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. The trial of the former DCFS workers has been on hold for more than a year. By contrast, Virginia, 14, appeared unable to escape her memories. Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Prosecutors say they failed to take the appropriate steps to protect Gabriel and then falsified documents related to his case. This time, Garcia didnt ask what had happened. The question today is whether the felony counts against four social workers will be dismissed, reduced or stand. She told Pearl that he was a good writer and that he was smart, but Pearl seemed skeptical. 3. One, addressed to his mother, said, I love you so much that I will die. Others stated he wanted to kill himself. Please reload the page and try again. Arturo Martinez, a security guard at the welfare office had also noticed Gabriels injuries and also tried to report his concerns. and M.Sc. Martinez asked Maricela Corona, the clerk Pearl had spoken to, if she planned to report child abuse. Shortly before his death, Gabriel spent most of his time at home in the cubby with no access to food or water and no bathroom breaks. [INFO]. I live Coram Deo, he said. - nbcnews.com. Merritt, one of the. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. In Los Angeles County, a sheriffs deputy is required to file a police report if the alleged victim of domestic abuse is a romantic partner. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. Martinez later learned that a deputy had visited the home and found nothing wrong. If he didnt beat Gabriel, Pearl and Isauro would threaten him, so he would whisper to Gabriel to fall quickly so he didnt have to hit him as much. 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. View Stefanie Rodriguez's business profile as Collection Manager at GBMC HealthCare. Do you have more infomration about Stefanie A Rodriguez? Due to the amount of injuries to his body, the autopsy took two days. Near the end of January, Garcia was reading to a group of students when the door opened. Justice Victoria Gerrard Chaney concurred that the four could not be charged with child abuse, but wrote a dissent arguing that they could be prosecuted as public officers under the relevant government code section. They hid Gabriels bloody clothes and moved a picture to cover one of the biggest dents in their apartments walls. 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. He asked her to put an A on the paper in the hope that his mother would be impressed. An autopsy report showed bruises, fractures, and cuts all over his body including his groin as well as BB's embedded in his body. Sleeping Pods. Le Norgant informed social worker Patricia Clement and Palmdales LAC DCFS supervisor Greg Merritt. They were informed of suicide notes written by Gabriel but they took no additional action. His wrists had ligature marks, as if hed been tied up. Pearl and Aguirre eventually called 911. Call or Email Stefanie Vitale now - (919) 374-4292. This time, the caseworker didnt pick up or call back. When I first called Starr, in November, she quickly excused herself and got off the phone. If Merritt and his colleagues had dug deeper, or simply paid closer attention to what they already knew, they might have uncovered the familys secret: that Gabriel spent days and nights with a sock in his mouth, shoelaces knotted around his hands, a bandanna shrouding his face, handcuffs locking his ankles, trapped inside a cabinet in his mothers bedroom. Wake Forest, NC 27587 However, in November 2012, things appeared to get worse. This time, the students didnt laugh. Its because my mom shot me in the face with a BB gun!, Okay. She paused, not knowing what to say. 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 . Still, Mondays events nagged at Garcia. Most agencies dont have those resources. But we spoke again later that day. They reportedly moved to Des Moines soon after their wedding. The four had been held to answer charges of felony abuse in a preliminary hearing, but in the appeal their attorneys argued that there was insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Two years before Gabriel was born, Pearl was investigated after she and Gabriels older brother were in a car accident where her son suffered a head injury because he wasnt wearing his seatbelt. Little round bruises dotted his face. Name. The trials of Gabriel Fernandez also points to the failings of the Los Angeles Child Services and the four social works in charge of the Gabriel case. Garcia called the principal to have him look at Gabriels head. Social workers Patricia Clement, left, and Stefanie Rodriguez, third from left, and supervisors Kevin Bom, second from right, and Gregory Merritt, fourth from right, who were charged with. Shed sometimes find him crying at the end of the day, saying he didnt want to go home. Later that month, Gabriels case was closed. . Like many others, shed wanted out of Palmdale for a long time, and she often talked about the business ventures she hoped would finance her escape: a vending-machine enterprise, an RV park. He told her his mom hit him punched him in the face. Garcia called Rodriguez again. Almost three years had passed since Gabriels death, and many people had all but forgotten that a criminal review was under way. She said she had been assigned to investigate and told Garcia to call her directly if she noticed. This created a financial incentive to reduce the use of foster care. I got light-headed, she said. 