In re Johnny O. CA2/4

BACKGROUND

A. Referral and Detention In the spring of 2022, DCFS received two referrals describing domestic violence that took place in the presence of son, then a newborn. According to a police report, the earlier incident in March involved an argument between parents that

All statutory references in this opinion are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

2 escalated to violence. Mother lunged at father and scratched his face, leaving a visible mark, threw a plate that shattered on the wall next to him, and threw a mug, striking father in the thigh. The second incident in April 2022 began when mother objected to paternal step-great-grandmother (grandmother) praying over son in a bedroom of the family home. Mother yelled at grandmother using profanity, and when father stopped mother from entering the bedroom, mother grabbed father and scratched him. Mother then obtained a cup of hot coffee from the kitchen, returned to the bedroom, and threw the coffee at father. When police responded, mother admitted she had thrown coffee, but she denied touching father. The officers, after observing father had a visible abrasion on his shoulder that corroborated his description of…