The mural was painted by local artists on a wall near where Gabriel used to live. In May 2021, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office reversed course and announced it would no longer seek the death penalty against the pair, who now faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. hitType: 'event', The 10-year-old died on June 21, 2018, having suffered abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. When Heather hesitated to let her see her nephew, Maria crouched at her feet, on her hands and knees on the linoleum floor, to plead with her to allow her to see the boy. Anthony Avalos was the fastest runner in his fourth-grade class at El Dorado Elementary School in Lancaster. One ate out of the trash, she said. Similar to Gabriel, Anthony was covered in bruises and burns when he arrived at UCLA Mattel Childrens Hospital. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), ", She told investigators that the boy said he might be gay and that she responded that she would love him no matter what because he was her "baby.". Each service provider reported that they have never heard anything from the children about abuse and neglect, Vernon wrote. He was only 10 years old. He was punched, had wrestling moves made on him including chokeholds and was slapped in the face. eventAction: 'click_adunit' The alleged final series of events began on June 18, when Heather Barron saidAnthony confided to her that he liked boys, according to DCFS records. Heather Barron still had parental rights to the children and after she brought them home in the last week of September, Vernon met with Anthony at Lincoln Elementary. His mother and her boyfriend. LA County child welfare officials had received a dozen referrals of suspected child abuse about the boy from 2013 until 2016. Under the program, children can stay with their families while they work to resolve issues underlying the abuse. DCFS workers also did not locate and interview Leiva at any point over the three years they investigated the family, even though they suspected he was at the home regularly on nights and weekends, the case notes show. Following his death, it was found that Anthony's body was covered in bruises, burns, and cuts that were similar to those Gabriel was subjected to. Priscilla Cabunoc told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta that she has seen hundreds of sick or injured children die while she has been on the job and that Heather Maxine Barron, the mother of the late Anthony Avalos, was one of the few who were not present in the hospital room when the child passed away. Opening statements began in the trial against Heather Barron her boyfriend Kareem Leiva for the 2018 death and torture of Anthony Avalos. Gabriel Fernandez had also been in the program despite a risk rating of very high.. "No one deserves this," Deputy District Attorney. eventAction: 'render' Anthonys parents, Heather Barron and Victor Avalos, were still teenagers when Anthony was born. UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital nurse Priscilla Cabunoc told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta that she has seen hundreds of sick or injured children die while she has been on the job and that Heather Maxine Barron, the mother of the late Anthony, was one of the few who were not present in the hospital room when the child passed away. He also described the captains chair, a form of discipline that required Anthony to hold a squatted position for a long period of time with his arms outstretched. Bulkley and his supervisor overruled the recommendation and closed the investigation, saying they did not have evidence to substantiate the allegations. Meanwhile the LA Times reports that his other aunt, Crystal Diuguid, even claimed to her therapist that Anthony's mum was beating him and locking him in a room with no bathroom or access to food. Look outside! hitType: 'event', A tentative agreement is reached in a civil lawsuit over the torture-death of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos. Barron further said that her son fell while playing basketball at school, that he was pushed down while playing basketball, and that he had tumbled on their apartment carpet, according to Withers, who additionally said Anthony was later transferred to UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. Video broadcast on the NBC4 News at 11 a.m. on Wednesday May 11, 2022. Anthonys mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, have beencharged with first-degree murderin the boys torture death. 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MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ The abuse was rampant and occurred over many years.Evidence was also presented of extensive pain and suffering, child abuse, isolation, chronic abuse and stress, torture and mental abuse of Anthony Avalos.Amongst a summary of evidence includes graphic photographs, graphic videos, torture techniques, torture tools and more. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} "This case is a case of severe abuse, but as to Mr. Leiva, it is not a murder," the defense lawyer told the judge. Perhaps the most stinging conclusion was that, although the county has extensively studied past child fatality cases such as Gabriel Fernandezs, yielding key recommendations that would save lives, the department has not ensured that its reviews improve the services it provides.. The children denied the allegation when interviewed by DCFS caseworkers, who did not try to reach Leiva at Barrons home and decided there was no need for follow-up. eventAction: 'view' It sadden's my heart to think that these death's could have been provented had the Social Workers and Upper Management done their jobs. If convicted, they would be among the few child protective services workers in the nation to face prison for failing a child on their watch. Opening statements began in the trial against Heather Barron her boyfriend Kareem Leiva for the 2018 death and torture of Anthony Avalos. He had his head slammed against the floor, and was locked in his room for days. }); He allegedly would force the other children to beat Anthony as well. Sheriffs deputies were called to Anthonys home a day before he died at a hospital. His sadistic mother and her brute of a boyfriend caused trauma and bleeding in his skull and body, resulting in his death on 21st June 2018. He often collected his thoughts before speaking, asking Bell if he could step out of the room and take a few deep breaths. Barron and Leiva now face a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if they are convicted as charged. They also did not follow the departments rules requiring them to contact Leivas other children or their mothers. ANTELOPE VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Three separate cases of little boys tortured and murdered in the Antelope Valley have. In The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez interviewee Garrett Therolf's piece for The Atlantic, he compares this case with that of Anthony Avalos who died on June 21, 2018 from internal bleeding in. hitType: 'event', He was also allegedly burned with cigarettes and prevented from using the toilet in a form of sick abuse. But when Sheriffs Det. '', The murder count includes the special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture. Anthonys case struck many people as having similarities to the2013 deathof another Palmdale boy, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, whose mother and her boyfriend were convicted of his torture murder. Anthony Avalos, 10, died of serious head injuries on June 21, 2018, and reportedly had cigarette burns covering his body. She testified that she was unaware that victims of abuse often retract their accounts. 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