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. Unlike his brother Justin, Steven Assanti does not have a very visible social media presence. 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. This book is designed for the courses in solid state physics for B.Sc. It is this [workers] assessment that mother is overwhelmed with her own emotional pain, she is unwilling to continue counseling at this time, Clement wrote. In 2010, a department study showed that the evidence caseworkers gathered was often insufficient to accurately judge a situation. An unfiltered extrovert known as Mama Starr, she put Merritt, a stoic introvert, at ease. Social workers Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, as well as their supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were each charged with one felony count of child abuse and one felony. But then someone told her Gabriel was at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and she thought maybe there was still hope. On the wall behind the jury box, dark oily blotches had formed over the years behind the heads of countless weary jurors. Martinez approached the window where Pearl had been talking with a clerk, Maricela Corona, to ask whether she was going to report Pearl to the authorities. He lied because whenever a social worker would visit his punishments would increase. 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. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD, DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.. News coverage of child fatalities has often been a catalyst for a renewed focus on safety: When a child dies at the hands of a guardian, an outraged public will demand more proactive interventions to prevent such a tragedy. About 74,700 openings for social workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. t Summerwind Elementary, the weeks dragged on. Bom had managed to start a new career as a custody evaluator in divorce cases, but he lost that job after the criminal charges were filed. 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. Despite their risk level being very high, Merritt manually changed the level to moderate and closed the case. As long as human beings are involved in the child welfare program there are possibilities for mistakes to occur, he wrote. I just pictured him being alone, she told me. White House Farm killer played badminton and drew models in prison. During the trial, it was revealed that Gabriel had been starved, kept in handcuffs, shot with BB guns, doused with pepper spray, forced to eat his own vomit and locked in a cabinet with a sock stuffed in his mouth to muffle his screams. Neither caseworker Kevin Bom nor case manager Stefanie Rodriguez felt the bruising was grounds for a doctors visit or Gabriels removal from the home. From 1998 to 2013, the number of kids in foster care in Los Angeles County fell from about 50,000 to 19,000. MORE: Palmdale woman, boyfriend sentenced in 8-year-old's torture killing. With his mother present, Gabriel told Rodriguez the bruises on his face came from a fall he had playing with his brother and dissenter. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. Instead, she asked Gabriel whether he really wanted to do that days assignment: making a Mothers Day card. Prosecutors argued the four minimised evidence of abuse and violated multiple policies. She reported that Gabriels face and hands had bruises from strikes with a belt buckle. Social worker Gregory Merritt appears in The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. Other teachers told her that Summerwind was one of the districts nicest schools, but when Garcia looked around at the peeling paint and crumbling stucco, she thought, If this is the best weve got, were really in trouble. 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. Le Norgant also called 911, but the officer who visited the home left without even talking to Gabriel. They were informed of suicide notes written by Gabriel but they took no additional action. Near the end of January, Garcia was reading to a group of students when the door opened. Gabriel's mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, were both charged and convicted of first degree murder with special circumstances of torture. This time, Garcia didnt ask what had happened. I tried to feel his heart, Aguirre said, and nothing is moving.. This in addition to other instances of violent physical, mental, and emotional child abuse. Stefanie A Rodriguez is an employee working in Children & Family Services. Neither got far past the idea stage. She believed in the mission of the Family Preservation unit, and tried to see herself in the shoes of her adult clients and become more tolerant and understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. ), First published on January 7, 2020 / 5:43 AM. (This policy was changed in 2011, allowing social workers to use their professional judgment to determine how many witnesses were necessary.). This time she reached her, and pressed her about what she was doing: How did Pearl Fernandez explain the injuries? People there told me over and over that they didnt think about Gabriels case and didnt even know much about itthey werent sure exactly what had happened or what mistakes had been made. She was a ticking time bomb, Teresa Linn Stanley, a caseworker who once worked side by side with Clement, told me. y the time Greg Merritt, Stefanie Rodriguez, Kevin Bom, and Pat Clement arrived for their own first day in court, on April 7, 2016, they were pariahs. Contact Stefanie, search articles and Tweets, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place. Mistakes were inevitable when department leaders and county politicians gave workers so little support, she said. 