As prosecutor Jon Hatami was presenting the case, it recalled his own turbulent childhood of abuse, abduction and confusion. Performance & security by Cloudflare. They should write a police report which would trigger a follow-up investigation by detectives unless they can articulate beyond a reasonable doubt that no child abuse occurred. Jonathan Hatami, a prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, announced on Wednesday his candidacy for the district attorney position in the 2024 election. But the deputies who came to the Fernandez house did not file a report, according to a court motion filed earlier this year by the district attorneys office. In his closing argument, the prosecutor told the judge that the two defendants are "evil" and "monsters" who should be held accountable for her 10-year-old son's torture and murder. In his case, the abuser was his father. About Jon I'm not a traditional "law and order" prosecutor who has spent his entire life as a Deputy District Attorney. The defendants did not immediately react when Ohta announced the first verdict, on the count of murder, but there were audible reactions in the courtroom that led the judge to chide those present and tell them they would be removed upon further outbursts. Atty. He said the boy was so malnourished and dehydrated that his veins were collapsed.. Jonathan Hatami walked into the gallery and hugged several of Avalos relatives, many of whom were crying. Jonathan Hatami, a prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, announced on Wednesday his candidacy for the district attorney position in the 2024 election. When the principal called her into a meeting with a district official she had never met, she thought maybe she was in trouble. He has pleaded not guilty. Back at Gabriels school, his teacher was hoping he had really moved to Texas. They were found guilty on all four counts. Over Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami's objection, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office dropped its bid for the death penalty against the two after the election of District Attorney George Gascn, who issued a directive that "a sentence of death is never an appropriate resolution in any case.". Hatami a longtime critic of Gascn who is both suing the district attorney and expected to challenge him in the 2024 election cycle blasted his boss for making the sweeping decision without reviewing the case or meeting with the victims families. Your IP: Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. An alleged gang member, Leiva would routinely beat the children with belts, prosecutors said, pour hot sauce in their mouths and make Anthony and his siblings fight one another. A Times review of grand jury testimony, child welfare records and recently filed court documents shows that deputies visited Gabriels home multiple times during the eight months prosecutors say he was being tortured and beaten. It is unclear whether the Sheriffs Department was notified. Garcia testified that she called a child abuse hotline and spoke to Gabriels caseworker, Stefanie Rodriguez, one of the four social workers from the Department of Children and Family Services who were later charged in the boys death. Marvin Jaramilla of the Special Victims Bureau. Leiva's attorney urged the judge to acquit his client of first-degree murder and the special circumstance allegation, along with the torture charge. Los Angeles County Deputy DA Jonathan Hatami has been the voice of hundreds of his colleagues since George Gascon was sworn in as District Attorney on December 7, speaking out against Gascon's Special Directives on numerous talk radio and television news shows. I watched him take his first steps, help him write his name, how to read. Heather Barron of Lancaster and her boyfriend Kareem Leiva, seen appearing in court on Aug. 28. Instead, the judge said, Barron seemed more interested in protecting Leiva and working with him to deceive the investigation. Instead, they sided with Gabriels mother, dismissing the documents his grandparents showed them. George Gascn for his decision to bar prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in the case. Garcia called a social worker to report the latest signs, noting that Gabriels story about falling off a dirt bike did not seem believable, according to her grand jury testimony. 176.9.84.214 Prosecutors will no longer seek death penalty in the Anthony Avalos torture case, $600,000 in stolen wine: Inside one of Californias biggest high-end alcohol heists, California bar suspends 1,600 attorneys for violating rules set up after Tom Girardi allegedly stole millions, Commentary: George Kliavkoff and the new Pac-9 learn a hard lesson. It was the worst case of child abuse that local officials had ever seen. Another deputy who eventually went to check on the boy decided that the injuries were caused by a fall from a bicycle. Today, I feel relief that they will finally pay for what they did, his aunt, Maria Barron, said during a news conference following the hearing. Anthony Avalos mother and her boyfriend were sentenced to life for murder of the 10-year-old, which exposed shortcomings in L.A. Countys child welfare system. The abuse, prosecutors say, started soon afterward. It is