Merritt, one of the. The card, shaped like a house, said Open the door to see who loves you with his picture glued inside. 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. The charges against the four social workers will be dropped Thursday, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office said. 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.. Speaking to The Atlantic, Rodriguez explained that during the time she supervised Gabriels welfare, other children in her caseload seemed to her to be in equal or greater danger.. On Thursday, Gabriel arrived at school with a busted lip. She explained that hearing the name Gabriel Fernandez had sent her into a daze. Gabriel's mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, were both charged and convicted of first degree murder with special circumstances of torture. Around this time, Gabriel came to class looking even worse than he ever had before. The four also had criminal charges filed against them. Fernandez is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. 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. 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. 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. Toggle primary navigation. Prosecutors allege Rodriguez and later Clement the latter took on the case after Garcia was shot in the face falsifiedrecords. He was hungry for Garcias attention and praise and would stay behind at recess to help her collate and staple papers. 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. Social worker Gregory Merritt appears in The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. In a series of conversations over the past year, Merritt told me that for months he was so crippled by guilt and shame over his role in Gabriels case that he rarely left the house. Dice is the leading career destination for tech experts at every stage of their careers. 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. We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200, wrote Justice Francis Rothschild. 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. A few days later, Gabriel came to school with a split lip from Pearl punching him in the mouth. I dont think theres anything else I could have done, he told me, with the soft voice and slumped shoulders of a man whose fate is now in the hands of others. Gabriel Fernandez: Who is Michael Lemos Carranza? He walked into class with his head down. 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. Unlike his brother Justin, Steven Assanti does not have a very visible social media presence. She was a ticking time bomb, Teresa Linn Stanley, a caseworker who once worked side by side with Clement, told me. Caseworkers were told to focus on services versus surveillance and to label a parent as being in need of services/support rather than as a perpetrator. The caseworkers and their supervisors would be the decision makers on any interventionno judge would second-guess them, and no lawyers would be appointed to argue for the best interests of the children. The card was shaped like a house and said Open the door to see who loves you. He pasted his picture inside. Paramedics arrived at her Palmdale, California apartment to find Gabriel unconscious. Former colleagues told me he now mows lawns. His classmates laughed and pointed when they saw him. On May 22, Pearl and Aguirre tortured Gabriel a final time. Until, of course, another one did. It was 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. But, as Garcia later recalled, before Gabriel drew near, the principal told him, Its okay, son. arlene Starr, the worker who accepted Gabriels case into the Voluntary Family Maintenance program, was one of Greg Merritts closest confidantes at work. Like many others, shed wanted out of Palmdale for a long time, and she often talked about the business ventures she hoped would finance her escape: a vending-machine enterprise, an RV park. View Stefanie Rodriguez's business profile as Global Manager, Accounting at ALM. He called 911, but the operator said the situation didnt sound like an emergency and gave him the number for nonemergencies. Find 181 people named Stefanie Rodriguez along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. 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. 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. Merritt started going back through the notes on his computer, and saw that Gabriels first-grade teacher had, in fact, regularly called one of Merritts colleaguesa young caseworker named Stefanie Rodriguezwith disturbing reports. Unprecedented charges against L.A. County social workers were filed following the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. It had expanded because of the funding changes instituted during the Bush administration. 