People v. Palafox CA6

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background1 On March 16, 2022, police responded to a 911 call from a female adult, who stated that Palafox, her former boyfriend, had been abusing her two minor children, John Doe2 (age 8 at the time) and Joe Doe (age 6 at the time). According to the children’s mother, John had told her the previous day that Palafox had used a clothes hanger to hang Joe “up in the air,” then used the same hanger to hit Joe on the fingers. While giving them baths, their mother noticed suspicious marks on their skin. The next day, she received a number of calls from Palafox complaining about her sons’ behavior, which led her to contact the police. Officers spoke with both boys, who confirmed that Palafox had hurt them. The boys had visible marks on their bodies, including their forearms, forehead, and ankles; further investigation revealed red marks on the inner part of Joe’s buttocks, both thighs, his genitals, and just below his stomach. Officers subsequently contacted Palafox, who indicated that he frequently babysat for the children while their mother worked and denied hitting or hurting either boy. He also described their mother as…