Nowitzki filing seeks custody of unborn child

DALLAS (AP) - Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki wants sole custody of his former girlfriend's unborn child if genetic tests prove he is the father, according to a court filing.

Nowitzki wants custody the child due to be born to Crystal Taylor, who was arrested at the player's Dallas home May 6 and is being held at the Jefferson County jail in Beaumont.

Nowitzki's court filing notes that he has been cited as the father of the child by Taylor and it asks the court to order a paternity test. The petition was filed in state district court in Dallas on June 12. It was sealed Friday, shortly after its details were reported by the Beaumont Enterprise newspaper.

Neither Nowitzki nor Taylor is specifically named in the petition. However, the petitioner is identified as "D.N." and the respondent as "C.T." The document also outlines circumstances similar to those made public by Taylor, who has said repeatedly that Nowitzki is the father.

Taylor's attorney, Scott Renick, told the Beaumont newspaper that his client knew the documents had been filed but he declined comment. Renick did not immediately respond to a phone message from The Associated Press.

Nowitzki's attorney, Katherine Kinser, was unavailable Friday, according to a woman who answered the phone at her office.

Taylor has been jailed in lieu of $50,000 bond. She is accused of paying for almost $11,000 in dental work with a credit card she didn't have permission to use. She also faces a probation violation charge in Missouri.

Taylor was administered a pregnancy test when she was booked into the Dallas County jail after her arrest last month and the test came back positive, The Dallas Morning News has reported.