Abandoned Boy Remains in State Custody

SWEETWATER, Texas (AP) _ A West Texas judge says a 4-year-old boy will remain in state care for now after his father was accused of abandoning him along a rural West Texas highway at night.

Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner tells The Associated Press that the boy’s biological mother and an uncle each sought custody at a Nolan County court hearing Thursday. She says the case will return to court in Sweetwater within 30 days and CPS will make a recommendation.

The boy’s father, Carlos Rico, is charged with attempted capital murder, accused of choking the boy and dumping him on the road about three hours before he was found. He’s in Nolan County jail on $500,000 bond.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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