In September 2018, Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli denied a motion to dismiss the charges, calling the young Palmdale boys death foreseeable.. The boy was left in his mothers custody despite repeated reports of abuse, including by Gabriels teacher, and follow-up visits by the social workers to the family home. Gabriel Fernandez: Is Pearl Fernandez still in prison? After the death of Gabriel Fernandez, LAC DCFS terminated four social workers for their failure to help him. Since then, the number of children removed from their home in any given year has risen or fallen according to pendulum swings in child-protective-services agencies, which have alternated between erring on the side of child safety and erring on the side of family preservation. But a senior child-abuse prosecutor told me that if the victim is a child, a quick log entry will suffice. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. All rights reserved. The least popular job in this least desirable place was also the most difficult and most important: child-abuse investigator. In her notes, she reported that shed observed the children to be appropriately dressed, visibly healthy, and did not have any marks or bruises., The following week, Garcia made multiple calls about Gabriels haircut and busted lip. Evans had no authority to make a diagnosis or mandate further medical attention, but she wrote detailed notes, thinking that child-protective-services caseworkers might inquire about the incident. Free college is now a reality in nearly 30 states. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. I mean, everybody beats their kids. He called the number for nonemergencies and was later told that a sheriffs deputy had gone to Gabriels home but hadnt seen anything wrong. The announcement that they faced criminal charges had come as a shock. Stefanie Rodriguez in Texas. On Thursday, Gabriel arrived at school with a busted lip. Arturo Martinez, a security guard at the welfare office had also noticed Gabriels injuries and also tried to report his concerns. Pearl herself had suffered abuse as a child, giving the family another two points. But doing so requires a highly trained workforce with the resources to carry out a thorough investigation in every case. On February 26th 2020, Netflix released a documentary called The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. Stefanie Rodriguez was the first person who looked into Gabriel's case, when his teacher put in a call about the possibility of Pearl beating Gabriel at home, for his in-school behavior. In January 2020 California 2nd District Court of Appeals threw out the charges against the four former social workers. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services sent a statement on Thursday responding to the dismissal of charges, which said: We respect the court's decision. Yet, he remained in the custody of his mother, Pearl Fernandez, 33, and then-boyfriend Isauro Aguirre, 36, until his death on May 24, 2013. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) A California appeals court has thrown out criminal charges against four social workers in the torture and murder of 8-year-old Palmdale boy Gabriel Fernandez. Speaking to The Atlantic, Rodriguez explained that during the time she supervised Gabriels welfare, other children in her caseload seemed to her to be in equal or greater danger.. We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.. 2017 toyota corolla wheel torque specs stefanie rodriguez social worker now There is, therefore, no probable cause to hold them on charges of violating those laws and the trial court should have granted the motions to dismiss, the opinion continued. If found guilty, they will be among the first caseworkers from a child-welfare agency to go to prison for their lapses on the job. At recess someone lent him a baggy boys shirt to cover himself. Stefanie has been found in 13 states including Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Arizona. According to the next worker assigned to Gabriels case, Patricia Clement claimed that new abuse allegations were already being dealt with and that she was going to close the case because there were no concerns at the moment. 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. Rodriguez returned her call the following day andallegedly said was assigned to the case and would investigate. Near the end of January, Garcia was reading to a group of students when the door opened. Like, You aint got nothing else to do? he told me. This time, the students didnt laugh. Two social workers, Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, as well as two of their supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were each charged with one felony count of child abuse and falsifying public records. Stefanie Lohaus. All six episodes of The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez are available to stream and download on Netflix now. Merritt couldnt remember much about Gabriel, one of about 180 children whose cases he had been overseeing. Gabriel, by contrast, had a striking innocence. His father, Arnold Contreras, was in and out of jail but thought Gabriels maternal grandparents would be watching over him. If they were to be found guilty, they faced up to 10 years in prison each. Is it normal for moms to hit their kids? he asked. By 1967, all 50 states had such laws, and the list of professionals required to report abuse expanded to include teachers, coaches, counselors, and others. Stefanie A Rodriguez is an employee working in Children & Family Services. (In 2013, Los Angeles County had roughly 3,000 caseworkers and more than 200,000 calls to its child-abuse hotline.). Merritt told me that despite Clements weaknesses, he had to rely on her to be his eyes and ears, so he signed off on her recommendation without reading the file. Still, Rodriguez examined his body for marks and noted a bruise on his left buttocks. She called the hospital, asking if she could visit. In 2007 a complaint against Pearl claimed she didnt feed one of her daughters and threatened to break her jaw if she cried. Two social workers, Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, as well as two of their supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were each charged with one felony count of child abuse and falsifying public records. students of physics. In 2004, a relative filed a complaint with CPS claiming that Pearl was beating that son. To this day, Jennifer Garcia reserves the #28 in her classroom. n April 26, Pearl Fernandez was at the welfare office with her children when a security guard named Arturo Martinez recognized what the trained professionals had somehow failed to see: that Gabriel was the victim of extreme abuse, and urgently needed rescuing. Money Confidential is a podcast that dives into all aspects of money with expert Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez. This book is designed for the courses in solid state physics for B.Sc. I could hardly walk. On March 26th, 2013 therapist intern Barbara Dixon filed a report that Gabriel claimed a relative forced him to perform oral sex on them. On April 26th, 2013 a security guard at the local welfare office, Arturo Martinez, noticed that Gabriel needed urgent help. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. If the case proceeds to trial and the defendants are convicted, they could face over 10 years in prison. Stefanie Rodriguez, 34; Patricia Clement, 69; Kevin Bom, 40; and Gregory Merritt, 64, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. It is this [workers] assessment that mother is overwhelmed with her own emotional pain, she is unwilling to continue counseling at this time, Clement wrote. His mommy, she told them through tears, hurt him really bad.. Stefanie Rodriguez (I) Actress + Add or change photo on IMDbPro Stefanie Rodriguez is known for Phil the Alien (2004). I wanted to go there and hold his hand and say, Youre going to be okay. Los Angeles County social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 35, Patricia Clement, 69, and supervisors Kevin Bom, 41, and Gregory Merritt, 64, were each been charged with one felony count of child. A few days later, Gabriel complained to Garcia that his eye was hurting, so she sent him to Donna Evans, the school nurse, who was brand-new in the job. Stefanie Rodriguez's lawyer states that there were three subsequent supervisors, two subsequent social workers, one subsequent emergency response worker, two other mental health professionals, and two law enforcement officers all of whom are mandatory reporters as well. One day, he stole Garcias iPod and took it to his mom, trying to please her. The Family Preservation unit would now be expected to send a caseworker to the Fernandez home every two weeks, and to supplement those visits with family and individual counseling sessions. Netflix docu-series The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez tells the story of how he was tortured, and raised questions about the social system that was meant to protect him. Lomeli also presided over the trial of Fernandez killers, his mother and her boyfriend. In June 2018, Lomeli sentenced Isauro Aguirre to death for the boys first-degree murder and a special circumstance allegation of murder involving torture. 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. In his view, caseworkers should get more oversight, not less. ast September, I arranged a ride-along with caseworkers from the Palmdale office of the Department of Children and Family Services. Social worker 22,700 followers . Prosecutors say they failed to take the appropriate steps to protect Gabriel and then falsified documents related to his case. 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. Gabriel was absent the next day, and when he returned on Wednesday his hair was styled into a mohawk, which seemed normal enough. Dixon and Hathaway-Sycamores also handled the very similar case in 2018 when 10-year-old Anthony Avalos died after his mother and her boyfriend abused him. Four social workers: Kevin Bom, Greg Merritt, Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement were charged with child endangerment which resulted in death, and falsification of public documents. The Auditor-Controller discloses information about compensations paid to employees of Los Angeles County in the form of earnings and fringe benefits. Afterward, Browning dropped his proposal. County Payment of Employees' Retirement Contributions. He tended to see hope where others saw a lost cause. 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. She was impressive in many waysdeeply empathetic, very thoroughand had even been a foster child herself. stefanie rodriguez social worker nownyproduktion mlnlycke. Paramedics arrived at her Palmdale, California apartment to find Gabriel unconscious. This created a financial incentive to reduce the use of foster care. That same year, Casey declared a new central goal: to reduce the number of children in foster care by half by 2020. Martinez returned to his desk in disbelief. Long Term Disability Premiums, Life Insurance Premiums and Employer Medicare Tax. Social workers Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, as well as their supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were each charged with one felony count of child abuse and one felony. Garcia threw it in the trash in disgust and frustration. The charges against the four social workers will be dropped Thursday, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office said. Their case marks one of the few times social worked have been charged in a child abuse case in the US. Her caseload included up to 40 children at a time. When Garcia first met the boy, in the schools front office, she noticed that Pearl and Aguirre werent like the other first-grade parents, who hovered over their children, crouching down to guide them through introductions or to explain how to get lunch. In California, the downturn in foster care began even before Logans death, and was steeper than the national one. Merritt assigned supervision of Gabriels case to a member of his team named Pat Clement, who would become the fourth person from the agency to face criminal charges. Username. Once, another boy complained that his mother had made him pancakes and he didnt like them. be individuals with an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), ACSW (Associate Clinical Social Workers), MSW (Master of Social Work), MFTs (Marriage and Family Therapist) and Licensed MFTs who practice therapy, case management and/or provide clinical assessments/treatment plans in community-based organizations, Regional Centers and hospitals . 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