Statistical mechanics is the theory underlying condensed matter physics. He whispered to Garcia that he didnt know what to say when they asked what had happened. 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. Browning, the head of the department, had referred the case to the district attorneys office in the immediate aftermath of Gabriels death. Still, she agreed to let me interview her at her new home, on the edge of a golf course in Californias Coachella Valley desert. Looking for Stefanie Rodriguez online? Stefanie Rodriguez in Texas. "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. Some of Merritts colleagues were so ashamed of the departments reputation that they avoided telling people what they did for a living. 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. The least popular job in this least desirable place was also the most difficult and most important: child-abuse investigator. The results came back negative. Yet she also noticed that ideas came easily to Gabriel, and he seemed to gain a small measure of dominion over his surroundings with a pencil in hand. For PR Pros . He was a devout Christian, and to him this wasnt just a job. This decision came from a three-justice panel. Gabriel at School Just Before Mother's Day. The four also had criminal charges filed against them. 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. Garcia called the principal to have him look at Gabriels head. Anchor | Reporter . Contact Stefanie, search articles and Tweets, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place. The Auditor-Controller discloses information about compensations paid to employees of Los Angeles County in the form of earnings and fringe benefits. He called 911, but his situation was not an emergency. In June 2018, after five hours of deliberation, jurors found Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre guilty of murder and torture. Cat feces were forced in his mouth and down his throat. Garcia says her interactions with Rodriguez began shortlyafter she suspected Gabriels mother was physically retaliating against him for his in-school misbehavior. 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 . Stefanie Rodriguez is an actress, known for Phil the Alien (2004). They acted in a way that was incompatible with the proper regard for human life. Later this year, a jury will reach its own conclusions. There were cigarette burns on his neck, feet, and genitals and ligature marks on both ankles. Gabriels teacher Ms Garcia contacted the organisation several times, reporting Gabriels injuries and behaviour. On May 22nd, 2013 paramedics rushed Gabriel to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles but doctors pronounced him braindead the same day. After the death of Gabriel Fernandez, LAC DCFS terminated four social workers for their failure to help him. Name. Any savings could be spent on programs aimed at keeping families intact. The call, which was recorded, felt awkward and intimidating: Garcia was still relatively new to teaching and wasnt sure whether this was the kind of thing she was supposed to reportshe didnt know Gabriels family and wondered whether she might be missing important context. The woman they knew was profane, ill-tempered, and prone to yelling at clients. MARIA EVELYN RODRIGUEZ-ZIERER (NPI# 1801829239) is a health care provider registered in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid . arlene Starr, the worker who accepted Gabriels case into the Voluntary Family Maintenance program, was one of Greg Merritts closest confidantes at work. Former colleagues told me he now mows lawns. She had lost custody of a son named Arnold Jr and had abandoned her youngest daughter, Destiny. Mind your own business. Gabriel would cry at the end of the day because he didnt want to go home. Gabriel, did not directly physically abuse Gabriel and did not have the "duty" required by the child abuse charge. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. The medics felt two fractures in Gabriels skull. 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. We did our own thing out there, he told me. If. Our client, Appcast, is seeking the following. he temperature outside was already in the 80s on the morning last fall when Ezequiel and Virginia testified in Isauro Aguirres murder trial. 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. They didnt understand what they saw. She was a ticking time bomb, Teresa Linn Stanley, a caseworker who once worked side by side with Clement, told me. Murder 24/7: Who narrates murder 24/7 on BBC2? Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. 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. In 2017, social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. When she was finally alone with him at recess, she asked what had happened. 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. As a general rule, caseworkers worry most about children who arent seen by people outside the home. In just a few days, she would be teaching first grade in Room 5 at Summerwind Elementary, four miles away. Rodriguez and Bom could have checked a box on a form to mark the case as high priority, but they left it blank. 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. 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 falsifying public records. Found insideWith the introduction of new sections and additional information, the fourth edition should prove highly useful for the students. 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. 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. But Browning, who left the department in 2017, acknowledged over email that these reforms could not guarantee that the department wouldnt see another death like Gabriels. Rodriguez made no entry in the case file to reflect the call. On walks, he lagged at the end of the line, saying that his arms and legs hurt. During Red Ribbon Week, when teachers talk to children about staying drug-free, Gabriel mimicked snorting cocaine and knew it was a drug. Due to the amount of injuries to his body, the autopsy took two days. The program said Gabriel was at very high risk. students of physics. Payments for Straight and Premium Overtime. Gabriel moved in with his mother and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, as well as two siblings: an 11-year-old brother named Ezequiel and a 9-year-old sister, Virginia. Stefanie Rodriguez, 34; Patricia Clement, 69; Kevin Bom, 40; and Gregory Merritt, 64, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. Baghdad Central: How does the series differ from the original book? Well, yeah, she told him, recalling that she herself had been spanked as a child. Still, Gabriel seemed desperate to win his mothers affection. 