BELLINGHAM — The parents of three Bellingham children involved in a child welfare case have reportedly been sighted in Rio Del Mar, Calif., south of San Francisco.
The Bellingham Herald reported the notice of a sighting on Monday didn’t mention the children being seen.
Washington state’s Child Protective Services says 23-year-old Cleave Rengo, 29-year-old Erica Carey and their young children disappeared in late January during a dispute with the agency.
Bellingham police Lt. Bob Vander Yacht has said detectives are trying to track the family to support the agency.
Earlier, the children were temporarily removed due to state concerns over a chaotic home life, including repeated contacts with law enforcement, the infant twins being underweight and whether the children were receiving adequate medical care. After a hearing, a court commissioner returned the children to their parents Dec. 5, saying he was giving the parents a second chance but warning them to cooperate with CPS.
On Jan. 28, CPS obtained a court order to place the Rengo children in protective custody.
Police had also looked for the family in Clark County, where they lived before moving to Bellingham, Vander Yacht said.
