Grandmother of murdered foster child said CPS wrongly took sibling

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Updated: 7/20/2010 10:30 pm
Murder arrest warrants have been issued for the foster parents of a 3-year-old girl found dead Sunday, Bakersfield Police Department Sgt. Mary DeGeare said. She said the death of Serenity Gandara has been ruled a homicide.

Meantime, there are serious accusations against Child Protective Services. Serenity’s maternal grandmother, Maria Garcia, said CPS retaliated against her after she criticized a social worker for allegedly ignoring reports that Serenity and her brother, 4-year-old Isaiah, were being abused at their foster home.

"You needed to take care of thing when I told you what happened with my kids the other kids. You never listen to me," Maria Garcia said she told the social worker.

Serenity was found dead at the home of her foster parents, Carla and Alberto Garcia, who is Maria’s son. Isaiah was found sleeping in a bedroom.

Police said the Garcias likely fled to Mexico with Carla's three children before Serenity's body was found.       

Maria says the CPS worker went to her home while she was at the coroner's office making arrangements to get Serenity's body. She said Serenity’s younger sister, Juliana, 1, was safe at the home with her uncle and several children, but after Maria retuned and then criticized the worker for Serenity's death, the CPS employee took Juliana, and told Maria it was because she left the toddler at home, albeit with family.

"Why you take away my baby she is fine?" Maria said she asked the CPS employee.

Hours after 17 News called CPS Monday, and asked a spokeswoman why they took Juliana, the little girl was returned, with no explanation from authorities. The CPS spokeswoman told us they are not legally allowed to comment on the case.

Garcia says she wanted to be the foster mother for the other children as well, and she is going to fight to get custody of Isaiah.

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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of KGET TV 17 - In the Spirit of the Golden Empire

SCOTTa123 - 11/27/2011 12:28 PM
so i suppose those of you who think cps only and always doES good would just sit back and take it if cps came and took your kids away based on a 100% lie.you wouldnt put up a fight to try and get your kids back? believe me these idiots at cps get it wrong about the parents 99% of the time. and they get paid to take kids away. i had my girls taken by these idiots based on a lie. and i suppose you believe everybody in prison deserves to be there?!! wow so if they threw you in prison on bogus charges you would just sit there and not fight it?? thats what a lot of you people expect us innocent parents to do is just take it when cps falsely accuses us.you figure cps is right 100% of the time well theyre not. if you think that then your either not from this planet or your oN a drug trip!! AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED CPS CAN GO TO HELL!!! AND YOU DONT KNOW ME AND MY SITUATION SO DONT SAY CPS HAD A RIGHT TO STEAL MY KIDS!

SCOTTa123 - 1/19/2011 12:21 PM
THIS IS PROOF OF HOW EVIL CPS IS .GO TO HTTP://WADVPRESS.ORG/?P=747 ABOUT A FORMER CPS WORKER.

markbsae - 8/15/2010 6:09 PM
I'll be the first to tell you I'm judgemental. No secret. And you are right, we are all entitled to our own opinions, even me. Freedom of opinion applies to opinions we like just as much as those we don't. It staggers me how so many people proclaim with 100% conviction that "we all make mistakes" or "everybody does it" and then try to apply that to situations in life where bad decisions or negligence caused consequences. If you are referring to "making a mistake" as in losing your car keys or locking yourself out of the house then yes, you are correct, we all make mistakes. But if you are talking about engaging in criminal behavior, doing illicit drugs, being careless in your youth and having an unwanted child, putting your own child at risk because you are selfish or ignorant and so on then you are WRONG! We don't all do that. Those aren't in the "mistake" category. "We all do it" is something usually spouted by people who have F*%$#D up and are uncomfortable being chastised by society. It is sad that it takes some people many big screw ups and bad consequences in life to realize we get one shot. My advice is to do things right and make it count.

