A judge in Fort Worth will decide Friday whether the children of a missing Grand Prairie couple will remain in foster care or be placed into the custody of relatives.
A judge ruled Friday that the two young children of a missing Grand Prairie couple will remain in foster care for now.
Weltzin Garcia and Alfonso Hernandez were reported missing by family members back on February 5.
Their two young children -- ages 3 and 6 -- were taken by Child Protective Services and placed in a foster home.
Garcia's twin sister, Atziry Garcia Mireles, is now fighting for custody of them.
Friday morning, she and several family members met with a judge at the Scott D. Moore Juvenile Justice Center in Fort Worth.
They spoke in private at the judge's bench.
Mireles said the judge indicated they needed more time to arrange a site visit to ensure Mireles' home is safe for the children -- and to meet with the case worker assigned to the kids.
Another custody hearing has been scheduled for next week.
"It's really, really hard," said Mireles, as she discussed what the last week-and-a-half has been like. "It's not our fault. It's not her kids fault. It just happened, this situation. We don't know why. We just want my sister back. [The kids] need their mom. I'm not gonna be a substitute for those kids. But I think it's best for the kids -- they need to be with us."
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Family members say Garcia and Hernandez had been having relationship problems -- and that Hernandez was seeking treatment for anger management.
Grand Prairie Police confirmed that there is an active arrest warrant for Hernandez, related to an alleged domestic assault incident back in January.
His car was found near White Rock Lake in Dallas, but police said they found no trace of the couple or any indication of where they may have gone.
They are investigating the case as a "criminal matter" and are asking for any tips from the public.
