On Tuesday, Julie and Martin Baker arrived at the Genesee County Courthouse hopeful. They had been told a hearing was scheduled regarding the custody of their grandson, 8-year-old Tyler Baker.
The Bakers had been to hearings before. They say they never were given the chance to talk, because their daughter has parental rights to the little boy.
This was the case, even though their daughter is charged with child abuse and second-degree murder for allegedly not doing enough to stop her boyfriend Brandon Hayes from beating her 4-year-old son Dominick Calhoun. Corrine Baker is actually in prison serving time for violating probation by living with Hayes, a felon. Hayes is charged with torture, child abuse and first-degree murder in connection with Dominick’s death.
The brutality allegedly started after the child wet his pants on a sofa at their Argentine Township apartment. Tyler Baker testified he was home when it started.
Child Protective Services took Tyler Baker into custody after his brother’s death. He’s been there ever since.
Tyler’s grandparents say they fear the little boy will think they abandoned him. That is why last month they started a letter writing campaign aimed at convincing Corrine Baker to sign over her parental rights to them.
Now the Bakers will have to wait a month to find out if she has decided to do that. The notice never was sent to the prison where Corrine is being held, letting them know about the scheduled hearing. It has been rescheduled for mid-February.
“It is heartbreaking and agitating,” said Martin Baker.
He says this is not the first hearing that has been cancelled or rescheduled without their knowledge. They think something needs to be done to make it easier for grandparents to keep up to date on such hearings.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton says there used to be staff to help families in this way, but thanks to budget cuts there is no one available to do this.
Meantime, the Bakers are praying all goes well in a month. They want nothing more than to bring Tyler home.
“I am waiting for that day,” says Julie Baker. ‘We love him so much. We miss him so much.”
