Cid Torrez Ordered To Have No Contact With Children
MIRAMAR (CBSMiami) – A week after being accused of killing his wife Cid Torrez returned to a Broward County courtroom Wednesday.
In handcuffs and a jail uniform, Torrez sat quietly through the brief court hearing. The irony was thick -- the man accused of leaving his children motherless is now part of a discussion over where the couple's three children will live.
The couple's three children -- ages 13, 8 and 5 -- lived with Cid at his parents home until he was arrested for murdering his wife Vilet who disappeared in March.
After his arrest, the Department of Children and Families placed the kids back with Vilet's mother. Vilet's sister Nayiva Blanco says that is where they belong.
"We are what's left of their mother," she told CBS 4's Carey Codd. "We are the memory of their mother and my mom is like a second mom to them."
Cid's attorney, Richard Della Fera, told the judge that the children should stay with Cid's parents. He requested a home study of Cid's parents that state child welfare workers agreed to perform.
Della Fera said Cid's parents would provide a stable home for the children and he didn't understand why the children were taken from the home in the first place.
DCF said during the court hearing that at this point they believe Vilet's parents are the best caretakers for the children. Najiva Blanco hopes whatever is eventually decided the children do not get shuffled around.
"I don't think it's fair if they're being taken back and forth between families," she said. "I think a decision should be taken now that where they should stay and not wait until an see because it really creates some sort of damage."
Vilet's family says they want to eventually take permanent custody of the children -- who have endured the disappearance of their mother, intensive searches for her and the arrest of their father accused of taking her life.
"I've seen a little bit of understanding in their eyes at times but I'm not sure they can articulate their thoughts right now on what's happening," said Javier Blanco, Vilet's brother. "It's a lot to wrap your head around."
This case comes back before the judge in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime the judge ordered Cid to not have any contact with his children while the criminal investigation against him moves forward.
