Like, You aint got nothing else to do? he told me. After Jennifer Garcia called the hotline, it fell to Rodriguez to investigate and assess Gabriels safety. 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. An unfiltered extrovert known as Mama Starr, she put Merritt, a stoic introvert, at ease. He was on life support until May 24th, 2013. Pearl admitted to hitting him with the belt. Aguirre pleaded not guilty, however, the jury found him guilty and recommended he be sentenced to death. They could have communicated with one another better, or pulled up the case history in the computer system. The majority of children killed by their guardians are 3 or younger. 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. But the consequences of needlessly separating children from their parents, while less visible, can be devastating too. Patricia Clement and Stefanie Rodriguez were discovered to be two of the social workers who had neglected their responsibility. Yet, despite the obvious and visible signs of abuse, documentation by both Rodriguez and Clement downplayed the injuries. In September 2018, Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli denied a motion to dismiss the charges, calling the young Palmdale boys death foreseeable.. Silver Spring, MD. The many prior hotline calls gave them five points. The case became the subject of a PBS documentary, and media attention made Logan a symbol of child-protective services overreach. Arturo Martinez, a security guard at the welfare office had also noticed Gabriels injuries and also tried to report his concerns. During Red Ribbon Week, when teachers talk to children about staying drug-free, Gabriel mimicked snorting cocaine and knew it was a drug. 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. "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. 2017 toyota corolla wheel torque specs stefanie rodriguez social worker now 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. We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200. If the case proceeds to trial and the defendants are convicted, they could face over 10 years in prison. 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. As Children'S Social Worker at Los Angeles County, STEFANIE A RODRIGUEZ made $49,663 in total compensation. Unprecedented charges against L.A. County social workers were filed following the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. As time went on and new injuries kept appearing, I started to feel like nothing was happening (with the case), Garcia testified. Inside, fluorescent bulbs threw a dull yellow light across the courtroom. In 2016, they were each charged with one felony count of child abuse. 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. She reported that Gabriels face and hands had bruises from strikes with a belt buckle. Gabriel was either tardy or absent a lot. Gabriels attendance was sporadic. . 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. When the charges were announced, Browning made a statement describing Gabriels case as an isolated incident and describing the four defendants as outliers whose actions shouldnt reflect on the department as a whole. Garcia told Gabriel to tell other kids to mind their own business when they asked him what had happened. 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. The Auditor-Controller of Los Angele County provides financial leadership and expert advice on a wide range of fiscal matters and advocates for financial integrity and accountability in all County business practices, and also develops financial policies and guidelines for departmental operations and issues checks to vendors, employees, child support payments, judgments and damages and other claims against the County, as well as other financial responsibilities. But we spoke again later that day. Money Services Business Registrations; Moter Carriers 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. But she, too, said she didnt think about Gabriels casethat was in the past.. He had BB pellets embedded in his body - "in his neck, face, lung, legs, buttocks, foot, chest and groin." She left a career in genetic res Despite their risk level being very high, Merritt manually changed the level to moderate and closed the case. 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 . The couple got married in Iowa in 2018. 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. 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). 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. Grace: My mom is 77 and she's better about money. They reportedly moved to Des Moines soon after their wedding. My mom punched me in the mouth, he said. Stephanie Rodriguez. 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 . Your email address will not be published. A motion to appeal the 2nd District Court of Appeals decision was denied in January 2020. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or . On February 27th, 2013 therapist Carmen Le Norgant discussed with Pearl suicide notes Gabriel had written. Prosecutors had granted immunity to a caseworker and a therapist, in exchange for their testimony against Merritt and the other defendants. Would it be fair to say that you dont want to remember? the prosecutor, Jon Hatami, asked at one point. It was very clear that this was no accidental fall. READ MOREGabriel Fernandez: What happened to Gabriel Fernandezs parents? 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. Gabriel told her he had fallen off his bike and begged her not to send him home early. He told her his mom hit him punched him in the face. Garcia called Rodriguez again. 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. They could have properly documented Gabriels injuries. Merritt, one of the. Fernandez is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. An autopsy showed that Gabriel had a fractured skull, several broken ribs and burns over much of his body. Due to the amount of injuries to his body, the autopsy took two days. I got light-headed, she said. He did, and he labored over every detail. A go-to money expert, Stefanie has appeared on ABC World News, CBSN, Fox & Friends, Fox Business, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Dr Oz Show and various other print and digital media outlets. White House Farm ending: Where are they now? Dixon claimed she did report an allegation of sexual abuse by someone outside the home. Bom declined to comment for this article. On file we have 129 email addresses and 83 phone numbers associated with Stefanie in area codes such as 813, 347, 718, 281, 256, and 32 other area codes. . 