In re A.A. CA4/1

BACKGROUND

A. General Background The Department filed a petition after a sheriff’s deputy found four- month-old A.A. alone in a vehicle, while his parents were approximately 35 yards away. The Department alleged A.A. was dirty, with matted hair and a scaly patch on his scalp, a soiled diaper, and a severe diaper rash. His mother appeared to be under the influence of an illicit substance. His father had fled from deputies four days earlier, with A.A., and he made criminal threats against the landlord on the date deputies found A.A. alone. The court found the allegations true at a June 17, 2024 contested jurisdiction hearing. Following a contested disposition trial on August 26, 2024, the court denied reunification services. The court held a trial to terminate parental rights on January 22, 2025. At that hearing, the court terminated parental rights and found A.A. adoptable.

B. ICWA

Both parents reported to the social worker there was reason to believe A.A. is a Native American child and completed Parental Notification of

2 Indian Status forms. Father identified potential Native American ancestry by his father and grandmother. He provided their names and identified their tribes.…