Free me, says mom in dead baby case
She wants out to give birth again
A Hallandale Beach woman jailed in connection with the death of her baby has asked to be released— togive birth to another.
Brittney Sierra’s son, Dontrell Melvin, was 5 months old when he was last seen in July 2011. His remains were found in January, buried in the backyard of the home Sierra shared with the baby’s father, Calvin Melvin.
Both parents have been charged with child neglect resulting in bodily harm, a second- degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Melvin also faces two counts of lying to police investigators.
It’s not clear whether Sierra, 22, even knew she was
pregnant with her fourth child when she was arrested Jan. 10, after police learned of baby Dontrell’s disappearance.
Sierra was in court Thursday to ask Broward Circuit JudgeMatthew Destry to reduce her $ 100,000 bond so that she could be out when she delivers her baby, which is due in late September. Destry turned her down.
Her lawyer, H. Dohn Williams, knew going into Thursday’s hearing that Sierra’s chances for relief were slim. Destryhadasked Williams to find a secure facility that would care for Sierra under house arrest conditions if she were able to put up a reduced bail. Standing before Destry, Williams had to admit he could not one.
“There’s no place to put her if she’s released,” he said.
Destry, who sounded sympathetic to Sierra’s desire to be out of jail when she gives birth, said his hands were tied. “There’s nothing I can do,” he said.
Hedidaskprosecutorsto contact jail officials to alleviate her conditions there. Williams had complained that Sierra has received numerous threats in jail and is now on lockdown 23 hours a day, isolated — and protected — from other inmates.
But Destry said he did not have the authority to order any changes.
Representatives of the state Department of Children and Families were in court for Thursday’s hearing, andthoughthey did not speak, Sierra’s lawyer said the department is likely to take custody of the child soon after it is born. Sierra’s two surviving children are inDCFcustody.
Dani Moschella, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff’s Office, said pregnant inmates are monitored by medical staff at the jail and taken to an outside hospital to give birth.
“She’ll stayatthehospital for however long the medical staff deems it necessary, but she will still be considered an inmate while she’s there,” Moschella said. Seven inmates have given birth in custody in 2013, she said.