The maternal grandfather of a toddler who died after she was found unconscious earlier this month says he warned Child Protective Services about "physical injuries (the child) had suffered in the past" two days before the apparent staged home invasion that coincided with her death.
Plano police arrested 25-year-old Melinda Lynn Muniz on Tuesday and charged her with capital murder in the death of 2-year-old Lillian Grace Ford. Muniz is the fiancee of Ford's biological father and lived at the home where the toddler was found unconscious, police said.
Doug Reeves, Ford's grandfather, delivered a letter to Child Protective Services two days before the child died while in the care of her father's fiancee. The letter expressed concern about "physical injuries that Grace had suffered in the past."
"I had written up a three and a half page letter spelling out incidents along the way things that should be troubling to CPS," Reeves said. "I was hoping they's reopen the case."
CPS had already gotten involved in the family's life over bruises Reeves discovered, and over a Benadryl overdose.
"We were saying to ourselves, talking, something really bad's gonna happen to Grace," Reeves said. "We just had a gut feeling."
Reeves said he wanted his granddaughter in a safe place.
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CPS acknowledged the letter and told NBC 5 that it will be a part of the internal review of Ford's case.
NBC 5's Ray Villeda contributed to this report.
