief of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent
Fugitive Task Force.

Deserto said authorities are getting tips from all over the country, as far away as Colorado and Arizona.

“We haven’t been able to confirm any sightings,” Deserto said. “We’re continuing the hunt.”

The Bucyrus mother said she hopes the task force finds Haylee soon because of Potter’s criminal history.

“You give him two minutes alone with her, who knows what will happen?” the woman asked.

The News Journal is not naming the 42-year-old to protect her daughter’s
identity. Her daughter is now 19. She didn’t come forward about the
sexual abuse until about four years ago.

The psychological scars are still there.

“She’s got a trust issue with everybody now,” her mother said.

Looking back, the mom realizes there was something wrong with her daughter.

“She was very quiet,” the 42-year-old said. “She didn’t really socialize a whole lot. She really cut herself off from the world.

“I just thought she was quiet, not thinking something had happened to her.”

That changed one night when the girl, then a teenager, came to her mother’s room with tears in her eyes.

“It got the best of her,” the Bucyrus woman said. “She didn’t understand it. She was tired of having nightmares.”

The mother expressed bitterness about the plea bargain that resulted in
Potter getting a three-year sentence. She maintains he didn’t get
enough prison time.

The 42-year-old can’t imagine another mother going through that kind of pain, which is why she questions Watson for reportedly getting involved with Potter. Watson’s family says she
didn’t know his history.

“This is personal for me,” the Bucyrus woman said. “I can’t believe this mother would put her daughter in this situation. That makes me mad at her.”

As for her 19-year-old daughter, the woman said the teen is fearful.

“She said she feels he’s dangerous,” the mother said. “She’s afraid that now
that he’s already in trouble, he might come after her because she’s the
one who initially put him in prison.”

MANSFIELD -- Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Robbi Potter.
Potter, 27, a convicted sex offender, could be with Haylee Donathan,
4, and her mother, Candace Watson, of Crestline. They were last seen
May 31."We hope that this reward will bring forward the vital
information we need to locate and apprehend this fugitive," U.S.
Marshal Pete Elliott said. "Deputy U.S. Marshals and task force
officers are pursuing leads all over the nation."Potter left the
Volunteers of America halfway house May 28. He has convictions for two
counts of sexual battery involving 7- and 9-year-old victims.Authorities
have confirmed through video surveillance that Potter and Watson were
at a Marion Walmart on May 31. A friend of Watson's said Watson was
returning a tent. Haylee is not in the video.Drew Deserto, an
assistant chief with the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive
Task Force, previously said Potter and Watson went on a camping trip
without Haylee, then picked her up later.Video footage has
provided new information regarding the pickup they were last seen
driving. It is a blue 1988 Chevrolet with Ohio license plate DNS9729.
The truck has wavy patterns on the sides, and orange lights on the side
mirrors, front windshield visor and along the running boards. A
taillight is not working.Call 866-4-WANTED with information. Callers can remain anonymous.

On Monday, authorities released a Wal-Mart
surveillance video showing what appears to be Haylee Donathan in a
pickup truck in the store’s parking lot. The video was recorded on May
31, in Marion, Ohio shortly before 3 p.m.Three-year-old Haylee
has been missing since May 28 and is believed to be with her mother
Candace Watson, and Robbie Potter a convicted sex offender.
Haylee Donathan

The video also shows Haylee’s mother enter the store and return a tent.
She then goes into the restroom and changes clothes. When Watson exits
the store, she is seen returning to the pickup truck where Haylee was
left alone with Potter.

