In re An. M. CA2/8

FACTS

Father’s two daughters, An.M. (then nine years old) and Ab.M. (then five years old) came to the attention of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (the Department) after father physically assaulted C.W., their 86-year-old paternal great-grandmother, in August 2013. The children were detained from father, and remained in the care of their mother. Father was arrested. The juvenile court ultimately sustained the allegation that father had “a history of engaging in violent altercations,” and that on August 16, 2013, “the father dragged the paternal great grandmother, [C.W.] by her arm and violently threw [her] in a bathtub and sprayed water on [her] face and body causing [her] to have difficulty in breathing. [C.W.] sustained multiple bruises to [her] body. On a prior occasion, the father pushed [her]. Such violent conduct on the part of the father against [C.W.] and previous violent altercations with the mother endanger the children’s physical health and safety and place the children at risk of physical harm and damage.” By way of background, the parents were married in 2003. Father was in the Army for 20 years, and returned from Bosnia in early…