Gabriel Fernandez: What happened to the social workers? (2024)

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez: Netflix release gripping trailer

All six episodes of The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez are available to stream and download on Netflix now. The series tracks what happened to eight-year-old Gabriel and the subsequent murder trial of his mother Pearl Fernandez and her partner, Isauro Aguirre. The trials of Gabriel Fernandez also points to the failings of the Los Angeles Child Services and the four social works in charge of the Gabriel case.

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    What happened to the social workers in the Gabriel Fernandez case?

    During the final eight months of Gabriel Fernandez’s life, numerous concerns had been made to the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services [DCFS].

    Gabriel’s teacher Ms Garcia contacted the organisation several times, reporting Gabriel’s injuries and behaviour.

    Arturo Martinez, a security guard at the welfare office had also noticed Gabriel’s injuries and also tried to report his concerns.

    Gabriel’s mother, Pearl, was already known to the authorities following previous child abuse-related incidents.

    She had lost custody of a son named Arnold Jr and had abandoned her youngest daughter, Destiny.

    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 Gabriel to be moved out of the family home.

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    Gabriel Fernandez: What happened to the social workers? (2)

    Social worker Gregory Merritt appears in The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (Image: NETFLIX)

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    Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were their supervisors on the case.

    Sadly, Gabriel Fernandez was subjected to months of brutal torture at the hands of his mother Pearl and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre.

    He died on May 24, 2013, and in 2018, Pearl and Isauro were found guilty of first-degree murder with an additional special circ*mstance of intentional murder by torture.

    Following Gabriel’s death in 2013, Rodriguez, Clement, Bom and Merritt were fired from their positions at DCFS following an international investigation after Gabriel’s death in 2013.

    The DCFS Internal investigation found that neither Rodriguez or her supervisor Bon reviewed information regarding Pearl and her history with the DCFS.

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    Gabriel Fernandez: What happened to the social workers? (4)

    None of the Gabriel Fernandez social workers faced trial (Image: NETFLIX)

    The internal investigation also found that Stephanie never visited Gabriel’s school, talked to the neighbours or interview Gabriel and his siblings alone.

    In January 2013, Rodriguez visited the family home after Ms Garcia reported Gabriel had been shot in the face with BB gun.

    With his mother present, Gabriel told Rodriguez the bruises on his face came from a fall he had playing with his brother and dissenter.

    Rodriquez and Bom decided not to remove Gabriel from the home or order a medical evaluation. Later that month, Gabriel’s case was closed.

    Speaking to The Atlantic, Rodriguez explained that “during the time she supervised Gabriel’s welfare, other children in her caseload seemed to her to be in equal or greater danger.”

    Clement and Merritt then became involved in the case. They were informed of suicide notes written by Gabriel but they took no additional action.

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    Gabriel Fernandez: What happened to the social workers? (7)

    The trials of Gabriel Fernandez is streaming on Netflix now (Image: NETFLIX)

    When Clement visited the Fernandez home for the third time in March, Pearl said she did not want to have further involvement with the agency and Clement accepted her decision.

    In 2018, after Pearl and Isauro’s sentencing, prosecutors opened an investigation into the four social workers who had been assigned to Gabriel’s case.

    Rodriguez, Clement, as well as two of their supervisors, Bom and Merritt were charged with one felony count of child abuse and falsifying public records in April 2016.

    Prosecutors argued the four minimised evidence of abuse and violated multiple policies.

    Their case marks one of the few times social worked have been charged in a child abuse case in the US.

    If they were to be found guilty, they faced up to 10 years in prison each.

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    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.

    Decider.com reported that a three-justice panel stated there was “no probably cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion.”

    Justice Francis Rothschild wrote: “We conclude that the petitioners never had the requisite duty to control the abusers and did not have care or custody of Gabriel for purposes of Penal Code section 273a, subdivision (a).

    “We further conclude that the petitioners were not officers within the meaning of Government Code section 6200.

    “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.”

    A motion to appeal the 2nd District Court of Appeal’s decision was denied in January 2020.

    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. In my opinion, no crime was committed and I did not commit a crime.”

    The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is streaming on Netflix now

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    Gabriel Fernandez: What happened to the social workers? (2024)

    FAQs

    Gabriel Fernandez: What happened to the social workers? ›

    However, Fernandez was never removed from the household. 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. All charges were later dropped.

