Delaware County Daily Times - Sept 9, 1999 Article

Donors push Katelyn reward fund past $10,000 mark

Delaware County Daily Times (Primos - Upper Darby, PA) - Thursday, September 9, 1999

Author: ROSE QUINN ; Of the Times Staff

UPPER CHICHESTER -- Attached with an appeal to "Keep your eyes are ears open,'' Katelyn Rivera-Helton's family are now offering $10,000 for the return of the missing 20-month-old child.

Katelyn, who will turn 1 on Dec. 12, has been missing since her father and jailed accused kidnapper, Robert N. Rivera , forcibly took her from a day care provider home the morning of the Aug. 10.

Tomorrow will be one month since Jennifer Helton has either seen or held her daughter -- whom in a letter to the Daily Times earlier this week she described as wonderful, beautiful and endearing.

In the letter, Helton thanked those who donated money towards a reward fund -- either by attending or purchasing a ticket for a benefit at the RS Club in Woodlyn organized by Manager Annemarie Jowder.

Helton especially thanked Davoud Baravordeh, of DB Enterprise Builders, who personally contributed $5,000 to the fund.

While Helton is appreciative of any and all information, the reward will be distributed only upon the return of Katelyn to either Helton, local or county police, or the FBI.

Upper Chichester Police Chief William Robinson was optimistic that anyone with information would comply with Helton's appeal and pick up the telephone.

""We would forward information to the appropriate party,'' Robinson said.

Anyone with information can call Upper Chichester police at 610-485-8400, county detectives at 891-4700 or the FBI at 215-418-4000.

Meanwhile, an exhaustive search for little Katelyn continues, according to authorities.

Investigators here and in Cecil County, Md., where Rivera visited friends the night of the kidnapping, are tracking leads in the case.

Where the leads will take them, Capt. Ronald Plummer of the Cecil County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Division, was not at all sure.

"I know we are not done down here,'' he said yesterday.