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). Gabriel's mother, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, was sentenced to life in prison, while her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, was sentenced to death. Or was it a systemic one, the result of a department so ill-equipped to safeguard children that tragedies were bound to happen? She stated that on two occasions, Gabriel himself asked her, Can you call that lady? If Merritt and his colleagues had dug deeper, or simply paid closer attention to what they already knew, they might have uncovered the familys secret: that Gabriel spent days and nights with a sock in his mouth, shoelaces knotted around his hands, a bandanna shrouding his face, handcuffs locking his ankles, trapped inside a cabinet in his mothers bedroom. His father, Arnold Contreras, was in and out of jail but thought Gabriels maternal grandparents would be watching over him. Actress. She coached him: My mom cut it like that. Please fill in the following form. Wake Forest, NC 27587 Name. 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. Martinez called his own supervisor and was told the same: Thats not your job. Judge Lomeli denied an automatic motion to reduce the jurys recommendation of a death sentence for Aguirre to life in prison without the possibility of parole, citing the repeated beating, binding, burning and starving of Gabriel. (Hons.) "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. It was a calling. 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. Rodriguez and Bom could have checked a box on a form to mark the case as high priority, but they left it blank. Palmdale consistently ranked last on the list of places agency employees wanted to be. Merritt was on antidepressants, and he rarely left the house. Before calling 911, Pearl and her boyfriend, Isuaro Aguirre cleaned up their apartment. He said his mother and her boyfriend would threaten him if he didnt join in their beatings. The social workers case is set to be heard Jan. 14 in Lomelis court. Until, of course, another one did. 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. When the paramedics arrived, Ezequiel guided them wordlessly inside. City News Service contributed to this report. 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. If the case went to trial and Rodriguez, Clement, Bom, and Merritt had been found guilty, they could have faced up to 10 years in prison each. 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. 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. One week before his death, Gabriels school, Summerwind Elementary, asked a sheriffs deputy to investigate, but he received the wrong address. With Pearl again present, Gabriel said that the little bruises on his face had formed after he fell while playing tag with his brother and sister. Instead, she punished him by sending him to school in girls clothing the next daya tiny pink shirt and tight polka-dot leggings. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. They recommended the death penalty. Get email updates for new Licensed Clinical Social Worker jobs in Chevy Chase, MD. She decided to call Rodriguez again, and again got voicemail. 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. They acted in a way that was incompatible with the proper regard for human life. Later this year, a jury will reach its own conclusions. 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. They alleged the officials failed to take appropriate steps to protect the boy. One judge asked, "Were there any other charges that you could have brought?". Select this result to view Stefanie Denise Rodriquez's phone number, address, and more. She was convicted of using a weapon in a reckless manner and sentenced to two weeks in a Texas jail. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Prosecutors say that the four minimized evidence of abuse and violated multiple policies, reporting that safety programs at Gabriel's home were working at the time abuse was escalating. Find Stefanie Rodriguez's articles, email address, contact information, Twitter and more. He died. But he told me hed sent the information only to be thorough; hed never expected anything to come of it. Gabriels grandmother objected, telling deputies that Pearl neglected and abused her children. Have a seat. Then he admonished her, We dont investigate. Whoops! 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. Stefanie A Rodriguez is an employee working in Children & Family Services. We processed them for discharge, he said. Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Gabriel froze. Supporters of Gabriel attended the hearing. The next year, California passed the first state law mandating that doctors report suspected child abuse and neglect. 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. 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. In her report, Rodriguez described the lesion on his lip as an open blister.. They would later become the second and third workers, after Merritt, to be charged with child abuse and falsification of records. 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. 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. He told Le Norgant that he was serious. The program allowed children to remain in the home while the family worked to resolve their issues. arlene Starr, the worker who accepted Gabriels case into the Voluntary Family Maintenance program, was one of Greg Merritts closest confidantes at work. They each faced up to ten years in prison if found guilty. His older brother Ezequiel would try to sneak bananas through the padlocked door. On May 22, Pearl and Aguirre tortured Gabriel a final time. 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. Judge Mary Lou Villar stated that each defendant should have noticed the danger Gabriel was in and requested he be removed from the home, or at the very least ordered a medical examination. When her students arrived, she braced herself to give them the news. 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. Gabriel Fernandez: Is Gabriel Fernandezs killer still alive? Its over now. But the operator wouldnt give her any information. MARIA EVELYN RODRIGUEZ-ZIERER (NPI# 1801829239) is a health care provider registered in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid . 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. But, as Garcia later recalled, before Gabriel drew near, the principal told him, Its okay, son. Reid took detailed notes, and Garcia soon received a phone call from Stefanie Rodriguez. If the victim is a child, a detective can end the investigation with no review by prosecutors. 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. But this didnt strike Merritt as particularly unusual or alarminghe remembered a child even younger who had made actual suicide attempts. About STEFANIE M GUERRERO . Still, Mondays events nagged at Garcia. He called the non-emergency line to report. 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