Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
About three years ago, an 8-year-old boy, Gabriel Fernandez, was found in his home in Palmdale, California.
His skull was cracked, three ribs were broken, he had BB pellets embedded in his lung and groin. Two days later, Fernandez died.
The boy's mother and her boyfriend were charged with murder in his death.
Then, yesterday, additional allegations— four L.A. County social workers were charged with felony child abuse and falsifying public records in connection with the case.
Philip Browning, Director of the Department of Children and Family Services, joined Take Two to discuss the charges.
"One of the things I'm asking staff to do is to look at each case individually. Our primary goal... is safety of the child. So if our workers have a reason to believe that safety is at issue, then they need to take the proper precautions, which include going to the court and getting a warrant to allow removal. But I don't want our workers to change the way they're doing business so that they take every child out of the home. Because that's not what we really need to do."
To hear the full interview, click the link above.