That would be reportable. She also told Reid that during Red Ribbon Week, when teachers talked about staying away from narcotics, Gabriel had announced that cocaine was a drug. She left a career in genetic res It had expanded because of the funding changes instituted during the Bush administration. County Payment of Employees' Retirement Contributions. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). They were informed of suicide notes written by Gabriel but they took no additional action. 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. We have been six years fighting this battle," says the boy's cousin Olivia Rubio. vs. LA County, Scalp, Face, Neck, Ears and Shoulder Injuries Documented at Trial (diagam). Stefanie Lohaus. Her supervisor, Kevin Bom, a 33-year-old who was seen as a rising star in the department, would approve every key decision she made and sign off on all her reports. Prosecutors say they failed to take the appropriate steps to protect Gabriel and then falsified documents related to his case. The educator said the boy appeared anxious about his homework and feared to go home sometimes. Money Services Business Registrations; Moter Carriers Indeed, this summer a 10-year-old boy named Anthony Avalos was found unresponsive in his mothers apartment in Lancaster, California, just north of Palmdale. However, in November 2012, things appeared to get worse. Dixon claimed she did report an allegation of sexual abuse by someone outside the home. . 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. Did he have to dance when they shot him with the BB gun?. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. A public employee's salary relates to a particular person, but it is a matter of public interest and not primarily a matter of the individual's private business. 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. As time went on and new injuries kept appearing, I started to feel like nothing was happening (with the case), Garcia testified. Near the end of January, Garcia was reading to a group of students when the door opened. Martinez called his own supervisor and was told the same: Thats not your job. The DCFS Internal investigation found that neither Rodriguez or her supervisor Bon reviewed information regarding Pearl and her history with the DCFS. Additionally, all four were fired from their jobs following an internal investigation into the group's actions leading up to Gabriel's death on May 23, 2013. When he was in school, he would kick other students. Stefanie has been found in 13 states including Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Arizona. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. The earnings and benefits information are as follows: The California Public Records Act requires public disclosure of government salary information, which serves a significant public interest. The 2nd District Court of Appeal advised that the lower court dismiss the charges against the social workers. When I first called Starr, in November, she quickly excused herself and got off the phone. Meanwhile, the rate of child abuse remained steady during that period; according to a Yale study, at least one out of eight American children will be abused by age 18. She trusts that if she stays grounded and listens to her instincts and follows the departments rules and processes, she wont ever need to confront the details of Gabriels case or another like it. Skin was missing from his neck. View our online Press Pack. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Other marks were scattered on his face, neck, and left ear. Social worker Gregory Merritt appears in The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. Whether he tried or even had time to follow up on this claim is unknown. For Jennifer Garcia, the 201213 school year was off to a disappointing start. In a series of conversations over the past year, Merritt told me that for months he was so crippled by guilt and shame over his role in Gabriels case that he rarely left the house. Would it be fair to say that you dont want to remember? the prosecutor, Jon Hatami, asked at one point. 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. Once again, Rodriguez and Bom decided not to remove him or order a medical exam. 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 . His aim, he says, was to develop ways to prevent abuse from occurring in the first place and, when foster care was necessary, to move children to safe, permanent homes more quickly. Negligent child welfare workers may face prison time in connection with the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. She then called Pearl Fernandez to pick Gabriel up. 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. Other Payments such as Shift Pay, Allowances and Bonuses. When the paramedics arrived, Ezequiel guided them wordlessly inside. The court stated: Although there may be consequences to social workers who fail to fulfil their duties, the consequences do not include criminal liability for child abuse., In the documentary, Merrit said: Those of us who were working the case seems to have done what we could have done. She reported that Gabriels face and hands had bruises from strikes with a belt buckle. Other Benefits, Short Disability Insurance and Dependent & Health Care Spending Accounts. On May 23, 2013, this grim assembly line paused at Greg Merritts cubicle in the Palmdale branch office. Garcia called the principal to the room to take a look at Gabriels head. 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. It will always be Gabriel's number. Stephanie joined the Alliance in 2015. Rodriguez visited the familys apartment, but again Gabriel recanted. Partner with a local real estate agent to find the home or apartment that's right for you Stefanie Rodriguez, Real Estate Agent - Compass Isuaro and Pearl even pepper sprayed Gabriel the night before he died. The program is rudimentary and has been criticized for miscalculating risk, but an internal study showed that it is significantly more reliable than caseworkers own determinations. The jurors deliberated for five hours before finding Aguirre guilty of torture and murder. His loyalties were with his colleagues in the branch office, the ones who would gather for after-hours parties known as howls, where theyd hoot and holler, with bonfires and country musica release valve for the stresses of a difficult job. But the pressures of the job, she said, pushed her out anywayshe went on extended medical leave and eventually agreed to retire. He was 8 years old, and the signs of abuse were obvious. Lets talk about this at recess., When recess came, he pressed on: Is it normal for your mom to hit you with the part of the belt that has that metal thing on the end?, Yeah, he said. Garcia threw it in the trash in disgust and frustration. According to DCFSs internal investigation, neither Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information related to these calls. Wake Forest, NC 27587 The call, which was recorded, felt awkward and intimidating: Garcia was still relatively new to teaching and wasnt