unclear why a child being burned all over his body is not an emergency, Hatami wrote. In a post-verdict press conference,. But the ongoing battle between the recently elected LA County DA George Gascn and longtime prosecutor Jonathan Hatami has taken on a . His eyes were swollen, and there were bruised dots all over his face. He was like a son to us. But far less public scrutiny has been given to the role of L.A. County sheriffs deputies who investigated Gabriels situation in the months before his 2013 death. The ruling came after horrific testimony detailing extensive torture and abuse that Leiva and Barron were accused of carrying out on the boy. This did not happen. After court, Hatami and several of Anthonys relatives excoriated Los Angeles County Dist. The Sheriffs Department declined to provide specifics, citing state laws preventing the disclosure of peace officer discipline. Anthony served as the chosen target to gain some level of relief from their troubles., Anthonys siblings, Rafael and Destiny, took the stand in one of the most brutal days of the emotional trial. I am a father, husband, a 40+ year member of this community, child abuse survivor and "compassionate prosecutor" who believes in justice for all. And, in the end, all politicians, especially the elected DA, answer to the people . Hatami gained national recognition for prosecuting the parents of Gabriel Fernandez, the 8-year-old Palmdale boy who was . Appearing on Fox & Friends on Thursday, Hatami basically ripped Gascon a new one. Hatami said children don't want their parents arrested. Both sides had waived their right to having the case heard by a jury. But the deputies found no signs of abuse and did not file paperwork that would have led specially trained detectives to do more investigating. After Ohta finished reading the verdict, Deputy Dist. All rights reserved. She made an entry in her computer log but did not file a police report, the prosecutor wrote. She sounded upset, like she was choking back tears. In his motion seeking the Sheriffs Departments investigative records, the prosecutor slammed the deputies response. Universities follow the money, How to find parking for the Taylor Swift Eras concerts at SoFi Stadium, Julie and Todd Chrisleys nightmare prison conditions from no air conditioning to rattlesnakes, kids say, What to know about SoFi Stadium before going to the Taylor Swift Eras concert, Taylor Swift is about to boost L.A.s economy. And he just said it was fraud. Since at least 2009, Sheriffs Department policy has required that deputies thoroughly investigate every child abuse allegation. Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami embraces Gabriel Fernandez' biological dad after a guilty verdict was read in the Palmdale abuse case on Wednesday. And Anthonys voice was heard loud and clear in court.. After the verdict, family members of Anthony described the devastation they felt upon his death. Homicides, shootings, robberies, assaults and violent crime have all risen . The departments final investigation came a week before Gabriels death. Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami has added a new level of push back on Gascon's barely established tenure. Saeed Teymouri. Hatami was a victim of child abuse himself, surviving a "tough few years" of physical and verbal abuse at the hands of his father as a boy of just 4 or 5 years old. Jonathan Hatami. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Isauro Aguirre in a Lancaster court after he was charged with murder in the 2013 death of his girlfriends 8-year-old son, Gabriel Fernandez. Anthony Avalos suffered at least five days of sustained torture that culminated in the 10-year-old boys death last month, Los Angeles County prosecutors allege in new court papers. Jonathan Hatami, who has successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases against the parents of tortured and murdered children, promised "truth and justice over politics" on his campaign website and in a video announcing his 2024 bid for office. Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta announced his verdict Tuesday after hearing the trial of Heather Maxine Barron and Kareem Ernesto Leiva, with closing arguments wrapping up Feb. 22. "Your DA, Todd Spitzer - he is just the best," said Jonathan Hatami, an LA County deputy DA who prosecuted the torture and murder of 8 year-old Gabriel Fernandez. In June 2018, paramedics arrived at the familys Lancaster home to find Anthony brain dead and without a pulse, according to Deputy Dist. In problematical situations such as those where the documentation is in question, deputies should file a report to prompt a thorough investigation by detectives. Today, I feel relief that they will finally pay for what they. After describing how Leiva repeatedly slammed Anthony on his head the day before he died, Hatami asked Destiny if the boy just lay on the carpet unable to move. Lasley tried and failed to find the boys house he had the wrong address. The boy denied his earlier story, terming it a joke, she wrote in a report. Later, he said that his mother had made him exercise as punishment and shot him in the face with a BB gun, Garcia testified. Some relatives and victims rights advocates in the gallery shouted yes! when the