In re A.T. CA4/2

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On January 17, 2012, mother was arrested on suspicion of carjacking, felon in

possession of a gun, and child endangerment. She was accused of interfering with the

repossession of her vehicle by standing in front of the tow truck, which had already

hooked up her vehicle and was in the process of driving away, and brandishing a

handgun. According to a witness, during the incident, mother placed A.T.—then two

years old—on the hood of the truck. When police arrived, mother was still standing in

front of the truck, with the firearm tucked in her waistband at her back, under her shirt,

and A.T. in her arms.

1 All further statutory references will be to the Welfare and Institutions Code unless otherwise noted.

2 This incident was hardly mother’s first contact with law enforcement; she has a

lengthy criminal history dating back to 1999 charges of willful cruelty to a child. Later

convictions include vehicle theft, forgery, false representation, drug offenses, burglary,

receiving stolen property, and domestic battery. On January 11, 2012, less than a week

before the carjacking incident described above, mother had been arrested on…