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. The Second District California Appellate Court heard arguments from lawyers. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Unprecedented charges against Los Angeles County social workers were filed following the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez of Palmdale. The couple got married in Iowa in 2018. Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Fernandez is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. It destroyed my life.. We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200. Clement had filed for bankruptcy. She recalls Rodriguez saying that Pearl Fernandez had once spanked Gabriel harshly but did not present an immediate safety threat, and that both Pearl and Gabriel had issues. Gabriel Fernandez: Is Pearl Fernandez still in prison? Did he have to dance when they shot him with the BB gun?. By creating this job alert, you agree to the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. In an 2-1 opinion, the panel concluded that there was no probable cause to hold the two social workers and their supervisors on charges of child abuse and falsifying documents. I wanted to go there and hold his hand and say, Youre going to be okay. Dixon claimed she did report an allegation of sexual abuse by someone outside the home. Its over now. But the operator wouldnt give her any information. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. Call or Email Stefanie Vitale now - (919) 374-4292. She claimed to social workers that she had concerns about how he was being treated but family members say she wanted Gabriels welfare benefits. She called the hospital, asking if she could visit. Stefanie Rodriguez. This time, the caseworker didnt pick up or call back. Cat feces had been forced down his throat. When social workers interviewed him about that allegation, Pearl was present, and Gabriel took back each of his stories. He had internal injuries, including a lacerated liver. She was a ticking time bomb, Teresa Linn Stanley, a caseworker who once worked side by side with Clement, told me. . But doing so requires a highly trained workforce with the resources to carry out a thorough investigation in every case. Rodriguez never went to the school or talked to the neighbors. On May 23, 2013, this grim assembly line paused at Greg Merritts cubicle in the Palmdale branch office. 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. 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. His skin was almost yellow, like hes been starving or something.. Pearl abandoned her youngest child, Destiny, and lost custody of a son older than Gabriel, named Arnold Jr. After the death of Gabriel Fernandez, LAC DCFS terminated four social workers for their failure to help him. Stephanie Rodriguez Social worker Greater Sacramento 7 followers 7 connections Join to view profile Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services Sonoma State University Experience Human. Stefanie. Following Gabriels death in 2013, Rodriguez, Clement, Bom and Merritt were fired from their positions at DCFS following an international investigation after Gabriels death in 2013. I just dont want to remember it.. With his mother present, Gabriel told Rodriguez the bruises on his face came from a fall he had playing with his brother and dissenter. Social worker Stefanie Rodriguez and other representatives of child protection agencies visited Gabriel's home on a number of occasions. Evidence at trial indicated months of beatings and torture. Dice Lomeli called the pair nothing short of evil and worse than animalistic because even animals know how to take care of their young.. 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. He told her that they dont investigate, they report. Suddenly, Pearl wanted custody back in October 2012. 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.". Gabriel's mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, were both charged and convicted of first degree murder with special circumstances of torture. Multiple calls had been made to the child-abuse hotline, but a caseworker ended the investigation after Anthony recanted his claims of abuse. Stefanie Rodriguez in Texas. Instead, she punished him by sending him to school in girls clothing the next daya tiny pink shirt and tight polka-dot leggings. This fall, Merritt and three of his colleagues will stand trial for criminal charges of falsifying records and child abuse, which carry up to 11 years in prison. First responders noted that every single inch of his body had signs of abuse. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Garcia says her interactions with Rodriguez began shortlyafter she suspected Gabriels mother was physically retaliating against him for his in-school misbehavior. Pearl rushed out of the office with her children, blocking Martinez view of Gabriel as she did. Most agencies dont have those resources. His new address meant a new school, too. The defense lawyers presented a long list of others who could have helped Gabriel, toopolice officers, school staff members, and people in the community. It will always be Gabriel's number. An investigation into the eight-month period leading up to his death discovered that his mother doused him with pepper spray, locked him in a closet with a sock forced in his mouth, and forced him to eat his own vomit. In California, the downturn in foster care began even before Logans death, and was steeper than the national one. - nbcnews.com. 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. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Right, Mrs. Garcia? he asked, as if he needed confirmation. Youll be able to move out. The two of them paused for a moment, imagining what that might be like. Lots of people spank their kids, after all. More info. 