MANSFIELD, Ohio -- The U.S. Marshals Northern
Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is closer to finding a convicted sex
offender who has been on the run with his girlfriend and her daughter. Investigators told NewsChannel5 that they spotted Robbie Potter's truck at a Stratton, Colo., gas station on June 2.This is the last confirmed sighting of the truck since it was seen at a Wal-Mart in Marion on May 31.Surveillance
cameras captured pictures of the truck. It is a 1988 two-tone black and
green Chevrolet pickup with Ohio license plate ENS9729. The truck has
orange lights along the top of the windshield visor and running boards
along the sides.Authorities believe Potter is on the run with
his girlfriend, Candace Watson, 24, and her 3-year-old daughter, Haylee
Elizabeth Jade Donathan.Police consider Potter's girlfriend's
3-year-old daughter to be in serious danger because Potter is a Tier
III sex offender for crimes of sex offense of a minor.He's wanted for a parole violation and on a federal warrant for probation violation.On May 28, Potter fled a halfway house in Mansfield, which led to the violation charges.The
surveillance footage from Colorado shows a female, believed to be
Watson, attempting to purchase fuel at the gas pump. Neither Potter nor
Haylee were seen in the footage."Our Task Force is working
around the clock to locate this fugitive and ensure the safety of this
little child." said U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott. "We ask anyone with
information to please contact our hotline immediately and help us to
bring a peaceful end to this intensive manhunt."The U.S.
Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a
$10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Potter.Anyone with information should call the toll free hot line: 866-4WANTED. Callers may remain anonymous.

MANSFIELD - Mary Watson drew little comfort from the most recent sighting of her daughter.
Watson is the mother of Candace Watson and grandmother of 4-year-old
Haylee Donathan, who are believed to be with fugitive sex offender
Robbi Potter, 27. The suspected pickup in the case was captured on a
surveillance camera at a gas station in Stratton, Colo., on June 2.
Stratton is about 150 miles east of Denver.The surveillance
footage shows a woman, believed to be Candace Watson, attempting to buy
fuel at the gas pump after exiting the truck on the passenger side."That was two weeks ago," Mary Watson said. "There's nothing there. I know they're really trying, but that's old news."Drew
Deserto, assistant chief with the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent
Fugitive Task Force, said the sighting was positive news."It's two weeks old, but we know that they at least made it out to Colorado," he said. "It gives us someplace to start."Deserto credited the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation for its work on the video footage.Mary
Watson filed a police report a couple of days after she last talked to
her daughter May 31. Potter, a Tier III sex offender, walked away from
a Mansfield halfway house May 28. In 2006, he was sentenced to three
years in prison for two counts of sexual battery. His victims were 7
and 9.Potter is wanted on a state warrant for parole violation and a federal warrant for violating probation.Candace
Watson reportedly gave Potter a ride after his escape. Authorities
consider her and Potter a couple, although the surveillance footage
didn't show either Potter or Haylee."It's not that we didn't see
anybody. It's just bad camera angles," Deserto said. "Until we find
evidence otherwise, we're going to go with the information that they're
together."Mary Watson said she still can't believe her daughter willingly ran off with Potter."She
had just moved into a beautiful home in Crestline," Mary Watson said.
"She was going to start school to be a nurse. There is no way I can see
her taking her daughter with him."Watson has called her
daughter's cell phone repeatedly, but it always goes directly to
voicemail. She is considering trying to gain emergency custody of
Haylee "so we can get her on Amber Alert," but said she's short of
money for an attorney. Authorities have not issued such an alert
because Haylee's situation does not meet the criteria. It is not
considered an abduction.The case has drawn national attention, especially on CNN's "Nancy Grace.""With
all the exposure, we're getting a large influx of tips," Deserto said.
"Somebody out there has seen them and knows where they are. We just
need that person to come forward."Some tips are tied to Phoenix, Ariz."We're
not ruling that out, but we have no confirmation," Deserto said. "She
(Candace Watson) used to live in that area. She has a lot of associates
in that area."Mary Watson is just trying to hold out hope."I don't know how much more of this I can take," she said. "We need them found."

