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Penalty phase continues for killer of 8-year-old boy, biological father testifies

by City News Service • November 29, 2017

Gabriel Fernandez

LOS ANGELES – The biological father of an 8-year-old boy who was tortured and beaten to death testified Tuesday in the penalty phase of trial of the boy’s stepfather, who was convicted of murdering the child, and said he remembers his son as an energetic young man who loved to run and play.

Arnold Contreras told jurors he never wanted his son, Gabriel Fernandez, to move in with his mother — Pearl Sinthia Fernandez — and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre. Contreras said Pearl Fernandez never showed any affection for the boy.

Pearl Fernandez, 34, is awaiting trial on a murder charge stemming from Gabriel’s May 2013 death. Aguirre, 37, was convicted Nov. 15 of first-degree murder, along with a special circumstance allegation of murder involving torture. Jurors are now being asked to recommend if Aguirre should be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

Testifying in the penalty phase of Aguirre’s trial, Contreras said he was in jail in Riverside County when he learned that his son had been found severely beaten and was on life support. Contreras said he felt guilty and helpless.

“I should have been there,” Contreras said, adding that he couldn’t find the words to explain how he felt at hearing the news.

Contreras had been in and out of jail, and had spent time in prison for robbery and drug possession. Prosecutors said earlier that Contreras believed Gabriel’s maternal grandparents would be caring for the boy, but Fernandez and Aguirre “took him away.”

Prosecutors showed jurors photos of Contreras with his son, and Contreras described Gabriel as a loving child.

“He was very energetic,” he said. “He was — he liked to play outside. He liked to play cops and robbers” and “play in the backyard.”

Contreras told jurors he still has sleepless nights over his son’s death, and his life and his family’s lives will never be the same.

During Aguirre’s trial, prosecutors said Gabriel was routinely beaten, shot with a BB gun, forced to eat cat feces and sleep inside a small cabinet while gagged and bound.

Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami said during the trial that Aguirre is an “evil” man who “liked torturing” the boy and did so systematically in the months leading up to the child’s death because he thought the boy was gay.

The prosecutor said the 6-foot-2, 270-pound defendant punched and kicked Gabriel hard enough to dent the walls of the family’s apartment and leave the boy unconscious, then — with help from the boy’s mother — hid some of the child’s bloody clothing and moved a picture to cover up one of the biggest indentations before calling 911.

Defense attorney Michael Sklar countered that Aguirre was angry because Gabriel had asked his mother to leave Aguirre and then denied saying so, calling his mother a liar in front of the defendant, who “exploded in a rage of anger” and “was completely out of control.” But once his client realized Gabriel was unconscious, “he immediately took steps to begin to revive him,” the defense attorney said, telling jurors that Aguirre told the boy’s mother to call 911 for help though he knew it would result in his arrest.

The attorney alleged that Gabriel’s mother was the one who hit the boy with a belt, shot him with a BB gun and was responsible for much of the abuse prior to his death.

Sklar asked jurors Monday to spare Aguirre’s life but punish him “severely” by sending him to prison for life, where he will be “waking up every morning in a prison cell” racked by the thoughts of what he had done to Gabriel.

Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel went to the family’s home in the 200 block of East Avenue Q-10 in Palmdale on May 22, 2013, in response to a call of cardiac arrest. Gabriel was taken off life support two days later.

Two former Los Angeles County social workers — Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement –– and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were charged last year with one felony count each of child abuse and falsifying public records in connection with the case.

Previous related stories:

Penalty face underway for killer of 8-year-old boy

Judge denies motion for mistrial in torture-murder of 8-year-old boy

Palmdale man convicted of torture-murder of girlfriend’s 8-year-old son

Jury deliberations underway in trial of man charged in 8-year-old’s death

Closing arguments underway in trial of man charged in 8-year-old’s death

Defense seeks to convince jury of defendant’s  remorse in 8-year-old boy’s death

Teacher reported alleged abuse of boy months before his death

Eight BBs recovered from 8-year-old boy’s body after his death

Victim’s brother, sister testify about alleged abuse

Palmdale man’s defense attorney admits client murdered 8-year-old boy

Prospective jurors asked to fill out questionnaires in trial of Palmdale man charged in 8-year-old boy’s beating death

Trial date set for Palmdale couple charged in boy’s beating death

DA to seek death penalty against Palmdale couple in Gabriel’s beating death

L.A. County trying to block return of social worker in Palmdale child abuse death

Accused child killers plead not guilty

Four social workers fired in death of Gabriel

Couple charged with capital murder in death of Palmdale boy

Justice for Gabriel protest, teacher speaks out

Palmdale boy dies after abuse, mother and boyfriend arrested

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

4 comments for "Penalty phase continues for killer of 8-year-old boy, biological father testifies"

  1. Mixed Emotions says

    December 4, 2017 at 6:24 pm

    I just still can’t believe how they could do that to a young innocent little boy. How heartless can a person be :(
    how couldn’t anyone see the trouble this little boy was in? School, neighbors, family??

    A life taken by two cowards who still are living… locked up… but living. They should both put on death row! They shouldn’t even have the privilege to eat the ‘nasty’ jail food or have a place to sleep, even if it’s behind bars. They should be served cat feces!

  2. aManOfTruth says

    November 30, 2017 at 11:07 am

    Why would anyone think an 8 year old boy is gay? Thats way too young to even think about that kind of thing. I think they were both high on drugs and alcohol… Do we blame them 100% – or do the people who provide them with the means to be that wasted share the blame? The cartels who provide drugs and alcohol companies don’t care about you at all, they just enjoy sitting on their piles of cash….

    • Matt K. says

      December 1, 2017 at 3:03 pm

      Stop making excuses for them! THEY chose to take whatever drugs they were taking. Nobody forced them.

      As far as them thinking he was “gay”, there might have been traits he had that made them think this, but the sickest thing about it all is that this boy was tortured to death because of it.

      Torturing a kid because you think he’s gay, or might be, is not acceptable on any level. For a supposed “man of truth” you sure as hell have your priorities screwed up!

  3. Ron says

    November 30, 2017 at 10:33 am

    Let him sit on Death Row for 30 years. Just waiting to die. 24/7 in a hole.

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