Boy taken into emergency custody after parents admit problems

(1/29/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- There are new developments in the case of a young boy found wandering the street alone. The eight-year-old boy had bruises on his body when an officer found him late Saturday night. He told Houston police his parents abused him -- and that's where the investigation began.

Today, it has led to Children's Protective Services taking emergency custody of the boy for his own safety. The boy lives with his father and stepmother. He has apparently only been in the Houston area for about a year and a half. His father won custody of him in 2005.

Now we're told the boy is out of the hospital and on his way to foster care.

A day after the eight-year-old boy was found wandering the streets all alone, we're learning more about the condition he was found in.

CPS Spokesperson Estella Olguin explained, "He had some old and new bruises, to different parts of his body -- his legs, arms, shoulders and some to his face."

It's those bruises to the face that prompted CPS officials to take emergency custody of the child. The boy's father reportedly admitted he struck the boy because the child had behavioral problems.

"They do admit to over-disciplining the child on a couple of occasions because of his behavior," Olguin said.

The eight-year-old boy was found Saturday night, wandering along North MacGregor. He told CPS officials he escaped from his home after being confined to a bathroom. Officials investigated that claim and found no evidence of physical confinement, but the parents admit he was often sent to that room.

Olguin said, "In his own mind, he could think, 'I was not allowed to go to the rest of the house. This was my room and I was kept in this room.' So, right, in his own mind he might think that he was isolated from the rest of the family."

Saturday night's incident was also not the first for the child. Officials say he also ran away back in December. CPS officials say the parents had sought help with the child before, but weren't successful.

"We're going to have him seen by someone and hopefully try to get to the bottom of his behaviors, what's causing some of these," Olguin said. "We'll get him, obviously, to continue to see a doctor, see if he needs any kind of medical treatment, and work with the family."

Officials say because there is another child in that home -- a one-month-old infant -- they felt it was better for that child's safety to remove the eight-year-old. An emergency hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning to determine how long the child should remain in foster care. CPS and HPD continue to investigate the boy's claims.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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