This is a disturbing story of what can happen when CPS makes an ill-advised decision to remove children from their loving family. This series of events began innocently, and has resulted in the devastation not just of a family, but the lives of three young children; one who had not disobeyed his mother and was being mainstreamed into regular education.

In August of 2007, the mother of two young boys, Andrew and Dustin*, ages 13 and 12, grounded them for misbehaving. On August 23rd, the boys were playing in their back yard, when they decided to disobey their mother and go to the playground. When they got there, the boys claim that they noticed three other young boys playing in an unlocked, ungated junkyard directly across the street. As many young boys would, they decided to play with the three others.

When their mother realized her sons were no longer in the back yard, she and their siblings conducted a search of the neighborhood. Both boys are special needs children and their mother worried she would not be able to find them before it was time for their medications. After the family was unable to locate Andrew and Dustin, their mother's worry turned to fear and she called the Bexar County Police Department. The police ultimately found the boys, who were still playing in the junkyard. According to Andrew and Dustin, the police told the three other boys to go home.

Andrew and Dustin were taken into custody and charged with felony breaking into a building. Andrew was acquitted in February of this year. Dustin, after filing a motion for a new lawyer due to ineffective counsel, signed a plea at the advice of his new court-appointed lawyer.

Dustin's mother was not allowed to be informed of what the attorney, Ramone DeLeon; probation officer, Tracy Gippert; or Judge Laura Parker had planned for Dustin. Psychological and school testing since 2004, reveals that Dustin is unable to read, has the cognitive comprehension of the second half of first grade, and has been on SSI since five years of age.

Dustin and Andrew, along with their youngest brother, Chris, were removed from their home on September 14, 2007, for reasons no one can comprehend.

Where are all the attorneys who are clamoring for the spotlight of the FLDS removals?

Click on the pictures below to get a better idea of what this Junkyard looks like.

Note the wide open field around JUNK	This would be illegal in the City of San Antonio!
Photographer is standing in the open driveway	Where is the Fence? Where is a Gate?

This story is a sad example of what can happen when a mother reaches out for help from the police. The police allegedly let three of the five trespassers go, and yet the prosecutor chose to charge these two young boys with a felony crime. The prosecutor could have charged them with a lesser crime of trespassing (into this ungated junkyard) or let them go with a warning, as the police had decided to do with the other three boys. Charging these boys with a felony seems a harsh reaction to their childish trespass, especially considering that neither of them had ever been convicted of a crime.

CPS's poorly reasoned decision to remove these boys from their home is an escalation of an already appalling story, that has caused a decline in each boy's mental and emotional health, sense of security and ability to become successful members of society.

Welcome to Justice, Texas Style!

Please Note: This story will continue to be updated.
*The boys names have been changed.

A. Kaiser, H4K Editor