"I can't stress enough how much I love my daughter. And I would never put her in harm's way," Clifford Jason Guynes, the baby's father, said. "I had all intentions of getting help, and coming back to get my daughter."
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The 43-year-old man spoke to ABC13 from a mental health center after he was evaluated and waiting to be brought back to jail.
According to the Livingston Police Department, Guynes left his baby in the shed and then drove off in a stolen car Saturday morning.
Hours later, a couple discovered the baby in their shed with a broken leg. Thankfully, she was found alive.
"I did do meth. A little bit, here and there," Guynes admitted.
According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the baby was released from the hospital and has been placed in foster care.
"I definitely need some help," Guynes said. "My intention was to get help and come back for my daughter. Once I got turned around, I couldn't find my way back."
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ABC13 spoke to the baby's mother, who wishes to remain anonymous.
She said she shared custody with Guynes, didn't know about the drug use, and is desperately fighting to get her daughter back.
"What they are doing to my baby is wrong. My baby was already injured and abandoned by someone she was supposed to trust the most, and I did not want to leave her side. She needs me desperately. She needs familiar faces that love and care about her. My baby should not have to suffer any more than she already has. They are forcing us to abandon her while she is scared and hurt just like he did," the mother said. "We, her family and I, have done nothing wrong. They had no right to kick us out of the hospital and not allow her to have anyone she knows by her side. She's scared and alone. This is wrong on so many levels. I did not do this to her nor was I aware her father was capable of this behavior. Everyone who knows him is completely blindsided by all of this."
Guynes said he understands why the mother of his baby won't speak to him after what happened and does not believe his daughter should be in foster care.
"That's not the place for my child to be because there are people who love her, and CPS custody is not a good place for someone when you have people who love you," he said.
ABC13 reached out to DFPS about why the baby was taken away from the mother, and while they can't comment because of confidentiality laws, a spokesperson said the Texas Family Code has specific guidelines for removing a child when the child is in imminent danger
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According to DFPS, the caseworker will remove the child from the home if the situation meets all of the following criteria:
- There is a danger to the child.
- The caseworker has made reasonable efforts, consistent with the circumstances of each case, to secure the child's safety.
- There is no other reasonable way to ensure safety except for removal. In compliance with the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, DFPS must obtain a court order before removing a child, except in cases involving exigent circumstances.
The Livingston Police Department has charged Guynes with felony injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, felony child endangerment/abandonment, and felony vehicle theft. Guynes is currently incarcerated in the Polk County jail with bonds totaling over $200,000.00. This investigation will continue, and Guynes could be facing more charges.
The adversary hearing for the child is scheduled for Oct. 6 at 1:30 p.m. in Montgomery County CCL 3, with Judge Tucker.
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