Woman Charged In Toddler's Death Released On Bond
FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – The mother of a toddler whose body was found buried in the yard of a Hallandale Beach home has been released on bond and left jail Monday night.
On Monday, a judge agreed to release 21-year old Brittany Sierra who will be fitted with a monitoring device around her ankle.
Blowing kisses and waving to her mom, Brittany Sierra was in a great mood as she walked into court. Sierra is reportedly ready to go into labor at any time. She became pregnant just before she was arrested after the remains of her infant son, Dontrell Melvin, were found.
Dontrell's remains were buried in the back yard where she used to live in Hallandale Beach. He had been missing for a year-and-a-half before anyone reported he was gone. The child's father, Calvin Melvin, was arrested too.
"I am going to grant your motion," Judge Matthew Destry said Monday.
When he agreed to allow her out, Sierra's mom Renee Menendez burst into tears, thrilled that her daughter will not give birth in jail.
"I'm overjoyed," said Menendez. "I couldn't wait for this day, I'm so excited. I'm so happy to have my baby be coming home."
She won't actually be going home. She'll be staying with a woman, a stranger, who agreed to take her in. The woman explained through a translator why she's doing it.
"When you're a servant of God," Yolande Georges told the translator. "You are always available to do a good deed."
Sierra's mom said she's just glad her daughter will be out of jail when she gives birth to her fourth child.
"I want to be there," said Menendez, "I want to feel that baby move inside her. I can't wait to hold and hug my daughter and just kiss her and never let her go."
Sierra and her family are also celebrating that the child neglect charges she faces were reduced to third degree felonies. Her attorney said the State agreed because they are having a hard time making the case against her.
"Oh my God, that's because I never believed she was guilty. And they're decreasing, decreasing because there's nothing, she innocent. And it's slowly coming out that, the truth is coming out. So I couldn't be more happier," Menendez said.
Once Sierra has the baby, DCF will take the child. She is expected to be granted some type of visitation of the new child as well as her two other boys.
