Skip to content
Advertisement

Judge dismisses charges against County social workers

Advertisement

A judge has dismissed charges against four social workers who were accused of failing to protect an 8-year-old Antelope Valley boy whose mother and her boyfriend were convicted of his May 2013 torture death.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli who had previously denied the defense’s request to dismiss the case  noted that a state appeals court panel had ordered him to vacate that ruling in the case of Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement and their supervisors, Kevin Bom andGregory Merritt.

“Accordingly, pursuant to the court of appeal’s directive, the motions to dismiss are hereby granted,” the judge said.

The four were charged in March 2016 with one felony count each of child abuse and falsifying public record in connection with Gabriel Fernandez’s death.

District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced in February that “state law is not on our side” in the case filed by her office against the social workers.

Advertisement

Latest