MANSFIELD — The three people accused of helping fugitive sex offender
Robbi Potter escape from a halfway house waived their preliminary
hearing Thursday, but police paperwork has provided details of their
reported involvement.
Cyle Watson, 21, of the Volunteers of America, 290 N. Main St.; James
Donathan, 24, of 270 N. Main St.; and Nicole Kirkpatrick, 20, of 728
Mansfield Washington Road all have been charged with complicity to
escape. Their cases will be presented to next month’s grand jury.

Potter, 27, absconded from the VOA on May 28. He reportedly is on the run with
Candace Watson and her 4-year-old daughter Haylee Donathan, both of
Crestline.

Authorities have been scouring the country for the trio because Potter has a conviction for two counts of sexual battery.

Those victims were 7 and 9.

Drew Deserto, assistant chief deputy with the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio
Violent Fugitive Task Force, said Thursday there were no new
developments in the case.
According to a report filed by Richland County sheriff’s Capt. Eric Bosko, Cyle Watson admitted making phone calls to arrange a ride for Potter, then withheld information about his
escape. In a jailhouse interview with the News Journal last week,
Watson denied any involvement, calling the episode “a trick gone bad.”

Watson and Potter were sent to the VOA after serving prison sentences. Watson
said he’d wanted to dupe Potter into thinking he had arranged a ride,
hoping Potter would be arrested for leaving the halfway house.

Watson, who said he didn’t like Potter, served prison time with the fugitive at
Belmont Correctional Institution. He said he wanted to pay Potter back
for money he owed Watson.

Donathan, who is Haylee’s father, lives in an apartment next to the VOA. According to Bosko’s report,
Donathan confessed to letting Potter hole up at his apartment for three
hours.

Kirkpatrick, Donathan’s girlfriend, reportedly let Potter use her cell phone to call Candace Watson and arrange a ride.

The most recent sighting of Watson was June 2 at a gas station in Stratton,
Colo. Surveillance footage showed a woman believed to be Watson
attempting to buy fuel at the gas pump.

While the footage didn’t show Donathan or Haylee, Deserto said bad camera angles were to blame.
The two-tone black and green Chevrolet pickup has Ohio license plate
ENS9729. It has orange lights along the top of the front windshield
visor and running boards along the sides.

Late Friday afternoon, a domestic relations magistrate gave custody
of 4-year-old Haylee Donathan to her maternal grandmother, Mary Watson. Haylee has been missing since May 28, and is believed to be with her mother, Candace Watson, and convicted fugitive sex offender Robbi Potter. An Amber Alert was not initially issued in the case, since Haylee was with her mother, who authorities believe is voluntarily with Potter. But, with Mary now deemed the custodial parent, an Amber Alert can be issued.
Such an alert would mean that broadcasters, law enforcement,
transportation agencies, and the wireless industry can activate an
urgent bulletin to assist in the search for Haylee. An Amber Alert will also allow authorities to use electronic billboards to run images of the vehicle Potter may be driving. Mary Watson said, “Thank the Lord.”Two local attorneys, Heather Cockley and Charles Lynch, helped Mary obtain custody of Haylee free of charge.According
to U.S. Marshal Peter Elliot, “This is a priority case for our task
force. We are hopeful that this new ability to receive tips via text
will bring the one key tip we need to bring this manhunt to an end and
bring little Haylee home safely.”The vehicle Potter is believed to be driving is a 1988 black and green Chevy pick-up truck with Ohio license plates ENS9729, although according to authorities, Watson has been known to switch plates on vehicles.If
you have seen Haylee, Watson, or Potter, please call 911, the toll free
hotline at 866-4WANTED, the Crestline Police Department at 419-683-2222
or the Richland County Division of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive
Task Force at 419-774-3930.

I am so glad they gave custody to the GM...hopefully now with an Amber Alert this little girl will be found and brought home.

I sure hope this mother gets arrested also if she is with him at her free will...

