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. One, addressed to his mother, said, I love you so much that I will die. Others stated he wanted to kill himself. 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. On the rare occasion he went outside during recess, he stood alone on the playground and kicked a wall. If the case proceeds to trial and the defendants are convicted, they could face over 10 years in prison. Pearl Fernandez had a history of mental-health problems, which gave the family two points. "We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.". Authorities later determined that his mother and her boyfriend had tortured him for at least five days. "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. Earnings for Regularly Scheduled Work Hours. Payments for Straight and Premium Overtime. 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. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. 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. Former colleagues told me he now mows lawns. If he didnt beat Gabriel, Pearl and Isauro would threaten him, so he would whisper to Gabriel to fall quickly so he didnt have to hit him as much. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services sent a statement on Thursday responding to the dismissal of charges, which said: We respect the court's decision. Gabriel moved in with his mother and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, as well as two siblings: an 11-year-old brother named Ezequiel and a 9-year-old sister, Virginia. In California, the downturn in foster care began even before Logans death, and was steeper than the national one. Gabriel would cry at the end of the day because he didnt want to go home. Sign up here for our free newsletters. 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. 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. Gabriel was either tardy or absent a lot. Corona said she wanted to help but was only filling in. On April 26th, 2013 a security guard at the local welfare office, Arturo Martinez, noticed that Gabriel needed urgent help. 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. Yet time and again, they failed to intervene. The thing she loves most about working at the Alliance, is connecting with caregivers. May 21, 2022 . Find Stefanie Rodriguez's articles, email address, contact information, Twitter and more. Gabriel asked his teacher, Jennifer Garcia, if it was normal for moms to hit their kids. Gabriel, did not directly physically abuse Gabriel and did not have the "duty" required by the child abuse charge. When the other children turned to look at him, they laughed and pointed at what they saw: Someone had haphazardly taken chunks of hair from his head, and scabs had formed on his scalp. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. They could have properly documented Gabriels injuries. He rarely went outside during recess, and when he did, Garcia sometimes saw him alone on the playground, kicking a wall. 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. In January 2020 California 2nd District Court of Appeals threw out the charges against the four former social workers. Merritt couldnt remember much about Gabriel, one of about 180 children whose cases he had been overseeing. 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. Garcia called the principal to have him look at Gabriels head. They did nothing. They recommended the death penalty. Stephanie joined the Alliance in 2015. Stefanie Rodriguez in Texas. Thats why its so crushing to see him treated this way, she said. Rodriguez and Bom could have checked a box on a form to mark the case as high priority, but they left it blank. Martinez later learned that a deputy had visited the home and found nothing wrong. CNBC - Fri, 08 Apr 2022 . 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. In June 2018, Lomeli sentenced Isauro Aguirre to death for the boys first-degree murder and a special circumstance allegation of murder involving torture. 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. Partner with a local real estate agent to find the home or apartment that's right for you Stefanie Rodriguez, Real Estate Agent - Compass Money Confidential is a podcast that dives into all aspects of money with expert Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez. Mistakes were inevitable when department leaders and county politicians gave workers so little support, she said. After they found the file and Dallis left, Merritt said a silent prayer for the boy. Select this result to view Stefanie Denise Rodriquez's phone number, address, and more. Social worker Gregory Merritt appears in The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. She returned a few minutes later, saying she had been ordered not to get involved. 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. Lomeli called the pair nothing short of evil and worse than animalistic because even animals know how to take care of their young.. I still have nightmares. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Stefanie is related to Victor Rodriquez and Sylvia Rodriguez as well as 1 additional person. 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. 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. His teacher testified that she called Rodriguez multiple times to report that Gabriel told her that his mother punched him and shot him in the face with a BB gun. Stephanie Rodrigues is a member of the caregiver training team. There are no safety or risks [sic] to the childrens welfare at this time. Her recommendation: Close the case.. All four of the caseworkers had been fired. In January, a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal issued an opinion directing a lower court to dismiss the charges against the social workers. First Call Made Six Months Before Gabriel's Death 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. His father, Arnold Contreras, was in and out of jail but thought Gabriels maternal grandparents would be watching over him. 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. Take your time, Garcia told him. Right, Mrs. Garcia? he asked, as if he needed confirmation. She said she had been assigned to investigate and told Garcia to call her directly if she noticed. If you spent time with Pat, you just knew.. If they were to be found guilty, they faced up to 10 years in prison each. 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. She trusts that if she stays grounded and listens to her instincts and follows the departments rules and processes, she wont ever need to confront the details of Gabriels case or another like it. 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 . Once, when another student was struggling with a reading assignment, Gabriel jumped in to help her, pushing her to take another look and keeping her well after the other kids finished. Towards the end of January, when Gabriel came to class, there was no more laughing. 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. Anchor | Reporter . Pearl abandoned her youngest child, Destiny, and lost custody of a son older than Gabriel, named Arnold Jr. Again, information traveled in one direction: Rodriguez wouldnt tell Garcia what she was doing to protect Gabriel, or whether she planned to remove him from his home. It was a calling. He is currently awaiting execution in San Quentin State Prison. She was a ticking time bomb, Teresa Linn Stanley, a caseworker who once worked side by side with Clement, told me. 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. Doctors took him off life support on May 24, 2013. 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. When Le Norgant asked Gabriel whether he was serious, he stared blankly and said Yes. She informed Clement and Merritt, but they took no additional action. On February 26th 2020, Netflix released a documentary called The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. I tried to feel his heart, Aguirre said, and nothing is moving.. ), First published on January 7, 2020 / 5:43 AM. Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. As a general rule, caseworkers worry most about children who arent seen by people outside the home. 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. My mom punched me in the mouth, he said. Payments of Excess and Unused Leave Time at Termination. This person may work with the birth family, the court, outside agencies providing ancillary services to the child, the child's out-of-home caregiver (If the child was not able . Shed spent the summer preparing to teach fourth grade at Palm Tree Elementary, in the high-desert town of Palmdale, north of Los Angeles. Case dismissed against social workers charged in death of . All rights reserved. When he reached Pearl on the phone she told him that Gabriel had moved to Texas with his grandmother. View Stefanie Rodriguez's business profile as Global Manager, Accounting at ALM. 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. This decision came from a three-justice panel. Mind your own business. One week before his death, Gabriels school, Summerwind Elementary, asked a sheriffs deputy to investigate, but he received the wrong address. Most agencies dont have those resources. Corona then gave Martinez the familys name and contact information, telling Martinez to save this kid. He called DCFS twice, but could not navigate the automated system. They hid Gabriels bloody clothes and moved a picture to cover one of the biggest dents in their apartments walls. Rodriguez had moved to a new city but couldnt escape Gabriels story: Her picture had appeared on local TV and in the newspaper there. In the end, it all added up to very high risk, meaning that the caseworkers had no choice but to promote the case for further attention. Sadly, Gabriel Fernandez was subjected to months of brutal torture at the hands of his mother Pearl and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre. During their trials, it came to light that Isuaro Aguirre forced Gabriel to eat spoiled food and cat feces as well as his own vomit, and locked him in a cabinet with a sock in his mouth and handcuffs around his ankles to sleep. 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. To his mother and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre much about Gabriel, did not directly physically abuse Gabriel did... 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