I was living in Texas with my children and my ex. We were having issues, and it was summer vacation and he said his mom wanted to take the kids to her house for few weeks in Odessa. This is about 6 hours from where we lived near Austin. So she came and got the kids. We had slpit up before and I had a baby by someone else. She was 2 at this time, she also lived with us. We had been having serious problems and he knew I was about to move out. He asked me if he and my 2 year old could go pick up the other kids, I said sure. Then he decided that they weren't coming back and that I could not have my two year old back either. I was not working, it was his decision for me not to work in our 14 year relationship. So when he left and rent was due we got eviction notices. I called the police they said since we lived together that it was an issue for family court and they would not make him return my two year old or our other two kids. I ended up coming to Illinois to stay with a friend for a couple weeks to figure out what to do. My friend decided to take me back to Texas to at least try to get my two year old. I left my ex messages that I was coming to get her. When we got to Odessa we contacted the police they said the same thing it was a family matter, they would not get involved inless there was an altercation. We went to his moms house, he was not there. Several hours went by and my neighbor called me and told me he was there with my two year old moving everything I owned to storage. I called the police there, I was 6 hours away. They said they could not take the child and notified him that I was coming. I got there at 3 in the morning and knocked he let me in and locked the door behind me. I went in he had the lights off, said electric was shut off, although police said lights were on earlier when I contacted them. I had my daughter in my arms and I told him I was going out to car for a min. and I ran with her. I told my friend to start the car and go, before we could leave my ex came out and said "Look at this" he had a double barrel sawed off shotgun. He took a shot at my friends side of the car. We backed out onto the road and he shot through my side of the car where me and my two year old sat. Thank God it missed by an inch and a half. We called police they caught him chasing us and arrested him for deadly conduct with a firearm and endangering the life of a child. I was told go home being "Illinois" had no where else to go, and contact family services to get my other two kids from his mom. Contacted family services they said he has not been proven guilty of a crime, so his mom could keep the kids untill it went to court. I had no car no job and got served custody papers in mail. It said court was in two days. I could not possibly get there. They won by default. He spent 8 months on house arrest took a plea deal got his charges dropped to misdemeanors. Got two years probation. I had to start over with no home, car, money, clothes, nothing for me or my two year old. It has been two years since this happend and I have not been able to afford a lawyer. I have no family alive, I have no help what so ever. I am now engaged to be married to a wonderful man. It is all that we can do to support ourselves though. We barely make it paycheck to paycheck. I am basically screwed while these awful people are raising my kids. With the cost of airfare and motels, and me being 22 hours away. It is unimaginable that I can come up with thousands for a lawyer, travel expenses to make it back and forth to court, plus manage to pay our rent, and basic living expenses. I have called numerous people and offices to see if I can file for at least visitation without having a lawyer and apparently the answer is NO ! Please any advice is greatly appreciated !
