In re V.A. CA2/5

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Dependency Investigation and Petition On Sunday, August 21, 2022, Damela Romo (Romo) saw Father chase after V.A. and K.A., grab them each by an arm, and pull them back toward him. V.A. broke free from Father’s grasp and Father raised his right arm and punched K.A. in the face. According to Romo, the punch was so loud she was able to hear the impact from where she was standing. She videotaped the aftermath of the incident, which appeared to show V.A. and K.A. crying, and then called the police. When interviewed by the police, Father (who was separated from Minors’ mother) explained he worked as a street vendor selling food and he brought his children to work with him

1 These were Minors’ ages when dependency proceedings began.

2 because there was no one else to look after them. According to Father, when he saw his two older daughters get out of an unfamiliar automobile driven by men he did not recognize, he began upbraiding them and grabbed their arms to bring them back to his food stand. He denied striking or slapping either of his daughters. V.A. and K.A. told the police the incident began when they asked two friends to drive them to a nearby fast food…