Stephanie Perez and Johnny Montalvo had three of their children placed in foster care last year. Child Protective Services took custody of the children after the mother tested positive for cocaine while she was expecting.

There was also an incident where one of the couple's children turned up with a broken arm.

Montalvo discovered bite marks on his three-month-old son's face and arms during his twice-a-week visit allowed by CPS.

Tuesday the parents said one of their other sons was beaten as well, but the outcome was different than three-month-old Sebastian.

Johnny, Jr., 2, and his two other sisters, 7-year-old Leila and 1-year-old Armaroddi, live in a different foster family than Sebastian. Sebastian still lives with the foster family that is allegedly responsible for beating Johnny, Jr. in April.

"He had a big golf ball in the middle of his forehead. We asked what happened and they had said he was riding a big boy scooter and he fell," Perez said.

Leila was the child who told her parents that Johnny, Jr. was being beaten up and that was the reason why they were taken away from the first foster family.

Perez, the biological mother of all four children, including Sebastian, took pictures of Johnny, Jr. when she had visitation rights.

Johnny, Jr. and the two girls were transferred to a foster family in Aransas Pass right after the incident in April. However, Sebastian remains at the same foster home.

"Currently, we are accessing the situation and we will be acting in the child's best interest," Texas Department of Family and Protective Services', John Lennan, said. "[Sebastian] is still in foster care right now and that's why we have an investigation by our licensing division."

CPS said that investigation could take as long as 30 days and it will be after the investigation that baby Sebastian could be in a new home. A hearing to determine if Perez will be granted visitation rights for her children is set for Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

A final custody hearing, which will determine if the biological parents' rights are terminated, is scheduled for Oct. 19.

Online Reporter: Rashi Vats

http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11101924

Emphasis added by H4K Editor