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. Dice Sleeping Pods. For years, Greg Merritt would call headquarters for help on a case only to be told hed reached the wrong office, because the person who answered didnt know that Palmdale was in Los Angeles County. Gabriel's mother, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, was sentenced to life in prison, while her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, was sentenced to death. WORK WITH STEFANIE. He saw that a caseworker had used a computer program to score Gabriels likelihood of being abused. Scalp, Face, Neck, Ears and Shoulder Injuries Documented at Trial (diagam) | Autopsy Injury Diagram (drawing). Social worker 22,700 followers . Sign up here for our free newsletters. The woman they knew was profane, ill-tempered, and prone to yelling at clients. 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. Skin was peeling off his forehead. Garcia thought they seemed hardened and meanpossibly dangerous. After school, Garcia called the countys child-abuse hotline. Hed whisper in Gabriels ear to fall to the ground quickly when he hit him. 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 . He had BB pellets embedded in his body - "in his neck, face, lung, legs, buttocks, foot, chest and groin." They additionally contend that supervisors Bomand Meritt knew or should have known that the reports were false as they contradicted physical evidence of Gabriels deteriorating physical health. DCFS never learned about these injuries while Gabriel was alive. 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. In January 2020 California 2nd District Court of Appeals threw out the charges against the four former social workers. Likewise, detectives must forward allegations of romantic-partner abuse to prosecutors whether or not they recommend criminal charges. CNBC - Fri, 08 Apr 2022 . Business . Prosecutors are holding four Los Angeles County social workers criminally responsible and have charged them with child abuse. Like, You aint got nothing else to do? he told me. Statistical mechanics is the theory underlying condensed matter physics. Garcia called the principal to have him look at Gabriels head. He died. 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. 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. Bom declined to comment for this article. 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. Garcia felt reassured; the agency seemed to be taking the matter seriously. The girl later said that her mother asked her to help soak up blood from the floor. 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. 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 card was shaped like a house and said Open the door to see who loves you. He pasted his picture inside. Browning believed the field of child-abuse prevention needed a set of reforms similar to those that had been introduced throughout the country to better address domestic violence of romantic partnerssuch as mandatory-arrest laws, which require police officers to arrest an alleged perpetrator whenever there is probable cause, regardless of the victims wishes, and no drop prosecution policies, which mandate the prosecution of domestic-violence perpetrators whether or not their victims want to press charges. A red eye; his face, neck, and ear marked and bruised; his forehead skin was peeling. Red flags were everywhere, she said. On Friday, December 20, the former Counting On star revealed she'd "chopped off" more than a foot of her long locks and she looks like a whole new woman. They each faced up to ten years in prison if found guilty. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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 . (During this period, foster care was in such short supply that DCFS routinely used a conference room to house children overnight.) Almost three years had passed since Gabriels death, and many people had all but forgotten that a criminal review was under way. Aguirre received the death sentence. Pearl admitted to hitting him with the belt. He called 911, but his situation was not an emergency. All rights reserved. Both were soon fired from the department, as were their supervisors, Gregory Merritt and Kevin Bom. When her students arrived, she braced herself to give them the news. It was meant to be used for lower-risk cases, but a later review found that the department was taking chances on parents who would not have been eligible for family-preservation services had their cases reached the courts. The case became the subject of a PBS documentary, and media attention made Logan a symbol of child-protective services overreach. On May 22nd, 2013 paramedics rushed Gabriel to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles but doctors pronounced him braindead the same day. The District Attorney may appeal this decision. He died in the hospital days after the brutal attack. They did nothing. Dixon and Hathaway-Sycamores also handled the very similar case in 2018 when 10-year-old Anthony Avalos died after his mother and her boyfriend abused him. Why did you lie and tell me you fell?, When I tell you, and that lady comes, then I get hurt worse.. Yet, nothing appeared to resolve the home abuse. The majority of children killed by their guardians are 3 or younger. 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 . The two 29-year-old women locked eyes in uneasy silence. The internal investigation also found that Stephanie never visited Gabriels school, talked to the neighbours or interview Gabriel and his siblings alone. Merritt, who is 62, had worked in the department for more than two decades. The District Attorneys Office was unable to respond to an earlier request for information, and it was not immediately clear whether prosecutors intend to appeal the appellate court decision or refile the case. The haircut? One day, he stole Garcias iPod and took it to his mom, trying to please her. (In 2013, Los Angeles County had roughly 3,000 caseworkers and more than 200,000 calls to its child-abuse hotline.). 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. "The petitioners' actions here prevented the system from working in whatever way it might have had they done their jobs honestly, and offers no incentive for either DCFS or individual social workers to work to reform and repair the parts of the system that may fail the children it is intended to protect," Chaney wrote. 