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. Once, when another student was struggling with a reading assignment, Gabriel jumped in to help her, pushing her to take another look and keeping her well after the other kids finished. We conclude that the petitioners never had the requisite duty to control the abusers and did not have care or custody of Gabriel for purposes of Penal Code section 273a, subdivision (a). Chippewa Valley Museum in need of Summer volunteers. Hed been living with his maternal grandparents, with whom he was close, but his mother, Pearl Fernandez, wanted Gabriels welfare benefits, so she brought him to live with her for the first time in his life, over his grandparents strenuous objections. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge dismissed charges against social workers who were accused of child abuse and falsifying records related to the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. She was a ticking time bomb, Teresa Linn Stanley, a caseworker who once worked side by side with Clement, told me. In 2016, Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, two former LA County social workers, as well as two supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with one felony count each of child abuse and falsifying public records. Stefanie Rodriguez, 34; Patricia Clement, 69; Kevin Bom, 40; and Gregory Merritt, 64, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. 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. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. Ezequiel, who was now 16, had a faint mustache and a face shaped like Gabriels. The 2nd District Court of Appeal advised that the lower court dismiss the charges against the social workers. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. As he read on, Merritt learned that Gabriel had written suicide notes. Finances Cost per Session: $80 - $150 . Rodriguez made one last visit, on January 29, 2013, after Garcia reported that Pearl Fernandez had shot Gabriel in the face with a BB gun. He wanted to, and worked very hard on it. Her caseload included up to 40 children at a time. At a preliminary hearing to decide whether the case should go before a jury, the defense attorneys hammered at one question: Why were these four workers the only ones being punished? Administrators admit that prioritizing one of these goals over the other is a false choicetheyre supposed to be able to protect children in danger without unnecessarily splitting up families. SOURCES: The Atlantic | LA Times 1 | LA times 2 | LA Times 3 | LA Daily News | Oprah Magazine | NBC LA | ABC | Bom et al. 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 February 26th 2020, Netflix released a documentary called The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. Social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were ordered today to stand trial on falsifying records and child abuse charges involving the death of Gabriel Fernandez, an 8-year-old Palmdale boy who died in 2013 after prolonged child abuse. Like, You aint got nothing else to do? he told me. A motion to rehear the appeals court decision was denied in January 2020 and the criminal case against these four is not progressing further. Anchor | Reporter . Paramedics arrived at her Palmdale, California apartment to find Gabriel unconscious. We processed them for discharge, he said. All he knew was that Gabriel was old enough to be in school, which meant he had teachers who were required by law to report signs of abuse. Instead, she said the one thing she thought he could count on: One day, youre going to be 18. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Clement had filed for bankruptcy. Over the years, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has taken significant steps to mitigate risk and improve our capacity countywide in order to best serve vulnerable children and families and as a department we remain committed to ensuring that reform continues. They alleged the officials failed to take appropriate steps to protect the boy. Is it normal for moms to hit their kids? he asked. Unlike his brother Justin, Steven Assanti does not have a very visible social media presence. According to the case file, Rodriguez met Gabriels family in their second-floor apartment, which looked out on the back of a row of dollar stores, two days after Garcias first call to the hotline. She stated that on two occasions, Gabriel himself asked her, Can you call that lady? RELATED: Uncle breaks silence on Gabriel Fernandez 7 years after his death. Social workers Stephanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement visited the Fernandez family home on multiple occasions but both workers claimed they never saw signs of abuse that would require. Three weeks later, on a Tuesday, Rodriguez returned for a follow-up visit. Stefanie Rodriguez, 35; Patricia Clement, 69; and their respective supervisors, Kevin Bom, 41; and Gregory Merritt, 64, were charged in 2016 with one felony count each of child abuse and. Lomeli called the pair nothing short of evil and worse than animalistic because even animals know how to take care of their young.. A few days later, Gabriel came to school with a split lip from Pearl punching him in the mouth. Pearl admitted to hitting him with the belt. His skin was almost yellow, like hes been starving or something.. Arturo Martinez, the security guard, asked to transfer to another office because he could not continue to work with the same people who had refused to help Gabriel. 