The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

Review of Antelope Valley child welfare services to follow boy’s death

by •

Anthony Avalos

LANCASTER – Calling the death of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos a “senseless murder,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she will ask Tuesday for a review of all county contacts with the boy’s family, seeking an answer to why he was not removed from the home where he was being tormented.

Barger previewed a motion to be considered at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

“The county is suffering a senseless murder of an innocent child, allegedly at the hands of someone inside the home, while law enforcement, social workers and family preservation workers all interacted with the family,” Barger said.

“We need to identify how our previous efforts to enhance and expand services and integrate county partners have succeeded, and determine where there are continual gaps and barriers.”

Barger’s motion asks for a close look at services provided in the Antelope Valley in particular.

The review, almost certain to be approved by the board, will involve the Office of Child Protection, law enforcement and the Department of Children and Family Services. The group will evaluate staffing, supervision and collaboration, or the lack thereof, between social workers and law enforcement officers in child abuse and neglect referrals.

The Office of Child Protection was established to transform the child welfare system in response to the 2013 murder of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez in Palmdale. Gabriel was long tortured and ultimately beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend despite numerous previous reports of abuse to DCFS.

Like Gabriel, Anthony, was the subject of years of severe abuse allegations, sources told the Los Angeles Times. Anthony died with serious head injuries, cigarette burns covering his body, the newspaper reported.

The coroner’s office has placed a security hold on the case and no arrests had been made as of early Monday evening, according to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

School administrators, a teacher, a counselor, family members and others called police or the child abuse hotline at least 16 times since 2013 to report child abuse in Anthony’s Lancaster home, according to sources who reviewed county documents in the case.

The callers reported that Anthony or his siblings were denied food and water, sexually abused, beaten and bruised, dangled upside-down from a staircase, forced to crouch for hours, locked in small spaces with no access to the bathroom, forced to fight each other, and forced to eat from the trash, the sources told The Times.

The callers made allegations against several family members, including his mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, according to the sources. The sexual abuse allegation was made against another family member who Barron and Leiva continued to use for child care even after being made aware of the accusation, the sources said.

At a vigil for the boy on Thursday, relatives disagreed over whether he was mistreated by his mother, KTLA5 reported on its website, with a cousin calling her a good mother.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call from his mother about 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, and found the boy unresponsive inside his family’s apartment. Authorities said they were told the boy had suffered injuries from a fall. He died at a hospital Thursday morning, and investigators classified the death as suspicious.

County officials have removed seven other children from the home as the investigation continues.

Maria Barron told The Times that she started making calls to DCFS in 2015 when she noticed bruises and other injuries that the children told her were caused by Leiva. She said the children also reported Leiva locking them in small spaces where they had to urinate and defecate on the floor.

Although many of the reports of the children’s alleged abuse came from professionals or eyewitnesses, caseworkers who investigated the abuse allegations only marked some as “substantiated,” and they only briefly placed Anthony in the care of an aunt and uncle, according to The Times sources.

Anthony was returned to his mother’s home over his relatives’ protests, his aunt, Maria Barron, said in an interview.

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has filed papers under state disclosure law saying Anthony’s death likely resulted from child abuse, The Times reported.

County sources were not willing to comment on whether any specific case management errors had been identified or whether any administrative action had been taken against social workers or supervisors responsible for Anthony Avalos’ case, including putting anyone on desk duty pending the outcome of an investigation.

Four DCFS officials facing trial over Gabriel Fernandez’s death are due in court Tuesday for a pretrial hearing.

Gabriel’s mother was sentenced earlier this year to life in prison without the possibility of parole and her boyfriend was sentenced to death.

Previous related stories: Homicide detectives investigating suspicious death of 10-year-old Lancaster boy

 

45 comments for "Review of Antelope Valley child welfare services to follow boy’s death"

  1. Ugh to whomever claims this [removed} is a good mother, your a stupid ignorant [removed} too. Yes I said [removed}.. and yes I’m a woman..and NO I don’t care who it offends because most women are offended by the word [removed} like it’s the worst thing you can call someone ( which its not ) but that’s what she or anyone who defends her is…these are innocent children people.! It seems like the worst crimes out there are committed against defensless innocent children, and people ignore this [removed}! Pisses me off…people who treat their kids like [removed} get to keep their kids…meanwhile there are others who wish nothing more but to have their children but have been betrayed by our system and stripped of their rights,even though they made mistakes when they were young,, but never towards their kids. It damages people. But for the county to keep letting this happen is not right they aren’t protecting anyone but these prices of [removed} that are abusing these babies/children. Arg!! Makes me soo mad!

