Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services v. Angela H.

Describing the matter as “shocking to me, even after all of these years,” and “one of the worse cases I have seen, where there’s such sadism . . . and such disregard for a child’s feelings,” the experienced dependency bench officer in this proceeding sustained allegations under Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivisions (a) (serious physical harm inflicted nonaccidentally) (two counts), (b) (failure or inability to protect) (five counts), (i) (cruelty) (two counts) and (j) (abuse of sibling) (three counts); declared then six-year-old Cristian I. 1 and his eight-month-old sister Alice H. dependents of the juvenile court; removed the children from the care and custody of their mother, Angela H., and from Zachary H., Cristian’s stepfather and Alice’s father (Angela’s current husband); placed Cristian in Arizona with his presumed father, Mark I.; and ordered an expedited evaluation by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Department) of possible placement of Alice with her maternal grandmother or great-grandmother. Reunification services for both Angela and Zachary were denied.

Without in any way challenging the overwhelming evidence…