Statement by Secretary David Wilkins with the Department of Children and Families:
"We continue to work very closely with the Hallandale Beach Police Department and the Broward County Sheriff's Office on this investigation.
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The death or disappearance of any child is a terrible tragedy that saddens every member of the community and every employee of this Department.
Dontrell's two siblings are in the custody of the Department and we are providing them with the safety and security they need.
We have received several media inquiries about an October 2012 call to the DCF Hotline from the Hallandale Beach police. We worked with the officer at that time regarding the police department's ongoing investigation into a custody dispute between the two parents arrested today. While we cannot discuss specifics as the current criminal investigations continue, "missing child" cases and situations where a crime is alleged to have occurred remain under the investigatory authority of local law enforcement.
We have had a number of instances of involvement with this family in recent years. Working with the Hallandale Beach Police and the Broward County Sheriff's Office, the most recent investigation earlier this week resulted in the actions that led to today's arrests."