  2. … you have to understand, it’s the government. Unlike Latin America, here in the United States, we have excellent government. Affirmative action dilemma, our problem is, our government employs the laziest, most complacent, most inept clock watchers on this planet. These bureaucrats care not one iota, about anyone or anything, but themselves. Outsourcing everything they possibly can leaves them more time for their favorite pastime: bickering and complaining amongst themselves. All they ever do is, complain.

  3. Hi I am a grandmother who tried to get my granddaughter and DCFS builds their own case against a mother who has never abused her 1 year old daughter. My daughter had a issue with her sister normal family siblings stuff and DCFS snatched her daughter on a report of failure to protect. Protect had ZERO to do with the care of her child it’s been 9 months and they still haven’t gave her back… I’m suing them wait on it they are some real sick people out hear that make it tough for the parents that has done anything to a child. Don’t get me wrong it’s some real dead beet mother’s I need help they got a court house where you wait till 5pm and they still continue

    • I hear you, same here I have the same problem with these caseworkers and their [removed], i need help but don’t know where to start

  4. My kids were taken from me after i called the cops for help meanwhile i was in a DV situation. I left to a dv shelter and 2 weeks later christina bailin came and took my kids with NO WARNING when i had been cooperating with her and asking what was going on. 2 days before she came at 10 am i asked her what was going on with my case, she responded saying she was awaiting the response from the judge. In reality she had already written up an affidavit stating my children were “unsafe” being emotionally abused and “generally neglected” because it was my 2nd DV she said i chose to stay in the situation. Because we choose to be abused right? I guess, anyways. She took my kids january 9 2018 i got them back January 15th after the judge ordered my babies back in my custody. 4 and 3 years old my babies had only known me and their dad to take care of them they never even went to a daycare before they were snatched for a whole week . And they were NEVER mistreated for them to be taken from me like that! My son who was 3 and already potty trained came back wearing diapers (i had to re-potty train a 3 year old and my daughter who was 4 never knew a thing about ghosts was now scared of the monsters in the closet. I HATE ANTELOPE VALLEY DCFS. AND THATS NOT EVEN THE ONLY DCFS SITUATION IN MY FAMILY. I have another thats on going with my brothers and siss who still have not been removed from a dangerous situation! GET UP AND DO YOUR FUCKING JOBS!

    • Oh AND my social worker had the whole two weeks to come see that we were not in the dv home anymore, she said it was unnecessary (i had moved to san fernando ) so it was just a waste of her time

  5. Anthony’s father is also a wannabe gang member. He lef to Mexico to avoid going to jail. He was never in this little boys life. His family is the worst and have never been part of Anthony’s life. It’s been by choice. Now all of a suddent they want to cry and say al lot this and that but they never looked for him. There full of it. It’s all fake news!!

    • Where are the other children going to? It’s so sad to see this innocent soul lost. How many other children are there?

    • This is all due to NEGLIGENCE from DCFS and Family members, PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!
      and HOMOPHOBIA from Society.

      RIP Anthony Avalos.

  6. We will never forget Darion Wheat, who at the age of 5 years old, was beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend. His beating was covered up as his mother, her boyfriend, and the boyfriend’s mother. Darion’s mother told the sheriff that she had accidentally backed up over him. DCFS had been contacted several times, but they did next to nothing. It was only a short time after the last report, that he was killed. This system has failed so many of our children, but keep trying to get them help. WHEN (not if) you see something, SAY something, then KEEP SAYING SOMETHING to the authorities. It can be a difficult call to make but I would rather make that call when abuse is suspected/witnessed and be wrong, than live my life knowing a child was being harmed or even worse, killed and had done nothing to try to stop it.

  7. Please excuse any and all of my writing errors. I am a resident of the Antelope Valley since 1981. I am writing because during the last 2 plus years I have encountered numerous instances of non assistance from our Sheriff department and DCFS offices concerning my daughter.  It does extend to my other children also. I have kept documentation of my path up to this point. I have pleaded to the family law courts to pay attention to my concerns with my 6 year old daughter. I have also voiced my concerns to DCFS on every mandated report made. One report made by myself in 2016. Serious issues and situations without any resolution. The most recent I will discuss is during a court ordered visit. My daughter came home and told me the other parent had put a firearm, a handgun on her legs under the blankets in the bed. This was reported to the police department. When a Detective was assigned to the case, Detective Canela his response to my concerns that a felon (ADW) and current 5 year restraining order (fractured the skull and hospitalized my spouse at the time) had a presumably loaded firearm on the body of a 6 year old child. His words I quote, ” I have a lot of cases on my desk and I have a lot of paperwork, why dont you just ask him why he has a gun.” Nevermind the fact my child is in fear. This was a relationship of domestic violence and abuse towards my children. 2 mandated reporters gave this information to DCFS in January /February 2018. They never made contact.  Never asked my child what happened. No Detective ever came and followed up with her or interviewed the other parent. My daughter drew a picture and asked me to hold it in case this happened to her. A picture of her and the other parent. Him pointing a gun at her and shooting her. You can only imagine the grief this causes me. They made a mandated report. This will be the 4th or 5th to DCFS. Their has been other incidents that would constitute at least neglect. It is all public record on my family law case. According to the DCFS referral letter I received this case was investigated and closed in 1 day. I am sure you receive many correspondence regarding a variety of issues. Mine is important to me because it is my child. But it could be anyone’s. I need someone elses eye’s to look at what I see and tell me the positions my child has been put in and subjected to are in her best interest. I do have a private attorney. I landed back in court when the other parent came to the police station intoxicated and attempted to drive away with a then 4 year old child. Their is SO many different topics and situations that require attention. Why isn’t any agency listening to me nor my child?  She has verbalized her fear and it has been dismissed and ignored. I am following the law. I have kept complete honesty with all authority and officials. My only position is to protect my child. At the same time I have to obey the family law court and send my daughter to stay with an adult who has not provided the highest standard of care for her. I thank you for your time in reading this. If you are unable to assist me, I would appreciate any contacts to plead to regarding my situation.

