The mother of missing toddler Sky Metalwala is the subject of a Child Protective Services investigation into her fitness to parent a baby boy born in July.
Within hours of the child's birth, Washington's Child Protective Services received a referral alleging that the "baby is at risk" due to "concerns about the mother's mental health." That's according to a dependency petition first obtained by KIRO Radio.
A source told KING 5 that a status conference on the CPS case is scheduled in King County Juvenile Court for next week.
The petition alleges that Julia Biryukova Morgan is "unstable and was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder." It also outlines a history of concerns, including a founded abuse allegation from 2009, when she and her then-husband Solomon Metalwala left infant Sky Metalwala alone in a parked car for 55 minutes while they shopped.
The petition goes on to reference the November 2011 referral from when her son Sky disappeared. At that time, Biryukova told police she'd left her then 2-year-old son Sky alone in a car that had run out of gas while she and her 4-year-old daughter walked to a gas station for assistance. Sky was missing when she returned to the car, and has never been found. The daughter now resides with Solomon Metalwala, who has full custody of her.
The new dependency petition alleges that Julia Biryukova Morgan tried to hide the identity of her new baby's father at the time of the birth, at one point saying that she did not know his identity and telling hospital staff that her husband was "out of the country."
Court documents indicate Julia is married to Alan Morgan and that he is the father of their baby. At the time of the baby's birth in July, Morgan was in jail for assaulting Julia the previous Christmas Eve at their Redmond apartment. He has been in and out of jail since last December after repeatedly violating the terms of the court's no contact order.
Last spring, Julia wrote at least two letters to a King County District Court judge pleading to have the order lifted so that she and her husband could live together. In a letter dated May 25, 2015, Julia wrote, "I NEVER asked for any type of No-Contact order."
In the May letter, she told the court that their baby was due any day, that she had no family in the United States and that "I desperately need my husband during labor and delivery." Julia told the court that as a result of the No Contact Order, she and her husband had been forced to live apart, causing her emotional and financial hardship that resulted in her living in a shelter.
In June, Julia wrote to the judge again: "Please lift the NCO so I can at least be allowed to see my husband in jail and talk to him about our baby." She defended her husband's behavior on the night of the assault, saying: "My only concern with my husband on the evening of the incident of December 24, 2014 was that he was drunk."
Redmond Police reports about that incident state that Alan Morgan broke down the door to the couple's apartment after Julia locked him out. According to the responding officer, Julia reported that her husband "becomes a ‘monster' when he drinks" and she locks the door so that he can't hurt her. The officer reported that Julia had visible bruises on her arms and that her husband was aware that she was nearly 3 months pregnant.
Court documents show that Alan Morgan pled guilty to Malicious Mischief 3rd degree Domestic Violence in January and was again ordered to have no contact with his wife. The documents indicate in the coming months Morgan repeatedly violated the no contact order, calling Julia from the Issaquah jail (which houses misdemeanor inmates from Redmond) at least 70 times.
On October 15 a judge released Morgan with the agreement that he would attend substance abuse treatment. The Issaquah Prosecuting Attorney alleges Morgan did not comply. Court records show he was ordered to appear before a judge in Issaquah Municipal Court on Thursday, November 5, but he failed to appear, at which time a judge issued a $10,000 cash only bench warrant for his arrest.
Meantime, Bellevue Police continue their investigation into the November 2011 disappearance of Sky Metalwala. In an interview with KING 5 last week, Chief Steve Mylett said, "She (Julia) was the last adult that saw Sky. She has more info we need to locate this child, so again, I make the plea and invitation, please contact this police department and with your attorney present let's have a conversation about finding your son."
Asked about that request, Julia's attorney Robert Flennaugh II, told KING 5 in an e-mail: "More than once Ms. Biryukova has talked to the police. Now I am advising her to stop."
Calls to the attorney named as representing Julia in the dependency matter in July were not returned.
