A video from Instagram Live has captured the heartbreaking moments American Idol star Syesha Mercado and Tyron Deneer losing custody of their baby girl at a Florida roadside check.
As of Saturday morning, the hour-long video “They took our child again” had been viewed more than 1.8million times.
It shows Manatee County sheriff’s office deputies showing the couple a court-order at the side road to turn their baby, then 10 days old, over to the authorities for an emergency hospital checkup. The Miami Herald reported.
This comes just five months after Mercado was deprived of custody of her 18-month-old son Amen’Ra. She claims that Mercado had “forcefully and legally kidnapped” him by the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Deputies surround an SUV in which Mercado and her newborn baby, Deener, are seen. Officers demand that Mercado take her infant to a hospital.
“Does it not make you feel something? You guys, you’re human,” Mercado states in the video filmed with her partner. “This is my child.” My baby is only days old and you are taking my baby from me.”
You can hear her telling female caseworkers “do you ever have children?” She said, “You have no heart,” and added, “This is so wrong.”
She added, “My baby’s healthy, my baby’s happy.”
According to Donisha Prendergast (founder of the group We Have the Right to be Right), the child is now under state protection after an August 12 court hearing. The Miami Herald-Tribune reported that Prendergast was the one who informed the court that the child was in state protective custody.
The couple is fighting for their son’s return, who was placed in foster custody after they visited Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg on Feb 26.
After Mercado’s milk became dry and the baby refused to drink other liquids, the couple sought medical attention.
After he was discharged due to malnutrition, however, the child was placed in foster care.
Mercado was also accused by not allowing her son to receive the recommended B12 shot at the hospital, a claim she refuted.
The couple asked their caseworker interaction to be done through their lawyer in their struggle to get their son back.
After the birth of their baby girl, Child Protective Services (CPS), investigators were denied entry to the couple’s home. According to the Instagram audio, authorities obtained the approval of a judge for a welfare investigation to determine if the baby could be removed.
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To pay their legal bills, the couple set up a GoFundMe account. There has been an increase in donations since Wednesday’s incident. The total reached more than $293,000 by Saturday morning.
After finishing in the top three of American Idol’s 2008 contest, Mercado received a key to Sarasota. She has had success on Broadway as well.