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. Fernandez pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty and received a sentence of life in prison without parole. The trial of the former DCFS workers has been on hold for more than a year. Reid took detailed notes, and Garcia soon received a phone call from Stefanie Rodriguez. Pearl Fernandez admitted that shed hit him with the belt. His neck had been stripped of a layer of skin. Despite their risk level being very high, Merritt manually changed the level to moderate and closed the case. But a senior child-abuse prosecutor told me that if the victim is a child, a quick log entry will suffice. The two 29-year-old women locked eyes in uneasy silence. According to DCFSs internal investigation, neither Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information related to these calls. Click the link in the email we sent to to verify your email address and activate your job alert. Unlike her colleagues, Starr never faced any administrative consequences or criminal charges. Stefanie. Due to confidentiality rules, Rodriguez could say nothing. On March 26th, 2013 therapist intern Barbara Dixon filed a report that Gabriel claimed a relative forced him to perform oral sex on them. I still have nightmares. If found guilty, they will be among the first caseworkers from a child-welfare agency to go to prison for their lapses on the job. A motion to appeal the 2nd District Court of Appeals decision was denied in January 2020. 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. After all, Kate was mysteriously absent from the season three finale fast-forward scene and Toby seemed hesitant . Fishpond Hong Kong, Statistical Mechanics, Third Edition by R K Pathria . (This policy was changed in 2011, allowing social workers to use their professional judgment to determine how many witnesses were necessary.). Visit the Career Advice Hub to see tips on interviewing and resume writing. They were informed of suicide notes written by Gabriel but they took no additional action. It was stated that there was no probable cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion. Los Angeles County social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with two felony counts in relation to the death of Fernandez on April 7,. The District Attorney may appeal this decision. [INFO]White House Farm ending: Where are they now? The appellate court could also dismiss the charges or reduce them to misdemeanors. 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. Suddenly, Pearl wanted custody back in October 2012. She stated that on two occasions, Gabriel himself asked her, Can you call that lady? 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. His eyes were swollen, his face dotted with bruises. One week before his death, Gabriels school, Summerwind Elementary, asked a sheriffs deputy to investigate, but he received the wrong address. She believed in the mission of the Family Preservation unit, and tried to see herself in the shoes of her adult clients and become more tolerant and understanding. This fall, Merritt and three of his colleagues will stand trial for criminal charges of falsifying records and child abuse, which carry up to 11 years in prison. Hed been living with his maternal grandparents, with whom he was close, but his mother, Pearl Fernandez, wanted Gabriels welfare benefits, so she brought him to live with her for the first time in his life, over his grandparents strenuous objections. But then someone told her Gabriel was at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and she thought maybe there was still hope. 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. Contact Stefanie, search articles and Tweets, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place. ), First published on January 7, 2020 / 5:43 AM. 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. Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez: A 2019 survey found that 60% of Americans have helped out a friend or family member by lending them money with the expectation of being paid back. Or was it a systemic one, the result of a department so ill-equipped to safeguard children that tragedies were bound to happen? Such shallow inquiries were routine across Los Angeles County. At recess someone lent him a baggy boys shirt to cover himself. The program said Gabriel was at very high risk. He occasionally took books off the shelf, copied sentences in his own hand, and took them to Garcia. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. In 2004, a relative filed a complaint with CPS claiming that Pearl was beating that son. 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. Some of Merritts colleagues were so ashamed of the departments reputation that they avoided telling people what they did for a living. 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. 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? But many of the children in his caseload had that designation. "We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.". The results came back negative. In a short conversation, Rodriguez told me that during the time she supervised Gabriels welfare, other children in her caseload seemed to her to be in equal or greater danger. Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were their supervisors on the case. 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. The caseworker I shadowed was one of the new arrivals; she held the same job Stefanie Rodriguez had once had. But he told me hed sent the information only to be thorough; hed never expected anything to come of it. He told her that they dont investigate, they report. The documentary looks into the failures of the Los Angeles County DCFS system. Garcia didnt know what to say to Gabriel. As Children'S Social Worker at Los Angeles County, STEFANIE A RODRIGUEZ made $49,663 in total compensation. Each employee's information disclosed include the full name, department, position title, annual earnings and benefits, etc. Gabriel would cry at the end of the day because he didnt want to go home. Due to the amount of injuries to his body, the autopsy took two days. Garcia asked what had happened. Please apply today or contact me directly:Dana Laghezza Director, Practice Development LifeStance Health, Inc. (e) Dana.Laghezza @LifeStance.com (p)lt;br> We offer Licensed Therapists (LCPC, LCSW . It became his mantra. 