Apr 6, 2008

Authorities to enter most sacred FLDS temple, prepared for resistance


KTVK-3 TV News (AZ)

April 6, 2008

ELDORADO, TX -- Late Saturday evening a number of emergency vehicles including an ambulance a number of firetrucks entered the FLDS compound in the outskirts of the little town of Eldorado, TX.

According to Texas officials this is in preparation for texas law officers to go into the most sacred site for the FLDS people. Authorities are preparing for resistance to their presence on the compound. Law officers have been on the compound since Thursday afternoon ever since they executed a search warrant.

Authorities now want to search the temple on the compound. As of Saturday they had gone through much of this sprawling 1700 acre complex looking for a 16 year old girl who is at the center of this story.

CPS officials released staggering numbers saying they have taken a total of 183 people from the compound outside Eldorado - 137 of them said to be children most of those girls under the age of 17. The raid is now on its third day. The people removed from the compound by Texas law officers have been bussed to a community center and to a local baptist church where they're being cared for, housed and interviewed by CPS investigators.

According to CPS investigators 18 of those children have been abused or are in imminent threat of being abused. Those 18 are now in protective custody. These events started on Monday with a 911 call placed from inside the compound. A 16 year old girl with an 8 month old child had been physically abused by a 50 year old man. That man believed to be the girl's polygamist husband.

That gave Texas law officers enough to convince a judge to issue a search warrant of the FLDS compound. Authorities won't say whether they have found the 16 year old girl in question or whether they're now looking for her inside that temple. There are concerns that Warren Jeffs' followers may now be hiding children on the property.

CPS authorities also have four workers in the compound going from building to building with law enforcement trying to find other children that may still be in the compound.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/phoenix_local_news_040508_poly-stand-off.373e11e2.html 

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