The mother and her boyfriend were convicted of the torture murder. Pearl and Aguirre eventually called 911. Other Payments such as Shift Pay, Allowances and Bonuses. Garcia testified that she first called the child abuse hotline on Oct. 30, 2012. They would later become the second and third workers, after Merritt, to be charged with child abuse and falsification of records. Lomeli also handled the social worker case and in 2018 had denied a motion to dismiss the charges, saying the boy's death was "foreseeable.". / KCAL News. Its not part of your duties.. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office had filed the charges of child abuse and falsifying records against social workers Stefanie Rodrigez, 35, and Patricia Clement, 59, as well as . Director Brian Knappenberger documents the investigation into the months of abuse preceding his murder as well as the trial against his mother and her boyfriend. Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! From 1998 to 2013, the number of kids in foster care in Los Angeles County fell from about 50,000 to 19,000. This time she reached her, and pressed her about what she was doing: How did Pearl Fernandez explain the injuries? She claimed to social workers that she had concerns about how he was being treated but family members say she wanted Gabriels welfare benefits. When Garcia first questioned Gabriel about his injuries, he lied to her and told her he fell. The appellate opinion noted that although they may have failed in their duties as social workers there was no probable cause for a criminal case. DCFS never learned about these injuries while Gabriel was alive. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. By the departments own count, since Gabriels death, at least 143 children in Los Angeles County have died from abuse or neglect after having some prior history with DCFS. Your email address will not be published. Pearl ordered her 11-year-old daughter to help them clean blood off the floor. The next day, Pearl Fernandezs attorneys proposed a deal to accept life in prison without the possibility of parole or appeal if the prosecution would agree to drop its push for the death penalty. For PR Pros . The four also had criminal charges filed against them. When he reached Pearl on the phone she told him that Gabriel had moved to Texas with his grandmother. That changed in 2001, with the case of Logan Marr, a 5-year-old girl from Maine whod been removed from her home by the states grossly interventionist child-protective-services agency. One was addressed to his mother: I love you so much that I will die. His brother Ezequiel discovered these notes days later, and Pearl discussed them with the therapist assigned to the family, Carmen Le Norgant, on the night of February 27. There were cigarette burns on his neck, feet, and genitals and ligature marks on both ankles. The question today is whether the felony counts against four social workers will be dismissed, reduced or stand. Rodriguez had moved to a new city but couldnt escape Gabriels story: Her picture had appeared on local TV and in the newspaper there. In January 2013, Rodriguez visited the family home after Ms Garcia reported Gabriel had been shot in the face with BB gun. She was impressive in many waysdeeply empathetic, very thoroughand had even been a foster child herself. The educator said the boy appeared anxious about his homework and feared to go home sometimes. Get email updates for new Licensed Clinical Social Worker jobs in Chevy Chase, MD. Following the caretakers' convictions, four social workers in the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Stefanie Rodriguez, 34, and Patricia Clement, 69, and two. I just dont want to remember it.. January 7, 2020 / 5:43 AM She saw the anger swell inside him. Jennifer Garcia began calling social workers in 2012. Other teachers told her that Summerwind was one of the districts nicest schools, but when Garcia looked around at the peeling paint and crumbling stucco, she thought, If this is the best weve got, were really in trouble. His new address meant a new school, too. They claimed to have never found strong enough signs of abuse in order to remove Gabriel from the house. He is currently awaiting execution in San Quentin State Prison. Former colleagues told me he now mows lawns. As days passed, and then weeks, Gabriels situation only seemed to worsen. Corona said she wanted to help but was only filling in. Reid took detailed notes, and Garcia soon received a phone call from Stefanie Rodriguez. He died. Unlike the couple, the attorney for Department of Children and Family Services supervisor Kevin Bom argues that Bom never saw. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Stefanie Rico, Registered Social Worker, Toronto, ON, M4V, (647) 492-8197, Stefanie works with youth and adults experiencing diverse mental health needs, most often supporting individuals in the . The prevalence of bone fractures, brain bleeds, and other injuries linked to caregivers showed that beatings were a recurring aspect of family life in many homes. . They hid Gabriels bloody clothes and moved a picture to cover one of the biggest dents in their apartments walls. Gabriel suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, a broken nose, and many missing teeth. She believed in the mission of the Family Preservation unit, and tried to see herself in the shoes of her adult clients and become more tolerant and understanding. The Auditor-Controller of Los Angele County provides financial leadership and expert advice on a wide range of fiscal matters and advocates for financial integrity and accountability in all County business practices, and also develops financial policies and guidelines for departmental operations and issues checks to vendors, employees, child support payments, judgments and damages and other claims against the County, as well as other financial responsibilities. BB pellets pockmarked his skin. His older brother Ezequiel would try to sneak bananas through the padlocked door. