Mange confirmed that the Department of Public Safety is continuing to provide security at several locations in San Angelo in connection with the FLDS situation and are continuing with a criminal investigation that spans several areas. She would not elaborate on the specifics on the investigation, but did say the partner agency is Child and Family Protective Services.

Midland County Chief Deputy Ed Krevit said the armored personnel carrier came from his department and was there to protect officers.

"We like to compare it to being a bullet proof vest for 12 officers," said Krevit. "We were asked by the Texas Rangers to assist and as far as I know, there wasn't any resistance."

On Tuesday, 12 days after the raid began, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said it was unclear if the girl at the center of the raid was among the 416 children taken from the ranch.

"We cannot confirm that we have (the girl)," said Marleigh Meisner.

A hearing is scheduled Thursday in a San Angelo courtroom to determine whether the state should retain custody of the children.

"I haven't slept, not hardly at all since (the raid)," said Isaac. "It was hard to watch them haul my family off."

Authorities would not allow the children's father to say goodbye when they took the children away, he said.

"My son was on the bus, crying and crying, and I was waving at him," said Isaac. "A CPS worker came up and told me, 'You're not helping. They were fine until you came out.' I asked him if he ever had his family torn away from him and he wouldn't answer."

Once the teams of law enforcement officers and child protection service workers entered the YFZ ranch, children were rounded up for interviews, Isaac said. A group of girls, aged 7 to 17, were questioned and then placed in a bus and driven off the ranch, he said.

"They said they were going to question them at another place and bring them back," said Isaac. "They did not (bring the girls back). It was all done under false pretenses."

---

E-mail: nperkinsl@desnews.com; amyloi@desnews.com