judge read that Leiva was guilty of the first count. Prosecutors alleged that Barron had abused Anthony and two of his siblings for years, but the situation turned even more dangerous, and deadly, after she began dating Leiva. Head of L.A. Countys child protective services agency to retire in early 2017, Family of malnourished boy found dead in Echo Park closet had been reported to social workers six times, Malnourished boy found dead in Echo Park closet was subject of earlier child abuse reports, LAPD says, Social workers arraigned in case of tortured, fatally beaten 8-year-old boy. On April 26, Arturo Miranda Martinez, the security guard at the county employment office, called 911 to report that Gabriel was bruised and burned all over his face and head. We cant bring Anthony back, and we still have a Department of Children and Family Services that keeps failing our children, Hatami said after court. Barron initially told paramedics that Anthony hurt himself, but the boys siblings both testified that Leiva repeatedly dropped the 10-year-old on his head. Gabriel had fallen off a bicycle, and there was no evidence of child abuse, the deputy wrote. Heather Barron, left, and her boyfriend Kareem Leiva, not pictured, in a Los Angeles courtroom Tuesday where they were convicted of murder in the death of Barrons son, 10-year-old Anthony Avalos. Each time she saw a new instance of possible abuse, she notified a social worker. She knew. Jon has also opened up about his own abuse, during childhood, at the hands of his father. His father was originally from Iran and emigrated to the United States. She began lying on the weekly reports she sent home with Gabriel, drawing a smiley face instead of giving a true account of his behavior, out of fear that a bad report would cause his mother to hit him, she told grand jurors. The deputy district attorney said it was the prosecution's position that "both of these defendants are evil individuals," and that they were both abusive before meeting each other. According to the Sheriffs Departments policy manual, the welfare of the child is of paramount concern in custody disputes. New deputies are trained in the Sheriffs Academy to be suspicious and to square the familys story with the injuries on the child, said Scott, the retired sheriffs sergeant. Under California law, they must face a punishment of life without parole at a sentencing hearing next month. Attorneys for the defendants were not immediately available for comment. Avalos mother and her boyfriend are accused of torturing the 10-year-old Lancaster boy for days before his death in 2018. That training is carried over into the field, said Sgt. Jonathan Hatami, a prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, announced on Wednesday his candidacy for the district attorney position in the 2024 election. DCFS sent members of its media relations staff to monitor portions of the trial, but the agency has not issued any statement on the case. Dad. Cardinals, Dodgers have had trade talks, Our family of four shared a cramped studio for 25 years. In May, Gabriel was absent from school for several days. April 25, 2023 "I will always remember Anthony as a loving, funny little boy who loved spending time with us, his aunts his uncles. We see smash-and-grab burglaries, follow-home. A graduate of Yale University and NYU School of Law, she began her journalism career at the Pasadena Star-News. One eye was completely bloodshot, prompting his classmates to say he looked evil, his teacher testified. Growing up, Jonathan was a victim of child abuse at the hands of his father. Jonathan Hatami, a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County, said in doing so, Gascon has "failed" juveniles, who could get the message that there are no consequences for their actions,. What kind of a person is that? Hatami repeatedly asked. Barron claimed she was a victim of domestic violence at Leivas hands and powerless to stop him, although prosecutors presented evidence that showed the woman had been accused of abusing her children long before Leiva entered her life. Anthony Avalos mother and her former boyfriend were convicted of murder Tuesday in the 2018 death of the 10-year-old, whose short and tragic life exposed massive shortcomings in the countys child welfare system. I never win in any of my cases. Child Abuse Prosecutor Husband. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The mother of Anthony Avalos and her boyfriend have been found guilty in the torture-murder of the 10-year-old Lancaster boy. Sentencing is scheduled for April 25. None of the nine deputies involved in Gabriels case have been criminally charged, and all still work for the Sheriffs Department. Several DCFS employees took the stand during the five-week trial, but they failed to explain why they didnt take additional steps out of concern for Anthonys safety. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. ", The murder count includes the special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture. Six months after Gabriels death, the Sheriffs Department began requiring deputies to file a one-page report for every child abuse call, regardless of whether they find evidence of a crime. In grand jury testimony, Robert Fernandez said he showed the deputies a notarized guardianship document as well as school records indicating that he and his wife were authorized to act as Gabriels parents. Worried school officials assigned Jason Lee Lasley, a sheriffs deputy who worked at the school, to check on the boy and see if he was being abused. The county blue ribbon commission saw room for improvement and recommended better training for law enforcement officers, including yearly refresher courses. Hatami, who has prosecuted several high-profile cases against the parents of tortured and murdered children, promised "truth and justice over politics" on his . He cited instances in which Barron could have taken steps to protect Anthony or save his life, especially when he was on the verge of death in the hospital and she continued to lie about what happened. Hatami and his wife, Roxanne, have a son and a daughter. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Unfortunately, it seems this tragedy is being politicized, she wrote in a statement. LOS ANGELES - Some would call it Hatami vs Gascn. Leiva and Barron now face a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole. I will always remember Anthony as a loving, funny little boy who loved spending time with us, his aunts his uncles. Timothy OQuinn told the grand jury. He added: "This flagrant lack of care for Anthony's life all point to intent to kill by both defendant Baron and defendant Leiva. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Jonathan Hatami was born on December 15, 1969 in New York, New York. On Jan. 29, 2013, Gabriel returned to school after a weeklong absence. Nobody can take that away from me. He tried to get a better address from Gabriels school, then appears to have ended his investigation. In detailing Barron's apparent lack of affection for her own son, Ohta noted that she failed to seek medical attention for Anthony in his final days, when he was left unconscious on the floor in the family home after being abused by Leiva the evening of June 18, 2018. But I do believe that the two people most responsible for Anthonys death have been found guilty. LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami will announce Wednesday that he is running to replace his boss, George Gascn as District Attorney in the 2024 ellection . Law enforcement treats these crimes like second-class crimes, Scott said. Hatami was a prosecutor in the trial. James Queally writes about crime and policing in Southern California, where he currently covers Los Angeles Countys criminal courts and the district attorneys office for the Los Angeles Times. A burn above his groin penetrated all the way through the skin into the soft tissue. No one, including the DA, is above the law. A sheriffs deputy, Imelda Rizo, then went to Gabriels house and wrote an entry in her computer log: She had observed no injuries on Gabriel and saw no indications of child abuse, sheriffs homicide Det. His teacher, Jennifer Garcia, soon noticed that something was wrong with her new pupil, according to her testimony before the grand jury. The children also were forced to kneel on exposed floors, nails or uncooked rice for long periods of time or hold a squatted position, dubbed the Captains Chair, until they fell over from pain. But prosecutors said in court papers that some were disciplined internally. Despite his busy career as a prosecutor, Hatami is known to be a devoted father and prioritizes spending time . Cloudflare Ray ID: 7eee2da4ed9d373d "This pain in our heart, because nobody will ever take the pain away of losing Anthony," said Maria Barron, the boy's aunt. Hatami also served as lead prosecutor in that case, and several of Fernandezs relatives attended court Tuesday in support of Anthonys loved ones. Her parents, Robert and Sandra Fernandez, asked the Sheriffs Department to mediate the custody dispute, telling Deputies Adam Hilzendeger and David Nisenoff that Pearl had a history of neglecting and physically abusing her children. 296 talking about this. It is unclear why a police report was not filed and if the security guard was interviewed by Deputy Livingston.. It is clear to this court that both defendants targeted Anthony as a scapegoat for extreme cruelty, the judge said. 14K Followers, 1,012 Following, 686 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Jonathan Hatami (@jonathanhatami) Striking hotel workers want her to stay away, Nolan Arenado to the Dodgers? But now I will never get to see what an amazing young man he will become.". One DCFS employee could be heard laughing and telling jokes while receiving a description of abuse suffered by Anthony over an emergency hotline, according to a recording played during the trial. On Feb. 27, a counselor assigned to the family by DCFS called 911: Gabriel had written a suicide note. So he got into an argument with my wife, Robert Fernandez said of one of the deputies in grand jury testimony. His mother was granted temporary custody. He has worked on thousands of domestic violence, hate crime, and complex homicide cases, as well as physical and sexual abuse cases involving children. Jonathan or Jon Hatami can be described by many titles. Today on the Rita Cosby Show, Jonathan Hatami joins the broadcast to talk about the failed Gascon recall. