Court info: Children abandoned in Batesville; arrest warrant issued for father

An arrest warrant has been issued for a father accused of abandoning his three children in Batesville.

According to information filed in Independence County Circuit Court on Wednesday, a woman driving home on Thursday, Nov. 25, around 4:30 p.m., saw three small children walking in the field across from Eagle Mountain Elementary School on Eagle Mountain Boulevard in Batesville.

Stopping to check on the children, the woman noticed they were dirty and appeared to not have been bathed in days. They were also not properly clothed for the 40-degree temperature, according to the court information. The younger two were walking without shoes and had short sleeve tops.  

In the arrest affidavit, the woman said the oldest of the three told her their father “drove away.” The woman took the three children to her home and called the Batesville Police Department. It was determined later that the children — ages 5, 3, and 2 — were apparently abandoned in Batesville, but lived in the central Arkansas area, according to the court information.

The affidavit said officers came and took the children to the Batesville Police Department and notified the Department of Human Services. The oldest told officers that “…daddy had been mean…” to their mother and that “…daddy had dropped them off,” according to the court documents. The child could not tell officers how long they had been in the field. Through an interview with the oldest child, the identification of the children’s mother was determined. She was later found to be in a Conway, Ark., hospital.

An investigation found the mother of the children told authorities that the father, identified as Cody L. Donley, 34, was supposed to have had the children in his care. She said she didn’t even know where Batesville was located, and “…that he, Cody, did not either,” according to the court information. She also told authorities Cody had her cell phone and her car. A BOLO (Be on the Look Out) was issued for Cody L. Donley and the vehicle he was apparently driving: a silver 2011 GMC Acadia with a license plate number of 575 ZWO.

Investigating officers said Donley has active warrants for his arrest for several violations including a parole violation for burglary and drug offenses; failure to appear on domestic battery; a parole violation on aggravated assault and drug charges; and possession of meth with the purpose to deliver.

Donley’s affidavit of probable cause for arrest said he is charged with three felony counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the first degree. He is also being charged as a habitual offender, having been previously convicted of four or more felonies.

Donley’s bail has been set at $50,000.