For Immediate Release	Contact:
June 19, 2009	U.S. Marshal, Peter J. Elliott (216) 276-5855

U.S. MARSHALS CONTINUE SEARCH FOR POTTER; NOW ACCEPTING TIPS VIA TEXT MESSAGE

Mansfield, OH – The U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is continuing the search for fugitive sex offender Robbi Potter, 27. Potter is a convicted sex offender who authorities believe is on the run with his girlfriend, Candace Watson, 24, and her 4-year-old daughter, Haylee Elizabeth Jade Donathan. The U.S. Marshals Task Force is now accepting tips on this case via text message. All tips are 100% anonymous and confidential. To send tips, text “POTTER” and the message to 847411 or TIP411. Standard message rates apply. An investigator will receive the tip and be able to respond to the tips via text message. As always, tipsters can also call the toll free hotline, (866) 4WANTED with anonymous tips as well. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Potter. Potter is wanted on a state warrant for parole violation and on a federal warrant for probation violation. Potter is a convicted Tier III sex offender for crimes of sex offense of a minor. On May 28, Potter fled a halfway house in Mansfield, which led to the violation charges. Potter, Watson and Haylee were last seen in a 1988 two-tone black and green Chevrolet pick-up truck with Ohio plate ENS9729. The truck has orange lights along the top of the front windshield visor. The truck also has a lightning storm decal on the back window (example attached). “This is a priority investigation for our Task Force.” said U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott. “We are hopeful that this new ability to receive tips via text will bring the one key tip we need to bring this manhunt to an end and bring little Haylee home safely.”

MANSFIELD — While Haylee Donathan’s case did not meet the criteria for
the release of an Amber Alert, it will now get more attention
nationwide through a Missing Child Alert.
Mary Watson, Haylee’s grandmother, was awarded emergency custody of the
missing 4-year-old on Friday with the goal of allowing law enforcement
to issue an Amber Alert.

Authorities believe Haylee is with
fugitive sex offender Robbi Potter and her mother, Candace Watson. In
2006, Potter, 27, was sentenced to three years in prison for two counts
of sexual battery. The victims in that case were 7 and 9.

Potter walked away from a Mansfield halfway house on May 28. Candace Watson’s family has not heard from her since May 31.

Local
attorneys Charles Lynch and Heather Cockley took Mary Watson’s case
free of charge to help her gain custody of Haylee. Cockley said Monday
the case qualifies for a Missing Child Alert, rather than an Amber
Alert.

“It’s exactly the same except an Amber Alert goes out
over the Emergency Broadcast System,” Cockley said. “What (criteria) we
didn’t meet is a confirmed abduction.”

The Amber Alert program
is a voluntary partnership among law enforcement agencies,
broadcasters, transportation agencies and the wireless industry to
activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases.
The goal is to galvanize the entire community instantly to help in the
search for a missing child.

Cockley said a Missing Child Alert will allow Haylee’s case to go to law enforcement nationwide.

“Let’s keep hoping and praying,” she said.

* * * *

How to Help


Haylee is 2 feet, 5 inches and 37 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes.

Candace Watson is 5-1 and 170 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes.

Potter is 6 feet and 211 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes.

Potter
might be driving a 1988 two-tone black and green Chevrolet pickup with
Ohio license plate ENS9729. The truck, last seen June 2 in Stratton,
Colo., has orange lights along the top of the front windshield visor
and running boards along the sides.

The U.S. Marshals Northern
Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a $10,000 reward for
information leading to Potter’s arrest. Anyone with information is
asked to call 866-4-WANTED or text “Potter” and the message to 847411
or TIP411.

Hide



Nancy Grace Breaking right now: We've just learned 4-year-old Haylee Donathan has been found! Her mom Candace Watson and sex offender boyfriend Robbi Potter are now in police custody.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/nancy.grace/
Miracle Haylee!



Breaking News -- Missing Ohio girl Haylee Donathan found safe! And her mom and the sex offender they were believed to be traveling with are also located. Nancy Grace brings you wall-to-wall coverage and the latest developments as the story unfolds minute by minute, 8 & 10 p.m.

