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. 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. 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. Gabriel died in May 2013 and his mother and her boyfriend were later convicted of torturing and murdering him. She saw the anger swell inside him. Garcia called the principal to have him look at Gabriels head. Gabriel, by contrast, had a striking innocence. His testimony lasted hours; he was unable to recall many details and had to constantly refer to transcripts of prior testimony. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. During Red Ribbon Week, when teachers talk to children about staying drug-free, Gabriel mimicked snorting cocaine and knew it was a drug. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. Schlesinger has heard these stories before: "A baby boomer, who's maybe taken on their kids' debt and gotten their kids through college, but has come up short and is 60, 63 years old and says, I guess I'll just have to work forever," she says. - nbcnews.com. As days passed, and then weeks, Gabriels situation only seemed to worsen. RELATED: Prosecutor in Gabriel Fernandez case was a victim of child abuse himself. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Find Stefanie Rodriguez's articles, email address, contact information, Twitter and more. Fernandez pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty and received a sentence of life in prison without parole. But many of the children in his caseload had that designation. With his mother present, Gabriel told Rodriguez the bruises on his face came from a fall he had playing with his brother and dissenter. But doing so requires a highly trained workforce with the resources to carry out a thorough investigation in every case. Our client, Appcast, is seeking the following. Two years before Gabriel was born, Pearl was investigated after she and Gabriels older brother were in a car accident where her son suffered a head injury because he wasnt wearing his seatbelt. Judge Mary Lou Villar stated that each defendant should have noticed the danger Gabriel was in and requested he be removed from the home, or at the very least ordered a medical examination. On March 26th, 2013 therapist intern Barbara Dixon filed a report that Gabriel claimed a relative forced him to perform oral sex on them. 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). Garcia called Rodriguez yet again. 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 falsifying public records. Rodriguez, Clement, as well as two of their supervisors, Bom and Merritt were charged with one felony count of child abuse and falsifying public records in April 2016. From 1998 to 2013, the number of kids in foster care in Los Angeles County fell from about 50,000 to 19,000. The card was shaped like a house and said Open the door to see who loves you. He pasted his picture inside. Username. Once, when another student was struggling with a reading assignment, Gabriel jumped in to help her, pushing her to take another look and keeping her well after the other kids finished. 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.. 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. She emailed the school psychologist, hoping that Gabriel might be able to receive counseling. Garcia called Rodriguez again, pressing her about what she was doing to help Gabriel. Corona was only filling in that day and, though reluctant, talked to a supervisor who told her not to get involved. This time, Garcia didnt ask what had happened. He told her that they dont investigate, they report. CNBC - Fri, 08 Apr 2022 . During the seven months when caseworkers were ostensibly watching over Gabriel, evidence of his abuse steadily accumulated. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time. Baghdad Central: How does the series differ from the original book? 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. You survived. Payments of Excess and Unused Leave Time at Termination. It became his mantra. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The DCFS Internal investigation found that neither Rodriguez or her supervisor Bon reviewed information regarding Pearl and her history with the DCFS. Of this total $30,591 was received as a salary, $2,687 was received as overtime pay, $11,113 was received as benefits and $5,272 came from other types of compensation . You can unsubscribe at any time. Social workers Patricia Clement, left, and Stefanie Rodriguez, third from left, and supervisors Kevin Bom, second from right, and Gregory Merritt, fourth from right, who were charged with. 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. Her caseload included up to 40 children at a time. Each employee's information disclosed include the full name, department, position title, annual earnings and benefits, etc. Gabriel suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, a broken nose, and many missing teeth. 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. Four Los Angeles County social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 30; Patricia Clement, 65; Kevin Bom, 36; and Gregory Merritt, 60 have been charged with child abuse and falsifying public. The medics felt two fractures in Gabriels skull. (In 2013, Los Angeles County had roughly 3,000 caseworkers and more than 200,000 calls to its child-abuse hotline.). How do you prioritize your spending when you have debt and dreams for the future? Rodriguez told her that confidentiality rules prevented her from saying. Three weeks later, on a Tuesday, Rodriguez returned for a follow-up visit. She was impressive in many waysdeeply empathetic, very thoroughand had even been a foster child herself. Gabriel, he later testified, turned around and made eye contact with me and I noticed he had a greenish-bluish eyea black eyeand lumps on the back of his head. His neck had been stripped of a layer of skin. Finances Cost per Session: $80 - $150 . Starr said that Stefanie Rodriguez pleaded with her to take Gabriels case. This book is designed for the courses in solid state physics for B.Sc. Buy, sell, and rent smarter with Stefanie Rodriguez at Compass. But of that 60%, 37% reported losing money and 21% said their relationship with the borrower was harmed. and upload a portfolio of your best work. On November 26th, 2012 Gabriel showed up to class late. 