It is not any easier," Contreras said. Send it to us! "I know that those that have heard or seen his story. Contreras received support he never imagined. 1M views 2 years ago It has been seven years since parental child abuse took the life of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. Those who knew Gabriel best talked to ABC7 about the boy. Contreras says he believes Aguirro deserves "no mercy". To this day, Contreras said Gabriel's siblings don't let themselves have fun, no matter how much he tries. The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is streaming on Netflix now. 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman Is a Proud Mom of 14: See Her Kids Today! RELATED: Palmdale abuse case: Mother of slain 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez pleads guilty, Sunshine returns to SoCal on Thursday but cold temps stick around, World of Barbie to open next month at Santa Monica Place, Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky. "It's all those emotions are there. THE uncle of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, who died after years of abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend, has spoken out for the first time since the child's death in 2013. RELATED: Palmdale mother gets life prison term, boyfriend sentenced to death in 8-year-old's torture-killing. I haven't been here [San Salvador] for 38 years. The dismissal, says Contreras, was as wrong as what happened earlier. The systemic failings of the system designed to protect vulnerable children in Los Angeles are exposed too. According to Jennifer Garcia, Gabriel showed up to class with signs that something terrible had happened at home, and it didn't take long for him to explain. "A lot of the family wants to blame just Tony," says Elizabeth Carranza, Gabriel's great-aunt. His memory has generated positive steps to save children. The prosecutor's crusade to protect children was ignited at the Palmdale complex where Gabriel lived. Ligature marks on his ankles like hed been tied up. It would give an officer on an abuse call a way to quickly check for DCFS history and alert the caseworker. "It's. The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is the harrowing six-part documentary series on Netflix about the case of Gabriel Fernandez. In the doc, he says, "ICE got hold of me. They wanted to prove he performed CPR as the boy was dying. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The year after the death of Gabriel, Michael Lemos Carranza also died, though his cause of death at the age of 58 has not been publicly revealed. If you knew Pearl, Pearl was never the victim. Gabriel's two siblings were adopted by their uncle, Chris Contreras and his wife. Later, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) deported his partner David to El Salvador. Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com. Im sorry to my children, and I want them to know that I love them. RELATED: Antelope Valley torture, child death cases receive new attention with documentary, tribute mural. Instead, the little boy was left to suffer and die at the hands of his own caregivers, as the city of Los Angeles turned a blind eye. "In her mind," Hatami said of Pearl, "She's thinking that they were gonna get rid of him. There was not a single misstep from the German - and that, at least partly, is why he remains beloved by supporters despite leaving the club in September. Children are still getting murdered. Elizabeth Carranza, Gabriels great-aunt and Michaels sister spoke highly of Michael and David parenting. Not having my family here too, you know, being gayI was petrified too because I was leaving Michael and Gabriel behind but now I don't feel like I'm alone here. And what did they do? Carranza slammed social services for their failings in a rally held days after Gabriel died. A post on the Gabriels Justice Facebook page from September 2014 reads: It is with a heavy heart and tears, that I inform you.. Today my beloved cousin Michael has passed away today. When we got to the hospital the day before, he was still alive, and he was going to talk to me. Instead, they never got the chance. His memory has generated positive steps to save children. Four Los Angeles County social workers - Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement along with two supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were charged in connection with the boy's death. Michael Lemos Carranza was Gabriel Fernandez's Great Uncle, Gabriel Fernandez was raised by his great uncle and his partner. But she claims that not only did the LAPD not believe the horrific things Gabriel said were happening to him, they told him to stop lying. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. ", Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. Carranza's death meant he never saw justice for the little boy he loved so much. Mom of 2, stabbed 8 times, is making most of second chance at life, Whose leak is it anyway? The social workers were there. He and his wife adopted Gabriel's siblings, the walking wounded. The dismissal, says Contreras, was as wrong as what happened earlier. The logic was that if Isauro was trying to save the boy's life, he couldn't have intended to kill him, so he wasn't guilty of murder. Fernandez's parents, Robert and Sandra, helped raise the child as well, looking after him between 2005 and 2012. Because no matter how many times I saw Gabriel smile, when I think of Gabriel now, I picture him in that hospital bed, not waking up.". To this day, Contreras says Gabriel's siblings don't let themselves have fun, no matter how much he tries. He now lives in the country's capital San Salvador, where his interviews for The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez took place. Christene Estes, a nurse who treated Gabriel in the hours before his death in May 2013, says the abuse he suffered was worse than anything else she'd ever seen. When Gabriel was born, drug addict Pearl gave him away to be raised by others saying she didn't love him. However, before he turned 4, the little boy began living with his grandparents Robert and Sandra Fernandez. A three-justice panel stated that there was no probable cause connected to child abuse or falsifying documents in a 2-to-1 opinion. Isauro, however, denied the charge, and was ultimately sentenced to death in 2018 he's now on death row. Ezekiel was 12 and Virginia was 10 when they witnessed the torture inflicted by their own mother Pearl Fernandez and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre. [Robert] said that two gay guys shouldnt be raising a kid, Martinez said in the Netflix program. Michael had raised and cared for Gabriel in the early years of his life, alongside his partner David Martinez. Aguirre was sentenced to death. "I can't tell you how many people I've spoken to that have chosen a career path in social services because they say they want to make a difference," Contreras said. Ezekiel was 12 and Virginia was 10 when they witnessed the torture inflicted by their own mother Pearl Fernandez and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre. During the trial, Isauro's defence team played his call to 911 when Gabriel stopped breathing. (Photo by Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images), Isauro Aguirre was given the death penalty for the murder of Gabriel Fernandez. She told filmmaker Brian Knappenberger: [Michael Lemos Carranza and David Martinez] were both very good with him. Children are still getting tortured and this is after Gabriel," Hatami said. But they didn't," said Carranza. After having Fernandez, his mom, Pearl, decided she wasn't the right person to raise him. Monster mum Pearl and her partner Isauro, who was also known as "Tony", were both convicted for the horrors they inflicted on Gabriel. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. David also revealed Pearl apparently told Michael to come and get his kid because he was getting on her nerves, at just three-days-old. RELATED: Palmdale abuse case: Mother of slain 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez pleads guilty, Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, FL Gov. And there's momentum for "Gabriel's Law." This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. In The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez, Martinez says of this, "We were close with Pearl and she didn't want it [baby Gabriel] and the family didn't want her to have him. But Prosecutor Jon Hatami believed Pearl took Gabriel into her custody so she could claim more welfare benefits. He actually spent the first four years of his life living with his great-uncle Michael Lemos Carranza and his partner, David Martinez. See the 'Counting On' Kids' Houses, Look How Much the Little Couple's Kids Will and Zoey Have Grown Up, Every Look From the Kardashian-Jenner Family at the 2021 Met Gala, Gabby Petito's Texts Show 'More and More Tension' With Brian Laundrie, 'Welcome to Plathville' Kim Plath's DUI Case Closed: Fine, More Details, Sister Wives Kody, Robyn Were With a Mystery Blonde: Identity Revealed, Megan Fox and MGK's Relationship Is 'Toxic': 'There Is Concern for Her', Farrah Abraham Slams Mom-Shamers Over Daughter Sophias Piercings, Jon Gosselin Is 'Open' With Kids Collin, Hannah About Their Dating Lives. All Rights Reserved. We convinced her to have Gabriel and for her to give [the baby] to us so we [could] raise it., Its alleged Pearl showed no affection for her baby, allegedly calling Michael and saying: Come and get your kid, hes getting on my nerves already.. "As far as Canada, they come. Yet the charges against the group never made it to trial after the 2nd District Court of Appeal advised the lower court dismiss the charges. The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is the harrowing six-part documentary series on Netflix about the case of Gabriel Fernandez. Those who knew Gabriel best talked to ABC7 in Los Angeles about the boy. "What they did is almost as bad as what Pearl and Isauro did," he said. Here are some of the mysteries about Gabriel's tragic story which still haven't been resolved. Prosecutor Hatami firstly thought it was suspicious that she showed the note to his in-home counsellor, Carmen Le Norgant, just as she was leaving a visit less than three months before his death. But they didn't," said Carranza. Michael passed away on Sept. 17, 2014, about a year after Gabriel. Express.co.ukhas everything you need to know. PALMDALE, Calif. -- This weekend marks seven years since parental child abuse took the life of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. His memory has generated positive steps to save children. "Part of knowing how to do CPR is that you don't stop until the paramedics showed up," said Jon Hatami, the prosecutor in Gabriel's case. Following this, Martinez was deported by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) back to his native El Salvador. As for where Michael is now, unfortunately, Gabriel's great uncle has passed away. And having never tried to care for him before, why was she showing concern about his mental welfare now? Instead, she gave him to her uncle Carranza (Fernandezs great-uncle) and his partner, David Martinez. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Palmdale mother gets life prison term, boyfriend sentenced to death in 8-year-old's torture-killing, Slain SoCal boy pepper-sprayed in face, forced to eat cat feces, brother testifies, Slain SoCal boy had BB lodged in his groin area, nurse testifies, Palmdale abuse case: Mother of slain 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez pleads guilty. "We have added thousands of case workers, which have increased the capability of us to be able to work very closely with families," said Bobby Cagle, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Sick mum Pearl Fernandez and her partner Isauro Aguirre beat Gabriel with a belt and burned him with cigarettes, sometimes in front of his siblings. After Pearl Fernandez called 911 on May 22, 2013 to report that Gabriel was not breathing, the paramedics who responded found him with broken ribs, a cracked skull and BB pellets stuck in his body . More info. My Research and Language Selection Sign into My Research Create My Research Account English; Help and support. Why No One Saved Gabriel Fernandez. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. It is not any easier," Contreras said. His memory has generated positive steps to save children. Pearl Fernandez gave . RELATED: Slain SoCal boy had BB lodged in his groin area, nurse testifies. All Rights Reserved. Gabriel Fernandez was born to a mother, Pearl Fernandez, that didn't know how to love him. She will never be released from prison. They testified about the bat, the BB guns, the box where Gabriel was confined, accusations that he was gay. Car loads.". Heartwarming footage in the documentary showcases pictures of Michael, David and Gabriel playing together and celebrating Christmas. It is not any easier," Contreras said. As we previously reported in our guide to Gabriel's grandparents, the claim alleges, "in or about March of 2005, Pearl Fernandez turned over custody of her son Gabriel Fernandez to her parents, Robert and Sandra Fernandez stating she did not want Gabriel and had no love for the child.". Amid the toys and tender mementos, a call to save children before it is too late. Living in a household gripped by fear. In a suit Robert Fernandez brought against the county of Los Angeles with his wife Sandra after the death of Gabriel, the couple allege that they always had custody of the child. While 19-stone security guard Isauro was known to have beaten four stone Gabriel unconscious, Pearl's relatives suspect she was really the boss when it came to some of the most horrific torture. 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