One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Judge Dismisses Charges Against Social Workers In Gabriel Fernandez Case
Gabriel Fernandez. (NBC4)
An L.A. County Superior Court Judge today dismissed child abuse charges against four former county social workers in the case of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. Each defendant was facing up to 10 years in prison.
The Palmdale boy was tortured and murdered by his mother and her boyfriend in 2013.
It was a horrific case that made Gabriel Fernandez a household name around the world. Evidence showed he had been systematically beaten, shot with BB gun pellets and subjected to other abuses before he died.
Fernandez’s mother has since been sentenced to life in prison. Her boyfriend received the death penalty.
Many questioned how the abuses could have gone unaddressed by authorities at the time, especially since the County Department of Child and Family Services had been alerted.
In a highly unusual move, L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey filed charges against the four social workers. The DA claimed they had shown willful disregard for Fernandez’s well-being. The social workers' lawyers argued that the abuse and torture escalated months after the county had closed its file on the case.
The judge tossed the case after an appeals court ruled earlier this year that the social workers could not be held criminally liable because Fernandez was never in their custody and it was not up to them to stop the abuse.
Sponsored message
In a statement, the L.A. County Department of Child and Family Services said it respects the court’s decision, adding that it 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.”
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
