In re B.W. CA4/2

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 26, 2025
DocketE086048
StatusUnpublished

This text of In re B.W. CA4/2 (In re B.W. CA4/2) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re B.W. CA4/2, (Cal. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed 11/26/25 In re B.W. CA4/2

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO

In re B.W., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES, E086048

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super.Ct.No. DPSW2500078)

v. OPINION

BYRON W.,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from the Superior Court of Riverside County. Sean P. Crandell, Judge.

Affirmed in part; reversed in part and remanded with directions.

Jesse McGowan, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and

Appellant.

Minh C. Tran, County Counsel, Teresa K.B. Beecham and Julie Jarvi, Deputy

County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

1 Appellant Byron W. (father) challenges the findings and orders made during the

contested jurisdiction hearing held on May 1, 2025. He contends the juvenile court

(1) erred in asserting dependency jurisdiction because the evidence is insufficient to find

his daughter, B.W., was at substantial risk of harm (Welf. & Inst. Code,1 § 300,

subd. (b)(1)), and (2) erred in removing her from his care or finding a reasonable means

by which she could be protected without removal (§ 361, subds. (c)(1), (d)). We agree

there was insufficient evidence as to one of the jurisdiction allegations. We also agree

that the evidence fails to support the finding that reasonable efforts were made to prevent

or eliminate the need for B.W.’s removal from father’s custody. We reverse the

disposition order and remand for a new disposition hearing in compliance with section

361 and the views expressed in this opinion.

I. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND AND FACTS

A. Referral and Investigation.

On January 22, 2025, Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (the

Department) received a referral for general neglect regarding the children, K.F. and B.W.

(born 2024).2 K.F. had 23 absences and 42 tardies to school, and she said mother could

not wake up at times to take her to school. On January 17, 2025, when mother picked up

K.F. from school she hid her face, which was swollen and her eyes were red and swollen

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

2 This appeal only involves B.W. K.F. will be referred to only as necessary.

2 shut. Mother failed to return multiple calls from the school and K.F. has been absent

since January 17th.

On January 29, 2025, K.F. told the social worker that she was living with mother,

her baby sister, and “her uncle dad,” who she refers to as “‘Bizz.’” K.F. denied any

domestic violence against her mother, claimed mother’s eyes were tired because she does

not sleep from watching B.W., and stated mother was injured in November 2024 when

she crashed into another vehicle because she had been drinking. When the police arrived

at the car accident, K.F., B.W. and mother hid at an aunt’s house.

During a home visit on February 4, 2025, the social worker spoke with mother

who stated that she lives only with her two children, father helps her care for them, and

she denied substance abuse. Mother called father via FaceTime. He confirmed his

criminal history and his probation status and stated that he was no longer “in that

lifestyle” after being shot in the head in 2016. Father denied domestic violence, child

welfare history, and substance and alcohol abuse. He confirmed mother’s arrest for a

DUI but claimed she informed him that she tested below the legal limit; he bailed her out

around 3:00 a.m. He did not believe he needed services because the current referral was

regarding mother, not him. The social worker provided mother with a resource packet,

and mother said she was in the process of addressing the criminal matter relating to her

DUI arrest.

According to the police report from mother’s August 2024 DUI, a male (M.J.) and

female (mother) were assaulting each other in a vehicle while a newborn was in an

unsecured car seat. Mother was in the driver’s seat, there was an empty tequila bottle on

3 the rear driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle, and mother was “insulting, loud, her

speech was rapid, her eyes were bloodshot and watery, her balance was unsteady, and she

had a moderate alcohol odor emitting from her breath.” She was arrested for child

endangerment; blood draw test results indicated her blood alcohol content of 0.192

percent at the time of arrest. In February 2025, the social worker attempted to engage

mother in services; however, she became upset and yelled, “Why does the Department

keep insisting this and pushing the matter! I do not have an alcohol abuse problem.”

On March 7, 2025, the social worker was informed that mother had committed

battery on a woman who was pregnant with father’s child. On March 3, Mother went to

the father’s home, made threats, “‘beat up’” the woman, and fled the scene before law

enforcement arrived. Four days later, the social worker left a message for father at his

last known number; he did not respond. Police service calls for father’s address revealed

that on March 3, 2025, a call was received that mother broke the window to the father’s

home, climbed through the window, and proceeded to assault the seven-month pregnant

woman. The woman’s other children and their grandmother were present. Mother fled

the scene before law enforcement arrived. The woman declined to press charges. The

social worker verified that the front window of father’s home was broken out.

B. Detention.

On March 17, 2025, the Department initiated dependency proceedings for B.W.

pursuant to section 300, subdivision (b)(1).3 According to the detention report filed that

3 At the jurisdictional hearing, dependency as to K.F. was terminated following the juvenile court’s award of sole physical custody to K.F.’s father.

4 same day, on March 13, the social worker attempted to take the children into protective

custody with Riverside County Sheriff deputies. The social worker called mother, and

she refused to make herself and the children available. Father got on the phone. He was

aware of the Department’s open investigation but stated, “Well, was it my job to keep in

contact with the Department?” Mother refused to allow the social worker to bring the

children to the agency’s office to comply with the court orders. Father said that B.W. was

with him but refused to provide the address. The parents were verbally (and via text

message) notified of the detention hearing set for March 18, 2025, at 8:00 a.m., and

advised to bring the children to court that day. The social worker connected her

supervisor to the phone call. When mother was informed of the reasons why the

Department had concerns for the children being in her care, she was belligerent and

combative. Likewise, when father was advised that he was not forthcoming about

mother’s assault on his pregnant girlfriend, he started to become loud and argumentative.

The call was disconnected when he would not allow the social worker or supervisor to

speak.

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Related

Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services v. T.A.
225 Cal. App. 4th 803 (California Court of Appeal, 2014)
L. A. Cnty. Dep't of Children & Family Servs. v. Veronica C. (In re Joaquin C.)
222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 902 (California Court of Appeals, 5th District, 2017)

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In re B.W. CA4/2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-bw-ca42-calctapp-2025.