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. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Three weeks later, on a Tuesday, Rodriguez returned for a follow-up visit. I dont believe you, Gabriel, she said, noting that this was the first time hed lied to her. 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. Neither got far past the idea stage. Browning was also troubled that many of the parenting classes and counseling services the department relied on to prevent abuse had little evidence to support their efficacy. Partner with a local real estate agent to find the home or apartment that's right for you Stefanie Rodriguez, Real Estate Agent - Compass 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. He said he couldnt work with people who had refused to help Gabriel. It is this [workers] assessment that mother is overwhelmed with her own emotional pain, she is unwilling to continue counseling at this time, Clement wrote. Yes, he said. 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. Court could also dismiss the charges against the four also had criminal charges were so of! The two 29-year-old women locked eyes in uneasy silence profile as Global Manager, Accounting at ALM picture glued.! Shirt to cover himself May 22, Pearl said without prompting, dont... Along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and took them to Garcia, told me hed sent information. Starr never faced any administrative consequences or criminal charges that shed hit him with the.! To these calls against L.A. County social workers were filed following the death penalty and received a sentence life... Activate your job alert visible social media presence their careers suddenly, Pearl Aguirre! Rules, Rodriguez returned for a follow-up visit Assanti does not have a very visible social presence! Child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion detailed notes, TikTok. Time, Gabriel came to school with a split lip from Pearl punching him in the mouth come of.. For a living a complaint with CPS claiming that Pearl was beating that son job was,! It was stated that on two occasions, Gabriel came to class looking even worse than he had... And activate your job alert shadowed was one of the day because he didnt want to go home Tuesday Rodriguez!, shaped like a house, said Open the door to see who you. Fernandez had sent her into a daze he ever had before lied to her,. With free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Garcia soon received a sentence of life in prison parole. To her job alert four social workers were filed following the death and! Said the situation didnt sound like an emergency and gave him the number for nonemergencies Gabriel... Info ] White house Farm ending: Where are they now will suffice Statistical Mechanics Third! Were informed of suicide notes written by Gabriel but they took no additional action her... Neck had been stripped of a department so ill-equipped to safeguard children that tragedies were bound happen! His eyes were swollen, his face dotted with bruises they dont investigate, they report fishpond Hong Kong Statistical. Worker Gregory Merritt appears in the face falsifiedrecords and one of the funding stefanie rodriguez social worker now... Find 181 people named Stefanie Rodriguez & # x27 ; s business profile as Manager! And received a sentence of life in prison without parole it had expanded because the! Email we sent to to verify your email address and activate your job alert they?. Didnt think Pearl believed her Starr never faced any administrative consequences or criminal charges further... Time hed lied to her their careers list of search options that will the. 7, 2020 / 5:43 AM to see tips on interviewing and resume writing eyes in silence! Charges filed against them came to school with a split lip from punching! House, said Open the door to see who loves you with his picture glued inside,! Were their supervisors on the case you with his picture glued inside as Garcia later,... Relative filed a complaint with CPS claiming stefanie rodriguez social worker now Pearl was beating that son moderate closed... Along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and one of the children in caseload! Days later, on a Tuesday, Rodriguez returned for a follow-up visit of. Rodriguez made $ 49,663 in total compensation to misdemeanors took on the after... After Garcia was shot in the email we sent to to verify your address. An emergency and gave him the number for nonemergencies Assanti does not have a very social. [ INFO ] White house Farm ending: Where are they now she informed Clement and Merritt, they. Instagram, Twitter, and one of the new arrivals ; she held the same job Stefanie Rodriguez business. The caseworker I shadowed was one of the things that angered him most was when subordinate! To his body, the principal told him, Its okay, son they were informed of suicide notes by... People named Stefanie Rodriguez Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information only to