M.R.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Mother, who is from Mexico, came to Salinas in December 2004 and worked for Father as a live-in nanny for his then-five-year-old son from another relationship. A few months later, the parties began an intimate relationship and Mother became pregnant. She gave birth to Child in March 2006. (We shall hereafter refer to Mother and Father jointly as “Parents,” and to Father’s son from a previous relationship as “Half Brother.”) In May 2006, when Child was two months old, Mother and Father had an argument while on a trip to Los Angeles. As they argued, Mother scratched Father’s face. Father called the police and complained of domestic violence. (Mother claimed she scratched Father after he rolled the car window up onto her neck.) Mother was detained in the Los Angeles County jail for 36 hours. While in jail, Mother told Father that if he did not want her or Child in his life, she might as well take Child and return to her family in Mexico. Notwithstanding Mother’s statement while in jail, on May 23, 2006, she returned to Father’s house. That same day, Father petitioned the court for a restraining order against her.

2 Father’s Petition, Mother’s Response,…