[29] Stephanie Rodriguez, a social worker, was assigned to Fernandez's case. Executive director of the retirement home and former boss of Aguirre, Susan Weisbarth, described him as a "quiet, down to earth nice person, always willing to help." However, the changes come too late for Gabriel Fernandez. In reality, very few people are actually entitled to relief under the new California statutes.. Gabriel Fernandez was born on February 20, 2005, and he was only eight years old when she died on May 24, 2013. His memory has generated positive steps to save children. Every day I wish that I would have made better choices. [6] Aguirre explained to them that Fernandez was "gay". They failed! Even his siblings were brought up by his grandfather Robert and grandmother Sandra Fernandez. She became the mother of three children, Ezequiel, Virginia, and Gabriel. Likely, he had two siblings named Ezequiel and Virginia. About Pearl Sinthia Fernandez; Age: 39 Years: Birth: August 29, 1983: Gender: Female: Children: Gabriel Fernandez, Virginia, Ezequiel C: Parents: Robert Fernandez, Sandra Fernandez: Nationality: American: CDCR Number: . Atty. He is the 2 nd eldest kid in his family. The Brazilian star has been out for three months with a knee knock, his last game being . But even worse, the Department of Child and Family Services and law enforcement were called to the scene multiple times before Gabriels death and no action was taken. Lomeli said he carefully reviewed her petition for re-sentencing, but concluded that she was "not entitled to re-sentencing relief."[16]. The abuse embraced being forced to eat cat litter and feces. However, she never wanted Gabriel in the first place and even left the hospital after he was born. Unsurprisingly, prosecutors sought the death penalty for Gabriels mother and her boyfriend. In a brief statement to The Atlantic, Rodriguez said that at the time she was responsible for Gabriel, she was overseeing other children whose conditions she felt were equally or more dangerous. Janet Mock: How Television Can Be a Force for Political Change, What America's Richest Ski Town's Handling of COVID-19 Shows. This short series is based on Gabriel Fernandez and the torture that he suffered. The California boy died . They used to live together and Gabriel was also living with them. The judge, who had been on the bench for 20 years, said he never personally commented on a case he presided over, but had to for this one. The documentary investigates whether Father Joseph Maskell had Sister Cathy killed because she was about to expose him and others for sexually abusing teenage students at Archbishop Keough High School. He was just 8 years old at his demise, so he had not experienced professional life. When his dead body found it was all swollen and there were burn marks on his body. She shall celebrate her being in hell, so her boyfriend. Similarly, he had not revealed anything about his academic background. GABRIEL Fernandez would have been 16-years-old on February 20, 2021. Then, in 2012, Pearl Fernandez was granted child custody of Gabriel in order to get welfare benefits, according to . She also commented that throughout his three-year employment he was patient and loving, and would commonly change the diapers of elderly residents at the facility. It has been seven years since parental child abuse took the life of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez opens with audio of the 911 call and a painful interview with a trauma nurse who tried to save Gabriel's life. [29] However, there was never a medical follow up and every time a social worker would go to Fernandez's household, she never talked directly to Fernandez and would only talk to his mother. Even worse, the abuse was no secret. Magazines, Digital In 2007, two ex-convicts entered the Petit family home and tortured the family. After some hours, Gabriel was taken to the hospital but unfortunately, he passed away two days later on 24 May 2013 at the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Gabriel Fernandez, an 8-year-old boy, was abused and tortured to death by his mother's boyfriend, Isauro, who believed he was homosexual. However, there was so much blood, that she soon ran out of the color and had to switch to yellow stickers. The series, which began. Gabriel also claimed that he had been shot in the face with a BB gun. They continued to raise Fernandez for four years. When the jury was seeking the death penalty for Aguirre, it was the same juror who voted against it, because he felt they needed to hear Aguirre out., 8. The child has 2 siblings named Ezequiel and Virginia. The Series which is released on Netflix has all the details that how much the child suffered before death. Further, Fernandezs siblings explained that while Fernandez was being abused, his mother and her boyfriend, Istana would laugh. The documentary explained that she never wanted Gabriel, and actually left the child at the hospital, when family members took him in. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Perhaps one of the most famous Netflix documentaries, "Making a Murderer" looks into the murder of Teresa Halbach, for which Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey have been convicted for. Gabriel Fernandez was a child from Palmdale, California who was murdered by his mother and her boyfriend. Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to death by hanging. Her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 40, was sentenced to death. There were beating marks on his forehead, lips, nose and his eyes were all swollen. Additionally, this case reinforces that close people often abuse children, such as caretakers and parents. [27] However, charges were dropped in 2020 as justices in the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled that failure to uphold their duties and failure to remove Fernandez from his abusers did not constitute criminal liability for child abuse. I couldnt watch all of this, it make me sick down to my heart. See the 9 most shocking details about the case below. According to the LA Countys they tortured every portion of his body and there were cuts everywhere on his body. I wish Gabriel was alive. Here Are 14 Other True-Crime Docs You Should Watch (Photos). The 46-year-old from Erie, Pennsylvania was a pizza delivery man who got involved in a bank robbery that included a scavenger hunt and a homemade bomb strapped around his neck. City News Service contributed to this report. According to family members, she was uneducated, started using drugs at an early age which stopped brain development, was diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, suffered from eating disorders, and had abnormalities on her scans. . The accusation against the social workers was for falsification of public documents to try to erase their responsibility and negligence that led to the death of the child who lived in the community of Palmdale, in northern Los Angeles County. By the time of his death eight years later, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had received 60 complaints about his mother's household. Why didnt all these people from welfare, social worker teachers saw that there were something wrong? Garcia, who appears throughout the six-part series, says that a couple weeks after he started in her classroom, Gabriel asked her, Is it normal for moms to hit their kids? When she pressed him, Gabriel asked if it was normal to be hit with a belt buckle. In the months preceding his death, Fernandez showed his injuries or reported the abuse to a security guard, family members, and a teacher, which led to several calls to social services to no avail. 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.. On Netflix, a documentary based on his life has been released named The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez on February 19, 2020. It was gut-wrenching, to say the least, he says of the trial. 4. Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com. [28] Garcia continued to see signs of child abuse such as a fat lip, pieces of hair missing. ", "Where is Pearl Fernandez Now? "Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes" (Netflix). Walking out of there, with finally some justice for Gabriel, was the best feeling that weve had in such a long time, she said. Lomeli. [22] However, when Gabriel died, Fernandez and Aguirre were both charged with first degree murder with special circumstances of torture; prosecutors pursued the death penalty. Gabriel Fernandez suffered a combination of physical and emotional abuse. In the year 2012 Gabriel came to live with his mother while his siblings stayed with Robert and Sandra. The screenplay examines the ways in which the system of Golden Age Hollywood exploited the likes of Judy Garland . She is a child murderer. As depicted during the series, sheriffs were called to the house by other family members days before the murder but took no action. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge George Lomeli, who presided over the murder trial, said at a hearing Tuesday that he reviewed the petition and concluded Fernandez was not entitled to resentencing relief., It has been established by her own admission during her guilty plea that the murder was intentional and involved the infliction of torture over a period of several months, Lomeli said, adding that the record supports the theory that Fernandez was a major participant in the murder of a child victim.. But when you get to the end, its about: how do you want to treat kids?. In mid-2018 another child died in a similar manner. This led to concerns over the effectiveness and efficiency of social services in Los Angeles County, and led to four social workers being criminally charged in Los Angeles Superior Court. Morbidology Podcast The article continues below Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. DCFS Also Failed in Other Similar Cases. Upon his death on May 24, 2013, Gabriel was 8 years old. Gabriel's father, Arnold, was incarcerated at the time. ", Isauro Aguirre pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder with special circumstances of torture, and the case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami and Deputy District Attorney Scott Yang. As a result, she abandoned Gabriel at the hospital when he was born. Pearl murdered her 8-year-old son named Gabriel Fernandez. Soon after, police discovered alarming text messages from his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, which seemed to encourage him to kill himself. Gabriel Fernandez was only 8 years old when he was brutally murdered by his mother Pearl and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre. According to Gorin, most murder convictions, which represent a relatively small number of cases in Los Angeles criminal courts, are secured with theories for criminal culpability that are not covered by the statute for release. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, sentenced to life in prison without parole, review her sentence in light of recent changes to state law, Nothing short of evil: Judge sentences mother to life in prison and her boyfriend to death in Gabriel Fernandez murder case, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Long Beach residents stymie plan for shelter; they say it wasnt about the homeless people, Linda Kasabian, Charles Manson follower who helped send him to prison, dies at 73, L.A. County agrees to $28.85-million settlement with Bryant family over crash photos, L.A. County moves to require quake retrofits as Turkey-Syria death toll exceeds 50,000, Column: As help pours in for World War II vet, 102, with huge bill, SoCalGas wants a rate hike. On another day, Fernandez came to class with chunks of hair missing and a lump on his lip. No one can imagine how much this child suffered. Heres what to know about the true story behind the series, out on Netflix on Feb. 26. He died at the age of eight. The event in . Gabriel Fernandez was killed by his mum and her love interest. Family members were privy to the abuse Pearl Fernandezs sister often slept over to shield Gabriel and the two other kids from the abuse. However, Fernandez was never removed from the household. Gabriel Fernandez was plainly single at the tender age of eight. The couple tortured him so much that he died in May 2013. The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is a limited series that premiered on Netflix in 2020. Gabriel was born on February 20, 2005 to Pearl Fernandez and Arnold Conteras. [18] He worked for Woodland Park Retirement Hotel where he was a caregiver and a driver. GABRIEL Fernandez would have been 16-years-old on February 20, 2021. One of the two men who helped raise Gabriel Fernandez before he was tortured and murdered at age 8 by his mother and her boyfriend has died from the novel coronavirus. When he was arrested after robbing the bank, the bomb went off and killed Wells. "They can . Man who tortured, killed Gabriel Fernandez among death row inmates who got COVID-19 jobless benefits from California by: Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved. PALMDALE, Calif. -- This weekend marks seven years since parental child abuse took the life of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. In 2009, four-year-old Gabriel moved in with his grandparents, due to his grandfather's objection to Carranza's and Martinez's same-sex relationship. [15], Pearl Fernandez filed a petition on April 8, 2021 which requested being re-sentenced but this was dismissed by the Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli. Fernandez's great-aunt, Elizabeth Carranza, and her husband called social services three times and talked to sheriffs twice regarding the welfare of Fernandez. The tragic story of Gabriel Fernandez in Netflix's The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez has moved many viewers. His reasoning? Days before he was murdered, he wrote a card to his mom telling her all the things he loved about her. Gabriel Fernandez, 8, of Palmdale, Calif., died after years of abuse from his mother and her boyfriend. His mother is Pearl Fernandez, who is responsible for his death. Click through the gallery to find your next binge-worthy doc. She was admitted to the facility on June 21, 2018. ", "CDRC Inmate Locator - Inmate Information - AGUIRRE, ISAURO", "Gabriel Fernandez's mother sentenced to life in prison, boyfriend gets death penalty in Palmdale boy's torture-beating murder", "Jury Recommends Death Sentence for Isauro Aguirre for Murder of 8-Year-Old Gabriel Fernandez", "Jury selection begins in trial over local boy's death", "Mother's boyfriend found guilty in systematic torture, murder of 8-year-old boy", "Charges Dismissed against Social Workers Linked to Gabriel Fernandez's Killing", "The gabriel fernandez case: comparative analysis of 'mandated reporter' in light of the children's act", "Review: netflix's the trials of gabriel fernandez", "Gabriel Fernandez's Social Workers Have Another Court Date Coming Up", "L.A. sheriff's deputies disciplined after horrific torture death of 8-year-old boy", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Gabriel_Fernandez&oldid=1139607004, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre. He also notes a culture of silence permeating the Department of Child and Family Services. Ex-coworker Sherline Mille, who also worked for Woodland Park Retirement Hotel, noted that while Aguirre was driving residents he would often drive them the scenic route so they could get to see views other than the freeway. Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, another social worker, along with their supervisors, Gregory Merritt and Kevin Bom, were charged with felony counts of child abuse and falsifying public records. [25][24], When the trial began, jurors were given details about the extensive abuse Gabriel Fernandez went through in the months preceding his fatal beating. The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez Limited Series Release year: 2020 A boy's brutal murder and the public trials of his guardians and social workers prompt questions about the system's protection of vulnerable children. In response, Garcia called social services and was later called by social worker Stefanie Rodriguez, informing her that she was assigned to the case. Throughout Fernandez's eight-month stay with his mother and Aguirre, multiple people reported signs of abuse to social workers with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Criminal defense attorney Dmitry Gorin, who was not involved in the case, said that his law firm fields calls almost daily concerning resentencing, but that most seeking relief dont qualify for it under state law. But in the end, while Aguirre was sentenced to death, and Fernandez received life in prison without the possibility of parole, the social workers escaped punishment. Mother's Bid for Re-Sentencing Denied in Torture-Death of 8-Year-Old Gabriel Fernandez Gabriel Fernandez was killed in May 2013, after months of torture by his mother and her boyfriend, both of . 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