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. Debates over child-protective services often scramble traditional political divisions, and Casey Family Programs, which has championed a number of progressive causes, had powerful political allies in religious conservatives, who pushed George W. Bushs administration to limit government intrusion on parental authority. Social Work Intern Sarah Vretas, M.A., LPC Clinical Fellow Mariah Willis, B.A., CT Clinical Counseling Intern Counseling and Consultation Service - Office of Student Life CCS Main Office: Younkin Success Center (4th Floor), 1640 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201 . Gabriels eyes were swollen, and squinty like a cats. He said he wouldnt hesitate to remove a child if he knew there to be true danger, but he also acknowledged that he recognized such situations less often than others did. 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 . + Add or change photo on IMDbPro . View Stefanie Rodriguez's business profile as Global Manager, Accounting at ALM. He saw that a caseworker had used a computer program to score Gabriels likelihood of being abused. I probably would have lost my kids, she said, because I spanked them good. 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. This created a financial incentive to reduce the use of foster care. On Monday, November 26, Gabriel arrived late. Lomeli also presided over the trial of Fernandez killers, his mother and her boyfriend. Chippewa Valley Museum in need of Summer volunteers. It's time to end gun violence now. 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. Then the department moved on.. We were on a desert island, and we were just sinking, sinking, sinking., Like Merritt, Starr is a devout Christian. Stefanie Rodriguez Executive Business Partner at Lyft New York, New York, United States 478 followers 476 connections Join to connect Lyft University of San Francisco Activity Career Update! This in addition to other instances of violent physical, mental, and emotional child abuse. Isuaro and Pearl even pepper sprayed Gabriel the night before he died. charged with child abuse and falsifying public records, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, was sentenced to life in prison, while her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, was sentenced to death. Garcia asked what had happened. In January 2013, Rodriguez visited the family home after Ms Garcia reported Gabriel had been shot in the face with BB gun. Your email address will not be published. Martinez later learned that a deputy had visited the home and found nothing wrong. 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. Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand, Senior PR and Communications Officer - British Consulate General Sydney, Information Technology Service Management Analyst, Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communications, SSC Malaysia - Finance Team Lead - Bill & Pay, Techtronic Industries Australia & New Zealand, Volt - International (An Innova Solutions Company). 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 . Neither caseworker Kevin Bom nor case manager Stefanie Rodriguez felt the bruising was grounds for a doctors visit or Gabriels removal from the home. Pearl Fernandez had a history of mental-health problems, which gave the family two points. Garcia felt reassured; the agency seemed to be taking the matter seriously. Starr said that Stefanie Rodriguez pleaded with her to take Gabriels case. If they were to be found guilty, they faced up to 10 years in prison each. 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. When she was finally alone with him at recess, she asked what had happened. County Pension (Defined Benefits) Contributions. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Prosecutors allege Rodriguez and later Clement the latter took on the case after Garcia was shot in the face falsifiedrecords. 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. . But a senior child-abuse prosecutor told me that if the victim is a child, a quick log entry will suffice. HBO 2020 release schedule: Whats new on HBO in March 2020? He died. (During this period, foster care was in such short supply that DCFS routinely used a conference room to house children overnight.) Please apply today or contact me directly:Dana Laghezza Director, Practice Development LifeStance Health, Inc. (e) Dana.Laghezza @LifeStance.com (p)lt;br> We offer Licensed Therapists (LCPC, LCSW . On March 28, an arrest warrant was issued for Stefanie Rodriquez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom, and Gregory Merritt. The majority of children killed by their guardians are 3 or younger. The sheer number of rules caused many workers to consider them just suggestions that no human could ever fully absorb. However, his girlfriend, now wife, Stephanie Sanger, announced their marriage in a post on her Facebook page, which has since been deleted. Garcia called Rodriguez yet again. Prosecutors are holding four Los Angeles County social workers criminally responsible and have charged them with child abuse. During the final eight months of Gabriel Fernandezs life, numerous concerns had been made to the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services [DCFS]. On walks, he lagged at the end of the line, saying that his arms and legs hurt. Management had to impose a ban on transfers out just to keep the branch staffed. Garcia called Rodriguez and left yet another message. That was a mistake, the school secretary, Pam Howell, told Evans. His one solace was a mens group at church, where he felt he was able to make his case to a higher power. Since Gabriels death and the subsequent review, DCFS has hired more than 1,000 caseworkers, provided staff with smartphones, started new methods of training, and changed the standards for the Voluntary Family Maintenance program. Near the end of January, Garcia was reading to a group of students when the door opened. 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