stefanie rodriguez social worker now

After school, Garcia called the countys child-abuse hotline. More info. She decided to call Rodriguez again, and again got voicemail. She left a career in genetic res Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. We just report what we see. Garcia called Rodriguez and left messages on two different numbers the caseworker had given her. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. The program said Gabriel was at very high risk. When she was finally alone with him at recess, she asked what had happened. Each week, O'Connell Rodriguez answers some super common and everyday questions about . Stephanie Rodrigues is a member of the caregiver training team. Express. But the Palmdale branch couldnt afford to be picky. It had expanded because of the funding changes instituted during the Bush administration. I dont believe you, Gabriel, she said, noting that this was the first time hed lied to her. An autopsy report showed bruises, fractures, and cuts all over his body including his groin as well as BB's embedded in his body. They each faced up to ten years in prison if found guilty. When the paramedics arrived, Ezequiel guided them wordlessly inside. One, addressed to his mother, said, I love you so much that I will die. Others stated he wanted to kill himself. Rodriquez and Bom decided not to remove Gabriel from the home or order a medical evaluation. She said she had been assigned to investigate and told Garcia to call her directly if she noticed. Name. Pearl told the operator that Gabriel wasnt breathing, and Aguirre blamed the injuries on Gabriels roughhousing with Ezequiel. Evans had no authority to make a diagnosis or mandate further medical attention, but she wrote detailed notes, thinking that child-protective-services caseworkers might inquire about the incident. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Such shallow inquiries were routine across Los Angeles County. The practitioner's primary taxonomy code is 1041C0700X with license number P014141 (NC). Thats why its so crushing to see him treated this way, she said. 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. However, in November 2012, things appeared to get worse. Other marks were scattered on his face, neck, and left ear. In 2016, Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, two former LA County social workers, as well as two supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with one felony count each of child abuse and falsifying public records. Pearl ordered her 11-year-old daughter to help them clean blood off the floor. Ezequiel, who was now 16, had a faint mustache and a face shaped like Gabriels. y then, Gabriels siblings later testified, he was spending almost all of his days and nights in the cubby. Ezequiel said he sometimes tried to crack open the padlocked door to sneak Gabriel a banana. He then asked if it was normal for moms to hit kids with a belt buckle and make you bleed. Instead, she asked Gabriel whether he really wanted to do that days assignment: making a Mothers Day card. For Jennifer Garcia, the 201213 school year was off to a disappointing start. The DCFS Internal investigation found that neither Rodriguez or her supervisor Bon reviewed information regarding Pearl and her history with the DCFS. The term battered-child syndrome entered the national lexicon. [INFO]White House Farm ending: Where are they now? Stephanie Rodriguez. The Auditor-Controller discloses information about compensations paid to employees of Los Angeles County in the form of earnings and fringe benefits. She told Pearl that he was a good writer and that he was smart, but Pearl seemed skeptical. She trusts that if she stays grounded and listens to her instincts and follows the departments rules and processes, she wont ever need to confront the details of Gabriels case or another like it. He rarely went outside during recess, and when he did, Garcia sometimes saw him alone on the playground, kicking a wall. His mom? they asked, their faces filled with the deepest horror shed ever seen in children so young. Check social media profiles, places of employment, resumes and CV, work history, photos and videos, arrest records, news, business records and publications . In that time, at least 143 children in Los Angeles County have died from abuse or neglect after having some prior history with DCFS.. Take your time, Garcia told him. 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. The appellate court could also dismiss the charges or reduce them to misdemeanors. We have, in effect, encouraged DCFS and its social workers to cover their tracks if they stumble on the cracks in the system.. In the end, it all added up to very high risk, meaning that the caseworkers had no choice but to promote the case for further attention. Statistical mechanics is the theory underlying condensed matter physics. Stephanie Rodriguez. Sign up here for our free newsletters. The caseworker told me she believes in her training. Merritt was on antidepressants, and he rarely left the house. In 2004, a relative filed a complaint with CPS claiming that Pearl was beating that son. He said he wouldnt hesitate to remove a child if he knew there to be true danger, but he also acknowledged that he recognized such situations less often than others did. In 2017, social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. That means every day I live before the face of God, and thats what keeps me sane.. Pearl sat quickly, fidgeting and rubbing her nose. Towards the end of January, when Gabriel came to class, there was no more laughing. May 21, 2022 . According to the case file, Rodriguez met Gabriels family in their second-floor apartment, which looked out on the back of a row of dollar stores, two days after Garcias first call to the hotline. Call or Email Stefanie Vitale now - (919) 374-4292. Inside, fluorescent bulbs threw a dull yellow light across the courtroom. 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. She saw the anger swell inside him. Mistakes were inevitable when department leaders and county politicians gave workers so little support, she said. Like, You aint got nothing else to do? he told me. In 2006, Sanders left the agency for the powerful Casey Family Programs, a $2.4 billion foundation that provides assistance to child-protective-services agencies nationwide. Garcia lost hope that DCFS would offer any rescue. As Children'S Social Worker at Los Angeles County, STEFANIE A RODRIGUEZ made $49,663 in total compensation. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading to first-degree murder and admitting the torture allegation. She explained that hearing the name Gabriel Fernandez had sent her into a daze. 