A call for service was made about 4 p.m. Friday, July 5, to a home where the boy, identified only as Noah, lived with his parents and three siblings, according to Villanueva, who announced the investigation at a news conference at sheriff’s headquarters along with Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendoza.
The boy’s parents reported that the child nearly drowned in the pool at the family’s home in the 1200 block of E. Avenue S in Palmdale, Mendoza said.
The boy was taken first to Palmdale Regional Medical Center and then to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and found to have traumatic injuries to his body that were not consistent with what the parents said happened, Villanueva said. The boy was pronounced dead on Saturday morning [July 6].
The boy’s parents were questioned but not arrested, and his siblings were taken into protective custody, according to Mendoza, who said there were previous reports to the county Department of Children and Family Services regarding the boy. He did not reveal specifics, saying information was still being gathered.
“I see this as an open criminal investigation and I’m eager to see what results [from] the investigation by law enforcement and what appropriate criminal charges may follow,” Barger said at the press conference [View it below].
“I think it’s important for us to get out in front of this and seek answers and justice for Noah,” Barger added.
The fatality follows the deaths of two Antelope Valley boys — 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez of Palmdale in May 2013 and 10-year-old Anthony Avalos of Lancaster in June 2018 — in cases that called into question the effectiveness of DFCS personnel and policies.
Isauro Aguirre was sentenced to death in June 2018 and his girlfriend, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the death of Gabriel, who was routinely beaten, starved, forced to sleep in a closet and tortured before his death.
Anthony’s mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend Kareem Leiva are awaiting trial on charges that they tortured and murdered her son in the days leading up to his death.
UPDATE: The Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified the boy as Noah Cuatro. A gofundme page was established to assist the family. It can be found at: http://ow.ly/DU7730p63qh
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Chuckycheese says
No, because your comments stink like dead fish, perhaps you should change your napkin.
Tell those 3 dead boys that were in dcfs’ system – tell them about due process. Moron.
I have a story to tell. says
Write the Department of Justice and get them subjected to a federal review.
Mike says
This needs to be investigated thoroughly before any arrest. I hope the coroner did their job right and the investigation shows truth.
Danelda hates DCFS/cps says
These children do not deserve Justice. No, don’t tar and feather me yet. They have the right to Justice and as part of my work with the children and family rights group, Govabuse, we regularly make efforts to see these children get Justice. But some say they deserve Justice which to me implies that they somehow did something to lead to their death. What these children DESERVE is to be alive and living in a home that is safe and loving and they can be happy and healthy and they DESERVE to be PROTECTED by child PROTECTIVE services and not ignored because of CPS selling children like commodities.
I hope this boy and do many others, far too many others like him get the Justice they are entitled to and myself and my group will continue our efforts to insure they do as well as do all we can to help allow more children to be raised in home where they can have the happy childhoods they DESERVE. Children deserve happy childhoods not Justice. HelP KEEP children from being”Protected To Death,” by CPS. For more info visit http://govabuse.com .
Rest in Peace Baby Noah. May you be enjoying a happy childhood in heaven while here in Earth your memory and your death may be avenged by the Justice you have every right to be served and the guilty be punished… Severely.
If anyone if offended by this please read again because you may have missed something.
I really wish some of the children s abusers and murderers could be sentenced to 72 hours in a room with about five people such as myself who feel that these evil vomits do not get the punishment they DESERVE and that we be given immunity for any actions were take against the abusers. What a wonderful world it would be.
Nadia says
Danelda; Rodrigo Duterte would like you on his team.
Chuckycheese says
Another Fup by DCFS Emergency Social Works….release their names.
Failed Again says
See my post below
Miranda says
Chuckycheese; Why, so you can take the law into your own hands, and direct death threats toward them? That’s what is happening to those teens in that video. Who has the darker heart?
Chuckycheese says
Miranda, you sound like a social worker. You’re not qualified to ask questions nor make false insinuations. The public wants to know their names so a movement can precipitously commence to releave them of employment and hold them legally accountable.
Miranda says
Chuckycheese; No, I’m not a social worker. Social media (internet judges) aren’t qualified to have a so-called “movement,” even though you think you do. Too many people like you that have screen names like “Chuckycheese,” want to bypass due process and consider yourself qualified. We have a system in place in this country, like it or not. It is definitely flawed but much better than idiots like you that want to take matters into your own hands.
Alexis says
Our sin problem.
Tom says
DCFS drops the ball again
I don’t understand our county. We pay millions to family members who’s loved one’s are shot and killed by cops, even when deadly force was appropriate, yet we wont take children away from homes accused of abuse. I say remove kids from these homes, when the investigation is done and if no harm is found then everyone will be fine. Three deaths in this valley in such a short period of time tells me there will be many more seeing the county is doing nothing to change the system.
Observation says
In the dysfunctional US of A, what’s right is wrong, and what’s wrong is right.
Failed Again says
Ask V Jesse Smith he is the union representative who defends the DCFS employees. He has got the others reinstated when we lost the 2 previous children. He is responsible for keeping these monsters employed. Call Palmdale City hall to leave him a message 267-5100
Danelda hates DCFS/cps says
Those workers in the two boys deaths were reinstated? Wow, I didn’t know that. Well I’ve been saying I need to catch up as I took asabbatical from advocacy work in part due to disillusioned by people’s unwillingness to do anything to help save these children or even to educate themselves on how to not become victimized by DCFS who spends too much time on what they have already determined to be false allegations yet keep cases open and kids in foster care and say very often adopted out when the children could be returned home. This makes it difficult for workers to have the time to take steps to identify legitimate cases of abuse. And Sadly many workers are interested only in the bonuses they get for children being placed in the system, for families attending various classes and counseling and worst of all being adopted out and getting nothing if the children are returned home.
I know the workers and DCFS all deny this is true but it’s easy to verify yourselves as it is part of the language of a law called the same families and adoption act and signed into law by president bill Clinton. On the surface the law sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately it does not take into account that social workers really are here humans and not the gods that they believe themselves to be and therefore have human emotions such as greed jealousy and selfishness and with the sense of entitlement so many develop because so few object to them acting like good they have no problem permanently taking someone’s child not because the child is in danger of abuse but because the parents showed sheer and maybe even called the worker a nasty name when their children were taken and placed with strangers in foster care based on false allegations and getting a large cash incentive to get remember in someone that ticked then off is an added plus. Pathetic system