In re T.M. CA4/3

FACTS

On December 5, 2017, the Orange County Social Services Agency (SSA) filed a petition alleging general neglect and failure to protect and supervise the children. The petition alleged that on the night of December 3, and into the morning of December 4, Mother left the children unsupervised in a motel room. The petition also alleged that Mother has a history of mental health issues, and of domestic violence issues with multiple partners, including Father. The petition alleged jurisdiction is appropriate on the basis that the children’s maternal half-siblings were the subject of a prior dependency petition in which the court sustained allegations that Mother engaged in physical abuse of one of the half-siblings, and she had a criminal conviction in 2002 for willful cruelty to a child. The petition further alleged Father has a history of mental health issues, which may interfere with his ability to safely parent his children, as well as a criminal history including convictions or arrests for making criminal threats and stalking. The petition also alleged Father was involved in a serious motorcycle accident approximately 15 years earlier, which may have resulted in a traumatic…