Missing woman's husband given child custody

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- The estranged husband of a missing South Florida mother will be given back custody of his three children.

A judge has granted Cid Torrez, the estranged husband of missing 38-year-old Vilet Torrez, custody of his three young children, despite the fact that police has named him a person of interest in the case.

Vilet was last seen on March 30, at her home in Harbour Lakes. She was reported missing three days later by Cid.

Miramar Police have not charged Cid with the murder of Torrez, but they have named him a person of interest.

Cid's attorney, Richard Della Fera said the maternal grandmother will no longer have the children. "The shelter order that was originally entered and granted the maternal grandmother custody is no longer in effect, so that the children should be returned to their father," said Fera.

Torrez' children, ages 5, 8 and 13, had been living with the maternal relatives since their mother had gone missing.

Torrez' parents must now return the children to the biological father, but relatives are concerned he might hurt them. "I think it's appalling," said the missing woman's brother Javier Blanco. "My concern is that the kids are either going to disappear or Cid is actually gonna do something to the kids. I think history shows that he's an unstable person."

DCF released a statement which read in part: "Child protective investigators have ongoing concerns about the Torrez children's safety. Since the initial shelter of Torrez' children, our collective investigation has not produced completive evidence to support a continued dependency action."

Fera said the children's family has nothing to worry about giving them to the father. "What I can tell you is that through the past two months, Cid has had supervised visitation with his children. Professionals from the Department of Children and Families services have observed theses visits, and the reports that they have issued indicate a loving relationship between father and children," said Fera.

Police divers have searched several lakes behind Torrez home.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Vilet Torrez, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

(Copyright 2012 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)