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Lawyers for Anthony’s father, Victor Avalos, and three of his siblings, who all suffered abuse at the hands of their mother and her partner, said that the deal resolves a wrongful death claim they filed after Anthony’s death.
Who is Anthony Avalos?
Anthony Avalos was an American kid who was ten years old when he was tortured and died after being beaten and suffering internal bleeding. He was born on May 4, 2008, and died on June 21, 2018. When his corpse was found, there were indications of physical abuse and starvation on the body. His mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, have been charged with first-degree murder with torture as an exceptional circumstance in connection with the death of their son.
As stated by Sheriff Jim McDonnell, Leiva was taken into custody following an initial interview with the police in which he allegedly made some questionable statements.
The Statement About the Death of Anthony Avalos?
Anthony Avalos died on June 21, 2018, after being treated for a life-threatening head hemorrhage. At 10, his 77-pound body showed signs of long-term mistreatment.
Between 2013 and 2017, Anthony was watched by Los Angeles County Children and Family Services. This four-year supervision lasted. Teachers, police officers, counselors, and relatives phoned the child abuse hotline to check on Anthony.
According to hundreds of interviews and a study of court records, DCFS documents, and outside agency data, child protection workers and others responded by protecting Anthony and missed multiple warnings and opportunities to act before his death. This information came from agencies contracted by the county to aid Anthony and his family.
A grand jury accused Anthony’s mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, of murder in October 2018. The indictment says the couple s*xually abused one child. Barron and Leiva pleaded not guilty. A state licensing board placed Barbara Dixon on four-year probation on March 31 for neglecting to report the alleged abuse.
Anthony Avalos’ family sued the county, DCFS, and one of its contractors in 2019 for $50 million, saying social workers ignored abuse warnings and failed to safeguard the youngster before his death. According to the complaint, social workers neglected to protect the youngster before his death. The family and county announced a 32 million dollar settlement Wednesday.
Approved a $32 Million Compensation for a Child’s Death Due to Mistreatment
Anthony Avalos’ brothers and father were awarded $32 million on Tuesday. Prosecutors say the boy’s mother and boyfriend assaulted and tormented him despite social workers’ warnings. The settlement in the 2018 death of a Lancaster kid threw a shadow on DCFS. Gabriel Daniel Fernandez, 8, was tortured and died under a social worker’s sight.
The recent payout is on top of a $3-million settlement with Pasadena-based Sycamores, which gave Anthony home therapy in 2015 and was sued for ignoring abuse claims and failing to protect the boy. Teachers, counselors, family, and police phoned the county’s child abuse hotline about Anthony, but child protection officials missed several warning signals and opportunities to intervene, a Times and UC Berkeley investigation found. DCFS observed Anthony intermittently from 2013-2017.
“The case was always about honoring Anthony and preventing this from happening again,” stated attorney Brian Claypool. “We will seek a new law mandating DCFS agencies statewide to deploy competent child forensic psychologists when physical/sexual abuse is reported.” He emphasized that all therapists, not just interns like Anthony, should be fully licensed and share abuse records.
Claypool believes the money will help.
Anthony’s father, Victor Avalos, and three siblings sued their mother and her companion for wrongful death. Heather Barron and Kareem Leiva are accused of torturing, killing, and assaulting Anthony’s brothers. Leiva and Barron are arrested. They’re innocent. As a civil trial for carelessness, fraud, and civil rights violations began in May, county lawyers agreed to the arrangement. Barron and Leiva are awaiting trial in L.A. County, where prosecutors allege they put hot sauce on Anthony’s face and lips, beat him with a wire and belt, and dropped him on his head.
Prosecutors say they withheld food, force-fed him, slammed him into furniture and the floor, and denied him the bathroom. Anthony allegedly told his school’s vice principal in 2015 that his mother beat him, locked him in a room without food, and had him sit in “the captain’s chair.”
Authorities said Anthony and his siblings informed their uncle they were whipped. Anthony’s uncle prevented his mother from taking up her children, so sheriff’s officers intervened. Anthony and his siblings were warned not to go home with their mother. Anthony moved back in with his mother. He continued with her despite hotline calls, including one from a domestic abuse program employee who alleged Leiva forced Anthony and his siblings to fight. Read more: Deputies Say a Couple Was Murdered in Their Deltona Home While Their Children Were There
On June 18, 2018, Anthony informed his mom he liked men. Barron says Leiva heard the conversation. Leiva dumped Anthony the next night, grand jury transcripts reveal. Anthony’s mother contacted 911 two days later, and paramedics transported him to the hospital, where he died. In August 2020, DCFS will release a revised policy for accountability monitoring in the Family Maintenance and Voluntary Family Maintenance programs and begin a new training program to improve social workers’ interview skills and risk assessment tool training. Social workers and sheriff’s deputies work jointly under a March 2021 agreement.
Sycamores counselor Barbara Dixon didn’t report Anthony’s potential abuse. Dixon learned from Anthony that a relative s*xually molested him, but she didn’t write it. Dixon discovered through Anthony’s uncle that his mother assaulted him and his brothers but never contacted DCFS. Dixon is on four-year probation and must complete psychotherapy, legal and ethics training, and child abuse assessment education. Read more: Zara Tindall totally smoulders: in recent photographs of modeling, An overview
Dixon was accused of not reporting abuse against Anthony and Gabriel Fernandez. Claypool said Dixon’s legal action invoked her right against self-incrimination. Ex-Times reporters Matt Hamilton and Garrett Therolf contributed.
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