The Region - News from June 30, 1986

Ronald Whitelaw celebrated by taking the daughters he once was accused of stealing to a baseball game. “It’s great, this is where they wanted to be,” said Whitelaw, in a telephone interview from Lebanon, Ore., where, for seven years, the girls lived under assumed names with their father and his wife, Sandy. “We’re all very happy,” Whitelaw, 39, said after being awarded custody of Kristin, 14, and Alisa, 11, in Santa Barbara Superior Court. The court agreement ended a custody battle that started in April, 1978, when Whitelaw failed to return his daughters to the Valencia home of his former wife, Faith Canutt. Canutt agreed to give Whitelaw legal custody of their daughters because she feels it is best for the girls, Whitelaw said. Canutt, 36, was unavailable for comment.