A county review found that the Department of Children and Family Services took “considerable actions” in the case of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, but nonetheless made a series of recommendations to minimize risks to other children in the future.
The report by Michael Nash, head of the county’s Office of Child Protection, drew a clear distinction between the child welfare system’s failings preceding the horrific death in 2013 of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez and how it dealt with complaints in Anthony’s case.
The boy died in June after suffering abuse. His mother and her boyfriend have been charged with murder.
“While the death of Anthony was horrible, heartbreaking, and apparently brutal; while it occurred in the Antelope Valley; and while there had been previous DCFS involvement with Anthony and his family, from a systemic perspective, this case is very dissimilar to the notorious and awful 2013 death of Gabriel Fernandez,” the report said.
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