Executive director of the retirement home and former boss of Aguirre, Susan Weisbarth, described him as a "quiet, down to earth nice person, always willing to help." Credits: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. var tiktokscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, sentenced to life in prison without parole, review her sentence in light of recent changes to state law, Nothing short of evil: Judge sentences mother to life in prison and her boyfriend to death in Gabriel Fernandez murder case, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez involves the horrific case of a child brutally abused at the hands of his mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre. In October 2012, Aguirre began working as a security guard for AVL Private Security; through AVL he worked at the Vallarta Market in Palmdale, California. Prosecutors will decide at a later date whether to seek the death penalty for each defendant.. Elizabeth Carranza told producers on the show that Pearl didnt want the pregnancy. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Read More: The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez Review. During the trial, Fernandez was evaluated by Deborah S. Miora, a clinical psychologist. She was admitted to the facility on June 21, 2018. Yet, Pearls boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, adopted an apathetic stance, showing no hint of emotion throughout his trial. Describing the "possessive" guard who ran her dorm, Mota told NPR: "He liked having his housing unit full of things he liked to look at was what he said.". Today Contreras is once again behind bars, serving time in the Calipatria State Prison after being convicted on two separate charges of acquiring and retaining personal identification information with a prior, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. I can tell you that he feels its his fault and if he was out of custody, he would have saved Gabriel," prosecutor Jon Hatami said of Arnold Contreras. He'd just sentenced Pearl Fernandez to life without parole and Isauro Aguirre to death for the torture killing of Pearl's eight-year-old son horrifically chronicled in a new Netflix series. Notably, Pearl has been diagnosed with depressive disorder, developmental disability, and possible personality disorder, as well as, post-traumatic stress disorder. Fernandez was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and Aguirre was sentenced to death. Garcia says other inmates threw hot water over Pearl. Her father often found himself in trouble with the law, and her mother allegedly beat her, according to Oxygen. According to her, Pearl had resorted to stealing food in prison because she was hungry. Pearl Fernandez, like Huckaby, will never be released from CCWF. If their paths crossed, Medina assaulted Fernandez, or Garcia was a witness to Fernandezs beating cant be confirmed without official sources. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. While Aguirre sits on death row in San Quentin, Fernandez spends her days at Chowchilla State Womens Prison, a Central California womens facility. She became the mother of three children, Ezequiel, Virginia, and Gabriel. Pearl Fernandez, now 37, filed a petition under California's Penal Code 1170.95. Aguirre was sentenced to death for his role in the murder. She pled guilty in February 2018 and was imprisoned on June 21, 2018. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The Death of Gabriel Fernandez. Clinical psychologist Deborah S. Miora stated that Fernandez is "virtually unable to use thoughts to guide her behavior and control her emotional reactions. I wish Gabriel was alive. A 29-year-old mother and her 32-year-old boyfriend were charged today with one count each of capital murder following the fatal beating of the womans 8-year-old son, who died Friday, read a statement the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office shared with The Antelope Valley Times on May 28, 2013. I hope that you think about the pain you caused this child and that it tortures you,the judge said during Pearls sentencing. Jonathan Fajardo was fatally stabbed in the neck and chest by another condemned prisoner using a shank in the death row yard at San Quentin in 2018. They continued to raise Fernandez for four years. Every day I wish that I made better choices.. Pearl might have avoided the death penalty, but she is serving the life sentence that is well-deserved after the heinous acts she committed against her own son, Gabriel. Im sorry to my children, and I want them to know that I love them.. "Defying voters, the Governor of California will halt all death penalty executions of 737 stone cold killers," the president tweeted. But in a petition filed April 1, she asked the judge to review her sentence in light of recent changes to state law that affects some people convicted of murder under theories that do not require intent to kill, including felony murder or a natural and probable consequences theory. Kevin Bom, Patricia Clement, Gregory Merritt, Stefanie Rodriguez: This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 05:21. Currently, she is 38 years old and is at the Chowchilla State Womens Prison, which is a part of the Central California Womens Facility. She was caught in 2018 after one of her kids, who were aged between two and 29, managed to escape her house of horrors and raise the alarm. The exact details of the assault on Pearl are unclear. Ex-coworker Sherline Mille, who also worked for Woodland Park Retirement Hotel, noted that while Aguirre was driving residents he would often drive them the scenic route so they could get to see views other than the freeway. The Troubled Past Of Pearl Fernandez. All images are used with permission or licensed. Unsure of what would happen, Kiyomura entered the courtroom with a sickening feeling.. But it is likely that she did get beaten up in prison, according to a possible witness. His fall and resurgence, How did Curious George die? [27] However, charges were dropped in 2020 as justices in the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled that failure to uphold their duties and failure to remove Fernandez from his abusers did not constitute criminal liability for child abuse. George Carranza said my niece was always controlling with her boyfriends. He said that this abuse was horrendous, inhumane and nothing short of evil.. After suffering months of abuse and torture at the hands of Pearl and her boyfriend, the 8-year-old boy was brought to the hospital on May 22, 2013, where he was pronounced brain dead and died of his injuries two days later. Later when Fernandez reported to his teacher that he was shot in the face with a BB gun by his mother, she again informed social services of the new sign of abuse. She denied Pearls assertion that she wasnt an active participant in the crime. The psychologists report also indicated that Fernandez had a difficult childhood and a poor home life growing up. