Noyes’ former life on the run

Newport Beach Mayor John Noyes, who announced Tuesday he would not seek

reelection this fall, was wanted on criminal kidnapping charges in Idaho

during the late 1970s and early 1980s for snatching his daughters, then 6

and 7, from the legal custody of his ex-wife.

The girls’ mother, Ann Heltsley, spent nearly a decade searching for her

daughters before tracking them down in 1985, where they were living with

their father in an exclusive island community off the Washington state

coast.

Noyes, who was never prosecuted by authorities for the 1976 abduction,

admitted to taking the girls and hiding them during a 1987 civil lawsuit

filed by Heltsley. A judge found Noyes liable for “severing” his

ex-wife’s relationship with her children.

Charges against Noyes had been dismissed by Idaho authorities in 1986.

As a result of the civil lawsuit, Heltsley received a $665,000 settlement

paid by Noyes, his second wife Sheila, his father and his stepmother.

After being asked about his history earlier this month, Noyes issued a

written statement that said, in part, “Twenty-five years ago, I was

involved in a difficult divorce that eventually led to a hopeless custody

situation. At that time, I pursued an aggressive course of action in

order to protect my children.”

Noyes was appointed mayor of Newport Beach last fall after serving on the

City Council since 1996, when he first ran on a law-and-order platform

and promised to reduce crime in the city.

His announcement that he would not seek reelection came at Tuesday’s

council meeting and surprised many city officials.

After the meeting, he said his decision was “too complicated” to explain.

An account of Noyes’ history with his now-grown daughters and his ex-wife

appears on the front page of today’s Los Angeles Times and was a joint

effort between Daily Pilot and Los Angeles Times staff writers.

For the full story, “Newport Mayor’s Former Life on the Run,” see

page A1 of the Los Angeles Times.