AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — Authorities say two people are now in custody in Pennsylvania in connection with the disappearance of three-year-old Khaleesi Cuthriell, who was last seen in February in Augusta County.
The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office says members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the United States Marshall’s Service helped track down Travis Ryan Brown and Candi Joe Royer to an inn in the Borough of South Greensburg, Pa., which is near Pittsburgh.
According to authorities, the two were located at the Knights Inn at 1215 South Main Street on Sunday, Sept. 12. The two were then arrested without incident.
Investigators with the Augusta County Sherriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Appomattox Field office reportedly traveled to Pennsylvania on Sunday to interview Brown and Royer.
The two are currently being held in the Westmoreland County Prison, where they are waiting for a court hearing and to be extradited back to Virginia to face numerous charges, officials say.
In a previous statement posted on Facebook on Friday, Sept. 10 — the same day Virginia State Police issued an Endangered Child Alert for Cuthriell — the sheriff’s office said that Brown was wanted for the following charges:
- Strangulation in Augusta County
- Assault and battery of a family member in Augusta County
- Unauthorized use of a vehicle in Staunton
- Altering or defacing serial numbers in Augusta County
- Two counts of felony eluding in Louisa County
- Two counts of grand larceny in Albemarle County
- Breaking and entering in Albemarle County
- Carjacking in Albemarle County
- Trespassing in Albemarle County
- Destruction of property in Albemarle County
- Petit larceny in Albemarle County
- Assault and Battery in Albemarle County
- Contempt of court in Augusta County
- Breaking and entering in Charlottesville
Then, on Monday, Sept. 12, the sheriff’s office announced that Augusta County investigators obtained additional charges against both Royer and Brown, which means they are each facing a single felony count of abuse and neglect of children.
However, authorities are still looking for Cuthriell.
The sheriff’s office says Amanda Arey, an inmate at Middle River Regional Jail, reported to a jail officer on Sept. 4 that she placed her daughter, Cuthriell, in Royer’s care last October. Augusta County authorities then shared the following information about the child’s disappearance on Facebook on Friday:
On September 4, 2021, the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office was notified that Amanda Arey, an inmate at Middle River Regional Jail (MRRJ), reported to a Jail officer that she placed her three-year-old daughter, Khaleesi Cuthriell, in the care of Candi Royer in October of 2020. She was assisted by social services to establish a written diversionary agreement. Arey told responding deputies that she was told by friends, that Royer had placed her daughter in the care of the child’s aunt, who lives in Covington, or possibly in the care of her maternal grandmother.
Several friends and family of Royer also reported to investigators being told this by Royer, and that the child has not been seen with Royer since February of this year. Investigators later determined this to be untrue, and that Khaleesi Cuthriell’s whereabouts are currently unknown. She has been entered as a missing person. Candi Royer is also reported as a missing person but is believed to be with her boyfriend, Travis Brown, who is a fugitive. The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s assistance in any information on the whereabouts of Khaleesi Cuthriell, or any information on the location of Brown or Royer who are believed to know the child’s whereabouts.
Timeline:
Augusta County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page
10 Oct 2020 – Amanda Arey places Khaleesi in Royer’s care.
Oct 2020 – Jan 2021 – Family members of Royer report to have seen the child with Royer.
Feb 2021 – Royer tells family members that Khaleesi has been removed and is with her maternal Aunt/Grandmother.
21 August 2021 – Brown is a fugitive.
03 September 2021 – Royer reported as missing
04 September 2021 – Amanda Arey tell a guard at MRRJ that her daughter was in Candi’s care
04 September 2021 – ACSO deputy meets with Amanda Arey reports child maybe with family members.
05 – 08 September 2021 – ACSO contacts members of the Arey, Brown, and Royer families to attempt to ascertain Khaleesi’s location.
08 September 2021 – Khaleesi entered as a missing person.
Officials describe Cuthriell as being 3’1″ tall and 40 pounds with blue eyes and blond hair. If you have any information on her whereabouts, you are asked to call the August County Sheriff’s Office at 540-245-5333 or Central Shenandoah Crime Stoppers at 800-322-2017.
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