In re N.D. CA4/2

BACKGROUND

In June 2019, San Bernardino County Children and Family Services (CFS)

received a referral for general neglect and emotional abuse as to N.D., who was one

month old, and his older half-sister M.B., who was four years old. Mother was being

treated for injuries inflicted by N.D.’s father over the course of several days. A few days

before the referral, N.D.’s father and mother were arguing, and he moved a car she was

seated on, causing her to fall off. While at another hospital one day earlier, N.D.’s father

“back handed” mother in the parking lot. Mother and N.D.’s father then went to a

relative’s house, where N.D.’s father slapped and punched mother and held her down.

Mother lost consciousness. M.B. witnessed the attack. M.B. reported to a law

enforcement officer that she had seen mother “get pinned down and hit.”

Mother minimized the domestic violence when interviewed by the social worker.

She claimed to have sustained all of her injuries in the fall from the car. She denied that

N.D.’s father caused any of her injuries. The children were both temporarily detained.

N.D. was placed with his paternal great-grandmother.

2 In October 2019, the juvenile court…