In re I.M. CA4/3

FACTS

In the six months between December 2011 and May 2012, the Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) received four referrals concerning I.M. and A.M., and their half-brother, A.S. These referrals concerned the parents inflicting domestic violence on each other; the unsafe and unsanitary condition of mother’s residence; and the children’s appearance (they were filthy with unexplained marks and bruises and had severe diaper rash). SSA provided voluntary family services to mother. On June 7, 2012, A.M. was a five-month-old infant, I.M. was one year old, and their half-brother A.S. was three years old. On that day, mother left the three 1 All statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

2 children with her roommate in their motel room, knowing the roommate had recently lost custody of his own child and that SSA had prohibited her from leaving the children in his care. Mother did not leave the roommate sufficient money to cover the children’s needs. The roommate tried without success to contact mother. When mother returned to the motel room late the next morning, she was arrested and taken to jail. The police found marijuana in her car. The children were…