  8. There were TWENTY SEVEN DCFS employees involved in the case against my childs mother. Nothing was ever done. Not one of those people should be allowed anywhere near children.

  9. Let me get this straight, If kids are taken by DCFS then the state is wrong, however if the kids are not taken by DCFS the state is wrong. No wonder these cases are treated with kit gloves.

    • Look! Speaking from total experience. Here’s the F$&;k@ng deal. Dcfs has taken children away that were not in imminent danger or abused. But when calls have been coming in left and right ESPECIALLY FROM A GOD D$&(ed family member! Then [removed] hit the fan and this [removed] system is so corrupt orcounty workers are not doing their jobs. I’m so friggin heated over this bc I’m going through a lot right now over a situation with no abuse…. It’s all monetary it’s all [removed]! This has to STOP NOW!!!!

  10. So they call this a murder, yet no arrests have been made. Wander when their vacation to Mexico is scheduled.

      • Why not? I know lots of white folk that live in Mexico.
        Also he said ‘vacation’.
        Mexico has lots of nice areas.

      • The mom is not white she is Mexican n I have known her for years I’m not saying she did these things to him n I’m not saying she didn’t but all the years I have known her she always had her kids well dressed and they were good kids n her car was always full of lil snacks because her kids would share with my kids her kids were well mannered as well so im saying i dnt think she is the type of person to do that to her kids n if u look not the father nor any other family members have pics of any of her kids on there media pages so who really even knows if they were ever around cuz i mean i have fotos of my neices and nephews on my media pages. I think the family is just doing all this for show n publicity. It seems they r taking this tragity of Anthony and trying to get the attention that Gabriel got. The father was never around for this little boy hes in mexico selling hotdogs if he really wanted custody of his son he would do everything in his power to get him.

        • Skit- do you have Heather Barron’s family lineage?
          Heather Barron may look white to you, but she is not white.
          She is of Hispanic decent.
          White, brown, what ever, she is a POS.

    • Lmfagdao! Seriously! Has me wondering as well!!!! Poor baby boy….. there is no justice or fairness in this system…..

  11. DCFS AV is incompetent. Under staffed? Over whelmed? Corrupt? Lazy? NO EXCUSE!
    We pay taxes to fund these government agencies and they are not doing their job!
    What are we paying for? For helpless children to be tormented and ultimately murdered!
    Maybe we need vigilante justice!
    I could careless if someone dragged those child murderers into the desert and left them to rot! All of them DCFS, mother, boyfriend- heads need to roll!

    • No they’re doing their fu$&ing job by taking children away that’s aren’t abused rather than focusing on the children who are! I’m sick of these bastards that claim their organization are for “the children” no! They are for their own financial gain! Screw this bs!

    • I’m in total agreement with you! These incompetent workers will continue to do nothing as long as we allow them to ! This is just another government entity made-up to look like they’re protecting “our” children. We, need to take back our responsibilities, as human beings! How do we do this?

  12. Yes community, we have an issue! I am trying to understand why so many Hispanic children die at the hands of their parents? Natural father was not a citizen and from an earlier video he is in Mexico at the time, but the rest of his family is here in AV? As much as I HATE to agree with the OrangeMan – something has to be done about illegal immigration.

    • How IGNORANT to state what you said!!

      1st off YOU have no proof anyone on any side of the family is an illegal immigrant… other than bio father.
      2nd off have you even done research to get verifiable sources to see how many white children end up dead at the hands of their parents? Or Blacks? Or Asians? Muslims?