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. 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. BB pellets pockmarked his skin. 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. 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. His classmates laughed and pointed when they saw him. READ MOREGabriel Fernandez: What happened to Gabriel Fernandezs parents? 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. The department deemed all reports unsubstantiated. He tended to see hope where others saw a lost cause. ' in reference to the social worker. 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. She became a caseworker in her 50s, after spending much of her career as a counselor at the church where her husband was a pastor. Garcia called the principal to the room to take a look at Gabriels head. 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. Merritt assigned supervision of Gabriels case to a member of his team named Pat Clement, who would become the fourth person from the agency to face criminal charges. We have 122 records for Stefanie Rodriguez ranging in age from 28 years old to 51 years old. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 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. Garcia told Gabriel to tell other kids to mind their own business when they asked him what had happened. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Please fill in the following form. stefanie rodriguez social worker now. It was Gabriel. Both were soon fired from the department, as were their supervisors, Gregory Merritt and Kevin Bom. On March 26th, 2013 therapist intern Barbara Dixon filed a report that Gabriel claimed a relative forced him to perform oral sex on them. The next year, California passed the first state law mandating that doctors report suspected child abuse and neglect. The thing she loves most about working at the Alliance, is connecting with caregivers. May 21, 2022 . I mean, everybody beats their kids. He called the number for nonemergencies and was later told that a sheriffs deputy had gone to Gabriels home but hadnt seen anything wrong. As soon as a call came in from a hospital, caseworkers would be dispatched to interview any surviving siblings and remove them from the home. Breaking news for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. He lied because whenever a social worker would visit his punishments would increase. Pearl was yelling at Gabriel, who had cigarette burns on his head and neck and marks on his wrists from being tied up. Three weeks later, on a Tuesday, Rodriguez returned for a follow-up visit. It became his mantra. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) A California appeals court has thrown out criminal charges against four social workers in the torture and murder of 8-year-old Palmdale boy Gabriel Fernandez. The caseworker told me she believes in her training. Actress. 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. "We need to stand up to fight. Express. The couple got married in Iowa in 2018. 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. Martinez later learned that a deputy had visited the home and found nothing wrong. The four also had criminal charges filed against them. Nor did she ever interview Gabriel or his siblings alone, as is required by department policy because many children who fear additional abuse recant their stories if the perpetrator is present. Yet time and again, caseworkers from child-protective services failed to help him. He was able to find only sporadic work, stocking beer at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds. 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. But he told me hed sent the information only to be thorough; hed never expected anything to come of it. Merritt wasnt blind to Clements shortcomingshe told me hed once written a performance evaluation that scored her work as substandard, only to have his boss remove his criticisms and raise her score to competent. Under an agreement with the caseworkers union, managers were forbidden to fire, suspend, demote, or even write negative comments about any of their workers once certain caseload caps were reachedand the department routinely exceeded those caps. Other Benefits, Short Disability Insurance and Dependent & Health Care Spending Accounts. The case against Rodriguez, Clement, Bom and Merritt never made it to trial after the Second District Court of Appeal advised that the case be dismissed. 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. County policy requires workers in Merritts position to read the entire file before approving a closure, but the departments manual ran to 6,000 pages. Stefanie Rodriguez. Pearl herself had suffered abuse as a child, giving the family another two points. The card, shaped like a house, said Open the door to see who loves you with his picture glued inside. Whoops! Virginia and Ezequiel, who now live with a relative in another state, asked Hatami to accept her plea; they didnt want to have to testify against her. In that time, at least 143 children in Los Angeles County have died from abuse or neglect after having some prior history with DCFS.. They rushed him to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where he was on life support for two days. His wrists had ligature marks, as if hed been tied up. 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 . They asked the lawyer representing the L.A. County District Attorney about the term "duty," and the liability of workers. After all, Kate was mysteriously absent from the season three finale fast-forward scene and Toby seemed hesitant . All rights reserved. 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). Buy, sell, and rent smarter with Stefanie Rodriguez at Compass. Gabriel told her that the bruises on his face were because he had fallen while playing tag. The appellate court could also dismiss the charges or reduce them to misdemeanors. About STEFANIE M GUERRERO . He wanted to, and worked very hard on it. Prosecutors argued the four minimised evidence of abuse and violated multiple policies. 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