What is CPS Doing???

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2009
What is CPS Doing???
27
Sun, 10-04-2009 - 9:59am

Mother of newborn stabbed and baby stolen.  Baby found.  CPS takes baby and 3 siblings!!  What?


http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-10-03-newborn-kidnapping_N.htm?csp=34


NASHVILLE — A kidnapped infant who was rescued Friday night in the Tennessee-Alabama border town of Ardmore is with a foster family and has not yet been returned to his parents, while the woman being held in the abduction was charged with federal kidnapping Saturday.

Also taken into the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children Services on Saturday were the infant's three siblings.


"It's for the children's safety," said DCS spokesman Rob Johnson. "I can't tell you how long. It will all be reviewed by a judge."


Police said 8-day-old Yair Antonio Carrillo, who was kidnapped from his South Nashville home Tuesday, is in good condition.


The baby's mother, Maria Gurrola, told police that a woman posing as an immigration agent came into her East Ridge Drive home Tuesday afternoon, stabbed her and stole the newborn. Gurrola, who suffered multiple stab wounds and a collapsed lung, was released from the hospital on Thursday.



The baby is with a foster care family, Johnson said.


"It's a happy resolution to this case," Johnson said. "We're working actively to reunite them but we don't know when."


Jose Antonio Carrillo has not seen his son but is relieved that he is safe. "We were ecstatic when so many of the agents came by last night to tell us they had our son," Carrillo said Saturday. "We cannot wait to see him."


Carrillo had taken the only picture of his newborn son on his cellphone. That image was widely circulated during the search.


"I think that picture really helped," Carrillo said. "That one photo was e-mailed everywhere."


Gurrola and the family all have the same thought: Thank God and the police, said Norma Rodriguez, Carrillo's cousin.


"Our supplications were answered," Rodriguez said as she waited for a carpet cleaning crew working in the home that was the scene of the abduction. "The police said they worked around the clock and this was a great result," Rodriguez added.


Tammy Renee Silas, 39, of Ardmore, was formally charged with federal kidnapping Saturday.


In the federal complaint against Silas, Gurrola told federal investigators she heard Silas on the phone after attacking Gurrola say "It's done. She's dying," in Spanish. Gurrola then ran to a neighbor's house for help. When she returned, the suspect and baby were gone.


The break in the case came as a task force of Metro police detectives and special agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI developed information on a Kia Spectra seen Tuesday afternoon following the child and his mother from a Wal-Mart parking lot, Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said. Investigators used technology to enhance the numbers on the Kia's license plate and determined that it was a rental car.


They learned that Silas had rented the car at Nashville International Airport early Tuesday.


Investigators traced Silas' rental car records back to her home in Alabama. When investigators knocked on the door of her home on Friday night, a man answered the door. Silas appeared shortly after with the baby in her arms and agreed to talk.


Silas surrendered without incident and was taken into custody about 10 p.m. Friday.


My Harrison, special agent in charge of the Memphis office of the FBI, said the baby is undergoing a routine medical exam and will be reunited with his family as soon as possible.


Harrison said she could not talk about a motive or what Silas has told police because of the ongoing investigation.


Silas has been arrested previously in Nashville for drug offenses, according to Metro Police spokeswoman Kristin Mumford. She has an outstanding warrant from California on a similar drug charge, Mumford said.

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Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Tue, 10-06-2009 - 10:43pm
Well, in this case, people jumped on the CPS for removing the kids. In a previous case, people jumped on them for removing children for pictures that others thought might be child porn. If they fail to act, then they're also damned. If they make a mistake, then they need to account for it, as I said in my post. I'd rather err on the side of child safety. But, it's a fine line when you don't have all the information. Are there bad CPS workers? Of course and if they fail to do their jobs, there needs to be repercussions. But, I don't think it's fair to broadbrush everyone in the service for the mistakes of a few. They are overworked, deal w/ hundreds of cases each and are second guessed by the public and publicity hungry trial attorneys. I won't condemn the CPS in the OP until I see any evidence that they acted inappropriately. Without more information, it's jumping to conclusions. I'm not familiar with the cases you're citing from Texas so won't comment. But, if mistakes happen, they need to be addressed. I won't defend it in that case, but I won't come down against all the social workers at the CPS as a result.










iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2009
Wed, 10-07-2009 - 5:55am



I didn't mean to sound like I believe every case worker is bad.

Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Wed, 10-07-2009 - 11:14am
Sorry, I just noticed your other post about your sister's experience. I responded to the post before it and missed yours. I'm also taking this from a more personal experience. A friend of mine suffered from Post Partum Psychosis years ago. It resulted in a near successful suicide attempt, among other things. After a lot of treatment, friend recovered but recently relapsed. She had the presence of mind to check herself into the mental hospital. As a result, CPS got involved. I don't know who was responsible but they were worried about the child. Rather than remove the child immediately, they allowed them to stay together, as long as there were other adults on the premise, until they could investigate (she had to get a lawyer to defend herself) and bring it to a judge. After going to court, she was allowed to keep the child. But, she and her family vilified CPS for what happened. I could see their view. But, as I told her, they have to take the action that protects EVERY child, when they don't know what's going on. It was another problem for her to have to deal with and it was costly for the family. It's not so cut and easy because for every hundred cases like hers, there will be that one where the child is not safe. But, from my friend's point of view, she can never seek treatment again. And, that's sad, too. No villain in these cases, just unfortunate circumstances. I think the CPS has it tough.










iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2009
Wed, 10-07-2009 - 11:48am

That is really sad about your friend.


I think the CPS has it tough.


Yes, they absolutely do.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
Wed, 10-07-2009 - 11:56am

Okay I hope I don't get off track. So many thoughts and so little time. First, we have so many young people that have raised themselves and probably brothers and sisters. With very few good examples. I really feel that we need to go back and change things in our school. Starting in like 6th grade make a class mandatory for all kids on parenting. Then extend it to the older kids about how to sustain a relationship. A lot of kids have no example.

I would also like to see the courts make parents whether married or not take mandatory classes on custody. Restrict the custodial parents to a certain amount of miles as long as the child is say under 10 yrs. old. And really go after these parents that USE their kids as a bargaining chip.

I know that CPS is over worked. But when they return a child to a parent with a history of abuse, it usually ends up bad. Yes, they need more money, counselors, better laws. But I also feel that they need to really listen to what people are telling them. Every time I here about a childs body being found, I live with the fear that it will be my grandson. My son just doesn't have the money to move 2,000 miles away, hire an attorney and try to fight for his son, just for Mom to pick up and take off again. Yes, he contacted CPS. They did nothing. Even when G'son was found wondering alone in the middle of nowhere, nothing was really done. Mom got him back. We have no clue where she is.

There was also a case in Texas, where a suitcase washed up on shore. They found a small little girl inside. She was from Ohio. There were no restriction on the Mom. She could take her daughter where ever she wanted. Cause she was the Mom and Dads have no rights.

Yes, I'm a divorced parent. I never used my kid's. Their father could see them when ever he wanted. Problem was he took off. Moved far away. Didn't really want anything to do with them. That was his choice. But he didn't do his kids any favors.

Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Wed, 10-07-2009 - 3:04pm
Did you ever read that Erma Bombeck article decades ago about how she had her baby and the next day, they released them from the hospital. Her response was something like, "Wait, what do I do with this? Where's the manual? I can't drive a car off the lot w/out a license but they're letting me bring home a human being?!?!?" Funny but true.










iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
Wed, 10-07-2009 - 3:48pm
Oh wow. A blast from the past. I truly loved Erma. Used to watch her on Phil Donahue, while feeding my babies.

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