In re M.B. CA3

BACKGROUND

In January 2022, father was found passed out in a parked vehicle with the then 18‑month‑old minor inside. Father, who was homeless at the time and living in his vehicle with the minor, was arrested after it was determined he was drunk and had an outstanding warrant. Father informed officers that the minor’s mother died in 2020. The minor was taken into protective custody and eventually placed with the minor’s maternal great-aunt. The Agency filed a dependency petition pursuant to section 300 alleging father failed to supervise, provide for the needs of, and provide regular care for the minor due to father’s abuse of alcohol and his current incarceration for past and present charges including willful cruelty to a child and disorderly conduct while under the influence of alcohol. The juvenile court ordered the minor detained and gave the Agency discretion to place the minor out of county with the maternal great-aunt. The jurisdiction report discussed father’s criminal past which included a substantial history of domestic violence with the minor’s mother. The Agency subsequently requested the petition be amended to allege that father’s pattern of behavior, including…