Haylee Donathan found; marshals arrest mom and boyfriend in San Diego


Posted by [url=http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/about.html][url=mailto://jcaniglia@plaind.com]John Caniglia/Plain Dealer Reporter[/url][/url] June 23, 2009 22:21PM

Categories: Breaking News, Crime, Real Time News

"A convicted child molester who walked away from a halfway house in Mansfield last month was picked up today in San Diego with a 4-year-old girl and her mother, hiding at a christian retreat center, authorities said.
Police arrested Robbi Potter, 27, and his girlfriend, Candace Watson, 24, and picked up her daughter, Haylee Donathan, after U.S. marshals tipped off officers to Potter. Police found his green truck and arrested him and Watson about 3 p.m. in San Diego, said U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott.
He said the little girl is safe, though she may have a case of the chicken pox.

...."

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/06/haylee_donathan_found_marshall.html

VALLEY CENTER,
Calif. — A 4-year-old Ohio girl, who had disappeared with her mother
and a wanted sex offender, was found Tuesday at a Christian retreat
center near San Diego.
The nationwide search for Haylee Donathan ended when authorities discovered
her unharmed with the fugitives at the Morning Star Ranch in Valley
Center, Calif., the San Diego Union-Tribune said. Deputies had followed a tip from the ranch’s residents.
U.S. deputies arrested the girl’s mother, Candace Watson, 24, and Watson’s boyfriend, sex offender Robbie Potter, 27.
Until the disappearance, Potter had been living at a halfway house in Ohio,
after his release from prison for sexual battery on a minor, the U.S.
Marshal Service told the Union-Tribune. He was prohibited from
interaction with children.
A resident from Morning Star recognized the missing girl Tuesday from a billboard in
the Los Angeles area. He verified the information with the ranch’s
manager, who then called the authorities.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo told the Union-Tribune that the family had
been at the ranch for a week. Haylee will now be placed in the care of
her grandmother.

VALLEY CENTER — A 4-year-old Ohio girl
who was the subject of a nationwide search was found safe at a
Christian organic farm in Valley Center on Tuesday and her mother and
the mother's boyfriend were arrested, authorities said.
A recent resident of the Morning Star Ranch spotted an
Amber Alert sign in Las Vegas and realized it was the three people who
had been living at the ranch for about a week, helping out in the
communal setting.
Sheriff's deputies, acting on the tip, arrested wanted
sex offender Robbi Potter, 27, and his girlfriend, Candace Watson, 24,
about 3 p.m. at the retreat on Keys Creek Road, authorities said.
The couple had been on the run with Watson's daughter, Haylee Donathan, for a month.

Kevin Carlin, 53, who has lived at the ranch for six years, said the
three showed up at the avocado, grapefruit and persimmon farm about a
week ago. The well-kept farm consists of several buildings, including a
main house, fruit groves, a large garden and a pen where goats and
other animals are kept.
“We don't do background checks,” Carlin said. “We
welcomed Robbi and Candace and Haylee. They told us they were from
Ohio, but we don't watch television. We didn't know CNN was doing a
nightly thing on them.”
The three were given a room on the second floor of the main house.

Carlin said Watson helped out in the kitchen and Potter worked in the avocado groves.

“You can say in retrospect they were on their best behavior. They
didn't act strange or threatening in any way. ... They were pretty
normal people,” Carlin said. “They didn't seem like a perfectly happy
couple, but a lot of young couples have problems.”
Carlin said someone who had stayed at the ranch recently
was driving east when he saw an Amber Alert sign while passing through
Las Vegas that showed a picture of the pickup in which the family was
traveling and the truck's license plate number.
He called the ranch, and Carlin and others confirmed it was the same vehicle.

“At that point we called the sheriff. They came quickly,” Carlin said.

