GUILTY CA - Vyctorya Sandoval, 2, beaten to death, Pomona, 23 April 2011

http://toristorch.wordpress.com/


A two-year-old girl died from suspected malnutrition months after being released from foster care to her biological parents.

When she died, bruises covered her body, a rib was fractured and blood tests suggested she died thirsty and hungry.

Tori was removed from her parents after her birth and joined eight older siblings in foster care, according to the letter sent by Ms Kontis.

The family are said to have had 11 referrals to child protective services for alleged domestic violence, child abuse and other issues, according to other sources with access to the family's files.

Ms Dalhover is said to currently be pregnant with her eleventh child.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...atural-parents-foster-care.html#ixzz1OZicsm71




The two-page letter landed in the judge's chambers at the Los Angeles County Children's Court last fall, registering "grave concern" for the well-being of 17-month-old Vyctorya Sandoval.

Linda Kontis, co-founder of a foster family agency that contracted with the county to provide care to the girl, complained that the court system hadn't properly considered the risks of returning the saucer-eyed toddler known as Tori to her long-troubled biological parents.

Months after the letter was written, Tori was dead.

For six hours, doctors tried to save her after she was rushed to an emergency room.

No charges have been filed, but police and county social workers say the parents are suspects in the investigation of Tori's death on April 24. She had turned 2 the month before.

Kontis' letter was one of two warnings officials received about Tori's welfare in the months before she died, according to sources familiar with the case.

A friend of Tori's former foster parents, Jennifer Nichols, said the couple phoned in a report to the children services department after hearing from the girl's relatives that Tori's condition was worsening.

Elise Esparza, a friend of Tori's relatives, said she barely recognized the once-boisterous girl when she saw her the month before she died. "She was very pale looking and gaunt in the face. I said. 'Something is wrong.'"

Despite concerns among those who knew Tori, the court and the county left the girl with her parents, who lived in a Pomona apartment before their daughter died.

Social worker visits were ordered, but interviews and records indicate that during the period she was with her parents, Tori's weight dropped from the 50th percentile to below the fifth percentile for children her age.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-adv-child-fatality-20110606,0,2875615.story

11 children? All in foster care or dead like Tori? Honestly, as a society are we willing to just let this woman breed and let tax payers bear the burden? Poor baby. It's just too sad. I hope she is convicted and will never have a conjugal visit EVER and never give birth again.

This is a case where forced sterilization would be justified.

Why was the little doll ever returned.

Makes me sick.

My heart is breaking at this moment! Why why why?

I am beyond disgusted with this so called "Judge"!

ziggy said:

... It's just too sad. I hope she is convicted and will never have a conjugal visit EVER and never give birth again.

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She is again pregnant right now, according to the article. The child was adorable. It appears CPS goal is to reduce the number of children in foster care.

jjenny said:

She is again pregnant right now, according to the article. The child was adorable. It appears CPS goal is to reduce the number of children in foster care.

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And it appeared to be such a good foster situation too....so wrong!

This case is just sickening!!!! A beautiful child who had a chance, and the system jerked it out from under her feet and returned her to the pathetic excuses for human beings who were her parents. AGHH!!!! :banghead: Why? Why, does an obviously bad situation have to be where the court system returns a child to??? Why can't human's just learn to listen to the instincts they are born with and NURTURE their children rather than give into their impulse for drugs, etc???? Self-centered, loathsome excuses for humans is what I see in her parents who let her starve to death and neglected this child on every level. At this point, I don't even want to hear what their excuse might have been..... Rest in peace beautiful Tori!!!!

This is so very tragic. what a beautiful little girl.

Her father? was only 18 or less when she was born???? So he can't be the father of 11 children, maybe 3 of them at the most?? :maddening:
This female is unbelievable and needs to be spayed. :banghead::loser:
They both need prison time too. IMO

tiredblondy said:

And it appeared to be such a good foster situation too....so wrong!

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I am also sure there would be many people wanting to adopt this child.

Tori wasn't another child in foster care they needed to worry about. She didn't have to be in foster care.

The foster family would have adopted Tori in a heartbeat, had they been given the chance.


She had lived with a loving foster family who fought hard to adopt her until she was 18 months old.

http://toristorch.wordpress.com/about/


Can you imagine... having a Mommy and Daddy for your first 18 months...

Then being sent to live with strangers who kill you?


Tori's real family who should have been allowed to adopt her, held a memorial for her on Sunday June 5.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...atural-parents-foster-care.html#ixzz1OZicsm71

jjenny said:

She is again pregnant right now, according to the article. The child was adorable. It appears CPS goal is to reduce the number of children in foster care.

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This may not be 'politically correct' but I don't care. IMO every woman on public assistance for more than six months should be required to use birth control or leave public assistance. These people have no right to have children that the taxpayers are forced to support.

Reannan said:

This case is just sickening!!!! A beautiful child who had a chance, and the system jerked it out from under her feet and returned her to the pathetic excuses for human beings who were her parents. AGHH!!!! :banghead: Why? Why, does an obviously bad situation have to be where the court system returns a child to??? Why can't human's just learn to listen to the instincts they are born with and NURTURE their children rather than give into their impulse for drugs, etc???? Self-centered, loathsome excuses for humans is what I see in her parents who let her starve to death and neglected this child on every level. At this point, I don't even want to hear what their excuse might have been..... Rest in peace beautiful Tori!!!!

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Another case where the "criminals" have more rights than the victims. When are we going to twist that so we are protecting the innocent? Disgraceful that even one child should have to suffer like she did in a civilized society.

