SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CA (KMIR/CNN) - A couple facing child abuse charges for keeping their three children in a makeshift shelter in the California desert was in court Wednesday.
Protesters gathered outside the San Bernardino County Courthouse in Joshua Tree before a hearing for Daniel Panico and Mona Kirk, many of them saying the couple is guilty only of being poor.
The married couple was arrested in February and charged with three felony counts of child abuse after police say they found their three children living in a makeshift shelter.
Panico briefly answered questions before he entered the courthouse.
"We're hoping they'll drop all charges today," he said.
That did not happen. Once again, the hearing was delayed.
The continued delays upset their friends, like Jackie Klear who says instead of hurting this couple, the county should be helping them.
"It's just frustrating. It's very frustrating. If they can just drop this case because these are not bad people. It's not the same as some of these other cases you see on the news. This is just they're poor," she said.
Michelle Bergey, the deputy district attorney, said cases like these take time.
"Keep in mind there have to be evaluations of the children and Child and Family Services are doing their own investigation. They're involving doctors. They're involving counselors and things like that to kind of determine where the kids are at, and that takes a little bit of time," she said.
Klear, who set up a GoFundMe account, helped fix and move the couple into the home that will be theirs with the thousands donated. She said it's time to reunite them with their children.
"They don't ever have to worry about rent, but it is not the happily ever after, at least not yet," Klear said.
Daniel Pacino and Mona Kirk are due back in court next Wednesday.
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