sweetangllv22 - 8/15/2010 4:54 PM
If you give into to living your lives the way others tell you to then, would you be able to tell your children that you didn't try. That you allowed someone else to compromise the very morals and standards you taught them while trying to fight for them. PEOPLE DO CHANGE, there are many examples of such people all around us. IF YOU HAVE EVER MADE A MISTAKE AND WERE GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE, then congrats you were someone who was given a chance to do something GOOD with such BAD experience in your life. FORGIVENESS CAN SOMETIMES GO ALONG WAY. Many try to turn there life around but sometimes not everyone is able to succeed. SOMETHINGS ARE EASIER SAID THAN DONE. For those of you struggling with CPS in your life, I'm sure you didn't intend on being perceived as a bad parent. Many of us are GOOD PARENTS, but even all the work we do to get our children back DOESN'T seem to be GOOD enough. PARENTING IS A CONSTANT LEARNING EXPERIENCE, BUT SOME DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT. Some of us were GOOD people put in a BAD situation. Some though didn't even try to change but gave those who were trying a bad name. NOT EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH CPS DID SOMETHING WRONG, FOR MORE INFORMATION visit www.FIGHTCPS.COM.

sweetangllv22 - 8/15/2010 4:29 PM
The comments I have posted on here are to help support those who are suffering the same loss such as myself. For those of you who have NOT experienced what I am going thru, I only wished you could understand... but you NEVER will. There is an awareness about the topic that needs to be made public. Many families are broken apart by this organization and lives are destroyed. There seems to be many who understand exactly what I'm going through but then you get users like markbsae that seem to be somewhat strongly opinionated about various topics on this site. No offense but this site was made for EVERYONE to freely post there opinions. I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE WHERE WHAT I SAID SHOULD HAVE AFFECTED YOU IN SUCH A MATTER THAT YOU NEEDED TO CRITICIZE MY COMMENTS. If that's how you react to such a situation then my heart goes out to you. Comments you have made about these different situations have been somewhat RUDE. You are VERY judgemental person, and you statements towards my comments reflect exactly what kind of person you are. You know nothing for someone that seems to think they no everything. The people you see as "Good people" are NO different than someone who has a criminal background. Have you taken a look a the news lately. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES!! I WILL NOT let you opinions keep me from posting on here so if you dislike what is posted by me then KEEP YOU DEMEANING COMMENTS TO YOURSELF. EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND DESERVES TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. YOU WILL DO GOOD TO LEARN THAT IN LIFE. NOTHING gives you the right to treat me or anyone else with such DISRESPECTFUL COMMENTS. YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT FIND ANY BIT OF WHAT I HAVE SAID HELPFUL YOUR WELCOME I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. YOU HAVE TO HAVE FAITH AND STAY STRONG. It is a very difficult battle I know but your children NEED you to be STRONG. DONT LET ANYONE TELL YOU HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE!!!!

markbsae - 8/15/2010 12:33 PM
Um, CPS doesn't provide information as to what leads to anyone's death, the coroner does that. And it will be released. And last time I checked a criminal history DOES make someone a bad person. WOW! I can't believe I had to actually explain that to another human being.

sweetangllv22 - 8/14/2010 11:05 PM
My mother in law wants everyone to know that her grandkids were not taken because of drug use. Just because her son has a criminal background as a juvenile and an adult DOES NOT MAKE HIM A BAD PERSON. People are so quick to judge others when many of them have faults of their own. Last I check NO ONE WAS PERFECT. So why is it that CPS takes NO responsibility when one of their own fails to protect a child, but they are sure so quick to COVER IT UP. DID YOU KNOW???? Cps will probably never even provide investigation details about the little girls injuries which lead to her death. They wouldn't provide me with details of my daughter's injury investigation so many may never know what happen to the poor little girl. Children who are in foster care are required by the state to be given medical exam checkups as well as dental checkups. Many of you want to say where were the children's parents in all of this? Well, where was the Doctor in all of this. Anyone who is a mandated reporter is required by law to file a report if they feel a child is being abused. There is NO way that a doctor DID NOT see that abuse was occuring. Seems to me that the billions of dollars were are spending for foster care and it's officials to protect our children is being wasted. In my case, the Physican's assistant called CPS claiming that my daughter's injuries appeared to be days old when they weren't. One of the doctors was one of CPS'S VERY OWN doctors. He and another doctor examined my daughter and were bound by oath to provide a truthful opinion. ABUSE DID NOT OCCUR. Who is suppose to be responsible then? THE FAMILY TRIED TO GET HELP FOR THE CHILD, but no one tried to help them till it was too late. Being a city or county employee, law enforcement officer, doctor, lawyer, etc DOES NOT MAKE THEM ABOVE THE LAW!!!! They too make mistakes. SOME NEEDS TO ANSWER FOR HER DEATH. CPS NEEDS TO GIVE FALSELY ACCUSED PARENTS BACK THIER CHILDREN. My heart goes out to those who are suffering so a loss.

