Brunt of storm moving out of SoCal on Wednesday; showers will linger, Children jump for joy at seeing snow flurries in Canyon Country, RFK assassin Sirhan Sirhan is denied parole for 16th time. Aguirre pleaded not guilty, however, the jury found him guilty and recommended he be sentenced to death. She explained that hearing the name Gabriel Fernandez had sent her into a daze. May 21, 2022 . 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. One week before his death, Gabriels school, Summerwind Elementary, asked a sheriffs deputy to investigate, but he received the wrong address. The program said Gabriel was at very high risk. Call or Email Stefanie Vitale now - (919) 374-4292. 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. He wanted to, and worked very hard on it. This time, the students didnt laugh. She said she had been assigned to investigate and told Garcia to call her directly if she noticed anything suspicious in the future. According to DCFSs internal investigation, neither Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information related to these calls. They would later become the second and third workers, after Merritt, to be charged with child abuse and falsification of records. Each week, O'Connell Rodriguez answers some super common and everyday questions about . But Browning, who left the department in 2017, acknowledged over email that these reforms could not guarantee that the department wouldnt see another death like Gabriels. Prosecutors argued the four minimised evidence of abuse and violated multiple policies. More info. Strictly star bags life-changing EastEnders role as part of new family, Baby's body found after huge search as cops quiz Constance Marten & lover, Bianca Gascoigne reveals very unusual name for her newborn daughter, I took pic of son, 18, before his first night out then the worst thing happened, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Gabriels teacher Ms Garcia contacted the organisation several times, reporting Gabriels injuries and behaviour. He felt brushed off, judged. The thing she loves most about working at the Alliance, is connecting with caregivers. 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. But the Palmdale branch couldnt afford to be picky. Your email address will not be published. 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. Long Term Disability Premiums, Life Insurance Premiums and Employer Medicare Tax. Host Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez turned to Jill Schlesinger, CFP, a business analyst for CBS News, for advice. He tended to see hope where others saw a lost cause. All four of the caseworkers had been fired. She stated that on two occasions, Gabriel himself asked her, Can you call that lady? 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. Instead, Rodriguez walked a few cubicles away to consult with a caseworker named Darlene Starr in the Family Preservation unit, a small team led by Greg Merritt. 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. Gabriel told her he had fallen off his bike and begged her not to send him home early. I tried to feel his heart, Aguirre said, and nothing is moving.. She knewas so many of the schools staff members knewthat Gabriel was in danger at home. She didnt want to tell him everything would be okaythat felt like it might not be true. Have a seat. Then he admonished her, We dont investigate. 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. 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. 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. Stefanie has been found in 13 states including Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Arizona. In June 2018, Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli sentenced Isauro Aguirre to death for the boy's first-degree murder and a special circumstance allegation of murder involving torture. The psychologist replied that there were no services available and provided a brochure that Garcia could send to Gabriels mother on how to cope with behavioral problems. 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. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Virginia and Ezequiel, who now live with a relative in another state, asked Hatami to accept her plea; they didnt want to have to testify against her. DON'T MISSGabriel Fernandez: Who is Michael Lemos Carranza? Le Norgant also called 911, but the officer who visited the home left without even talking to Gabriel. Once, another boy complained that his mother had made him pancakes and he didnt like them. After they found the file and Dallis left, Merritt said a silent prayer for the boy. But the program worried Philip Browning, whod become the head of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services in 2011. Rodriguez told her that confidentiality rules prevented her from saying. Take your time, Garcia told him. In just a few days, she would be teaching first grade in Room 5 at Summerwind Elementary, four miles away. The provider is registered as an individual and her NPI . Yet, nothing appeared to resolve the home abuse. He saw that a caseworker had used a computer program to score Gabriels likelihood of being abused. 