In re Z.C. CA3

background information about siblings A.C. and A.W. only as contextually relevant. The Petition and Detention On October 21, 2019, the Agency filed a Welfare and Institutions Code section 300 (statutory section references that follow are to the Welfare and Institutions Code unless otherwise stated) petition alleging A.W. (then age 17), A.C. (then age 14), and Z.C. (then age 8) had suffered or were at substantial risk of suffering serious physical harm caused by mother’s physical abuse of the minors (§ 300, subd. (a)). On October 16, 2019, over a dispute about the television, mother hit A.W. across the face with a hanger (ultimately breaking it on her), threw a cup at her, and then climbed on top of her and punched her repeatedly on the head. A.C. and Z.C. witnessed this incident. All minors individually feared returning to mother’s home and reported that “mother routinely hits them with a whip, a hanger, a brush, or her closed fists.” A.W. feared mother would kill her. Marks were observed on Z.C.’s back. Mother told Z.C. to hide signs of the abuse, which he did with clothes. Mother’s short temper and physical punishment as well as threats of such punishment put the minors at risk…