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. The defendants were also convicted of torturing Anthony and abusing two of his siblings, and Ohta upheld a special circumstances allegation that the couple tortured the boy in the commission of a murder. Hatami immediately. A county blue ribbon commission recommended a series of reforms in the wake of Gabriels death, including better training for law enforcement officers and better sharing of information with social workers. But we will forever have to carry this pain in our heart because nobody will ever take the pain away, of losing Anthony.. Jonathan Hatami, an assistant district attorney known for prosecuting heinous crimes against children, is throwing his hat into the race for Los Angeles District Attorney against incumbent George Gascon, who is also his boss. Born in Queens, New York, Jon and his family eventually moved to Florida, before moving to Santa Clarita, when Jon was 7 years old. A few days after the encounter with the security guard, Gabriel returned to school. Universities follow the money, How to find parking for the Taylor Swift Eras concerts at SoFi Stadium, Julie and Todd Chrisleys nightmare prison conditions from no air conditioning to rattlesnakes, kids say, What to know about SoFi Stadium before going to the Taylor Swift Eras concert, Taylor Swift is about to boost L.A.s economy. She came to the Los Angeles Times in 2012, first covering immigration and ethnic communities before moving to the L.A. County sheriffs beat and then the LAPD. They are looking for a reason to clear the case, and as a police officer, you have got to treat child abuse like any other crime.. His inexperience and lack of duty as district attorney to the . WHITTIER Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami will challenge his boss, George Gascn, in 2024, the noted child abuse prosecutor is scheduled to announce today at a Minutes before, the prosecutor had won a conviction in the killing of. City News Service contributed to this report. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. According to DCFS records, the deputy determined that Gabriel did not have a plan for how he would kill himself. The county medical examiner who performed Gabriels autopsy said to the grand jury that he had never seen so many skin injuries on a child. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - Jonathan Hatami, the Los Angeles deputy district attorney known for convicting child killers in high-profile cases, including those of Gabriel Fernandez and Anthony. "The defendant Barron waited to call 911 until Anthony was literally deceased on the afternoon of June 20, 2018," the judge said. One of Barron's attorneys, Nancy Sperber, urged the judge to acquit Barron of murder and torture, but did not directly address the two child abuse counts. In September 2012, when Gabriel was 8, Pearl decided she wanted him back. "I. August entertainment preview: 'Ahsoka,' Selena Gomez and more! This guarantees that they will die in prison. Lockdown lifted at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall following riot, 300 goats to be placed around Glendale to help prevent wildfires. In her gut, she knew it wasnt true, she told the grand jury. "I had kind of a complicated childhood situation. Dec. 11, 2019 3 AM PT Jon Hatami's voice shook and he stared down at the courthouse floor as reporters packed around him. L.A. housing costs nearly kept us there forever, L.A. looks to tighten rules for single-family homes in part of Santa Monica Mountains, Healing a shattered community: Monterey Park shooting survivors return to dance, Colorado River losing vast amounts of water due to warming climate, study finds, Bear takes a dip in Burbank backyard as Californias heat wave continues. He is a father, husband, advocate, veteran, and survivor. "And many would risk their own lives to save the life of their child.". Cardinals, Dodgers have had trade talks, Our family of four shared a cramped studio for 25 years. Yet, the boy remained in Leiva and Barrons home. Hatami told the judge that the prosecution believes the boy died of a combination of starvation and dehydration, blunt force trauma, chronic child abuse and torture and failure to seek medical treatment. He told the grand jury that when he spoke to Pearl Fernandez on the phone on May 16, she said the boy had moved to Texas to live with his grandmother. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. These two people face a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ohta also concluded that Barron and Leiva treated Anthony significantly worse than the other children in their care, singling him out for intense suffering. Atty. At Gabriels home, Deputy Jonathon Livingston spoke to Aguirre, saw Gabriel and then wrote an entry in his computer log, according to court records. As the principal opened his mouth to speak, his face turned white. "I don't think you ever forget your childhood," Hatami shared. Another deputy, responding to a report that Gabriel was suicidal, left the home without examining or interviewing him. The agency never made an attempt to remove the children from Barrons custody and no DCFS employees have been disciplined in connection with the case.

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