The parents of a 4-year-old Palmdale boy are facing potential life prison sentences in April following their no-contest pleas to murder and torture charges in their son’s July 2019 death, which was originally reported as a drowning.
Jose Maria Cuatro Jr., 32, and Ursula Elaine Juarez, 30, were indicted four years ago in the death of their son, Noah Cuatro.
In court on Friday, March 29, Cuatro pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and torture, and he faces a sentence of 32 years to life in state prison. Juarez pleaded to second-degree murder and torture, and she faces a sentence of 22 years to life behind bars, attorneys said.
Both defendants waived their appellate rights. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 30 in the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster.
The two reported a drowning in their family pool in the 1200 block of East Avenue S around 4 p.m. on July 5, 2019.
The youngster was taken first to Palmdale Regional Medical Center and then to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he was pronounced dead the next day.
Then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced the following week that an investigation was underway into the boy’s death. The sheriff said Noah lived with his parents and three siblings, who were taken into protective custody.
The boy’s great-grandmother, Evangelina Hernandez, subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Los Angeles County on behalf of herself and the boy’s sister and two brothers, alleging that his death occurred after multiple reports of abuse had already been made to the Department of Children and Family Services.
“Instead of protecting Noah and his siblings, DCFS continued to place the children with their abusive parents, where the children continued to be abused over the course of several years,” the suit alleges.
After Noah’s death, DCFS social workers made threats against Hernandez “in an attempt to silence her,” the lawsuit alleges.
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The social workers told Hernandez that if she made any public statements about Noah’s case and/or potential lawsuits, she would lose her request for guardianship of her other three great-grandchildren and would never see them again, the suit states.
Pasadena-based Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services was also named as a defendant in the civil lawsuit, alleging the agency knew of or suspected the abuse and misconduct occurring in Noah’s home after the boy was sent to the agency by the county Department of Children and Family Services for mental health services, but failed to report the abuse.
Sycamores has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
“Noah’s death was tragic and we all mourn his passing,” Sycamores CEO Debbie Manners said in a statement. “However, as we have clearly stated in the past, Sycamores had no knowledge of any abuse impacting Noah and also did not provide services to him while he was living with his parents. … Sycamores is not involved in this criminal matter and we have aggressively denied any liability related to ongoing civil litigation connected to the case.”
The DCFS previously issued a statement regarding Noah’s death.
“At any given time, the Department of Children and Family Services serves more than 34,000 families and vulnerable children in Los Angeles County with an unwavering commitment to pursue child safety every day in our communities,” the statement read. “Our 9,000 employees are committed to this mission, and we look to do everything possible to safeguard the children entrusted to our care.”