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 question today is whether the felony counts against four social workers will be dismissed, reduced or stand. Supporters of Gabriel attended the hearing. Social workers spoke, on average, with fewer than two witnessesneighbors, friends, school officials, health-care providersalthough the departments policy required that they interview at least three. efore caseworkers can close an investigation, the agency requires them to use a software program called Structured Decision Making to score a childs risk of being abused or neglected. Adding that the two should have better documented the escalating violence and lack of cooperation by the family. He told Le Norgant that he was serious. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Unprecedented charges against Los Angeles County social workers were filed following the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez of Palmdale. RELATED: Prosecutor in Gabriel Fernandez case was a victim of child abuse himself. On walks, he lagged at the end of the line, saying that his arms and legs hurt. See full bio . 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. Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were their supervisors on the case. 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. Merritt was on antidepressants, and he rarely left the house. Authorities later determined that his mother and her boyfriend had tortured him for at least five days. 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. On May 22nd, 2013 paramedics rushed Gabriel to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles but doctors pronounced him braindead the same day. It will always be Gabriel's number. Allowing a social worker to evade liability for falsifying a public document would incentivize social workers to put their own interests in avoiding liability for their misdeeds above the purpose of the states child welfare statutory scheme, which is child safety, Chaney wrote in her concurring and dissenting opinion. All rights reserved. The next day, Pearl Fernandezs attorneys proposed a deal to accept life in prison without the possibility of parole or appeal if the prosecution would agree to drop its push for the death penalty. He told her his mom hit him punched him in the face. Garcia called Rodriguez again. Ultimately, the social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 34, and Patricia Clement, 69, and two supervisors, Kevin Bom, 40, and Gregory Merritt, 64, all faced charges in connection with the death of Gabriel, with prosecutors alleging they minimized evidence of Gabriel's abuse. However, his girlfriend, now wife, Stephanie Sanger, announced their marriage in a post on her Facebook page, which has since been deleted. Starr said that Stefanie Rodriguez pleaded with her to take Gabriels case. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. His neck had been stripped of a layer of skin. My mom punched me in the mouth, he said. 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. Almost three years had passed since Gabriels death, and many people had all but forgotten that a criminal review was under way. READ MOREGabriel Fernandez: What happened to Gabriel Fernandezs parents? An autopsy report showed bruises, fractures, and cuts all over his body including his groin as well as BB's embedded in his body. 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. 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. Unlike his brother Justin, Steven Assanti does not have a very visible social media presence. stefanie rodriguez social worker nownyproduktion mlnlycke. Instead, she punished him by sending him to school in girls clothing the next daya tiny pink shirt and tight polka-dot leggings. Oh, okay, Garcia said finally, not knowing how else to cut the tension. Hed whisper in Gabriels ear to fall to the ground quickly when he hit him. 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. By creating this job alert, you agree to the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. All six episodes of The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez are available to stream and download on Netflix now. 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. Merritt couldnt remember much about Gabriel, one of about 180 children whose cases he had been overseeing. However, Lomeli is expected to dismiss the charges at 8:30 a.m Thursday. View Stefanie Rodriguez's business profile as Global Manager, Accounting at ALM. 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 . Its because my mom shot me in the face with a BB gun!, Okay. She paused, not knowing what to say. All Information about Stefanie Rodriguez Partner with a local real estate agent to find the home or apartment that's right for you Stefanie Rodriguez, Real Estate Agent - Compass 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. Gabriels grandmother told two sheriffs deputies that Pearl had a history of neglecting and abusing her children, but they didnt believe her. Username. Merritt wasnt blind to Clements shortcomingshe told me hed once written a performance evaluation that scored her work as substandard, only to have his boss remove his criticisms and raise her score to competent. Under an agreement with the caseworkers union, managers were forbidden to fire, suspend, demote, or even write negative comments about any of their workers once certain caseload caps were reachedand the department routinely exceeded those caps. 