Former Miami Heat guard Glen Rice filed paternity papers earlier this month, demanding a paternity test for an 8-month-old baby girl. Baby Bella belongs to Rice’s ex-girlfriend Tia Santoro.

Rice and Santoro lived together for over a year before they broke up earlier this month. Santoro called police a few weeks ago to help her retrieve personal items from Rice’s home because Rice allegedly wouldn’t allow her back in the house.

According to the Coral Gables Police Department, Rice was cooperative when officer arrived with Santoro to help her collect her things.

Rice and Santoro reported reached a verbal agreement to share custody of Bella until a more formal custody agreement can be reached. Apparently, before Rice signs off on any final custody agreement or a child support agreement, he has requested a paternity test to be sure that Bella is his biological daughter.

Rice has five other children. Two with his first wife (Glen Rice, Jr. plays basketball for Georgia Tech); three with second wife Cristy Rice. Cristy and Glen were married for nine years when they separated in 2007. She recently appeared in The Real Housewives of Miami but Rice reportedly refused to allow their children to be filmed for the show.

A paternity test to determine whether Rice is Bella’s father is a relatively simple matter. It can easily be done by either blood test or a simple buccal swab in which cells are swabbed from the inside of both the putative father’s and the child’s cheek. Results will generally take several weeks to return.

Library Topics: paternity, child custody, child support, paternity tests