Its not part of your duties.. Following the caretakers' convictions, four social workers in the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Stefanie Rodriguez, 34, and Patricia Clement, 69, and two. When it was time to leave at 5 oclock, I left, whether I had a mound of paperwork in my cubicle or not. The job was hard, and one of the things that angered him most was when a subordinate worked unpaid hours. We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.. Gabriel, did not directly physically abuse Gabriel and did not have the "duty" required by the child abuse charge. On the rare occasion he went outside during recess, he stood alone on the playground and kicked a wall. MARIA EVELYN RODRIGUEZ-ZIERER (NPI# 1801829239) is a health care provider registered in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid . STEFANIE A RODRIGUEZ Salary Overview. One week before his death, Gabriels school, Summerwind Elementary, asked a sheriffs deputy to investigate, but he received the wrong address. 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. 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. A motion to rehear the appeals court decision was denied in January 2020 and the criminal case against these four is not progressing further. It destroyed my life.. / KCAL News. Corona was only filling in that day and, though reluctant, talked to a supervisor who told her not to get involved. Lomeli called the pair nothing short of evil and worse than animalistic because even animals know how to take care of their young.. On March 26th, 2013 therapist intern Barbara Dixon filed a report that Gabriel claimed a relative forced him to perform oral sex on them. Gabriel was either tardy or absent a lot. With his mother present, Gabriel told Rodriguez the bruises on his face came from a fall he had playing with his brother and dissenter. She later learned that Gabriel had been declared brain-dead by the time shed called. 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 states child welfare statutory scheme, which is child safety, Chaney wrote in her concurring and dissenting opinion. If the case proceeds to trial and the defendants are convicted, they could face over 10 years in prison. The appellate opinion noted that although they may have failed in their duties as social workers there was no probable cause for a criminal case. Later that month, Gabriels case was closed. Anchor | Reporter . Your email address will not be published. Murder 24/7: Who narrates murder 24/7 on BBC2? A few days later, Gabriel complained to Garcia that his eye was hurting, so she sent him to Donna Evans, the school nurse, who was brand-new in the job. 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. Other teachers told her that Summerwind was one of the districts nicest schools, but when Garcia looked around at the peeling paint and crumbling stucco, she thought, If this is the best weve got, were really in trouble. He came to school with scratches, a split lip, and a swollen bruised face. She stated that on two occasions, Gabriel himself asked her, Can you call that lady? Actress. First responders noted that every single inch of his body had signs of abuse. 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. By creating this job alert, you agree to the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Gabriel Fernandez: What happened to Gabriel Fernandezs parents? They turned to the tools they used regularly on him: a BB gun, pepper spray, coat hangers, and a wooden baseball bat. Money Services Business Registrations; Moter Carriers Under California law, teachers must report any suspected child abuse, but even those who report are not always heard. He was 8 years old, and the signs of abuse were obvious. The other children were silent. The card was shaped like a house and said Open the door to see who loves you. He pasted his picture inside. 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. In late April, Gabriel appeared in class looking worse than Garcia had ever seen him. A motion to appeal the 2nd District Court of Appeals decision was denied in January 2020. Pearl rushed out of the office with her children, blocking Martinez view of Gabriel as she did. The defense lawyers presented a long list of others who could have helped Gabriel, toopolice officers, school staff members, and people in the community. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. Merritt, who is 62, had worked in the department for more than two decades. He asked her to put an A on the paper in the hope that his mother would be impressed. Bom declined to comment for this article. This dataset includes compensation information of about one hundred thousands employees working in Los Angeles County, provided by the Auditor-Controller office of Los Angeles County as required by public disclosure laws. 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 . ), When Clement paid a third and final visit, on March 6, Pearl said she didnt want to have any further involvement with the agencyand Clement accepted her decision. Thats why its so crushing to see him treated this way, she said. The Auditor-Controller discloses information about compensations paid to employees of Los Angeles County in the form of earnings and fringe benefits. But then someone told her Gabriel was at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and she thought maybe there was still hope. They hid Gabriels bloody clothes and moved a picture to cover one of the biggest dents in their apartments walls. 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. Cat feces were forced in his mouth and down his throat. All rights reserved. He said his mother and her boyfriend would threaten him if he didnt join in their beatings. The trials of Gabriel Fernandez also points to the failings of the Los Angeles Child Services and the four social works in charge of the Gabriel case. Jennifer Garcia began calling social workers in 2012. When he looked at Gabriel, he saw cigarette burns all over the boys head and neck. 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. Chevy Chase, MD, Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Dice by 2x. When her students arrived, she braced herself to give them the news. Multiple calls had been made to the child-abuse hotline, but a caseworker ended the investigation after Anthony recanted his claims of abuse. I wanted to go there and hold his hand and say, Youre going to be okay. Aguirre received the death sentence. Over the years, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has taken significant steps to mitigate risk and improve our capacity countywide in order to best serve vulnerable children and families and as a department we remain committed to ensuring that reform continues. About STEFANIE M GUERRERO . Find Stefanie Rodriguez's articles, email address, contact information, Twitter and more. 