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 . Rodriguez made one last visit, on January 29, 2013, after Garcia reported that Pearl Fernandez had shot Gabriel in the face with a BB gun. Other Payments such as Shift Pay, Allowances and Bonuses. Garcia called Rodriguez yet again. Pearl sat quickly, fidgeting and rubbing her nose. invisible stranding in knitting. When she was finally alone with him at recess, she asked what had happened. January 7, 2020 / 5:43 AM Two social workers, Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, as well as two of their supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were each charged with one felony count of child abuse and . Stefanie Rodriguez in Texas. Dice is the leading career destination for tech experts at every stage of their careers. Advocates for family preservation have at times lamented that they lacked the kind of horror stories that could galvanize support for their position. On April 26th, 2013 a security guard at the local welfare office, Arturo Martinez, noticed that Gabriel needed urgent help. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. The program said Gabriel was at very high risk. His mom? they asked, their faces filled with the deepest horror shed ever seen in children so young. Gabriel, by contrast, had a striking innocence. An autopsy report showed bruises, fractures, and cuts all over his body including his groin as well as BB's embedded in his body. I dont believe you, Gabriel, she said, noting that this was the first time hed lied to her. Evidence at trial indicated months of beatings and torture. His wrists had ligature marks, as if hed been tied up. He told her his mom hit him punched him in the face. Garcia called Rodriguez again. First Call Made Six Months Before Gabriel's Death On May 22, Pearl and Aguirre tortured Gabriel a final time. Sadly, Gabriel Fernandez was subjected to months of brutal torture at the hands of his mother Pearl and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre. But he told me hed sent the information only to be thorough; hed never expected anything to come of it. Hed whisper in Gabriels ear to fall to the ground quickly when he hit him. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Little Gabriel Fernandez died at the hand of his mother and stepdad, Gregory Merritt was a social worker involved in Gabriel's case, Netflix's The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez explores tragic reason behind his death, Pearl Fernandez and stepfather Isauro Aguirre, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). 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. 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. She had lost custody of a son named Arnold Jr and had abandoned her youngest daughter, Destiny. This created a financial incentive to reduce the use of foster care. Such shallow inquiries were routine across Los Angeles County. I could hardly walk. 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. Garcia testified that she first called the child abuse hotline on Oct. 30, 2012. 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. 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. efore caseworkers can close an investigation, the agency requires them to use a software program called Structured Decision Making to score a childs risk of being abused or neglected. A three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal issued an opinion Monday directing a lower court to dismiss child abuse and other charges against four social workers in the killing of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. The social worker Garcia contacted, Stefanie Rodriguez, 31, another social worker, Patricia Clement, 66, and two of their supervisors, Kevin Bom, 37, and Gregory Merritt, 61, are now facing charges of one felony count each of child abuse and falsifying records in relation to this case. Others had witnessed the abuse, too. Almost three years had passed since Gabriels death, and many people had all but forgotten that a criminal review was under way. 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. The dismissal was long expected after an appellate panel ruled in January that the social workers should not face charges for failing to prevent the torture and killing of the Palmdale boy. Suddenly, Pearl wanted custody back in October 2012. She called the hospital, asking if she could visit. The Second District California Appellate Court heard arguments from lawyers representing Kevin Bom, Stefanie Rodriguez, Gregory Merritt and Patricia Clement. 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. She enjoys both developing curriculum for caregivers and delivering it in the classroom and online. Her caseload included up to 40 children at a time. 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. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The girl later said that her mother asked her to help soak up blood from the floor. It had expanded because of the funding changes instituted during the Bush administration. Payments for Straight and Premium Overtime. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 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. Sign up here for our free newsletters. Please reload the page and try again. After school, Garcia made yet another call to Rodriguez. She later learned that Gabriel had been declared brain-dead by the time shed called. "We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.". 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. He said his mother and her boyfriend would threaten him if he didnt join in their beatings. 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. 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. This time, the students didnt laugh. You can unsubscribe at any time. Stefanie Guerrero is a provider established in Raleigh, North Carolina and her medical specialization is Social Worker with a focus in clinical . Browning, the head of the department, had referred the case to the district attorneys office in the immediate aftermath of Gabriels death. 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. 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. The practitioner's primary taxonomy code is 1041C0700X with license number P014141 (NC). 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. She coached him: My mom cut it like that. All rights reserved. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The DCFS Internal investigation found that neither Rodriguez or her supervisor Bon reviewed information regarding Pearl and her history with the DCFS. - nbcnews.com. 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. 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. The therapist, a woman named Barbara Dixon who worked for an outside contractor, saw Gabriel often in the months leading up to his death and had grown concerned that he was being abused. 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. Claim your profile Get in touch with Stefanie. The information disclosed includes compensations paid to employees of Los Angeles County in the form of earnings and fringe benefits. On Friday, December 20, the former Counting On star revealed she'd "chopped off" more than a foot of her long locks and she looks like a whole new woman. 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. "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. Garcia called Rodriguez again, pressing her about what she was doing to help Gabriel. Did he have to dance when they shot him with the BB gun?. BB pellets pockmarked his skin. When I got to the department, instead of cheering the parent on for doing the right thing, theyd want us to take the kid away or tell the kid, Youre right and Your parents have no authority over you.. But she said her boss had told her not to call the hotline, because he didnt want to jeopardize Pearls cooperation with the Voluntary Family Maintenance program. Stephanie Rodriguez. This time, Garcia didnt ask what had happened. Social Work Intern Sarah Vretas, M.A., LPC Clinical Fellow Mariah Willis, B.A., CT Clinical Counseling Intern Counseling and Consultation Service - Office of Student Life CCS Main Office: Younkin Success Center (4th Floor), 1640 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201 . All four of the caseworkers had been fired. On February 26th 2020, Netflix released a documentary called The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. Patricia Clement and Stefanie Rodriguez were discovered to be two of the social workers who had neglected their responsibility. She knewas so many of the schools staff members knewthat Gabriel was in danger at home. As he read on, Merritt learned that Gabriel had written suicide notes. Reid took detailed notes, and Garcia soon received a phone call from Stefanie Rodriguez. Gabriels teacher Ms Garcia contacted the organisation several times, reporting Gabriels injuries and behaviour. I still have nightmares. If. Garcia testified she repeatedly reported suspected abuse to social workers who failed to prevent his death. Once, another boy complained that his mother had made him pancakes and he didnt like them. One, addressed to his mother, said, I love you so much that I will die. Others stated he wanted to kill himself. His classmates laughed and pointed when they saw him. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Bom declined to comment for this article. Buy, sell, and rent smarter with Stefanie Rodriguez at Compass. Gabriel asked his teacher, Jennifer Garcia, if it was normal for moms to hit their kids. The four had been held to answer charges of felony abuse in a preliminary hearing, but in the appeal their attorneys argued that there was insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing. 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. When Garcia first questioned Gabriel about his injuries, he lied to her and told her he fell. Prosecutors had granted immunity to a caseworker and a therapist, in exchange for their testimony against Merritt and the other defendants. But she, too, said she didnt think about Gabriels casethat was in the past.. 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. 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. An autopsy showed that Gabriel had a fractured skull, several broken ribs and burns over much of his body. The pendulum swung, and the United States saw a nearly 25 percent drop in the number of children in foster care from 2002 to 2012. abriel was often tardy or absent, and when he did make it to school, hed kick other studentsGarcia was constantly having to move his seat. 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. One week before his death, Gabriels school, Summerwind Elementary, asked a sheriffs deputy to investigate, but he received the wrong address. I wanted to go there and hold his hand and say, Youre going to be okay. But we spoke again later that day. On the rare occasion he went outside during recess, he stood alone on the playground and kicked 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. The caseworker told me she believes in her training. Other marks were scattered on his face, neck, and left ear. 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Lauderdale, FL 33304, 259 Clermont Avenue, Lake Mary, FL 32746-3669, 8639 N Himes Ave Apt 3924, Tampa, FL 33614. MARIA EVELYN RODRIGUEZ-ZIERER (NPI# 1801829239) is a health care provider registered in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid . He pressed, and she reluctantly went to ask a supervisors permission. 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. Likewise, detectives must forward allegations of romantic-partner abuse to prosecutors whether or not they recommend criminal charges. They claimed to have never found strong enough signs of abuse in order to remove Gabriel from the house. 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. Youll be able to move out. The two of them paused for a moment, imagining what that might be like. All six episodes of The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez are available to stream and download on Netflix now. In January 2013, Rodriguez visited the family home after Ms Garcia reported Gabriel had been shot in the face with BB gun. But Pearl noticed Martinez studying her son and abruptly grabbed Gabriel and his siblings and left, blocking Martinezs view of Gabriel on the way out. If the case proceeds to trial and the defendants are convicted, they could face over 10 years in prison. 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. Name. The family called it the cubby.. students of physics. 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. 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