Deputies gathered near the entrance of the ranch and then decided they
needed reinforcements because they had information that Potter might be
violent.
Carlin said the deputies “came with plenty of force.”

“There was a helicopter up overhead. It was definitely tense,” he said.

Carlin said he and others quietly emptied the house, moving residents to another building on the other side of the compound.

“We just wanted to get people out of the way,” he said.

The arrests were uneventful. “They surrendered and were handcuffed and were marched out,” he said.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Potter had recently been
released from prison after serving time for sexual battery on a minor
and was not allowed to be around children.
He was living at a halfway house in Mansfield, Ohio, when
he walked away May 28 and disappeared with Watson and Haylee, said
Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo.
Watson is scheduled to appear in San Diego Superior Court
on Thursday morning on a fugitive warrant. She can either waive
extradition to Ohio or challenge it, which would require further
hearings.
Potter is in federal custody because he was on federal
parole at the time he walked away from the halfway house, Deputy
District Attorney Summer Stephan said. He could appear in federal court
as early as this afternoon, but the hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Haylee seemed to be in good spirits, although she appeared
to have suffered a possible mild case of chickenpox, Castillo said.
She will be handed over to her grandmother.

Carlin said Potter and Watson told him they had heard about the ranch from someone camping at a nearby beach with them.

“In retrospect they were obviously on the run looking for a place that was incognito,” he said.

Castillo said that the family had been staying at the ranch for about a
week, and that they may have visited the Wild Animal Park three days
ago, according to another tipster who called authorities.
U.S. marshals were offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Potter.

According to the ranch's Web site, about 70 people live at Morningstar.

Carlin said the number varies as people come and go.

“There are people here from every walk of life, and different cultural
and economic backgrounds, all serving the same God with the same faith,
in lasting friendships,” the Web site states.
“In this new life the barriers are being broken down. As
the long-established cultures of the Earth are being left behind for
the self-gratification of 'Western culture,' a brand new culture is
emerging. Our common faith has brought us together to accomplish our
Creator's work of restoration.”
Carlin said families and single people show up at the
ranch all the time. He said the ranch doesn't plan on changing the way
it does things and will continue to welcome strangers into the fold.
“We pray to be delivered from evil every day, and it's
obvious we were,” he said. “None of our children were harmed. There
were no criminal acts here.”
Carlin said that as a community the ranch wants to thank the Sheriff's Department for the way everything was handled.

“We're very thankful for the police and how . . . helpful they were to us and how much care they took not to cause harm.”

The mother of the
4-year-old girl who was the focus of a nationwide search until found in
Valley Center earlier this week, agreed Thursday to be returned to
Ohio, where she will likely face criminal charges.
Candace Watson, 24, and her boyfriend, wanted sex offender Robbie Potter, 27,
were found and arrested Tuesday in Valley Center, the Union-Tribune
reported.
Watson and Potter had been on the run for more than a month with Watson’s 4-year-old daughter, Haylee Donathan.
Potter, who was recently released from prison for sexual battery on a minor,
was living in a halfway house prior to the escape and was not allowed
to be around children.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Potter left a halfway house in Ohio and disappeared with Watson and Haylee, the Union-Tribune reported.
Watson, who remains in San Diego, was ordered to be held without bail until law officials from Ohio come to get her.
According to the Union-Tribune, federal officials said a warrant was issued
Thursday and that Watson would be charged in federal court with
harboring or concealing a fugitive.
Potter appeared in federal court Wednesday. A bail hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo told the Union-Tribune that Haylee appeared
to have a mild case of chickenpox, but was otherwise in good spirits.
He added that Haylee will be handed over to her grandmother.

MANSFIELD -- Haylee Donathan's grandmother has spoken to her by phone.