I need to remind everyone that DHS is mandated to work concurrently on reunification and permanency through adoption. My heart breaks that little Tori couldn't stay with her loving family but the State DHS agencies are under incredible pressure to return children to their families of origin. They cannot legally choose which home is the "best" or the most loving. The judge is mandated to return the child as quickly as possible when the birth parent has met the terms of their "contract" with DHS. And that contract is typically not set very high.

Can this be a set-up for disaster? Most definitely. Social workers and foster parents continuously live in fear for the safety of the children they care for, who are returned to only marginally functioning homes. We have to keep in mind, however, that two elements are present here--budgetary concerns (it costs the taxpayers less to return the child) and the legal rights of the birth parent. Foster parents only get de facto parent status (standing in court) after a certain amount of months that the child is with them and even then, the birth parent often prevails. To someone not living or working within or close to the "system", it seems tremendously unfair and cruel to the child but the law is the law. For those in disagreement, I highly suggest letters to your representatives.

This is a horribly tragic loss and my heart breaks for the child and all those who truly loved her. This is expressly why our 11 adopted children were "legally free" when they entered our home. I could not have lived through a failed reunification. I highly respect foster parents but I couldn't "let go" of a child placed into my home and my heart.

Fly high, sweet little Tori.


ETA: For information on foster care policy, I recommend these sites:

http://www.nationalfostercare.org/

http://www.nfpainc.org/


For information about concurrent planning and adopting from the foster care system:

http://www.nacac.org/

Even if DCF had no choice to "reunite" her with the birth mother and father (why her specifically, and not all the other children?), they were supposed to have been monitoring her after she was "reunited." Considering the condition of her body when she died, it does not appear DCF did a good job monitoring her well being after she was "reunited."

jjenny--You are correct. However, once again I have to bring up budget cuts. Our budget simply CANNOT be balanced on the back of a child!!

And why this child? Obviously I don't know the case history but I've seen many times where a group of children are removed and the "easier" or more compliant ones are returned, if the parent is considered to have limited parenting skills. The more challenging children are placed in specialized foster care, group homes or residential treatment.

Our youngest son came to us at 3 yrs. His three older brothers had already been sent to the Children's Farm Home due to their level of violence, some directed at him. Sibling unity is federally mandated unless it it not considered to be in the best interest of the children.

Without knowing the details of this case, some reasons I can think where one child is returned and not the others:

this child was the mutual child of both biological parents and the reunification has run out as to the older children but not to this child

Actually, I bet that is the case. I bet the mother's first eight children are from different fathers and the mother lost reunification with them for whatever reason. But she has a new baby with a new father who does not have history in the system. That new father would be offered reunification and in some cases, this could be what provided the mother with reuinification for this child.

I have a feeling child #10 (Tori's younger full sibling) will never go back to either parent and the new baby should be removed at birth as well, with no chance of reunification. Life is sad.

Missizzy said:

I need to remind everyone that DHS is mandated to work concurrently on reunification and permanency through adoption. My heart breaks that little Tori couldn't stay with her loving family but the State DHS agencies are under incredible pressure to return children to their families of origin. They cannot legally choose which home is the "best" or the most loving.

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BEM: Sorry, but that statement is incorrect, the law is supposed to be what's in the best interest of the child.

California: "Although there is no standard definition of “Best interests” determinations are generally
made by considering a number of factors related to the
circumstances of the child and the circumstances and capacity of
the child’s potential caregiver(s), with the child’s ultimate safety
and well‑being as the paramount concern.

This was not what was best for Vyctorya, and the Judge should be removed. He ignored the alerts of everyone who saw Tori failing and DYING. this letter

I'm sick to death of hearing about budget cuts and "it's the law". There were people who would have taken care of her. Being and incubator and a sperm donor does not qualify anyone as a loving parent.

I need to write letters? Jesus, are my representatives that dense? Are the social workers who see this every day not so fed up that they aren't screaming foul??

Shall I text the First Lady and tell her obesity is not the number one killer of our children? That parents and Judges are?

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sick of this. FOUR CHILDREN A DAY ARE KILLED BY THEIR PARENTS. How is this lost on anyone?

RIP indeed. Fly with the angels. NO MORE. They deserve better than these words that I see repeated 20 times a day, every day. Makes us feel better that they're in a better place. Well it doesn't make me feel better to know that they are tortured and are robbed of their childhood to get there.

This child wasn't killed in the heat of the moment, she was beaten over and over again - a punching bag in the form of a beautiful little soul who was absolutely defenseless and had to take it until her little body gave out.


Why couldn't they leave her with the people who loved her, who gave her a castle and pretty little girl clothes to wear - why??

This is heart breaking. Apparently the birth mother who is involved in Tori's death is currently pregnant. I know that it won't compensate for the loss of Tori but i feel that the foster parents should be given the chance to adopt that unborn child. It won't make up for their loss but perhaps it will help them heal to be able to provide a happy life for Tori's sibling, just as they wanted to give to Tori.

miimaa said:

This may not be 'politically correct' but I don't care. IMO every woman on public assistance for more than six months should be required to use birth control or leave public assistance. These people have no right to have children that the taxpayers are forced to support.

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The thing that should have been done was forced sterilization of the Mother and Father since that many kids had been taken away from them. Anyone who has abused a child or had them taken away because of abuse should be sterilized.

This beautiful little girl should never have been allowed to go back to them. Of course nothing will be done about this or any other case where Child Services **** up and things like this will just continue to happen unless we start making up petitions and complaining about this to people that matter, not just voicing out anger on this forum.

I don't see this update posted, but these two were finally charged.



"The parents of a Pomona 2-year-old have been arrested and charged with murdering the girl last year."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...father-arrested-in-their-childs-killing-.html