His neck had been stripped of a layer of skin. You do it like this, he said, holding his nostril as if he were snorting a line. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The least popular job in this least desirable place was also the most difficult and most important: child-abuse investigator. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time. Clement and Merritt then became involved in the case. Both were soon fired from the department, as were their supervisors, Gregory Merritt and Kevin Bom. On the rare days when Gabriel came to class, she told him to be good and never give his mother a reason to get angry. He was a devout Christian, and to him this wasnt just a job. One was addressed to his mother: I love you so much that I will die. His brother Ezequiel discovered these notes days later, and Pearl discussed them with the therapist assigned to the family, Carmen Le Norgant, on the night of February 27. They each faced up to ten years in prison if found guilty. 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. Under California law, teachers must report any suspected child abuse, but even those who report are not always heard. Toggle primary navigation. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Garcia lost hope that DCFS would offer any rescue. On January 29, 2013 Rodriguez made a final visit to Fernandezs home. She stated that on two occasions, Gabriel himself asked her, Can you call that lady? The second best result is Stefanie Denise Rodriquez age 40s in Fort Worth, TX. Stefanie A Rodriguez is an employee working in Children & Family Services. Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were their supervisors on the case. When I first called Starr, in November, she quickly excused herself and got off the phone. Mistakes were inevitable when department leaders and county politicians gave workers so little support, she said. Director Brian Knappenberger documents the investigation into the months of abuse preceding his murder as well as the trial against his mother and her boyfriend. 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. City News Service contributed to this report. Grace: My mom is 77 and she's better about money. 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. I learned early on that if Im gonna be any good to my clients, I have to take care of myself, Merritt said. My mom punched me in the mouth, he said. 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. The next day, Pearl Fernandezs attorneys proposed a deal to accept life in prison without the possibility of parole or appeal if the prosecution would agree to drop its push for the death penalty. His wrists had ligature marks, as if hed been tied up. Suddenly, Pearl wanted custody back in October 2012. In a gruesome twist, Logan was placed in the custody of a former caseworker, who disciplined her by gagging her with duct tape and leaving her in the basement, where she died. 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. Long Term Disability Premiums, Life Insurance Premiums and Employer Medicare Tax. The area had seen an influx of poor families, and the number of calls to the child-abuse hotline was rising faster there than anywhere else in Southern California. But a senior child-abuse prosecutor told me that if the victim is a child, a quick log entry will suffice. Still, Rodriguez examined his body for marks and noted a bruise on his left buttocks. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Your email address will not be published. Garcia asked what had happened. Its destroyed a lot of lives. He finally admitted that Pearl shot him in the face with a BB gun. 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. In January 2013, Rodriguez visited the family home after Ms Garcia reported Gabriel had been shot in the face with BB gun. The thing she loves most about working at the Alliance, is connecting with caregivers. Administrators admit that prioritizing one of these goals over the other is a false choicetheyre supposed to be able to protect children in danger without unnecessarily splitting up families. 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. 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. We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200," wrote Justice Francis Rothschild. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. They could have communicated with one another better, or pulled up the case history in the computer system. A few days later, Gabriel came to school with a split lip from Pearl punching him in the mouth. His one solace was a mens group at church, where he felt he was able to make his case to a higher power. 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. Hed met his wife, Bonnie, there, and was considered one of the agencys best supervisors. As Children'S Social Worker at Los Angeles County, STEFANIE A RODRIGUEZ made $49,663 in total compensation. It was stated that there was no probable cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion. We just report what we see. Garcia called Rodriguez and left messages on two different numbers the caseworker had given her. Reid took detailed notes, and Garcia soon received a phone call from Stefanie Rodriguez. His mommy, she told them through tears, hurt him really bad.. Gabriel was either tardy or absent a lot. That was a mistake, the school secretary, Pam Howell, told Evans. They hid Gabriels bloody clothes and moved a picture to cover one of the biggest dents in their apartments walls. Fishpond Hong Kong, Statistical Mechanics, Third Edition by R K Pathria . Stefanie's work & advice has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Oprah Magazine. !. If convicted of knowingly falsifying those records and the felony count of child abuse, the defendants each face up to 10 years in state prison. Despite the softwares assessment, Merritt had recently signed off on a request to close the case, satisfied that Gabriel was safe. Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand, Senior PR and Communications Officer - British Consulate General Sydney, Information Technology Service Management Analyst, Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communications, SSC Malaysia - Finance Team Lead - Bill & Pay, Techtronic Industries Australia & New Zealand, Volt - International (An Innova Solutions Company). On the wall behind the jury box, dark oily blotches had formed over the years behind the heads of countless weary jurors. In just a few days, she would be teaching first grade in Room 5 at Summerwind Elementary, four miles away. All rights reserved. They alleged the officials failed to take appropriate steps to protect the boy. Garcia told him to sit down. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Towards the end of January, when Gabriel came to class, there was no more laughing. 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. Martinez ultimately asked to be transferred to another office. Most agencies dont have those resources. Back in her classroom, Garcia saw the Mothers Day card on Gabriels desk. Looking for Stefanie Rodriguez online? Social worker Gregory Merritt appears in The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. 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. The Second District California Appellate Court heard arguments from lawyers representing Kevin Bom, Stefanie Rodriguez, Gregory Merritt and Patricia Clement. 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 . Everyone in the office knew that Palmdale had its share of caseworkers whom no one would choose to look after endangered children. 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. 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. He saw that a caseworker had used a computer program to score Gabriels likelihood of being abused. The other children were silent. By creating this job alert, you agree to the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Pearl and Aguirre asked no questions and offered no pleasantries. An unfiltered extrovert known as Mama Starr, she put Merritt, a stoic introvert, at ease. We were on a desert island, and we were just sinking, sinking, sinking., Like Merritt, Starr is a devout Christian. They additionally contend that supervisors Bomand Meritt knew or should have known that the reports were false as they contradicted physical evidence of Gabriels deteriorating physical health. Merritt told me she was a little bit of a burnout case but good enough. Others remember her less favorably. Finally, Corona slipped him the familys name and contact information, urging Martinez to save this kid. He called the Department of Children and Family Services twice but got lost in the automated system and hung up. I just pictured him being alone, she told me. So what? In his view, caseworkers should get more oversight, not less. Well, yeah, she told him, recalling that she herself had been spanked as a child. In 2017, social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. 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. Almost three years had passed since Gabriels death, and many people had all but forgotten that a criminal review was under way. Due to the amount of injuries to his body, the autopsy took two days. Still, Gabriel seemed desperate to win his mothers affection. Stefanie is related to Victor Rodriquez and Sylvia Rodriguez as well as 1 additional person. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. This seemed like the perfect case for us, Starr told me. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. Social worker Stefanie Rodriguez and other representatives of child protection agencies visited Gabriel's home on a number of occasions. Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Benefits. charged with child abuse and falsifying public records, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, was sentenced to life in prison, while her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, was sentenced to death. Likewise, detectives must forward allegations of romantic-partner abuse to prosecutors whether or not they recommend criminal charges. The disclosed employee information includes last name, first name, middle initial name, position title, department, fiscal year, earnings and benfits. arlene Starr, the worker who accepted Gabriels case into the Voluntary Family Maintenance program, was one of Greg Merritts closest confidantes at work. Pearl admitted to hitting him with the belt. Usually, promoting a case meant petitioning a judge to mandate services such as rent stipends or anger-management classes for parents, or seeking a judges approval to place the child in foster care. Merritt couldnt remember much about Gabriel, one of about 180 children whose cases he had been overseeing. drop in the number of children in foster care, The Still-Harrowing Extent of Child Abuse and Neglect, In a Year, Child-Protective Services Checked Up on 3.2 Million Children, When the State Takes Kids Away From Parents: Three Perspectives. During the final eight months of Gabriel Fernandezs life, numerous concerns had been made to the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services [DCFS]. , Life Insurance Premiums and Employer Medicare Tax even though the server responded,. The end of January, when Gabriel came to school with a BB gun prison if found.. Put Merritt, a stoic introvert, at ease worker Stefanie Rodriguez, Gregory appears! 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