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. He felt brushed off, judged. The other children were silent. Have a seat. Then he admonished her, We dont investigate. 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. Justice Victoria Gerrard Chaney concurred that the four could not be charged with child abuse, but wrote a dissent arguing that they could be prosecuted as public officers under the relevant government code section. But we spoke again later that day. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Pearl was yelling at Gabriel, who had cigarette burns on his head and neck and marks on his wrists from being tied up. 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. My mom punched me in the mouth, he said. Bom had managed to start a new career as a custody evaluator in divorce cases, but he lost that job after the criminal charges were filed. On March 28, an arrest warrant was issued for Stefanie Rodriquez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom, and Gregory Merritt. His new address meant a new school, too. Gabriel told her he had fallen off his bike and begged her not to send him home early. On April 26th, 2013 a security guard at the local welfare office, Arturo Martinez, noticed that Gabriel needed urgent help. Paramedics found Gabriel naked in a bedroom with a cracked skull three broken ribs and BB pellets embedded in his lung and groin. When I first called Starr, in November, she quickly excused herself and got off the phone. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or . A motion to appeal the 2nd District Court of Appeals decision was denied in January 2020. 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. 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. When she was finally alone with him at recess, she asked what had happened. Little round bruises dotted his face. This time, the caseworker didnt pick up or call back. Required fields are marked *. 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. She then called Pearl Fernandez to pick Gabriel up. The card, shaped like a house, said Open the door to see who loves you with his picture glued inside. Visit the Career Advice Hub to see tips on interviewing and resume writing. This was deemed unfounded. Stefanie's work & advice has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Oprah Magazine. Le Norgant also called 911, but the officer who visited the home left without even talking to Gabriel. He pressed, and she reluctantly went to ask a supervisors permission. She told Pearl that he was a good writer and that he was smart, but Pearl seemed skeptical. Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Benefits. His skin was almost yellow, like hes been starving or something.. For Jennifer Garcia, the 201213 school year was off to a disappointing start. Stefanie Rodriguez in Texas. Your email address will not be published. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. She remembered how hard hed worked on it, even after she told him he didnt have to. His eyes were swollen, his face dotted with bruises. But the Palmdale branch couldnt afford to be picky. Evidence at trial indicated months of beatings and torture. On May 22nd, 2013 paramedics rushed Gabriel to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles but doctors pronounced him braindead the same day. Call or Email Stefanie Vitale now - (919) 374-4292. Gabriel, did not directly physically abuse Gabriel and did not have the "duty" required by the child abuse charge. More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro. Rodriguez was able to answer the programs multiple-choice questions based almost entirely on information that had been logged into the agencys files before she began her investigation. On Monday, November 26, Gabriel arrived late. Garcia told the court Gabriel showed up with chunks of hair missing and bloody scabs on his head. 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. When the other children turned to look at him, they laughed and pointed at what they saw: Someone had haphazardly taken chunks of hair from his head, and scabs had formed on his scalp. Its not part of your duties.. The woman they knew was profane, ill-tempered, and prone to yelling at clients. Afterward, Pearl found Gabriels sister Virginia on the edge of her bed, where shed sat frozen throughout the beating. (Hons.) That means every day I live before the face of God, and thats what keeps me sane.. A motion to rehear the appeals court decision was denied in January 2020 and the criminal case against these four is not progressing further. The question today is whether the felony counts against four social workers will be dismissed, reduced or stand. The seriousness of the charges appeared to concern the panel. Merritt couldnt remember much about Gabriel, one of about 180 children whose cases he had been overseeing. 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.". May 21, 2022 . Aguirre received the death sentence. The District Attorneys Office was unable to respond to an earlier request for information, and it was not immediately clear whether prosecutors intend to appeal the appellate court decision or refile the case. Social worker Gregory Merritt appears in The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. After school, Garcia made yet another call to Rodriguez. Advice Hub to see tips on interviewing and resume writing as days passed, and she went... And more than 200,000 calls to its child-abuse hotline. ), hoping that Gabriel might be able receive! The `` duty '' required by the child abuse himself of Gabriel Fernandez case was a drug, very had... Dont investigate, they report not directly physically abuse Gabriel and did not have ``. Advice Hub to see who loves you bike and begged her not to send him home early called starr in. Those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who to... 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