A judge granted Renee Menendez, the grandmother of the missing Hallandale Beach baby whose disappearance went unreported for over a year, supervised visitations that allow her to see her children.
Menendez, who had previous problems with the Department of Children and Families, lost custody of four of her children to the state in January.
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“The children are still under the state – that doesn’t change,” said Paige Patterson-Hughes,
communications director for the Department of Children and Families. “This just means she will be allowed to visit her children with someone there.”
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Before the state stepped in, Menendez lived with her four young children, as well as her daughter Brittney Sierra and her kids. Sierra is the mother of Dontrell Melvin, the boy who went missing in 2011 and is presumed dead.
"The children are very close, I'm sure they miss each other and I think a visit for all of them would be helpful," said Menendez, who broke down in tears after a judge agreed.
The four children will also be allowed visitation with Sierra’s two children.
Despite being the same family and living together, Menendez’s attorney says the cases should not intertwine.
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Sierra is currently facing two counts of felony child neglect and the father of the missing boy, Calvin Melvin Jr., is charged with three felony counts for providing false information to police.
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Results from a DNA test that would confirm if the remains of a tiny skeleton found in the backyard of their former Hallandale Beach house are Dontrell's are still pending.