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. On November 26th, 2012 Gabriel showed up to class late. By creating this job alert, you agree to the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. After the death of Gabriel Fernandez, LAC DCFS terminated four social workers for their failure to help him. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office had filed the charges of child abuse and falsifying records against social workers Stefanie Rodrigez, 35, and Patricia Clement, 59, as well as . Found insideWith the introduction of new sections and additional information, the fourth edition should prove highly useful for the students. He was 8 years old, and the signs of abuse were obvious. One day in late October, about two weeks after hed started at school, Gabriel tugged on her side in the middle of class. Martinez called his own supervisor and was told the same: Thats not your job. We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200," wrote Justice Francis Rothschild. First Call Made Six Months Before Gabriel's Death 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. An investigation into the eight-month period leading up to his death discovered that his mother doused him with pepper spray, locked him in a closet with a sock forced in his mouth, and forced him to eat his own vomit. 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. I thought Gabriel would benefit. So she agreed to accept his case rather than urging Rodriguez to take it to courta decision that has haunted her ever since. Meanwhile, the rate of child abuse remained steady during that period; according to a Yale study, at least one out of eight American children will be abused by age 18. They recommended the death penalty. Stephanie Rodriguez Social worker Greater Sacramento 7 followers 7 connections Join to view profile Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services Sonoma State University Experience Human. Gabriels grandmother told two sheriffs deputies that Pearl had a history of neglecting and abusing her children, but they didnt believe her. If the victim is a child, a detective can end the investigation with no review by prosecutors. Gabriel told her that the bruises on his face were because he had fallen while playing tag. In January, the Palmdale teacher testified that she reported Gabriels physical injuries as well as his allegations that the injuries were at the hands of his mother. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge dismissed charges against social workers who were accused of child abuse and falsifying records related to the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. This one guy was talking to himself all the time. Merritt assumed he was mentally ill. But the program worried Philip Browning, whod become the head of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services in 2011. 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. Social worker 22,700 followers . Dice is the leading career destination for tech experts at every stage of their careers. This seemed like the perfect case for us, Starr told me. Still, Mondays events nagged at Garcia. 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. Any savings could be spent on programs aimed at keeping families intact. Toggle primary navigation. Please exercise caution when reading this, as there are accounts of very brutal abuse amounting to torture and a child victim. Yes, he said. Villar also stated that the defendants should have documented Gabriel Fernandezs injuries and that their actions were incompatible with the proper regard for human life.. Learn more about Muck Rack . Merritt told me she was a little bit of a burnout case but good enough. Others remember her less favorably. Garcia called Gabriels caseworker, Rodriguez, on two different numbers and left messages. . All rights reserved. They rushed him to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where he was on life support for two days. Social workers Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, as well as their supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were each charged with one felony count of child abuse and one felony. Visit the Career Advice Hub to see tips on interviewing and resume writing. A public employee's salary relates to a particular person, but it is a matter of public interest and not primarily a matter of the individual's private business. In her notes, she reported that shed observed the children to be appropriately dressed, visibly healthy, and did not have any marks or bruises., The following week, Garcia made multiple calls about Gabriels haircut and busted lip. This was deemed unfounded. Find Stefanie Rodriguez's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. He occasionally took books off the shelf, copied sentences in his own hand, and took them to Garcia. 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.. (Clement declined to comment for this article.) By then, she and Bom had already decided to end the investigation; they saw no signs of danger or abuse. 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. 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. A few days later, Gabriel came to school with a split lip from Pearl punching him in the mouth. A familys prior history is one of the most reliable measures of the need for future intervention, and in the past 10 years, at least four hotline calls had been made alleging that Pearl Fernandez was neglecting or abusing her children. Username. He died two days later. Gabriel Fernandez joined the class even later, in mid-October, more than a month into the school year. This created a financial incentive to reduce the use of foster care. My mom punched me in the mouth, he said. On March 26th, 2013 therapist intern Barbara Dixon filed a report that Gabriel claimed a relative forced him to perform oral sex on them. Garcia says her interactions with Rodriguez began shortlyafter she suspected Gabriels mother was physically retaliating against him for his in-school misbehavior. OPEN GOV US GOV US. 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. 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. Garcia testified she repeatedly reported suspected abuse to social workers who failed to prevent his death. We were on a desert island, and we were just sinking, sinking, sinking., Like Merritt, Starr is a devout Christian. When he was in school, he would kick other students. The information disclosed includes compensations paid to employees of Los Angeles County in the form of earnings and fringe benefits. 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