I wanted to go there and hold his hand and say, Youre going to be okay. Our client, Appcast, is seeking the following. He came to school with scratches, a split lip, and a swollen bruised face. Select this result to view Stefanie Denise Rodriquez's phone number, address, and more. 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. 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. Counselor Barbara Dixon testified that while working at Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, which handled Gabriels case, she did not report suspected abuse despite being legally required to report these suspicions. He told her that they dont investigate, they report. His testimony lasted hours; he was unable to recall many details and had to constantly refer to transcripts of prior testimony. Pearl and Aguirre eventually called 911. Garcia called Rodriguez again, despite the odd sense of complicity she now felt after hearing that her efforts only made things worse. One day in late October, about two weeks after hed started at school, Gabriel tugged on her side in the middle of class. Social worker Stefanie Rodriguez and other representatives of child protection agencies visited Gabriel's home on a number of occasions. 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. Then he turned back to his computerbecause, he says, life goes on, and I had work to do. Hed concluded long ago that some of the children who depended on the department would inevitably be injured, if not killed. He lied because whenever a social worker would visit his punishments would increase. The District Attorney may appeal this decision. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. 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. The four also had criminal charges filed against them. Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. His wrists had ligature marks, as if hed been tied up. 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. 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. t Summerwind Elementary, the weeks dragged on. May 21, 2022 . 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. After the death of Gabriel Fernandez, LAC DCFS terminated four social workers for their failure to help him. Ezequiel, who was now 16, had a faint mustache and a face shaped like Gabriels. Gabriels eyes seemed to ask Martinez for help. In September 2018, Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli denied a motion to dismiss the charges, calling the young Palmdale boys death foreseeable.. In her notes, she reported that shed observed the children to be appropriately dressed, visibly healthy, and did not have any marks or bruises., The following week, Garcia made multiple calls about Gabriels haircut and busted lip. 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 . His new address meant a new school, too. She emailed the school psychologist, hoping that Gabriel might be able to receive counseling. Did he ever have to eat anything weird? Hatami asked. At the heart of the case is a question of accountability: Was their failure to protect Gabriel an isolated onethe fault of four employees so careless and neglectful that they allowed a child to suffer despite a series of glaring warning signs? The program said Gabriel was at very high risk. Los Angeles County social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 35, Patricia Clement, 69, and supervisors Kevin Bom, 41, and Gregory Merritt, 64, were each been charged with one felony count of child. BB pellets pockmarked his skin. 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. Towards the end of January, when Gabriel came to class, there was no more laughing. He had BB pellets embedded in his body - "in his neck, face, lung, legs, buttocks, foot, chest and groin." The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. vs. LA County, Scalp, Face, Neck, Ears and Shoulder Injuries Documented at Trial (diagam). She saw the anger swell inside him. 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. I learned early on that if Im gonna be any good to my clients, I have to take care of myself, Merritt said. 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. Justice Francis Rothschild wrote: 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 appellate court formally sent the matter back to the lower court in April and Lomeli was expected to officially drop the charges on Thursday. (This policy was changed in 2011, allowing social workers to use their professional judgment to determine how many witnesses were necessary.). We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200, wrote Justice Francis Rothschild. Theres hardly a night I dont dream about the department, she told me. As Children'S Social Worker at Los Angeles County, STEFANIE A RODRIGUEZ made $49,663 in total compensation. 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. "We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.". Gabriels mother, Pearl, was already known to the authorities following previous child abuse-related incidents. By creating this job alert, you agree to the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. (In 2013, Los Angeles County had roughly 3,000 caseworkers and more than 200,000 calls to its child-abuse hotline.). Rodriguez assured the teacher she would investigate, but matters got worse for Gabriel in November 2012. 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. We processed them for discharge, he said. Lomeli also handled the social worker case and in 2018 had denied a motion to dismiss the charges, saying the boy's death was "foreseeable.". They could have properly documented Gabriels injuries. In 1962, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of the first national survey of hospitals about child abuse. 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. Visit the Career Advice Hub to see tips on interviewing and resume writing. Any savings could be spent on programs aimed at keeping families intact. View Stefanie Rodriguez's business profile as Global Manager, Accounting at ALM. Paramedics found Gabriel naked in a bedroom with a cracked skull three broken ribs and BB pellets embedded in his lung and groin. y then, Gabriels siblings later testified, he was spending almost all of his days and nights in the cubby. Ezequiel said he sometimes tried to crack open the padlocked door to sneak Gabriel a banana. Garcia didnt know what to say to Gabriel. He died. The other children were silent. 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. She explained that hearing the name Gabriel Fernandez had sent her into a daze. Garcia called Rodriguez yet again. Gabriel Fernandez: Is Pearl Fernandez still in prison? If they were to be found guilty, they faced up to 10 years in prison each. Three weeks later, on a Tuesday, Rodriguez returned for a follow-up visit. Please exercise caution when reading this, as there are accounts of very brutal abuse amounting to torture and a child victim. 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. This information is according to Los Angeles County payrolls for the 2013 fiscal . The jurors deliberated for five hours before finding Aguirre guilty of torture and murder. The court stated: Although there may be consequences to social workers who fail to fulfil their duties, the consequences do not include criminal liability for child abuse., In the documentary, Merrit said: Those of us who were working the case seems to have done what we could have done. Chevy Chase, MD, Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Dice by 2x. Le Norgant also called 911, but the officer who visited the home left without even talking to Gabriel. View Stefanie Rodriguez results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. 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. Gabriel froze. In late April, Gabriel appeared in class looking worse than Garcia had ever seen him. He called 911, but the operator said the situation didnt sound like an emergency and gave him the number for nonemergencies. 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. 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