Delaware County Daily Times - Aug 16, 1999 Article

Family, friends pray for Katelyn

Delaware County Daily Times (Primos - Upper Darby, PA) - Monday, August 16, 1999

Author: ROSE QUINN ; Of the Times Staff

UPPER CHICHESTER -- Calmly, Jennifer Helton talked yesterday about a girlfriend's plan to start blanketing the area with fliers bearing pictures of her missing 20-month-old daughter.

She even mentioned discussion of a possible benefit to raise reward money for anyone with information leading to the safe return of Katelyn Selena Rivera-Helton.

It's welcome busywork for a mother's mind consumed with the unanswered question:

""Where is Katelyn?''

And comforting.

Like praying -- only out loud and in motion.

Tomorrow marks a week since Katelyn's father, Robert N. Rivera, barged into her babysitter's in the 200 block Second Avenue and forcibly removed the child.

Rivera, who was arrested Wednesday and charged with kidnapping, violating a protection from abuse order and other offenses, told authorities he gave the little girl to a couple he met Tuesday night at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Chester County.

Last night, Upper Chichester police offered no new details involving the ongoing joint search with F.B.I. and county detectives.

She tries, but Helton hasn't been able to get much sleep.

Helton said that just sitting around makes the already unbearably slow passage of time even more unbearable.

""I've been driving around with my friend,'' Helton, 26, said. ""Justlooking. Every little girl I see ... ''

Her thoughts needs no finish.

Every little girl Helton now sees is Katelyn.

""I just feel like I'm going to find her,'' Helton said.

Helton, noting that Rivera had been spotted in the neighborhood during the early hours of Katelyn's disappearance, wonders if she's somewhere close by.

""He has (friends) around here,'' she said.

Helton and her parents, Frank and Olga Helton, are grateful for the countless telephone calls and cards they have received.

""It really does help,'' Olga Helton said.

One call was from a man the Heltons knew as a young married couple and haven't seen in at least a decade.

""He just wanted us to know that he read the story and that he was thinking about us -- praying,'' Olga Helton said.

Another was from a woman Jennifer Helton went to school with.

""Everyone says the same thing,'' Helton said. ""They're thinking about Katelyn.''

Jennifer Helton last saw her daughter at the babysitter's, about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Helton then headed to district court. Rivera, whom she had left about two weeks before, proceeded to waive hearing on charges that he assaulted Helton July 30 as she tried to remove some belongings from an apartment.

A protection order, signed by Rivera and Helton a week before the hearing, required Rivera to stay away from Helton's home and the hair salon where she works, as well as from his daughter's daycare.

Rivera was permitted daily phone calls to Katelyn and supervised visits with her.

After the hearing, Rivera confronted Helton at a Wawa on Conchester Avenue.

She called police.

Rivera headed for Katelyn.

Authorities say Rivera drove off with Katelyn in a red car -- which Helton later learned he told police belonged to a girlfriend -- at 10:59 a.m.

Throughout the day, Helton said Rivera called her at her parent's home a number of times.

She lost count at 15 or 20.

Most calls were collect, some from Delaware.

""He would only stay on for a few minutes,'' Helton said.

The first call scared here the most. She said Rivera mentioned that he and Katelyn ""were going to a place'' where they could visit a friend of Helton's who had died.

""He said, "Katelyn would go to heaven and I'll probably go to hell.''

As the calls kept coming at short intervals, Helton said her mind eased and didn't believe that Katelyn was in danger.

Rivera spoke of stops they had made at parks and having lunch at McDonald's. He mentioned wanting to stop at the Brandywine Zoo but not having enough money.

By the third or fourth call, about mid-afternoon, Rivera let Helton talk to Katelyn.

""She sounded good,'' Helton said.

""She said, "Mo-ny.''

That's mommy, in Katelyn-speak.

At 8 p.m., Rivera was last seen with Katelyn at a gas station at Route 1 and 100 in Chester County. He bought $2 in gas.

Police later reported that Katelyn was fine, standing in the back seat and looking out the window.

Rivera was alone about 2 p.m. Wednesday afteroon when he turned up at the home of Helton's parents, telling Helton he would take her to Katelyn if she got in the car with him.

Police took Rivera, who is being held at the county prison on $100,000 cash bail pending a tentative hearing this week on the kidnapping offense, away in handcuffs.

Rivera asked to see Helton at the police station.

He was shackled to a chair.

""He kept saying he wanted us to go back. He wanted assurances ... he said he loved me ... he wanted to get married,'' recalled Helton. Over and over and over, she asked, ""Where's Katelyn?''

Rivera never answered.

""It made him angry. He said that was the only reason I came to see him,'' Helton said. ""He was right.''

Anyone with information is asked to call township police at 610-485-8400; county detectives 610-891-4700, or 610-892-8400 after 4:30 p.m.; or the Philadelphia Division of the FBI at 215-418-4000.