Gabriel Fernandez’s mother, Pearl Fernandez, along with her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre, was found guilty of brutally abusing and torturing Gabriel in 2013. 8-year-old Gabriel died from the abuse in May 2013, following which Pearl was convicted and imprisoned. The trial and subsequent conviction raised many important questions about the system that creates space for unnoticed child abuse in the US.
In 2012, when Gabriel Fernandez’s mother decided to take Gabriel in with her, she faced some resistance from relatives and extended family. They claimed that she was already negligent towards her other two children, who had been living with her, and doubted her abilities as a parent. Prior to 2012, Gabriel had been moving around from the homes of his grandparents and uncle to places of other relatives. Pearl then decided to take him to gain welfare benefits.
Gabriel Fernandez moved in with his mother, her boyfriend, and his two other siblings in 2012. He moved to a new school where he reportedly asked a teacher, Jennifer Garcia, if mothers hitting their children was acceptable. When pressed, he also asked about whether bleeding because of the hitting would be considered normal. Following this, Garcia alerted the Los Angeles County child abuse hotline.
According to reports, there weren’t any strong indications of abuse by Gabriel Fernandez’s mother, according to authorities. Reports assured that there wasn’t anything suspicious found despite multiple visits to Pearl Fernandez’s home. Following that, however, schoolmates noticed Gabriel coming from home with wounded lips, hurt on the scalp, and other scars. His siblings revealed later on that their parents harassed him and called him gay for wanting to play with dolls.
Gabriel Fernandez’s mother: Where is Pearl Fernandez now?
On May 22, 2013, Gabriel Fernandez’s mother called 911 to report that Gabriel was not breathing. The paramedics noted that they found Gabriel with broken ribs, a cracked skull, and BB pellets stuck in his body. He died on May 24, 2013, after being declared brain-dead the day before.
It was found that Aguirre and Pearl abused and tortured Gabriel till he stopped breathing. The months of abuse were also evident from the initial reports of the paramedics. Pearl and Aguirre were tried for the murder of Gabriel Fernandez. The trial included reports from Gabriel’s peers, relatives, his siblings, and teachers. All of them confirmed Gabriel’s deteriorating quality of life ever since he moved in with his mother. Yet, none of the reports came in early enough to prevent Gabriel’s death.
Isauro Aguirre was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He was also held guilty of murder by torture. Gabriel Fernandez’s mother pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison without any chance for parole. She is now serving her sentence at the Central California Women’s Facility.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is a true crime documentary series that follows the abuse and murder of Gabriel Fernandez. It studies the factors that enabled the abuse and that continue to put vulnerable children at risk of abuse. It was released on Netflix in February 2020.