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. Villar also stated that the defendants should have documented Gabriel Fernandezs injuries and that their actions were incompatible with the proper regard for human life.. Yet time and again, caseworkers from child-protective services failed to help him. During the trial, it was revealed that Gabriel had been starved, kept in handcuffs, shot with BB guns, doused with pepper spray, forced to eat his own vomit and locked in a cabinet with a sock stuffed in his mouth to muffle his screams. 3. In the end, it all added up to very high risk, meaning that the caseworkers had no choice but to promote the case for further attention. Prosecutors argued that only Merritt and Clement asserted that they were not officers, but the panel chose to apply the same standard to all four defendants, arguing that there was no reason to apply the law differently. Pearl told the operator that Gabriel wasnt breathing, and Aguirre blamed the injuries on Gabriels roughhousing with Ezequiel. Murder 24/7: Who narrates murder 24/7 on BBC2? But this didnt strike Merritt as particularly unusual or alarminghe remembered a child even younger who had made actual suicide attempts. Judge Mary Lou Villar stated that each defendant should have noticed the danger Gabriel was in and requested he be removed from the home, or at the very least ordered a medical examination. Then he turned back to his computerbecause, he says, life goes on, and I had work to do. Hed concluded long ago that some of the children who depended on the department would inevitably be injured, if not killed. Gabriel Fernandez: Who is Michael Lemos Carranza? View our online Press Pack. The documentary looks into the failures of the Los Angeles County DCFS system. First Call Made Six Months Before Gabriel's Death Judge Lomeli denied an automatic motion to reduce the jurys recommendation of a death sentence for Aguirre to life in prison without the possibility of parole, citing the repeated beating, binding, burning and starving of Gabriel. STEFANIE A RODRIGUEZ Salary Overview. Instead, she asked Gabriel whether he really wanted to do that days assignment: making a Mothers Day card. If convicted of knowingly falsifying those records and the felony count of child abuse, the defendants each face up to 10 years in state prison. In a 2-1 opinion, the three-justice panel concluded there was no probable cause to hold the two social workers and their supervisors on the charges. invisible stranding in knitting. Did he have to dance when they shot him with the BB gun?. I wanted to go there and hold his hand and say, Youre going to be okay. Garcia called the principal to have him look at Gabriels head. Like, You aint got nothing else to do? he told me. Social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 34, and Patricia Clement, 69, were charged along with two supervisors, Kevin Bom, 40, and Gregory Merritt, 64, with one felony count each of child abuse and falsifying public records. I thought Gabriel would benefit. So she agreed to accept his case rather than urging Rodriguez to take it to courta decision that has haunted her ever since. Neither got far past the idea stage. During a parent-teacher meeting, Pearl said without prompting, I dont hit my kids. Garcia told Pearl that Gabriel was smart and a good writer, but she didnt think Pearl believed her. Bom had managed to start a new career as a custody evaluator in divorce cases, but he lost that job after the criminal charges were filed. "We need to stand up to fight. I still have nightmares. He rarely went outside during recess, and when he did, Garcia sometimes saw him alone on the playground, kicking a wall. He died on May 24, 2013, and in 2018, Pearl and Isauro were found guilty of first-degree murder with an additional special circumstance of intentional murder by torture. Pearl rushed out of the office with her children, blocking Martinez view of Gabriel as she did. She was a 27-year-old newcomer with a bachelors degree in psychology and no academic credentials in social work. He was able to find only sporadic work, stocking beer at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds. His testimony lasted hours; he was unable to recall many details and had to constantly refer to transcripts of prior testimony. In January, a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal issued an opinion directing a lower court to dismiss the charges against the social workers. Garcia called Gabriels caseworker, Rodriguez, on two different numbers and left messages. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. When it was time to leave at 5 oclock, I left, whether I had a mound of paperwork in my cubicle or not. The job was hard, and one of the things that angered him most was when a subordinate worked unpaid hours. But then someone told her Gabriel was at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and she thought maybe there was still hope. He then asked if it was normal for moms to hit kids with a belt buckle and make you bleed. When a subordinate worked unpaid hours it is possible the submission was not processed children and Services! 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