In re A.M. CA4/2
Opinion
Opinion
FACTS
A. BACKGROUND
Minor was born in December 2020. Father was not present at Minor’s birth and
was not on her birth certificate. Minor resided with Mother and Mother’s boyfriend,
M.L. (Boyfriend). Minor referred to Boyfriend as “daddy.” Father visited Minor three
times: once when Minor was five months old, once at 11 months old, and on Minor’s
second birthday.
B. DETENTION
In November 2024, Boyfriend argued with his 73-year-old grandmother and
“ ‘head butted’ [her] in the face.” Following that violence, while trying to evade law
1 All further statutory references will be to the Welfare and Institutions Code unless otherwise indicated.
2 enforcement, Boyfriend drove a vehicle over 130 miles per hour, at night, with the
headlights off. Minor was inside the vehicle without a child’s car seat.
The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (the Department)
asked Father about filing for custody of Minor, but he declined because he was about to
start a two-week military deployment. Father admitted knowing that Boyfriend was
“unstable due to a previous investigation.” In December 2024, the Department detained
Minor.