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. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. In September 2018, Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli denied a motion to dismiss the charges, calling the young Palmdale boys death foreseeable.. In 2006, Sanders left the agency for the powerful Casey Family Programs, a $2.4 billion foundation that provides assistance to child-protective-services agencies nationwide. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Evidence at trial indicated months of beatings and torture. 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. As days passed, and then weeks, Gabriels situation only seemed to worsen. 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. Merritt, who is 62, had worked in the department for more than two decades. Please fill in the following form. Learn More{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. She emailed the school psychologist, hoping that Gabriel might be able to receive counseling. (Hons.) Dixon claimed she did report an allegation of sexual abuse by someone outside the home. During their trials, it came to light that Isuaro Aguirre forced Gabriel to eat spoiled food and cat feces as well as his own vomit, and locked him in a cabinet with a sock in his mouth and handcuffs around his ankles to sleep. Rodriguez, Clement, as well as two of their supervisors, Bom and Merritt were charged with one felony count of child abuse and falsifying public records in April 2016. Dice 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Four Los Angeles County social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 30; Patricia Clement, 65; Kevin Bom, 36; and Gregory Merritt, 60 have been charged with child abuse and falsifying public records . Le Norgant also called 911, but the officer who visited the home left without even talking to Gabriel. According to DCFSs internal investigation, neither Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information related to these calls. His older brother Ezequiel would try to sneak bananas through the padlocked door. The law requires all reports to go through the hotline, the lawyer noted. As a general rule, caseworkers worry most about children who arent seen by people outside the home. The family called it the cubby.. Yet time and again, caseworkers from child-protective services failed to help him. As Garcia started reviewing Gabriels progress, his mother blurted, I dont hit my kids.. In that time, at least 143 children in Los Angeles County have died from abuse or neglect after having some prior history with DCFS.. Gabriel Fernandez: What happened to Gabriel Fernandezs parents? When I got to the department, instead of cheering the parent on for doing the right thing, theyd want us to take the kid away or tell the kid, Youre right and Your parents have no authority over you.. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD, DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. ' in reference to the social worker. She explained that hearing the name Gabriel Fernandez had sent her into a daze. They didnt understand what they saw. Select this result to view Stefanie Denise Rodriquez's phone number, address, and more. 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. Gabriels teacher Ms Garcia contacted the organisation several times, reporting Gabriels injuries and behaviour. Justice Victoria Gerrard Chaney concurred that the four could not be charged with child abuse, but wrote a dissent arguing that they could be prosecuted as public officers under the relevant government code section. He was on life support until May 24th, 2013. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). Gabriel told the teacher that his mother hit him with belt buckle until he bled and asked whether such bleeding was normal. (This policy was changed in 2011, allowing social workers to use their professional judgment to determine how many witnesses were necessary.). and upload a portfolio of your best work. 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. The Second District California Appellate Court heard arguments from lawyers representing Kevin Bom, Stefanie Rodriguez, Gregory Merritt and Patricia Clement. Toggle primary navigation. But as they rummaged through a pile of recently closed cases, Dallis explained that Gabriel, who was 8, had been severely abused and might die. If the victim is a child, a detective can end the investigation with no review by prosecutors. 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