Chula Vista

A Mexican surrogate mother who won shared custody of her daughter in February has lost her visitation rights pending a June 3 hearing, her former attorney said Wednesday.

The action followed a Wednesday hearing in the chambers of Superior Court Judge William Pate, who has presided over the custody proceedings.

Alejandra Munoz, 21, was awarded joint custody of Lydia Michelle, now 11 months, after a bitter court battle with her cousins, Nattie and Mario Haro of Chula Vista.

In his Feb. 23 ruling, Pate ordered that the baby’s primary residence be with the Haros. Munoz was granted visitation three days a week and every other Saturday. Overnight visitation was to have started in August.

Reading from a court paper, Munoz’s former attorney, Harvey Berman, said Wednesday: “The judge was presented with papers from Marlene Allen, the baby’s lawyer, stating that there is a ‘constant upheaval accompanied by shouting at changes of custody.’ ”

Berman, who noted that he is no longer handling the Munoz case and that a new attorney is being sought, said that Allen contended the baby was “abnormally passive.”

The child’s pediatrician, who asked not to be identified, told United Press International that he is “willing to do anything to help the biological mother (Munoz) keep her baby.”

“There is no question in my mind that the baby identifies with the biological mother,” said the doctor, who added that he had seen both mothers separately with the baby in one day.

Munoz had been brought to San Diego by the Haros from her home near Mazatlan, Mexico, to bear a child for them.

Munoz claimed that, after being artificially inseminated with Mr. Haro’s sperm, she was promised that she would carry the ovum for a few weeks before it was transplanted into Mrs. Haro’s womb. The transplant did not occur, and Munoz gave birth on June 25, 1986.

The Haros could not be reached for comment.