Court Docs Show Finger-Pointing in Case Of Missing Hallandale Beach Boy
HALLADALE BEACH (CBS4) - Court documents released Monday in the case of a missing Hallandale Beach baby reveal finger-pointing between his parents, both charged in connection with the boy's disappearance.
Dontrell Melvin would be two years old now. His birthday was just last week.
Instead of celebrating, his parents, Brittney Sierra and Calvin Melvin, Jr., have been in and out of court.
Sierra went before a judge Monday to have the charges against her reworded.
Sierra is charged with child neglect.
She smiled and even appeared to mouth the words "I'm famous" after seeing television news cameras in the courtroom.
On January 9th, an investigator with BSO's Child Protective Investigations Section went to Sierra's Hallandale home to check out an anonymous complaint which stated, "There are concerns for the children well-being. The other is smoking marijuana mixed with an unknown drug in front of the children... Mom verbally abuses the children."
During that visit, the investigator noticed Dontrell was not home.
Police said Sierra told them the boy's father, Calvin Melvin, Jr. left Dontrell with his parents.
Melvin's parents said they never had the boy.
When cops questioned Melvin, court documents said, "Melvin described Sierra as a psycho who cuts herself and who plenty of times states; I don't want this (expletive) baby anymore."
In turn, the documents said, "Sierra also stated that if her baby is dead, Melvin did it; Melvin is capable to suffocate the baby."
Court documents revealed Melvin told police the boy might be buried in the backyard of their previous home. The detective's notes even revealed Melvin drew a diagram of the area.
When cops searched the yard, they found the remains of a baby.
A forensic anthropologist from Collier County examined the remains and determined, "there was evidence of a postmortem blunt trauma to the cranium. She stated that said postmortem trauma had probably occurred during the search and recovery of the skeleton."
It has not been revealed how that child died, or if the remains are those of missing Dontrell Melvin.
The documents revealed a report written in October 2012, when an investigator with CPIS wrote that she had seen Dontrell Melvin in September at the home during a follow-up investigation on an unrelated complaint.
The detective interviewed the CPIS investigator who "indicated that it was a mistake from her part to state that she had seen Dontrell. (She) stated that she did see Brittney with two boys (one was a baby) on that particular day. (The investigator) stated that she did not realize that she had made a mistake until Dontrell was reported missing in January 2013.
The documents also showed Brittney Sierra's mother was receiving food stamps for Dontrell between November 2011 and April 2012, even though Sierra said she hadn't seen him since July 2011.
Investigators have said the charges against the Sierra and Melvin may be increased as more information is revealed.
Calvin Melvin is due back in court later this month.