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. Would it be fair to say that you dont want to remember? the prosecutor, Jon Hatami, asked at one point. She enjoys both developing curriculum for caregivers and delivering it in the classroom and online. Finally, Corona slipped him the familys name and contact information, urging Martinez to save this kid. He called the Department of Children and Family Services twice but got lost in the automated system and hung up. Sign up here for our free newsletters. A red eye; his face, neck, and ear marked and bruised; his forehead skin was peeling. He lied because whenever a social worker would visit his punishments would increase. 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. The trial of the former DCFS workers has been on hold for more than a year. Name. The program allowed children to remain in the home while the family worked to resolve their issues. As time went on and new injuries kept appearing, I started to feel like nothing was happening (with the case), Garcia testified. Later that month, Gabriels case was closed. Pearl told the operator that Gabriel wasnt breathing, and Aguirre blamed the injuries on Gabriels roughhousing with Ezequiel. January 7, 2020 / 5:43 AM Such was the case with 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez and his first-grade teacher Jennifer Garcia. She had abandoned her youngest child, a daughter named Destiny, and lost custody of a son named Arnold Jr., who was a year older than Gabriel. 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 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. On Monday, November 26, Gabriel arrived late. It was stated that there was no probable cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion. Finances Cost per Session: $80 - $150 . On February 26th 2020, Netflix released a documentary called The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. He is currently awaiting execution in San Quentin State Prison. He walked into class with his head down. Advocates for family preservation have at times lamented that they lacked the kind of horror stories that could galvanize support for their position. But he told me hed sent the information only to be thorough; hed never expected anything to come of it. But when he tried to institute more rigorous performance standards, representatives of the service providersincluding many churchesfilled the county board of supervisors large meeting room and gave hours of heated testimony. The case made against the four social workers never made it to trial. During a parent-teacher meeting, Pearl said without prompting, I dont hit my kids. Garcia told Pearl that Gabriel was smart and a good writer, but she didnt think Pearl believed her. She turned the conversation back to Gabriel. I wondered to what extent Gabriels death and the criminal charges facing their former colleagues had affected how they approached their jobs. You survived. On February 27th, 2013 therapist Carmen Le Norgant discussed with Pearl suicide notes Gabriel had written. The charges against the four social workers will be dropped Thursday, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office said. In 2017, social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. 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. 2017 toyota corolla wheel torque specs stefanie rodriguez social worker now He said he couldnt work with people who had refused to help Gabriel. After school, Garcia made yet another call to Rodriguez. Stefanie Lohaus. Patricia Clement and Stefanie Rodriguez were discovered to be two of the social workers who had neglected their responsibility. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Shed sometimes find him crying at the end of the day, saying he didnt want to go home. Lomeli called the pair nothing short of evil and worse than animalistic because even animals know how to take care of their young.. But doing so requires a highly trained workforce with the resources to carry out a thorough investigation in every case. She was a ticking time bomb, Teresa Linn Stanley, a caseworker who once worked side by side with Clement, told me. County Payment of Employees' Retirement Contributions. Stefanie Rico, Registered Social Worker, Toronto, ON, M4V, (647) 492-8197, Stefanie works with youth and adults experiencing diverse mental health needs, most often supporting individuals in the . His new address meant a new school, too. In my opinion, no crime was committed and I did not commit a crime., The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is streaming on Netflix now. 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. Suddenly, Pearl wanted custody back in October 2012. Business . He asked her to put an A on the paper in the hope that his mother would be impressed. His testimony lasted hours; he was unable to recall many details and had to constantly refer to transcripts of prior testimony. [INFO]White House Farm ending: Where are they now? Free college is now a reality in nearly 30 states. Youll be able to move out. The two of them paused for a moment, imagining what that might be like. Judge George Lomeli had previously denied a motion to dismiss the charges against the social workers. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Pharmacist on Netflix: Whats the shocking true story. Fishpond Hong Kong, Statistical Mechanics, Third Edition by R K Pathria . At the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, administrators had a well-worn routine they followed anytime a child died, or came close to dying, at the hands of a parent or guardiansomething that typically happened at least a couple of times a month. 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