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American Idol alum Syesha Mercado’s infant daughter was recently taken away by authorities after a sudden roadside welfare check in Florida. The incident took place just five months after her toddler son was “forcefully” placed in foster care following a general hospital visit.
On Wednesday, August 11, Syesha Mercado and her partner Tyron Deneer documented the heartbreaking incident in an hour-long Instagram live. The couple was reportedly pulled over at a traffic stop before their newborn was taken away without warning.
In the video, the couple can be seen surrounded by officials as they are asked to surrender the child to authorities. Syesha Mercado was also seen breaking down in tears before unwillingly giving the infant to Manatee County Sheriff’s Officials.
The singer was even heard calling out the authorities for their stern decision:
“How could you guys do this? Do you not feel anything? My baby is days old, and you’re taking my baby away from me. You have no heart. This is so wrong.”
Officials reportedly mentioned that they received an order to take custody of the newborn, as Syesha Mercado failed to inform about the childbirth while being in the middle of a legal battle.
In response, she stated that the officials were supposedly required to communicate through the family’s attorney. She also talked about having legal paperwork to keep the child:
“All you had to do was call the attorney. We have all the paperwork. You guys have created so much trauma. You just expect me to come outside and be like, hi, guys. You’re my friends. You’re not my friends.”
Unfortunately, the newborn was still taken away, leaving the couple wholly devastated. Meanwhile, they are also involved in a battle to regain custody of their 15-month-old son.
The Instagram video has amassed millions of views and received thousands of comments. The incident has also created massive outrage on social media, with people extending their support to Mercado and her partner.
Meet Syesha Mercado as she receives support amid legal battle with authorities
Syesha Mercado is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress. Born as Syesha Raquel Mercado on January 2, 1987, the 34-year-old began singing at the church choir at just three years old.
After graduating in 2005, Mercado moved to Miami and started her career in the entertainment industry by acting for commercials. She rose to prominence with her appearance on the seventh season of American Idol. She was declared the second runner-up of the show.
Syesha Mercado previously participated in ABC’s The One: Making a Music Star and won the Florida Super Singer. She began her career in Broadway after bagging the role of Deena Jones in the popular musical, Dreamgirls.
Earlier this year, Mercado made headlines after her one-year-old son, Amen’Ra, was suddenly taken away by officials. The singer reportedly took her child for a routine checkup as he faced difficulties consuming fluids other than breast milk.
Surprisingly, authorities at the hospital decided to keep the child under official custody, stating he was malnourished. The toddler was immediately given to the Manatee Child Protection Services instead of his biological parents.
This prompted Syesha Mercado and her partner to begin a legal battle for their son’s custody. The former also launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking support for the legal proceedings.
The singer wrote that the officials falsely accused the couple of refusing a B12 shot for their child and “legally kidnapped” him from his parents:
“On March 11th, our sun [sic] Amen’Ra was forcefully and legally kidnapped from us by CPS, who claim we refused a B12 shot that was a matter of life and death, which is an absolute lie. We never refused a B12 shot, and at no point was he on the verge of death.”
Syesha Mercado also revealed that Amen’Ra was placed with a white foster family while his parents were only allowed to have limited virtual visits:
“Our Sun has since been placed with a white foster family without interviewing qualified relatives or friends of our family for placement while they investigate. We are given limited information and presently only have weekly zoom visitation for an hour with our sun, with no court order stating these visitation limitations.”
The musician also sparked questions about racial discrimination in reference to the incident:
“The Manatee County Commissioner recently declared that ‘racism is a county public health crisis.’ Our son Amen’Ra is a prime example of that. My family and I are just one in countless other stories of legal kidnapping that go unheard and unseen.”
Nearly five months later, Syesha Mercado and Tyron Deneer had to undergo a similar situation as their second child was taken away by officials once again. The couple has since received countless support from the online community.
Countless social media users took to Twitter to criticize the legal system and provide their support towards the couple:
As a plethora of reactions continue to pour in online, Syesha Mercado and Tyron Deneer will be legally fighting for their rights in the days to come. It remains to be seen if the couple will successfully gain back custody of their children shortly.
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