Father Battles For Custody Of Toddler After Mother Stated She Died And Placed Child Up For Adoption

A father is fighting to bring his daughter home after he was told that the baby died during birth. This was discovered after the baby had been put up for adoption.

Brandon Marteliz says that he has been legally fighting for a year for his daughter, Amiya. This is after the child’s mother stopped communicating with him and told him the baby died.

He reported that the mother said that the child died from sudden infant death syndrome a little after delivering the baby in January 2022.

The father even took a picture with the mother as his hands were on her pregnant stomach, two days prior to the due date.

Marteliz has said that he messaged the unidentified woman a day before the due date. He was attempting to determine if she was going to the hospital. However, she never messaged him back.

According to court documents, following the birth, the mother signed papers, allowing the adoption of her child.

At the same time, she had messaged Marteliz, stating that their baby had died at birth from sudden infant death syndrome.

Three weeks after that, the woman messaged Marteliz, telling him that she, in fact, had the baby in her possession. He then requested to see the child, and the woman quit communicating again.

Child Protective Services contacted the father and informed him that a newborn baby girl was alive and being cared for by an adoption agency. They added that he couldn’t take over custody of the child because the mother had signed adoption papers.

The agency went on to say that the father hadn’t paid any expenses as related to the living and medical costs connected to the pregnancy and birth.

But, Marteliz stated that’s untrue. He had purchased toys and clothes and had prepared her bedroom.

The matter is now going into year three. His daughter is in the care of prospective adoptive parents.

The child’s parents weren’t married. Thus, the mother and the adoption agency didn’t have to get permission to terminate Marteliz’s parental rights.

In addition to that, his name wasn’t on the birth certificate or on the putative father registry. This registry is a law in 22 states. It permits an unmarried biological father of a child the right to know and consent in the event of an adoption.

Marteliz states that he has filed a petition to establish paternity. He added that he completed the registry the month his child was born.

The adoption agency says something different. They say that Marteliz was given every opportunity under the law. What’s more, they say that he is only making these claims because the court’s actions aren’t in his favor.