"I've been talking to her three or four times a day," Mary Watson said. "The
first day, she didn't seem too good. Since I've been talking to her
three or four times a day, she's been real good."Haylee,
4, is staying in San Diego at the Polinsky Children's Center, a 24-hour
facility for the temporary emergency shelter of children who must be
separated from their families for their own safety or when parents
cannot provide care. The facility includes six residential cottages, a
nursery, an on-site library, infirmary and gymnasium.Candace
Watson, Haylee's mother, and fugitive sex offender Robbi Potter, were
arrested June 23 at a Christian retreat center near San Diego, ending a
month-long nationwide manhunt for the couple and Haylee. Mary Watson
has been granted emergency custody. She doesn't know when Haylee, who
is being examined, will be able to come home."I'm trying
to get up some money to stay somewhere so I can be out there with her
until the paperwork gets done," Mary Watson said. "(The National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children) will pay for my way out. Now, I
just need money to stay out there."Potter, 27, waived a
hearing Monday. He is scheduled for a removal hearing at 9 a.m. July 9.
He was arrested on an Ohio warrant for a parole violation and on a
federal warrant for a probation violation.U.S. Marshal
Pete Elliott said Monday federal officials also are pursuing a charge
through the Adam Walsh Act. As a Tier III sex offender -- the most
serious designation -- Potter could not leave the area."I hope they do everything they can do to him," Mary Watson said.
Potter, who has convictions for sexual battery with 7- and 9-year-old victims,
walked away from a local halfway house May 28. Authorities believe
Watson gave him a ride, knowing he was on the run. She was arrested and
charged by the state with complicity to escape. Since then, Watson, 24,
also has been charged with harboring a federal fugitive.Last
week, Watson waived her extradition hearing on the state charge.
Elliott wasn't sure how the federal case would affect extradition.

Haylee Donathan, the missing 4-year-old who was discovered at a San Diego, Calif. Christian ranch on June 23, will be placed in foster care when she returns to Ohio.After Haylee disappeared
with her mother, Candace Watson, 24, and convicted sex offender Robbi
Potter, 27, on May 28, a nationwide manhunt ensued. Potter was
convicted and served time for two counts of sexual battery on children,
ages 7 and 9.Haylee has been at the Polinsky Children’s Center in San Diego
since she was found. The center is a 24-hour facility for the temporary
emergency housing of children who must be separated from their families
if their parents cannot care for them or for their own safety.Mary Watson, Haylee’s grandmother,
was given temporary emergency custody of the girl on June 19 to
facilitate the issuance of an Amber Alert—which ultimately helped find
Haylee. Nevertheless, Haylee will not be living with her
grandmother when she returns to Ohio. “She will be placed with a foster
family in order for her to be in a safe environment at this time,” said
Edith Gilliland, an attorney for Children Services.Attorneys
Charles Lynch and Heather Cockley provided free assistance to Mary
Watson so she could obtain emergency custody of Haylee. Cockley said,
“This case is sort of in two parts. The first part is the filing of the
emergency custody to get the Missing Child Alert. The second part is
determining what’s in the best interest of the child now that she’s
been found.”The Lancaster Eagle Gazette
reported that two of Mary Watson’s children have been in trouble with
the law. Candace Watson faces possible prison time for assisting
Potter’s escape from a halfway house and for harboring a fugitive. Her
brother Cyle Watson, is serving eight years in prison for a probation violation and has a prior conviction for the rape of a 12-year-old girl.

I, for one, as so HAPPY to hear that Haylee's interests are coming first and she's not going to be immediately placed in a home that doesn't quite sound so stable from what we have read and heard so far Thanks sweet Tom for the update! :hug:

Susmihara wrote:I, for one, as so HAPPY to hear that Haylee's interests are coming first and she's not going to be immediately placed in a home that doesn't quite sound so stable from what we have read and heard so far Thanks sweet Tom for the update! :hug:

I agree Until we/authorities know she is safe from her mom and uncle, she needs to stay away from grandma (who may allow them back into her house with Haylee) to make sure she stays safe.