City and County of S.F. v. Hale CA1/2

BACKGROUND

The parties are the parents of a son, D.H., who was born in September 2015. The following description of the facts leading to mother’s request for a domestic violence restraining order and sole legal and physical custody of the child are taken from mother’s declaration and the court orders included in the record. Father did not file a respondent’s brief on appeal. According to mother’s declaration, when she told father she was pregnant, he got “so angry, he kicked [her] in the stomach.” She did not call the police because she was scared of what he would do.2 In March or April of 2015, mother saw father downtown with another woman. He got upset and slapped her, and she heard him tell the woman “it wasn’t his baby.” Father grabbed mother by her hair and yanked so hard he tore out two big braids and left a bald spot on her scalp. Mother called the police but father left before they arrived. Thereafter, mother tried to avoid father. The woman started to taunt mother, saying she wanted to fight mother and telling her, “ ‘Bitch, you are having this baby for me.’ ” The birth was difficult and both D.H. and mother ended up in critical care. D.H. remained in the hospital for a…