Family members of Deandre Green, a 2-year-old boy who was fatally
beaten last week, allegedly by his mother’s boyfriend, said they had
warned police and Los Angeles County child welfare officials at least
twice about possible abuse in the last few months of the child’s life.
Deandre’s father told The Times in an interview Tuesday that in
October, he had taken his son to the Hawthorne Police Department to
show officials bruises on the child’s chest and stomach. Deandre’s
cousin said she had called the county Department of Children and Family
Services in February to report her concerns.
The cousin, Lavetta Jones, and other family members said their calls
went unreturned for weeks. At one point, a someone at the county told
them the person they needed to talk to was on vacation, the family
members said.
"It wasn’t as urgent as it should have been," the boy’s grandmother,
Sharlynn Pinkard, 43, said. "We truly sensed something wasn’t right."
County officials declined to comment immediately on Deandre’s case.
It remains unclear exactly what steps authorities took after
receiving the allegations of abuse regarding Deandre — and whether
social workers ultimately confirmed the accusations. Under law, police
and social service agencies are required to notify each other of such
allegations.
What is clear is that Deandre continued to live with his mother and her
boyfriend. On Saturday, the boy, who was living in Long Beach at the
time, was pronounced dead at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.
Officials said he showed signs of repeated abuse, and Long Beach
detectives have arrested his mother’s boyfriend, Hector Ernest Jr., 26,
on suspicion of killing the boy. He is being held without bail.
–Tony Barboza in Hawthorne, Garrett Therolf in Los Angeles
Photo: Deandre Franks, 22, the boy’s father, and Sharlynn Pinkard, the boy’s
grandmother, react in the wake of the death of Deandre Green, 2. Franks
says he had gone to police with his suspicions of abuse. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)