FORT WORTH, Texas — Two girls whose mother allegedly doused them with gasoline and set them on fire will live with their paternal grandparents after their release from the hospital, a judge ruled Friday.
Their father, Adam Green, will be allowed to live with his mother and stepfather, Debra and John Flowers, as they care for the 5- and 7-year-old girls who were severely burned with their 3-year-old sister two weeks ago in their home in nearby Haltom City.
Ariania Green, who suffered burns on 90 percent of her body, died three days later after being removed from life support.
Adamiria Green, 7, who was burned on nearly 20 percent of her body, was to be released from the hospital Friday, her relatives told Juvenile Court Associate Judge Kim Brown during a hearing Friday. They said it was unclear when Alexandria Green, 5, with burns covering about 40 percent of her body, would be released.
"I appreciate you being there for your grandchildren ... in this difficult situation," Brown told the Flowers during the hearing.
Alysha V. Green coaxed her daughters into a closet Sept. 15 by saying they were playing a game, poured gasoline on them and threw a burning shirt on them, according to documents filed in the case. Green, whose feet were burned, then summoned neighbors who pulled the screaming girls from the smoke-filled house, witnesses said.
She later told an officer she burned her children because was mad at her husband, according to documents.
Adam Green, who was not home at the time, told authorities that she previously threatened to set him on fire. He said she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but stopped taking her medication, and her behavior had worsened in the past three weeks, according to documents.
In documents filed earlier, CPS officials recommended that the surviving girls not live with their father because he took no steps to protect them and also admitted to smoking marijuana with his wife in front of the children.
But the judge approved the temporary custody order allowing Adam Green to live with his mother and stepfather on the conditions that he have drug assessments, a psychiatric evaluation, counseling and random drug tests.
CPS will continue to monitor the family and will revisit the custody arrangement in about 90 days, said agency spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales. If Adam Green meets those conditions, he is likely to gain sole custody of the girls later, Gonzales said.
Adam Green and the Flowers declined to comment Friday after the brief hearing.
Alysha Green, 29, has been charged with capital murder and two counts of serious bodily injury to a child. Prosecutors have not decided whether to seek the death penalty against Green in her youngest daughter's death. The other charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Earlier this week, Green was moved from the burn unit of Parkland Hospital in Dallas to Fort Worth's John Peter Smith Hospital, where she is in an inmate patient ward, said Tarrant County Sheriff's Office spokesman Terry Grisham.
Green will probably remain there through next week before being taken to jail, he said.
Sept. 28, 2007, 'Girls allegedly burned by mom to live with grandparents' by ANGELA K. BROWN Associated Press © 2007 as posted
No comments:
Post a Comment