sure whether this was the kind of thing she was supposed to reportshe didnt know Gabriels family and wondered whether she might be missing important context. When he reached Pearl on the phone she told him that Gabriel had moved to Texas with his grandmother. Gabriel at School Just Before Mother's Day. But when she told Steve Reid, the caseworker who answered, about the belt buckle and the blood, he said, Okay. Name. The Auditor-Controller discloses information about compensations paid to employees of Los Angeles County in the form of earnings and fringe benefits. If the victim is a child, a detective can end the investigation with no review by prosecutors. But Judge Mary Lou Villar was not persuaded. How do you prioritize your spending when you have debt and dreams for the future? The case against Rodriguez, Clement, Bom and Merritt never made it to trial after the Second District Court of Appeal advised that the case be dismissed. Statistical mechanics is the theory underlying condensed matter physics. MORE: Palmdale woman, boyfriend sentenced in 8-year-old's torture killing. 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 . Each of the four defendants, she said, should have noticed that Gabriel was in danger and filed a petition for his removal from the home, or at least ordered a medical examination. Garcia cracked a smile as the girls eyes seemed to say, Get me out of here. Stefanie A Rodriguez is an employee working in Children & Family Services. They alleged the officials failed to take appropriate steps to protect the boy. Stefanie Rodriguez. They were informed of suicide notes written by Gabriel but they took no additional action. He had BB pellets embedded in his body - "in his neck, face, lung, legs, buttocks, foot, chest and groin." 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. If you spent time with Pat, you just knew.. Pearl and Aguirre asked no questions and offered no pleasantries. They rushed him to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where he was on life support for two days. In 2003, the Los Angeles County board of supervisors selected a child-welfare administrator named David Sanders, who led an aggressive push to reduce the foster-care rolls. Gabriels attendance was sporadic. She had lost custody of a son named Arnold Jr and had abandoned her youngest daughter, Destiny. They didnt understand what they saw. They reportedly moved to Des Moines soon after their wedding. Clement paid her first visit to Gabriels home on February 13, but her notes contain few details. First Call Made Six Months Before Gabriel's Death See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. View Stefanie Rodriguez's business profile as Collection Manager at GBMC HealthCare. Pearl herself had suffered abuse as a child, giving the family another two points. The two 29-year-old women locked eyes in uneasy silence. She coached him: My mom cut it like that. Aguirre pleaded not guilty, however, the jury found him guilty and recommended he be sentenced to death. Suddenly, Pearl wanted custody back in October 2012. In 2017, social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. The series tracks what happened to eight-year-old Gabriel and the subsequent murder trial of his mother Pearl Fernandez and her partner, Isauro Aguirre. The fact that Gabriels suffering went unaddressed by the people charged with protecting him was a staggering failure of the Department of Children and Family Services. Gabriel had a fractured skull, fractured ribs, BB pellets lodged in his chest and pelvic region, and a penetrating burn above his groin. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. Murder of Gabriel Fernandez - Wikipedia - wikipedia.org . - nbcnews.com. I drove around aimlessly for a while and lost track of time.. May 21, 2022 . But we spoke again later that day. Required fields are marked *. He is currently awaiting execution in San Quentin State Prison. In a blue suit and a rumpled white shirt, he slouched just above the microphone, rocking from side to side in a swivel chair as lawyers asked him about his brother. Fishpond Hong Kong, Statistical Mechanics, Third Edition by R K Pathria . They hid Gabriels bloody clothes and moved a picture to cover one of the biggest dents in their apartments walls. Despite their risk level being very high, Merritt manually changed the level to moderate and closed the case. After all, Kate was mysteriously absent from the season three finale fast-forward scene and Toby seemed hesitant . The girl later said that her mother asked her to help soak up blood from the floor. Due to over 60 complaints filed against Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre between 2003 and 2012, there were 8 investigations of them by the LA County Child Protective Services and the Department of Children and Family Services. Hed whisper in Gabriels ear to fall to the ground quickly when he hit him. When Fernandez called 911 on May 22, 2013 to report her son was not breathing, she told sheriff's deputies who responded that Gabriel had fallen and hit his head on a dresser. The other children were silent. But five years on, he believes he has the distance to see that he performed as well as anyone could have, under the circumstances. Los Angeles County social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with two felony counts in relation to the death of Fernandez on April 7,. The question today is whether the felony counts against four social workers will be dismissed, reduced or stand. He felt brushed off, judged. Long Term Disability Premiums, Life Insurance Premiums and Employer Medicare Tax. t Summerwind Elementary, the weeks dragged on. A three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal issued an opinion Monday directing a lower court to dismiss child abuse and other charges against four social workers in the killing of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. The couple got married in Iowa in 2018. Gabriel Fernandez: Who is Michael Lemos Carranza? You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time. 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. Anchor | Reporter . Rodriguez had moved to a new city but couldnt escape Gabriels story: Her picture had appeared on local TV and in the newspaper there. Paramedics found Gabriel naked in a bedroom with a cracked skull three broken ribs and BB pellets embedded in his lung and groin. 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. Business . Until, of course, another one did. Due to the amount of injuries to his body, the autopsy took two days. She explained that hearing the name Gabriel Fernandez had sent her into a daze. By contrast, Virginia, 14, appeared unable to escape her memories. 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. The program said Gabriel was at very high risk. Decider.com reported that a three-justice panel stated there was no probably cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion.. 21, 2022 after all, Kate was mysteriously absent from the season three finale fast-forward scene Toby! 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