Corpus Christi (KIII News) — A family can rest knowing their son is in their custody after his mother is suspected of selling him to pay a drug debt.
On June 29, special agents executed a drug search warrant at a residence in Corpus Christi and found 8-year-old Roland Olivarez III who was allegedly sold and purchased.
"It's finally come to an end. He's back where he was in first place," great uncle Tony Guerrero said.
Just days before Christmas the family of Olivarez was notified they were given full custody of him.
"So excited when he finally got to be with my mom so at first she able to get him every other weekend," aunt Lucy Naranjo said.
According to Naranjo, Child Protective Services allowed Olivarez to go back and forth from his mother's family and theirs.
"That's way state goes he wasn't with my mom full time just yet at the time, but now he is. That's the way CPS had it," Naranjo said.
The family did not agree with CPS' action.
"Every time he went back he didn't want to go back, he said well I want to stay here cause that's his home," Guerrero said.
"He loves being with us, he loves being with my mom, he loves his dad very much so excited to see him," Naranjo said.
"CPS is only doing what's best for him I wasn't upset many things going on, so I understood that," Guerrero said.
Although young Olivarez might not understand what happened the family said it wouldn't be an easy path for him to recover after his own mother's crime of selling him to pay a drug debt of $2,500.
"It makes me think of what he went through it's still an open wound," Guerrero said.
"He's going through a lot getting better little by little," Naranjo said.
The family is glad the custody battle is over, and they still want justice to be served when it comes to the Olivarez's mother, 29-year-old Esmerelda Garza.
"If I did something like that I wouldn't even want myself around my own child, so no, I wouldn't want him around her," Naranjo said.
"God's got it. I can forgive her, but I can't forgive what she did," Guerrero said.
Although questions about the case have still not been answered the family is trying to be strong.
"He's going to have a great future. We're not going to get rid of him; we wanted him. She didn't. He's back where he's supposed to be, where he's wanted, where's loved," Guerrero said.
Garza is in jail under a $300,000 bond and was denied a bond reduction. Garza pleaded not guilty in October.
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