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]. That changed in 2001, with the case of Logan Marr, a 5-year-old girl from Maine whod been removed from her home by the states grossly interventionist child-protective-services agency. Nor did she ever interview Gabriel or his siblings alone, as is required by department policy because many children who fear additional abuse recant their stories if the perpetrator is present. By the departments own count, since Gabriels death, at least 143 children in Los Angeles County have died from abuse or neglect after having some prior history with DCFS. But we spoke again later that day. He told her that they dont investigate, they report. Name. Gabriel had a fractured skull, fractured ribs, BB pellets lodged in his chest and pelvic region, and a penetrating burn above his groin. He called 911, but the operator said the situation didnt sound like an emergency and gave him the number for nonemergencies. If convicted of knowingly falsifying those records and the felony count of child abuse, the defendants each face up to 10 years in state prison. This seemed like the perfect case for us, Starr told me. 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 thing she loves most about working at the Alliance, is connecting with caregivers. When Clement visited the Fernandez home for the third time in March, Pearl said she did not want to have further involvement with the agency and Clement accepted her decision. They each faced up to ten years in prison if found guilty. Rodriguez never went to the school or talked to the neighbors. Such shallow inquiries were routine across Los Angeles County. Social worker Stefanie Rodriguez and other representatives of child protection agencies visited Gabriel's home on a number of occasions. I probably would have lost my kids, she said, because I spanked them good. No one could protect them alland he felt frustrated that both administrators and the public expected him to do the impossible. ast September, I arranged a ride-along with caseworkers from the Palmdale office of the Department of Children and Family Services. DON'T MISSGabriel Fernandez: Who is Michael Lemos Carranza? 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. Stefanie Guerrero is a provider established in Raleigh, North Carolina and her medical specialization is Social Worker with a focus in clinical . Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. Stephanie joined the Alliance in 2015. 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. She was impressive in many waysdeeply empathetic, very thoroughand had even been a foster child herself. On the rare days when Gabriel came to class, she told him to be good and never give his mother a reason to get angry. Stefanie Lohaus. . Gabriel told her he had fallen off his bike and begged her not to send him home early. 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. The Second District California Appellate Court heard arguments from lawyers. In a video shared to the Dillard family's. She said yes because some parents spank their children, but asked him again about it at recess. Later that month, Gabriels case was closed. Martinez ultimately asked to be transferred to another office. Negligent child welfare workers may face prison time in connection with the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Still, Gabriel seemed desperate to win his mothers affection. If found guilty, they will be among the first caseworkers from a child-welfare agency to go to prison for their lapses on the job. 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. If the case proceeds to trial and the defendants are convicted, they could face over 10 years in prison. Prosecutors say they failed to take the appropriate steps to protect Gabriel and then falsified documents related to his case. 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 Information about Stefanie Rodriguez 3. We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200, wrote Justice Francis Rothschild. NEW social workers in the case of Gabriel Fernandez came under investigation after the child died at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. On March 26th, 2013 therapist intern Barbara Dixon filed a report that Gabriel claimed a relative forced him to perform oral sex on them. One judge asked, "Were there any other charges that you could have brought?". Rodriguez and Bom could have checked a box on a form to mark the case as high priority, but they left it blank. Prosecutors opened an investigation into the social workers assigned to Gabriel's case after his mother Pearl Fernandez and stepfather Isauro Aguirre's were found guilty of his murder in 2018. Still, Mondays events nagged at Garcia. Gabriel asked his teacher, Jennifer Garcia, if it was normal for moms to hit their kids. Well, yeah, she told him, recalling that she herself had been spanked as a child. The position title is CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER I. STEFANIE A RODRIGUEZ Salary Overview. he next day, the principal at Summerwind called Garcia into his office to tell her that Gabriel was dead. Sadly, Gabriel Fernandez was subjected to months of brutal torture at the hands of his mother Pearl and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre. Garcia called Rodriguez again, pressing her about what she was doing to help Gabriel. As time went on and new injuries kept appearing, I started to feel like nothing was happening (with the case), Garcia testified. But five years on, he believes he has the distance to see that he performed as well as anyone could have, under the circumstances. Yet she also noticed that ideas came easily to Gabriel, and he seemed to gain a small measure of dominion over his surroundings with a pencil in hand. Lomeli also presided over the trial of Fernandez killers, his mother and her boyfriend. Select this result to view Stefanie Denise Rodriquez's phone number, address, and more. Chippewa Valley Museum in need of Summer volunteers. Host Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez turned to Jill Schlesinger, CFP, a business analyst for CBS News, for advice. Partner with a local real estate agent to find the home or apartment that's right for you Stefanie Rodriguez, Real Estate Agent - Compass The therapist, a woman named Barbara Dixon who worked for an outside contractor, saw Gabriel often in the months leading up to his death and had grown concerned that he was being abused. He said he couldnt work with people who had refused to help Gabriel. Unlike her colleagues, Starr never faced any administrative consequences or criminal charges. 