    What happened to Gabriel's social workers? ›

    The dismissal was expected after an appellate panel ruled in January that the social workers cannot be prosecuted in Gabriel's death because they did not have custody of Gabriel and could not have controlled the abusers' actions, according to the Los Angeles Times.

    Did the 4 social workers get charged? ›

    A Los Angeles County judge on Thursday dismissed the case against four social workers who were charged in connection with the torture death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez — after being directed to do so by a California appeals court.

    Is Aguirre still on death row? ›

    She had been facing a possible death sentence if the case against her had gone to trial and if she had been convicted as charged. The plea came about two months after jurors recommended that Aguirre be sentenced to death for the boy's killing. Aguirre, now 40, is now on death row.

    Why did Gabriel Fernandez stop living with his grandparents? ›

    In the documentary, Gabriel's move at the age of four was because his grandfather Robert Fernandez did not agree with a same-sex couple raising a child. Elizabeth Carranza, Gabriel's great-aunt and Michael's sister spoke highly of Michael and David' parenting.

    How long was Gabriel abused for? ›

    TwitterGabriel Fernandez was tortured for about eight months leading up to his murder. On May 22, 2013, Pearl Fernandez called 911 to report that her son, Gabriel, was not breathing. Paramedics arrived and found the boy with broken ribs, a fractured skull, missing teeth, and BB pellet wounds on his body.

    What happened to Gabriel's stepdad? ›

    What happened to Isauro Aguirre? Following Gabriel's death, Isauro was eventually tried, and in 2018 was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to the death penalty, according to NBC News. He is currently on death row at the San Quentin state prison in California.

    Who was the most famous social worker? ›

    #1) Jane Addams (1860-1935)

    Jane Addams, known as the “mother” of social work, was a pioneer American settlement activist/reformer, social worker, public philosopher, sociologist, public administrator, protestor, author, and leader in women's suffrage and world peace.

    How long do social workers last? ›

    According to recent research the average career length for a social worker is just seven years.

    Why social workers are quitting? ›

    Human service workers like teachers and social workers who have demanding jobs are often under high pressure and tend to experience mental health issues such as anxiety, distress, and burnout, which may lead to the intention to quit [22,23,24].

    Who was the man who survived death row? ›

    Convicted murderer Kenneth Smith, who survived an earlier execution attempt by lethal injection, was killed on Thursday night. Kenneth Smith, a convicted murderer, has become the first person to be executed by asphyxiation with nitrogen gas in the United States.

    Has a death row inmate ever been released? ›

    When defendants were now afforded more experienced counsel, with fairly selected juries, and were granted access to scientific testing, some were acquitted and released. Since 1973, 199 former death-row prisoners have been exonerated of all charges related to the wrongful convictions that had put them on death row.

    When was the last inmate killed on death row? ›

    Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. (KTXL) — On Jan. 17, 2006, the last death row prisoner from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was executed, ending a century-long practice of capital punishment in the state.

    Why did no one save Gabriel? ›

    Therolf's reporting shows DCFS skirted protocol, were incompetent in interviewing Gabriel's parents, ignored Gabriel's suicide notes and other calls for help. When Gabriel's mother told one of his caseworkers she didn't want to have any further involvement with the agency — the caseworker accepted her decision.

    Where is Isauro Aguirre now? ›

    Isauro Aguirre is a death row inmate at California's San Quentin State Prison.

    What happened to Stefanie Rodriguez, social worker? ›

    An appeals court had ordered Superior Court Judge George Lomeli to grant a motion to dismiss felony charges of child abuse and falsifying records against Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt. “The motion to dismiss has been granted,” a masked Lomeli said Thursday morning.

    Where are Gabriel's siblings now? ›

    The film explores his life and the systemic failures to protect him. Gabriel's siblings, Ezequiel and Virginia, have chosen to stay out of the public eye, requesting privacy. The documentary reveals they are now in a secure and stable environment with a relative.

    What happened to Gabriel Hernandez? ›

    Fernandez had been fatally beaten by his mother and Aguirre after failing to clean up his toys. When first responders arrived, they found him on the ground naked with several injuries. Aguirre initially said to them that Fernandez was "gay". Paramedics rushed him to the hospital where doctors declared him brain dead.

    Is Gabriel's mom still in jail? ›

    Today, Pearl is still alive and remains in the Chowchilla State Women's Prison, where she is currently serving her life sentence. Inmates, who are known to have abused children typically get rough treatment from other inmates in their prison, and that's allegedly happening to Pearl at Chowchilla.

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