In re Nataly N. CA2/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 29, 2015
DocketB261127
StatusUnpublished

This text of In re Nataly N. CA2/1 (In re Nataly N. CA2/1) 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 Nataly N. CA2/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 9/29/15 In re Nataly N. CA2/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

In re NATALY N., a Person Coming Under B261127 the Juvenile Court Law. (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. DK06040)

LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES,

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

JOSUE N.,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Stephen Marpet, Juvenile Court Referee. Affirmed. ______

Terence M. Chucas, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Mary C. Wickham, Interim County Counsel, Dawyn R. Harrison, Assistant County Counsel, John C. Savittieri, Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent. ______ Josue N. (father) appeals from the order entered after the juvenile court declared his daughter, Nataly N., a dependent of the court under Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivisions (a), (b) and (e)1, and declined to provide him reunification services based on section 361.5, subdivisions (b)(5) and (b)(6). Father does not challenge the jurisdictional findings under section 300, subdivisions (a) and (b), but contends substantial evidence does not support the jurisdictional finding under section 300, subdivision (e). He also contends that the court erred by denying him reunification services. We affirm the order. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND 1. The Section 300 Petitions On June 18, 2014, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) received a referral alleging physical abuse of the child by father. “The caller reported that she is very concerned for the 3 month old female child, in the custody of the father . . . . The child is left in the care of the father while the mother goes to work. The child cries and the father grabs her by her face and covers her mouth with his hands to stop the child from crying. The child has marks and bruises on her face. The caller believes that the father is hitting the child but . . . has not seen him hit the child. The child is always crying. The caller stated that about a month and a half ago the mother left the father because of domestic violence. The mother came back and the father sent the mother to work. The father reports to the mother that the child accidentally fell. The mother believes the father. The father is very aggressive and the caller is concerned that he will seriously hurt the child.” Later that day, a social worker and police officer visited the home of the paternal great aunt, where the child had resided with her parents for the last 22 days after the parents were evicted from a former residence. The paternal great aunt was caring for the child while the parents were at work. According to the paternal great aunt, she was out of

1 Statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

2 town the preceding weekend and, “upon her return, from what she was told by father is that he was taking care of the child on Saturday and per father, the child had fallen from the bouncer.” The paternal great aunt “denied any concerns of domestic violence” as well as witnessing father “squeez[e] the child from her cheeks or . . . cover[] the baby from her mouth to stay quiet.” The social worker observed “bruising on [the] child’s left cheek[], redness under her eyes, and a small bruise on the right side of her chin. [The social worker] observed this bruise to be [fading] however . . . still very visible. [The social worker] observed this bruising to be circular . . . [and] did not notice any linear marks. [The social worker] further observed a very small bruise . . . appear[ing] to be about half an inch on child’s right chin.” The paternal great aunt signed a safety plan to supervise and monitor the child until the social worker could interview the parents. The following day, the social worker returned with two police officers to the paternal great aunt’s home and met with father, who “denied that he has ever put his hand on his daughter’s face to prevent her from crying. Father stated that he loves his daughter and would not do anything to harm the child. Father stated that the child . . . sustained the bruising on her cheeks due to hi[s] caring on Saturday and child had fallen from her bouncer. Father showed [the social worker] and the officers the bouncer. Father stated that they went to the laundry room and that is when the child had fallen. . . . Father stated that he was washing at a laundry mat in Anaheim and had the child . . . in the bouncer. Father stated that he had put child’s bouncer on the floor however did not buckle the child. Father stated that as he was drying his clothes and folding a load, he heard his daughter crying. Father stated that when he turned, he noticed that child had turn[ed] from the side and hit herself on the corner of the drying machine. Father stated that he picked her up and calmed her down[;] however child would [not] stop and continued to cry. . . . Father stated that [he did not buckle the child because] he just did not think something like that would happen. Father further stated that his daughter moves a lot. . . . Father denied that he has ever held his daughter from her mouth. Father stated that he and mother usually play with the baby by squeezing her cheeks or kissing her[;] however they have never tried to harm the child in any way. . . . Father stated that they did not

3 believe it was necessary for the child to receive medical attention. [The social worker] questioned [as] to the amount of days that child has had the bruise and they still felt child did not need medical attention. Father stated that this is their first daughter and did not think anything bad of it. Father stated that it was an accident and further stated that his daughter just has delicate sensitive skin.” “Father denied [any domestic violence]. . . . Father stated that they were evicted from their other home and indicated that when they got evicted, they did separate[;] however it was due to financial reasons and not due to domestic violence. Further, father explained that mother’s family never liked him and they had so many problems due to mother’s family always being ‘intrometida’ (nosey). Father stated that his aunt then did them the favor of having them stay at the home and so they reunited. . . . [The paternal great aunt] is the only babysitter that they have when they go to work. Father further indicated that child has had that bruise since the child injured herself on Saturday, 06/14/2014. . . . [F]ather stated ‘[child] is an angry baby.’ . . . [He] stated that if the baby cries for something, she gets frustrated and will not stop crying even if they are to give her what she wants. [The social worker] asked if he has ever felt frustrated with his daughter[;] however father denied.” Mother, interviewed separately, “denied that she has ever seen father covering the child[’s] . . . mouth to prevent her from crying. Mother reported that child is father’s ‘light.’ Mother stated that the reason that child has a bruise on her cheek is due to her hav[ing] gone to work as they needed her only[;] therefore father stayed caring for the child. Mother reported that when she returned, she did notice that child had sustained some bruising on her cheeks. Mother reported that from what father told her is that child had fallen from the bouncer. Mother stated that she did not think anything of it as it appeared to be an accident.

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Bluebook (online)
In re Nataly N. CA2/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-nataly-n-ca21-calctapp-2015.