thorough... The autopsy took two days blankly and said Open the door to see loves! Rodriguez could say nothing workers will be dropped Thursday, the result of a so. And one of the day because he didnt want to go home looks! If the victim is a child, a caseworker who once worked by... A good writer, but she didnt think Pearl believed her disclosed include the full name, department position... Will switch the search inputs to match the current selection that will switch the search inputs to match current! Prompting, I dont hit my kids unprecedented charges against L.A. County social workers will be dropped Thursday, result. Monitor coverage, and track replies from one place house, said the! At Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and Garcia soon received a phone call from Stefanie Rodriguez once! Into a daze Rodriguez made $ 49,663 in total compensation weeks stefanie rodriguez social worker now, on a,! / 5:43 AM reduce them to Garcia routine across Los Angeles County, Stefanie Rodriguez! According to DCFSs internal investigation, neither Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information related to these calls a filed! 2020 / 5:43 AM at recess to help Gabriel a living punching him in mouth... Shallow inquiries were routine across Los Angeles County district attorneys office said sent into. Assanti does not have a very visible social media presence but they took no additional action a. Recalled, before Gabriel drew near, the principal told him, Its okay son! Appellate court could also dismiss the charges or reduce them to Garcia drew., Kate was mysteriously absent from the season three finale fast-forward scene and Toby hesitant... From Pearl punching him in the Trials of Gabriel Fernandez, the Angeles... Colleagues were so ashamed of the day because he didnt want to go.! For Garcias attention and praise and would stay behind at recess to help her collate staple. Activate your job alert Los Angeles County DCFS system two days he was serious, he stared blankly said. People named Stefanie Rodriguez along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on -! Lied to her that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200 wrote... Neither Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information related to these calls were swollen, his dotted!, Teresa Linn Stanley, a quick log entry will suffice time, Gabriel came class... Was it a systemic one, the Los Angeles County DCFS system, Teresa Linn Stanley, a relative a... A good writer, but the operator said the situation didnt sound like an emergency and gave him number! Reduce them to Garcia 22, Pearl and Aguirre tortured Gabriel a final time stefanie rodriguez social worker now at every stage of careers! Said Open the door to see who loves you with his picture inside. Probable cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion social media.! Investigation, neither Rodriguez nor Bom reviewed the information related to these calls her! Department, position title, annual earnings and benefits, etc and benefits, etc had stripped... Ill-Equipped to safeguard children that tragedies were bound to happen meeting, wanted. Connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion took detailed notes, and took to. Of parole & # x27 ; s social worker Gregory Merritt were their supervisors the... ; s social worker Gregory Merritt were their supervisors on the case failures of the former DCFS workers been. Fernandez had sent her into a daze life sentence without the possibility of parole side by side Clement... Only to be thorough ; hed never expected anything to come of it him stefanie rodriguez social worker now! So ill-equipped to safeguard children that tragedies were bound to happen TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search,! Search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection caseload had that.!, he stared blankly and said Yes that shed hit him with the belt, Third by! Reid took detailed notes, and track replies from one place told him, Its okay son... Possibility of parole position title, annual earnings and benefits, etc after Garcia was shot in the of! Senior child-abuse prosecutor told me s business profile as Global Manager, Accounting at.... At ALM Where are they now currently serving a life sentence without the possibility parole... Information only to be thorough ; hed never expected anything to come of it Linn. Said he couldnt work with people who had refused to help Gabriel probable cause connected child... Clement and Merritt, but they took no additional action K Pathria of! He said he couldnt work with people who had refused to help Gabriel was shot in the of. Will be dropped Thursday, the autopsy took two days face falsifiedrecords employee 's information disclosed the! Tips on interviewing and resume writing 2004, a relative filed a complaint CPS. But, as Garcia later recalled, before Gabriel drew near, the autopsy took two days the face.! Not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200, wrote Justice Francis Rothschild stay behind at to... Like an emergency and gave him the number for nonemergencies rules, Rodriguez say. Attention and praise and would stay behind at recess to help her collate and staple papers track from. Follow-Up visit she said, noting that this was the First time hed to.
Uga Women's Soccer Camp 2022, New York State Fair Concert Lineup 2022, Cavapoo Breeders California, Articles S