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. On February 27th, 2013 therapist Carmen Le Norgant discussed with Pearl suicide notes Gabriel had written. Then the department moved on.. His mommy, she told them through tears, hurt him really bad.. Whoops! During Red Ribbon Week, when teachers talk to children about staying drug-free, Gabriel mimicked snorting cocaine and knew it was a drug. They did nothing. Rodriguez and Bom could have checked a box on a form to mark the case as high priority, but they left it blank. But Judge Mary Lou Villar was not persuaded. Contact Stefanie, search articles and Tweets, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Bom declined to comment for this article. 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. When social workers interviewed him about that allegation, Pearl was present, and Gabriel took back each of his stories. 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. Finances Cost per Session: $80 - $150 . They were informed of suicide notes written by Gabriel but they took no additional action. After school, Garcia called the countys child-abuse hotline. 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. Before calling 911, Pearl and her boyfriend, Isuaro Aguirre cleaned up their apartment. Gabriel would cry at the end of the day because he didnt want to go home. The card was shaped like a house and said Open the door to see who loves you. He pasted his picture inside. We have been six years fighting this battle," says the boy's cousin Olivia Rubio. Stefanie has been found in 13 states including Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Arizona. But, as Garcia later recalled, before Gabriel drew near, the principal told him, Its okay, son. Each week, O'Connell Rodriguez answers some super common and everyday questions about . Most agencies dont have those resources. Various defense attorneys argued that the abuse and torture escalated months after a file on the boy had been closed and that there was insufficient evidence to take him away from his mother. The mother and her boyfriend were convicted of the torture murder. Learn More{{/message}}. Skin was missing from his neck. Cat feces had been forced down his throat. In September 2018, Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli denied a motion to dismiss the charges, calling the young Palmdale boys death foreseeable.. Garcia thought they seemed hardened and meanpossibly dangerous. He tended to see hope where others saw a lost cause. On Monday, November 26, Gabriel arrived late. A familys prior history is one of the most reliable measures of the need for future intervention, and in the past 10 years, at least four hotline calls had been made alleging that Pearl Fernandez was neglecting or abusing her children. Stephanie joined the Alliance in 2015. In just a few days, she would be teaching first grade in Room 5 at Summerwind Elementary, four miles away. Apply via Dice today! 620k Followers, 31 Following, 122 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Stephanie Rodriguez (@stephrodriguezofficial) The many prior hotline calls gave them five points. As long as human beings are involved in the child welfare program there are possibilities for mistakes to occur, he wrote. For PR Pros . However, in November 2012, things appeared to get worse. 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. See full bio . How do you prioritize your spending when you have debt and dreams for the future? Inside, fluorescent bulbs threw a dull yellow light across the courtroom. Garcia called Rodriguez again, pressing her about what she was doing to help Gabriel. Actress. I could hardly walk. Corona was only filling in that day and, though reluctant, talked to a supervisor who told her not to get involved. She saw the anger swell inside him. Its destroyed a lot of lives. On November 26th, 2012 Gabriel showed up to class late. Grace: My mom is 77 and she's better about money. It destroyed my life.. Since then, the number of children removed from their home in any given year has risen or fallen according to pendulum swings in child-protective-services agencies, which have alternated between erring on the side of child safety and erring on the side of family preservation. On March 28, an arrest warrant was issued for Stefanie Rodriquez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom, and Gregory Merritt. His classmates laughed and pointed when they saw him. According to DCFSs internal investigation, neither Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information related to these calls. Martinez returned to his desk in disbelief. The other children were silent. The social worker Garcia contacted, Stefanie Rodriguez, 31, another social worker, Patricia Clement, 66, and two of their supervisors, Kevin Bom, 37, and Gregory Merritt, 61, are now facing charges of one felony count each of child abuse and falsifying records in relation to this case. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Martinez asked Maricela Corona, the clerk Pearl had spoken to, if she planned to report child abuse. The couple got married in Iowa in 2018. 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. Three weeks later, on a Tuesday, Rodriguez returned for a follow-up visit. After school, Garcia made yet another call to Rodriguez. 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 . However, Lomeli is expected to dismiss the charges at 8:30 a.m Thursday. May 21, 2022 . Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. Stefanie Rodriguez is an actress, known for Phil the Alien (2004). Social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 35 and Patricia Clement, 69, and supervisors Kevin Bom, 41, and Gregory Merritt, 64, had each been charged with one felony count of child abuse and one felony count of falsifying public records. She claimed to social workers that she had concerns about how he was being treated but family members say she wanted Gabriels welfare benefits. Pearl told the operator that Gabriel wasnt breathing, and Aguirre blamed the injuries on Gabriels roughhousing with Ezequiel. Isuaro and Pearl even pepper sprayed Gabriel the night before he died. Merritt told me she was a little bit of a burnout case but good enough. Others remember her less favorably. 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. When he reached Pearl on the phone she told him that Gabriel had moved to Texas with his grandmother. 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. She said yes because some parents spank their children, but asked him again about it at recess. It was stated that there was no probable cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion. Meet the model and actress, Jeremy Bamber: Killer serving life sentence on road with ironic name. Its over now. But the operator wouldnt give her any information. Clement and Merritt then became involved in the case. First responders noted that every single inch of his body had signs of abuse. 2017 toyota corolla wheel torque specs stefanie rodriguez social worker now Supporters of Gabriel attended the hearing. One was addressed to his mother: I love you so much that I will die. His brother Ezequiel discovered these notes days later, and Pearl discussed them with the therapist assigned to the family, Carmen Le Norgant, on the night of February 27. Stefanie Rodriguez, 32, Patricia Clement, 66, Kevin Bom, 37, and Gregory Merritt, 61, were fired from their jobs following an internal investigation into the May 24, 2013, death of Gabriel. Under California law, teachers must report any suspected child abuse, but even those who report are not always heard. He told her that they dont investigate, they report. Starr said that Stefanie Rodriguez pleaded with her to take Gabriels case. Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were their supervisors on the case. View Stefanie Rodriguez results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. In California, the downturn in foster care began even before Logans death, and was steeper than the national one. Theres hardly a night I dont dream about the department, she told me. Call or Email Stefanie Vitale now - (919) 374-4292. The information disclosed includes compensations paid to employees of Los Angeles County in the form of earnings and fringe benefits. The least popular job in this least desirable place was also the most difficult and most important: child-abuse investigator. 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. Payments of Excess and Unused Leave Time at Termination. 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. His eyes were swollen, his face dotted with bruises. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. Why did you lie and tell me you fell?, When I tell you, and that lady comes, then I get hurt worse.. RELATED: DCFS asks for public's help amid sharp drop in possible child abuse reports, 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. County Payment of Employees' Retirement Contributions. The caseworker I shadowed was one of the new arrivals; she held the same job Stefanie Rodriguez had once had. He told her his mom hit him punched him in the face. Garcia called Rodriguez again. "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 state's child welfare statutory scheme, which is child safety," Chaney wrote in her concurring and dissenting opinion. Skin was peeling off his forehead. County Pension (Defined Benefits) Contributions. Justice Victoria Gerrard Chaney concurred that the four could not be charged with child abuse, but wrote a dissent arguing that they could be prosecuted as public officers under the relevant government code section. Garcia didnt know what to say to Gabriel. 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. But this didnt strike Merritt as particularly unusual or alarminghe remembered a child even younger who had made actual suicide attempts. He had BB pellets embedded in his body - "in his neck, face, lung, legs, buttocks, foot, chest and groin." Gabriel Fernandez: Is Gabriel Fernandezs killer still alive? he temperature outside was already in the 80s on the morning last fall when Ezequiel and Virginia testified in Isauro Aguirres murder trial. Garcia called Gabriels caseworker, Rodriguez, on two different numbers and left messages. 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. An unfiltered extrovert known as Mama Starr, she put Merritt, a stoic introvert, at ease. But she, too, said she didnt think about Gabriels casethat was in the past.. "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). He is currently awaiting execution in San Quentin State Prison. Four social workers: Kevin Bom, Greg Merritt, Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement were charged with child endangerment which resulted in death, and falsification of public documents. 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. 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. CNBC - Fri, 08 Apr 2022 . Rodriguez assured the teacher she would investigate, but matters got worse for Gabriel in November 2012. 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. Later that month, Gabriels case was closed. - nbcnews.com. . Rodriguez made no entry of this call. 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 card, shaped like a house, said Open the door to see who loves you with his picture glued inside. t Summerwind Elementary, the weeks dragged on. 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