markbsae - 8/14/2010 10:51 PM
I'd be willing to bet that not a single person (i didn't say parent for a reason) who has lost a child to CPS has ever taken a step back and said to themselves "yep, I deserved that". It is just like prison being full of "innocent" people.

sweetangllv22 - 8/14/2010 10:18 PM
WHY IS IT THAT KC CPS GIVES THOSE WHO HAVE A DRUG PROBLEM? I've have seen SO many cases were children are neglected because of the parents drug abuse or parents that abuse their children but just haven't been caught yet. FUNNY THEY PROVIDE THE MONEY FOR THEIR DRUG HABIT. I'm not saying that all the parents use their benefits for their drug habit, but their sure are a lot of people that take advantage of the system. I AM STRONGLY FOR THE PROPOSAL TO DRUG TEST PAERNTS ASKING FOR BENEFITS. It angers me when I hear that a parent is getting benefits for their children yet they are using it for drugs or alcohol. It disgusts me to see parents who treat their children abusively or neglects them and NOTHING happens to them, yet my children were taken. MY CHILDREN WERE VERY MUCH LOVED AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF. They were only with a babysitter because DHS FORCED ME TO TAKE A MANDATED 2 DAY WORKSHOP, otherwise I would have been taking care of my children. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BLAME CPS.. I'M GUESSING YOU'VE NEVER HAD A EXPERIENCE WITH CPS. Until you've have experienced an encounter with KC CPS then there is NO WAY you can say that what they did was right or wrong. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE OR SEEN THE HEARTACHE AND PAIN THAT THEY PUT FAMILIES THROUGH. I DID EVERYTHING THEY ASKED ME TO DO YET I HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO SEE MY CHILDREN SINCE SEPT 09 AND THEIR FACING ADOPTION UNLESS SUPREME COURT RETURNS MY CHILDERN TO ME. Tell me what would you do if you had children and you were told "You no longer have parental rights of your children so you will no longer be allowed to see or have contact with your child(ren). FOR ME that is is a constant battle that ends in many tears. My heart feels as if it were ripped out of my chest because I would give anything to see them just one more time. My children loved me and wanted to come and didn't understand what was going on yet CPS told the judge whatever they wanted for my children. MY CHILDREN NEVER HAD A VOICE OF THEIR OWN.

sweetangllv22 - 8/14/2010 9:51 PM
This is shameful that this had to happen to this poor little girl. I have had my children taken by CPS and I am going thru a long battle with the supreme courts to get them back. My daughter was initally injured by the babysitter in 2007, but my husband was blamed for her injury instead. All because he had a criminal background as a juvenile and an adult. He waas deemed a threat EVEN THOUGH HE WASN'T THE ONE THAT INJURED HER. Despite two different doctors reports that claimed that there were no signs of child abuse. My husband was ordered out of the home. We were both ordered to take classes. Eventually after losing the kids we lost our house, our car, and our marriage suffered to the point of separation. Yet when the same daughter gets injured while in CPS there is no explaination. Her injuries were so severe that she required stitches in the corner of her right lip from putting her tooth through her lip. She had a bruise on her right arm and chin. I was never notified of her injuries despite having parental rights. I immediately questioned the foster mom, the social worker, supervisor, etc and was told that everything was "fine". Well I'M NOT FINE WITH MY CHILD BEING INJURED AND MY DAUGHTER SURELY ISN'T FINE. SHE WILL HAVE SCARS FOR LIFE. KC CPS was negligent in taken them from me. MY CHILDREN WERE SUPPOSE TO BE SAFE. TO ME SEEMS MY CHILDREN WERE IN MORE DANGER WITH CPS THAN ME. Children don't come with manuals, but EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN THEIR OWN WAY provided they keep them safe. IN KC CPS EYES YOUR UNFIT IF YOU DON'T DO IT THEIR WAY THOUGH. KC CPS has been getting away with falsely taking children away since back in the 1980's and IT'S GOT TO STOP. There have been many children that SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED, BUT WERE ALLOWED TO SLIP THRU THE CRACKS. CHILDREN WHO SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN TAKEN WERE AND THE ONES THAT REALLY NEEDED CPS WEREN'T. Watch Lifetime Movie Network for the special airing "Just Ask My Children" August 19th at 10 pm.
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