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. She returned a few minutes later, saying she had been ordered not to get involved. A few days later, Gabriel complained to Garcia that his eye was hurting, so she sent him to Donna Evans, the school nurse, who was brand-new in the job. 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? (Clement declined to comment for this article.) On March 28, an arrest warrant was issued for Stefanie Rodriquez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom, and Gregory Merritt. and upload a portfolio of your best work. Username. Rodriguez returned her call the following day andallegedly said was assigned to the case and would investigate. Our client, Appcast, is seeking the following. Neither Rodriguez nor Bom thought the bruise warranted a doctors visit or Gabriels removal from the home, though they did ask Pearl and her boyfriend to undergo drug testing the next day, because of Garcias report that Gabriel had demonstrated how to snort cocaine. Patricia Clement and Stefanie Rodriguez were discovered to be two of the social workers who had neglected their responsibility. drop in the number of children in foster care, The Still-Harrowing Extent of Child Abuse and Neglect, In a Year, Child-Protective Services Checked Up on 3.2 Million Children, When the State Takes Kids Away From Parents: Three Perspectives. Other marks were scattered on his face, neck, and left ear. Money Services Business Registrations; Moter Carriers Stefanie Rodriguez in Texas. First Call Made Six Months Before Gabriel's Death An autopsy showed that Gabriel had a fractured skull, several broken ribs and burns over much of his body. Most agencies dont have those resources. Check social media profiles, places of employment, resumes and CV, work history, photos and videos, arrest records, news, business records and publications . His mom? they asked, their faces filled with the deepest horror shed ever seen in children so young. We just report what we see. Garcia called Rodriguez and left messages on two different numbers the caseworker had given her. Around this time, Gabriel came to class looking even worse than he ever had before. ), When Clement paid a third and final visit, on March 6, Pearl said she didnt want to have any further involvement with the agencyand Clement accepted her decision. With his mother nearby, Gabriel told Rodriguez that hed made up the story about her hitting him with a belt buckle. Rodriguez recommended Gabriel for a program called Voluntary Family Maintenance, which was being used with thousands of families. Stefanie. Still, Pearl received custody of Gabriel. Despite numerous contacts with the family and calls from Gabriels first grade teacher, DCFS determined all was well. He did, and he labored over every detail. But the deputy director who oversees the region, Maryam Fatemi, told me she didnt think the trial was on staffers minds, partly because the high churn rate meant that many of them had joined the department after Gabriels death. In 2016, they were each charged with one felony count of child abuse. Stanley and her colleagues often puzzled over the fact that Clement, 68, had been a Catholic nun. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or . Stephanie Rodriguez. Deputies Arrest Armed Suspect After Barricading in Car, Man Convicted of Nearly Deadly Shooting in Santa Ana Motel, Riverside Paves the Way for Cannabis Vendors to Open Their Doors Citywide, More Rain, Snow Hit Drenched Southern California, Drunk Driver Convicted of Fatal Collision in Orange, Firefighters Spend 5 Hours Battling Blaze in Laguna Hills, Hilltop Home Evacuated in Beverly Crest Area Due to Mud, Debris Flow, SoCalGas Says Relief's On Way from Sky-High Bills, Man Suspected of Molesting Elsinore Girl Arrested, LA County Requests Report on Local Train Derailment Readiness, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. 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. If they were to be found guilty, they faced up to 10 years in prison each. Visit the Career Advice Hub to see tips on interviewing and resume writing. His eyes were swollen, his face dotted with bruises. BB pellets pockmarked his skin. The trial of the former DCFS workers has been on hold for more than a year. Express. A police officer came to the home but left without talking to Gabriel. Garcia called the principal to the room to take a look at Gabriels head. In 2018, after Pearl and Isauros sentencing, prosecutors opened an investigation into the four social workers who had been assigned to Gabriels case. 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. He whispered to Garcia that he didnt know what to say when they asked what had happened. Former colleagues told me he now mows lawns. Prosecutors allege Rodriguez and later Clement the latter took on the case after Garcia was shot in the face falsifiedrecords. It will always be Gabriel's number. Gabriel Fernandez: Is Pearl Fernandez still in prison? Executive Business Partner at Lyft . On January 29, 2013 Rodriguez made a final visit to Fernandezs home. 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). Contact Stefanie, search articles and Tweets, monitor coverage, and Gregory Merritt charged them child... Possibilities for mistakes to occur, he stole Garcias iPod and took to. Herself to give them the news would increase, very thoroughand had even been a foster child herself as... Paramedics rushed Gabriel to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles County social workers who transfer to different or. 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