Its not part of your duties.. There were cigarette burns on his neck, feet, and genitals and ligature marks on both ankles. Shed spent the summer preparing to teach fourth grade at Palm Tree Elementary, in the high-desert town of Palmdale, north of Los Angeles. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Pearl and Aguirre eventually called 911. He was supposed to read the entire file first, but he hadnt gotten to it. She became a caseworker in her 50s, after spending much of her career as a counselor at the church where her husband was a pastor. Your email address will not be published. Stefanie Rodriguez. Garcia told him to sit down. Stefanie has been found in 13 states including Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Arizona. It was stated that there was no probable cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion. Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Aguirre pleaded not guilty, however, the jury found him guilty and recommended he be sentenced to death. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. The NPI number of this provider is 1396366688 and was assigned on April 2020. City News Service contributed to this report. arlene Starr, the worker who accepted Gabriels case into the Voluntary Family Maintenance program, was one of Greg Merritts closest confidantes at work. The next year, California passed the first state law mandating that doctors report suspected child abuse and neglect. Anchor | Reporter . Toggle primary navigation. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Little Gabriel Fernandez died at the hand of his mother and stepdad, Gregory Merritt was a social worker involved in Gabriel's case, Netflix's The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez explores tragic reason behind his death, Pearl Fernandez and stepfather Isauro Aguirre, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). After Jennifer Garcia called the hotline, it fell to Rodriguez to investigate and assess Gabriels safety. Stephanie Rodriguez. Both were soon fired from the department, as were their supervisors, Gregory Merritt and Kevin Bom. The announcement that they faced criminal charges had come as a shock. He was hungry for Garcias attention and praise and would stay behind at recess to help her collate and staple papers. Pearl sat quickly, fidgeting and rubbing her nose. 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. But Merritt was proud of his work, especially his efforts to keep together families that might otherwise be separated. Before calling 911, Pearl and her boyfriend, Isuaro Aguirre cleaned up their apartment. Despite numerous contacts with the family and calls from Gabriels first grade teacher, DCFS determined all was well. Stephanie Rodriguez. The young boy had been regularly abused by both parties until one day, he was beaten to the brink of death. The filing followed the Palmdale boys death in May 2013 from a beating by his mothers boyfriend and reports of months of torture prior to that. But the pressures of the job, she said, pushed her out anywayshe went on extended medical leave and eventually agreed to retire. 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. Every employment contract between a state or local agency and any public official or public employee is a public record which is not subject to the provisions of the law. One judge asked, "Were there any other charges that you could have brought?". 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. 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. Rodriguez made no entry in the case file to reflect the call. All Information about Stefanie Rodriguez The pendulum swung, and the United States saw a nearly 25 percent drop in the number of children in foster care from 2002 to 2012. He was 8 years old, and the signs of abuse were obvious. But he told me hed sent the information only to be thorough; hed never expected anything to come of it. Under California law, teachers must report any suspected child abuse, but even those who report are not always heard. In a gruesome twist, Logan was placed in the custody of a former caseworker, who disciplined her by gagging her with duct tape and leaving her in the basement, where she died. We have been six years fighting this battle," says the boy's cousin Olivia Rubio. Merritt, one of the. After the death of Gabriel Fernandez, LAC DCFS terminated four social workers for their failure to help him. This decision came from a three-justice panel. Money Services Business Registrations; Moter Carriers LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- 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. Youd see people in the office that made you wonder, Wow, how did they get through the gates? Merritt told me. A few days later, when Pearl Fernandez came in for a previously scheduled parent-teacher conference, Garcia propped the classroom door open, wary of being alone with her. Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. As soon as a call came in from a hospital, caseworkers would be dispatched to interview any surviving siblings and remove them from the home. Little round bruises dotted his face. The Second District California Appellate Court heard arguments from lawyers representing Kevin Bom, Stefanie Rodriguez, Gregory Merritt and Patricia Clement. However, his girlfriend, now wife, Stephanie Sanger, announced their marriage in a post on her Facebook page, which has since been deleted. (In 2013, Los Angeles County had roughly 3,000 caseworkers and more than 200,000 calls to its child-abuse hotline.). On May 22nd, 2013 paramedics rushed Gabriel to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles but doctors pronounced him braindead the same day. Everyone in the office knew that Palmdale had its share of caseworkers whom no one would choose to look after endangered children. 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.. In January 2013, Rodriguez visited the family home after Ms Garcia reported Gabriel had been shot in the face with BB gun. . Pearl Fernandez had a history of mental-health problems, which gave the family two points. Please reload the page and try again. On February 26th 2020, Netflix released a documentary called The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. The dismissal was long expected after an appellate panel ruled in January that the social workers should not face charges for failing to prevent the torture and killing of the Palmdale boy. The term battered-child syndrome entered the national lexicon. The appellate court formally sent the matter back to the lower court in April and Lomeli was expected to officially drop the charges on Thursday. erritts team officially took over Gabriels case on February 1, not long after Jennifer Garcia had called to report the BB-gun marks on his face. Why did you lie and tell me you fell?, When I tell you, and that lady comes, then I get hurt worse.. Pearl was yelling at him to sit, and Martinez told her to tone it down. So what? 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. He died in the hospital days after the brutal attack. Each week, O'Connell Rodriguez answers some super common and everyday questions about . She coached him: My mom cut it like that. One day, he stole Garcias iPod and took it to his mom, trying to please her. . The educator said the boy appeared anxious about his homework and feared to go home sometimes. Back in her classroom, Garcia saw the Mothers Day card on Gabriels desk. But Judge Mary Lou Villar was not persuaded. Stefanie Rodriguez, 34; Patricia Clement, 69; Kevin Bom, 40; and Gregory Merritt, 64, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. When Gabriel came to the agencys attention, the chances of an abused child being placed in foster care were lower than theyd been in many years. Its destroyed a lot of lives. The law requires all reports to go through the hotline, the lawyer noted. In DCFSs Palmdale office, people liked to joke: Its not the end of the world, but you can see it from here. High-ranking administrators from headquarters in Los Angeles rarely made the long drive through the hills and canyons up to this community on the edge of the Mojave Desert, where buzzards circle and dust storms penetrate homes with a layer of grit that no amount of vigilance can keep out. 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 Gabriel to be moved out of the family home. Gabriel suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, a broken nose, and many missing teeth. Rodriguez recommended that Gabriel and Pearl take part in Voluntary Family Maintenance, which allows children to remain in the home while the family works to resolve their issues. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. His father, Arnold Contreras, was in and out of jail but thought Gabriels maternal grandparents would be watching over him. 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. On November 26th, 2012 Gabriel showed up to class late. Merritt, who is 62, had worked in the department for more than two decades. Stefanie Rodriguez is an actress, known for Phil the Alien (2004). 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. An arrest warrant filed March 28 identifies the four Los Angeles social workers as Stefanie Rodriguez, 30, Patricia Clement, 65, Kevin Bom, 36, and Gregory Merritt, 60. Please fill in the following form. When he looked at Gabriel, he saw cigarette burns all over the boys head and neck. 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. He had internal injuries, including a lacerated liver. Gabriel asked his teacher, Jennifer Garcia, if it was normal for moms to hit their kids. However, in November 2012, things appeared to get worse. 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). 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. 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