Opinion ID: 6335204
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Removal and the Filing of the Instant Petition

Text: On June 5, 2019, following a high-speed chase, M.A. was arrested in Ohio County, West Virginia, for unlawful possession of firearms. The same day A.A. was removed from a hotel room in St. Marys, Pleasants County, West Virginia. Evidence adduced below establishes that M.A. brought A.A. to West Virginia three days prior to her removal. At the time of removal, A.A. was found in a hotel room with an unrelated adult woman, and it was determined that drugs and drug paraphernalia were present in the room. Beyond this, the facts become somewhat unclear, but we can glean from the record—largely based on Petitioner’s testimony below—that when Child Protective Services (“CPS”) arrived at the hotel room to remove A.A., the unrelated adult woman contacted Petitioner by telephone to inform her that M.A. had been arrested and that CPS was taking custody of the child. At some point during that conversation, the attending CPS 4 We take care to note that, as discussed infra, Petitioner testified that she moved from Pennsylvania to South Carolina in February 2019, but she also separately testified that she only resided in Pennsylvania until January 2019. Specifically, she testified, “I got a house there [in Pennsylvania] and [M.A.] and [A.A.] came to my house there. [M.A.] was drug free and we stayed there until January when I was just there to finish up a job.” (Emphasis added). Therefore, we can infer from the record that the relocation to South Carolina happened, at the latest, early in February 2019. 4 worker spoke to Petitioner and asked if she would take custody of A.A. It is undisputed that Petitioner declined to take custody of the child because she feared she would not pass a home study as her other adult son, a felon on parole, was living in her home. Petitioner then suggested CPS place A.A. with the Respondent Foster Parents as they had previously provided care for her. 5 Respondent Foster Mother also testified below that [Petitioner] asked if we could get her, get [A.A.]. We went and got [her] and at that point CPS was there. So CPS and [the unrelated woman] was there, the other girl in the hotel room. And [the unrelated woman] was on speaker phone. [Petitioner] was on the phone with her when we got there. They were all on the phone the whole time even when CPS brought [A.A.] to our home. At this point, the CPS worker informed Petitioner that she should seek assistance from an attorney. 6 Upon removing A.A. from the hotel room, the DHHR filed an application for ratification of the emergency removal in the Circuit Court of Pleasants County. That 5 It appears from the record that the Respondent Foster Parents were identified as a relative/kinship placement for A.A. The parties disagree about how this notation came about, as the Respondent Foster Parents assert they did not hold themselves out to be relatives of the child. We note that the parties all testified at the permanency hearing in this matter that the Respondent Foster Parents are not related to A.A. by blood, marriage, or adoption. 6 Petitioner further testified that she did not immediately seek legal assistance, but instead waited to see if M.A.’s and D.A.’s parental rights were terminated before becoming involved in the case. 5 application listed A.A.’s last known residence as an address in Anderson, South Carolina. The circuit court entered an order ratifying the removal on June 6, 2019. On June 7, 2019, the DHHR filed the instant abuse and neglect petition (the “2019 petition”) alleging as follows: (1) M.A. was arrested and incarcerated; (2) A.A. was located in a hotel room with an unrelated adult woman and suspected controlled substances and drug paraphernalia; (3) D.A.’s whereabouts were unknown; (4) both M.A. and D.A. were habitual users of illegal controlled substances; and (5) neither M.A. nor D.A. were presently able to provide care for A.A. Additionally, the 2019 petition alleged that “[a]t the time of the removal, the child [A.A.] resided with the respondent father at St. Marys Motel” in Pleasants County, but also that the child had at different times lived in Anderson, South Carolina, New Martinsville, West Virginia, and an unknown address in New Jersey.