'Suicide pact' parents' kids to stay in DCF custody for 30 days
(FILE) Melbourne police and DCF say Mai (left) and James Firth (right) are accused of threatening to kill themselves and their children, 2-year-old Kiah (top) and 4-year-old Kristin (bottom) if they couldn’t get successful treatment of Kristin’s autism.
The children of a couple who allegedly made a "suicide pact" will remain in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families for the remainder of the month.
A Brevard County judge ruled Monday that 4-year-old Kristen and 2-year-old Kiah Firth will stay in foster care until the next custody hearing, scheduled for Jan. 4, 2013 at 10:30 a.m.
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The girls' parents, James and Mai Firth, had traveled to Central Florida from Vietnam to seek treatment for Kristen's autism at the Florida Institute of Technology's Scott Center for Autism Treatment.
Melbourne police said the parents threatened to kill both children and themselves if they could not get the treatment they needed.
Police said the family then fled across the country, prompting a nationwide alert. The children and their parents were found safe in California last week.
The parents were allowed to see their children privately Monday.
- This is a developing story. Check back and refresh this article for the latest updates.
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