      STOP BEING OPINIONATED AND TRY TO BE EDUCATED

      • Well Forevermom is actually right. The father left to Mexico because he was running from the law and did not want to get deported. He is also a gang member and his mom is a drug dealer. Anthony’s aunt Maria needs to speak the real truth. Child services also visited her home. Her husband David was dishonorable discharged from the Army and became Suicidal. Let’s get it straight, The only reason she took care of Anothny is because she needed the money!! So stop with all this nonsense and fix your life before you start judging other people specially the person that paid your bills!! The father Victor is a fake and has never been there for Anthony.

    • The mother is white !!! Did u know that ??? So why are all white woman dunp enough to fall for this idiot Hispanic gangsters ?? Explain that ??

      Im not racist but she just piss me off with her comment wor out even knowing the mothers race ???

      Well she is WHITE ??? Their u go !!!

      • Smgdh who cares what race he/she was! A child is dead people!!! God get a friggin grip‍♀️

    • WOW that is a very IGNORANT thing for you to say and being a mother? regardless of legal status of any of the parents a child has lost their life!, and you’re concern about illegal immigration! Focus on whats really going on and that’s child abuse in the antelope valley that’s the main issue. I pray that you “FOREVER MOM” never have to endure the pain of losing your children in any which way or form. OH and if you want to throw that out there too, there are more white children under DPCS care…my source…my family who are social workers and SURPRISE are children of IMMIGRANTS…

  15. These so called {social workers} aren’t doing their jobs, after Gabriel’s death you think they’d learned something.Throw them in jail with the so called mother and boyfriend!!!

  16. how child abuse can be reported SIXTEEN times in 5 years and he was left to suffer the same fate as Gabriel. After a certain number there should be special investigators to find out the truth as to what is going on. This should begin now. I’m not religious but it would be nice to think Anthony, Gabriel & other little ones are at a super playground.

    • @just wondering…There is this wonderful place, where there will be no more tears, and the lion will lie down with the lamb.

    • my SIL & BIL had 55 pages, front and back of 911 calls and hotline calls…. someone always came out, but no one ever saved the kids.The system is broken for sure. The real question is…. how many more kids have to die before they change their ways?

      • Absolutely How many more have to die. This abuse has been like an epidemic for years here in the Antelope Valley area.

  17. I am a mandated reporter in the Palmdale school district. I can tell you a couple of things I learned after making a report on a child that already had multiple reports already made for the child’s welfare;

    1. While divulging the horrifying actions I new must be reported, the worker took the report but said “It’s probably nothing, but we will do a welfare check just to make sure.”

    My problem with this wording is it set up wrong tone for this investigation.I knew it is innocent until proven guilty but this child already had multiple calls.

    2. They try to contact you for details, but when you call them back and actually want to talk to the case worker, it might take a couple weeks to get a hold of them (You can’t exactly use a phone or have such a private conversation during work hours. Unless you want other children to hear-BELIEVE me they hear what you say and repeat it)

    3. My personal experience with the resolution was not to MY satisfaction.I say this because it just didn’t sit well with me. After finally talking to the case worker the resolution seemed like the smallest step towards this child situation and it was considered closed. I obviously do not want to tell any specifics but the parent told the caseworker what their corrective actions would be, and it was accepted. THIS DROVE ME NUTS.

    All in all I guess it depends who your case worker is, and the way they feel about the situation. I can assure you I was not at peace with CPS decision. School employees are with these children and see their behavior on a daily basis. Their word should should hold some weight in an investigation.

  18. Wow this makes me so mad. Why is it that my teenage children where taken from me. In fact the paper was sighned by the judge on the 20th and they were taken on the 26th at court. I have never abused my kids in fact they went on stand and told the judge there was no abuse of any kind . I have been fighting to get my kids back for a while now. And have missed so much in there lives. And here again is another murder that could have been avoided if DCFS had done there job and focused on the families that need the help and the kids that need to be removed for their safety instead of tearing apart a family like mine that just needed a little help

      • You want us to believe the STATE took your kids for NO reason! NOT gonna happen….Yeah, it’s always DCFS and the Court fault – where is the parental responsibility; the neighbors, family members, teachers and doctors?

        • Believe me, it does happen. Sometimes they take the kids “to err on the side of caution” with no mark’s, no abuse, no neglect, just because a report was made! Other times we have clear cut abuse and neglect and they won’t remove the kids. It really depends on the worker and how they “feel”. Curreny kids zero to 5 years are quickest to be removed especially if preverbal because “they cannot speak for themselves”
          There is no real formula and the dcfs courts use social worker “hearsay” as evidence where regular courts do not.

  19. My daughter was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by Shirley Black, R.Rex Parris’s employee, then covered by the mayor. I would like to speak to an unexpected cowardly reporter on this PLEASE! YOU GUYS HAVE THE STORY ALREADY!