With his mother present, Gabriel told Rodriguez the bruises on his face came from a fall he had playing with his brother and dissenter. All six episodes of The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez are available to stream and download on Netflix now. Unlike the couple, the attorney for Department of Children and Family Services supervisor Kevin Bom argues that Bom never saw. Cigarette burns covered his feet and genitals. Evidence at trial indicated months of beatings and torture. stefanie rodriguez social worker nownyproduktion mlnlycke. Gabriel, by contrast, had a striking innocence. Arturo Martinez, the security guard, asked to transfer to another office because he could not continue to work with the same people who had refused to help Gabriel. 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. Prosecutors say they failed to take the appropriate steps to protect Gabriel and then falsified documents related to his case. On May 23, 2013, this grim assembly line paused at Greg Merritts cubicle in the Palmdale branch office. 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. Why did you lie and tell me you fell?, When I tell you, and that lady comes, then I get hurt worse.. Stefanie Rodriguez was the first person who looked into Gabriel's case, when his teacher put in a call about the possibility of Pearl beating Gabriel at home, for his in-school behavior. Rodriguez made no entry in the case file to reflect the call. Casey and the Bush administration advocated for the Department of Health and Human Services to change the way child-protective-services agencies were funded. Garcia called Rodriguez again, despite the odd sense of complicity she now felt after hearing that her efforts only made things worse. At the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, administrators had a well-worn routine they followed anytime a child died, or came close to dying, at the hands of a parent or guardiansomething that typically happened at least a couple of times a month. Stefanie Lohaus. Name. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. I learned early on that if Im gonna be any good to my clients, I have to take care of myself, Merritt said. It was a calling. One of his eyes was a deep red. Dice In her report, Rodriguez described the lesion on his lip as an open blister.. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Theres hardly a night I dont dream about the department, she told me. View Stefanie Rodriguez results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. 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. They rushed him to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where he was on life support for two days. All rights reserved. On the wall behind the jury box, dark oily blotches had formed over the years behind the heads of countless weary jurors. On March 26th, 2013 therapist intern Barbara Dixon filed a report that Gabriel claimed a relative forced him to perform oral sex on them. 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. Aguirre received the death sentence. We were on a desert island, and we were just sinking, sinking, sinking., Like Merritt, Starr is a devout Christian. Looking for Stefanie Rodriguez online? Stephanie Rodriguez. When I first called Starr, in November, she quickly excused herself and got off the phone. - nbcnews.com. I mean, everybody beats their kids. He called the number for nonemergencies and was later told that a sheriffs deputy had gone to Gabriels home but hadnt seen anything wrong. stefanie rodriguez social worker now. However, Lomeli is expected to dismiss the charges at 8:30 a.m Thursday. The educator said the boy appeared anxious about his homework and feared to go home sometimes. The least popular job in this least desirable place was also the most difficult and most important: child-abuse investigator. His loyalties were with his colleagues in the branch office, the ones who would gather for after-hours parties known as howls, where theyd hoot and holler, with bonfires and country musica release valve for the stresses of a difficult job. His wrists had ligature marks, as if hed been tied up. Unprecedented charges against L.A. County social workers were filed following the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. 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. Corona was only filling in that day and, though reluctant, talked to a supervisor who told her not to get involved. and upload a portfolio of your best work. Anchor | Reporter . Contact Stefanie, search articles and Tweets, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place. But he told me hed sent the information only to be thorough; hed never expected anything to come of it. In a blue suit and a rumpled white shirt, he slouched just above the microphone, rocking from side to side in a swivel chair as lawyers asked him about his brother. I thought Gabriel would benefit. So she agreed to accept his case rather than urging Rodriguez to take it to courta decision that has haunted her ever since. 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. Garcia asked what had happened. Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW-R, MSW Location. Under California law, teachers must report any suspected child abuse, but even those who report are not always heard. After all, Kate was mysteriously absent from the season three finale fast-forward scene and Toby seemed hesitant . I got light-headed, she said. They did ask Pearl and Isauro to take a drug test after the Red Ribbon Week incident, but the results were negative. All he knew was that Gabriel was old enough to be in school, which meant he had teachers who were required by law to report signs of abuse. Dice is the leading career destination for tech experts at every stage of their careers. 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. We processed them for discharge, he said. Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Stefanie has been found in 13 states including Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Arizona. 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. Finances Cost per Session: $80 - $150 . She visited again two weeks later, and wrote that Pearl Fernandez described herself as the victim of a mother who never showed any real love or positive feelings about her. Clement noted that Pearls boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, was a very pleasant person. Despite Gabriels steady absences, Clement wrote: The children are attending school regularly and doing well., Soon after Clements first visit, Gabriel wrote several notes saying that he wanted to kill himself. His mommy, she told them through tears, hurt him really bad.. She later learned that Gabriel had been declared brain-dead by the time shed called. Martinez called his own supervisor who explained that was not in his job description. Gabriel Fernandez: Is Gabriel Fernandezs killer still alive? He rarely went outside during recess, and when he did, Garcia sometimes saw him alone on the playground, kicking a wall. The boy was left in his mothers custody despite repeated reports of abuse, including by Gabriels teacher, and follow-up visits by the social workers to the family home. As long as human beings are involved in the child welfare program there are possibilities for mistakes to occur, he wrote. The department deemed all reports unsubstantiated. Patricia Clement and Stefanie Rodriguez were discovered to be two of the social workers who had neglected their responsibility. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She knewas so many of the schools staff members knewthat Gabriel was in danger at home. Gabriel Fernandez: Who is Michael Lemos Carranza? Pearl Fernandez admitted that shed hit him with the belt. 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. As soon as a call came in from a hospital, caseworkers would be dispatched to interview any surviving siblings and remove them from the home. Pearl sat quickly, fidgeting and rubbing her nose. 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. His classmates laughed and pointed when they saw him. In 2010, a department study showed that the evidence caseworkers gathered was often insufficient to accurately judge a situation. Until, of course, another one did. 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. Gabriel's mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, were both charged and convicted of first degree murder with special circumstances of torture. Wake Forest, NC 27587 According to the case file, Rodriguez met Gabriels family in their second-floor apartment, which looked out on the back of a row of dollar stores, two days after Garcias first call to the hotline. 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. It will always be Gabriel's number. 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. Stefanie Rodriguez. Gabriels mother, Pearl, was already known to the authorities following previous child abuse-related incidents. 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 provider is registered as an individual and her NPI . Garcia called Rodriguez and left yet another message. Rodriguez never went to the school or talked to the neighbors. Is it normal for you to bleed?. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Breaking news for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. . 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. Social worker 22,700 followers . She stated that on two occasions, Gabriel himself asked her, Can you call that lady? We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.. Rodriguez had moved to a new city but couldnt escape Gabriels story: Her picture had appeared on local TV and in the newspaper there. Supporters of Gabriel attended the hearing. Around this time, Gabriel came to class looking even worse than he ever had before. Advocates for family preservation have at times lamented that they lacked the kind of horror stories that could galvanize support for their position. On the rare occasion he went outside during recess, he stood alone on the playground and kicked a wall. Gabriel suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, a broken nose, and many missing teeth. A red eye; his face, neck, and ear marked and bruised; his forehead skin was peeling. Dixon claimed she did report an allegation of sexual abuse by someone outside the home. 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. He had a masters degree from the University of Southern Californias prestigious School of Social Work, and was known as a fastidious micromanager who marked up his subordinates notes with questions and correctionsall of which makes his handling of Gabriels case even more baffling. He saw that a caseworker had used a computer program to score Gabriels likelihood of being abused. This button displays the currently selected search type. A few days later, Gabriel came to school with a split lip from Pearl punching him in the mouth. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. Pearl rushed out of the office with her children, blocking Martinez view of Gabriel as she did. It was stated that there was no probable cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion. Negligent child welfare workers may face prison time in connection with the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. 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. Reid took detailed notes, and Garcia soon received a phone call from Stefanie Rodriguez. If. MyNewsLA.com wont sell your information and you can unsubscribe at any time. Still, Mondays events nagged at Garcia. 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. 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. He said he couldnt work with people who had refused to help Gabriel. 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. Gabriels eyes seemed to ask Martinez for help. 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