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. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. . Pearl admitted to hitting him with the belt. For Jennifer Garcia, the 201213 school year was off to a disappointing start. 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. We have 122 records for Stefanie Rodriguez ranging in age from 28 years old to 51 years old. He whispered to Garcia that he didnt know what to say when they asked what had happened. Martinez called his own supervisor and was told the same: Thats not your job. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. Gabriel froze. I could hardly walk. Yes, he said. The program said Gabriel was at very high risk. 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. Garcia says her interactions with Rodriguez began shortlyafter she suspected Gabriels mother was physically retaliating against him for his in-school misbehavior. Theres hardly a night I dont dream about the department, she told me. In just a few days, she would be teaching first grade in Room 5 at Summerwind Elementary, four miles away. The many prior hotline calls gave them five points. Rodriguez made no entry in the case file to reflect the call. Indeed, this summer a 10-year-old boy named Anthony Avalos was found unresponsive in his mothers apartment in Lancaster, California, just north of Palmdale. 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. Long Term Disability Premiums, Life Insurance Premiums and Employer Medicare Tax. In a 2-1 opinion, the three-justice panel concluded there was no probable cause to hold the two social workers and their supervisors on the charges. Gabriels grandmother told two sheriffs deputies that Pearl had a history of neglecting and abusing her children, but they didnt believe her. 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. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Merritt told me that he gravitated to Family Preservation because it aligned with his highest aspirations for his work. The caseworker I shadowed was one of the new arrivals; she held the same job Stefanie Rodriguez had once had. Scalp, Face, Neck, Ears and Shoulder Injuries Documented at Trial (diagam) | Autopsy Injury Diagram (drawing). We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200, wrote Justice Francis Rothschild. He rarely went outside during recess, and when he did, Garcia sometimes saw him alone on the playground, kicking a wall. After school, Garcia made yet another call to Rodriguez. The question today is whether the felony counts against four social workers will be dismissed, reduced or stand. Gabriel suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, a broken nose, and many missing teeth. He occasionally took books off the shelf, copied sentences in his own hand, and took them to Garcia. Social workers Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt are charged with felony child abuse and falsifying public records in the 2013 beating and torture. Visit the Career Advice Hub to see tips on interviewing and resume writing. Prosecutors argued the four minimised evidence of abuse and violated multiple policies. Garcia felt reassured; the agency seemed to be taking the matter seriously. 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. But Merritt was proud of his work, especially his efforts to keep together families that might otherwise be separated. Stefanie has been found in 13 states including Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Arizona. Gabriels eyes seemed to ask Martinez for help. To this day, Jennifer Garcia reserves the #28 in her classroom. Pearl and Aguirre eventually called 911. The question today is whether the felony counts against four social workers will be dismissed, reduced or stand. I just dont want to remember it.. Children's Social Worker (CSW) The representative who works with the family who is in receiving services from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The Family Preservation unit would now be expected to send a caseworker to the Fernandez home every two weeks, and to supplement those visits with family and individual counseling sessions. All four of the caseworkers had been fired. 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 . 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. They each faced up to ten years in prison if found guilty. Please reload the page and try again. The earnings and benefits information are as follows: The California Public Records Act requires public disclosure of government salary information, which serves a significant public interest. Stefanie Rodriguez Executive Business Partner at Lyft New York, New York, United States 478 followers 476 connections Join to connect Lyft University of San Francisco Activity Career Update! 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. We were on a desert island, and we were just sinking, sinking, sinking., Like Merritt, Starr is a devout Christian. His classmates laughed and pointed when they saw him. Martinez asked Maricela Corona, the clerk Pearl had spoken to, if she planned to report child abuse. 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. Rodriguez returned her call the following day andallegedly said was assigned to the case and would investigate. Deputies Arrest Armed Suspect After Barricading in Car, Man Convicted of Nearly Deadly Shooting in Santa Ana Motel, Riverside Paves the Way for Cannabis Vendors to Open Their Doors Citywide, More Rain, Snow Hit Drenched Southern California, Drunk Driver Convicted of Fatal Collision in Orange, Firefighters Spend 5 Hours Battling Blaze in Laguna Hills, Hilltop Home Evacuated in Beverly Crest Area Due to Mud, Debris Flow, SoCalGas Says Relief's On Way from Sky-High Bills, Man Suspected of Molesting Elsinore Girl Arrested, LA County Requests Report on Local Train Derailment Readiness, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. However, in November 2012, things appeared to get worse. As he read on, Merritt learned that Gabriel had written suicide notes. 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. Username. 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. 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. Evidence at trial indicated months of beatings and torture. On January 29, 2013 Rodriguez made a final visit to Fernandezs home. 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