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! [29] Garcia reported her concerns to the child welfare hotline. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? According to Netflixs docuseries, Pearl suffered abuse in her own childhood and has been diagnosed with depressive disorder, developmental disability and post-traumatic stress disorder. Aguirre met Pearl Fernandez roughly a year and a half to two years before they took custody of Gabriel Fernandez. Fajardo was a Latino gang member waiting to be executed for two murders including the racially motivated shooting of a 14-year-old black girl. Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre were charged and convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances of torture. Louise Turpin is also housed in CCWF with her husband David, she shackled and tortured 13 children for years or decades. Aguirre and Fernandez were not together that long, and Gabriel had only been with them for 8 months. Every day I wish that I would have made better choices. During her sentencing hearing, Fernandez read a letter of apology, which has been transcribed by the LA Times: I want to say Im sorry to my family for what I did, she said. [29] Garcia continued to call the child welfare hotline and was told each time that a social worker would check in on Fernandez. RELATED: My Abusive Father Beat Me As A Child But Now I'm Facing My Fears Head-On. She pled guilty to first-degree murder, and murder involving torture, in 2018. Fernandez argued that she couldnt be convicted of first-degree or second-degree based on changes to state law. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez enters her guilty plea in the death her son, Gabriel Fernandez, in 2018. Pearl also threatened to stab Contreras once and faced a domestic violence charge for that. Amanda Starrantino Leaving WRTV: Where Is the Indianapolis Anchor Going. He passed away two days later on May 24, 2013, at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. [18] He worked for Woodland Park Retirement Hotel where he was a caregiver and a driver. Pearl was 36 years old, at the time. Both her and Isauro Aguirre did that. [6] Aguirre explained to them that Fernandez was "gay". They would do what she says. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The young boy endured horrific torture while living in his mothers home he was forced to eat cat feces, was often locked in a small cabinet, burned with cigarettes and repeatedly beaten, authorities noted during Aguirre and Pearl's trials. He died at the age of eight years old, and the official autopsy declared he died of blunt force trauma that coincided with neglect and malnutrition. Elizabeth Carranza, her aunt, stated that Pearl was always controlling her boyfriends, even leaving them if she did not get her way. The show raises a lot of questions about the circumstances of the case, especially about the part of Pearl Fernandez in torturing and murdering her child. [15], Pearl Fernandez filed a petition on April 8, 2021 which requested being re-sentenced but this was dismissed by the Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli. Saw the same post on another page ? I'm sorry to my children, and I want them to know that I love them. At her trial, jurors heard how Gabriel was tortured and abused by his mother and her boyfriend after being placed in their care 8 months before his death. In 2009, four-year-old Gabriel moved in with his grandparents, due to his grandfather's objection to Carranza's and Martinez's same-sex relationship. I want to say Im sorry to my family for what I did I wish Gabriel was alive,Pearl said before her sentencing. 10 The horrific nature of Gabriels abuse and murder has been seared into our minds and the defendants will now spend the rest of their lives in prison for their reprehensible actions. While many might paint Pearl as a victim herself, some people close to her have stated that Pearl was always a controlling and violent person. The project will marry her graduate work in clinical psychology and more than 10 years of journalism experience. Gabriels murder was explored in Netflixs 2020 docuseries, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez, which documented the harrowing case and sentencing of Pearl and Aguirre. "I had officers tell me, 'Go kill yourself,' as if they wanted me to," she told the Los Angeles Daily News. [citation needed] However, his execution has yet to be set in accordance with the moratorium on capital punishment issued by California governor Gavin Newsom. Aguirre is currently awaiting execution on death row in San Quentin in California, the state's oldest prison. Viewers of the documentary The Trial of Gabriel Fernandez were left shaken and in tears at the stomach-churning details shown in the programme. Every day I wish that I'd made better choices. She claimed that shew could not now be convicted of first-degree murder or second-degree murder because of recent changes made in state law, according to her request for resentencing. Pearl Fernandez and her boyfriend were charged with the murder of Pearls son, Gabriel Fernandez. A former cellmate of Gabriel Fernandezs mother is revealing what happened to Pearl Fernandez after she was sent to prison for his murder. She says one inmate, in particular, took it into her own hands to arrange a beating. [28] The first call came in from his teacher (Jennifer Garcia). Gabriel also claimed that he had been shot in the face with a BB gun. Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, At 19, he won a local school board seat. In the prison yard, inmates work out in isolation inside cages with nothing in them except chin-up bars. In reality, very few people are actually entitled to relief under the new California statutes.. 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