EspañolAdoptive Parents Juan Sanchez Moreno, Alejandra Marin Charged For The Death of 10-Year-Old Boy at Southern California Hospital
MORENO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA (November 23, 2024) – The adoptive parents of a 10-year-old boy identified as Juan Sanchez Moreno, Alejandra Marin have been charged with murder, torture, and child abuse after the boy died.
The charges follow the death of the boy at a Southern California hospital. Riverside County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the 1300 block of Malibu Court after getting a report of a boy in medical distress.
The 10-year-old boy was transported to the hospital by paramedics. Deputies are saying that an initial investigation revealed signs of potential abuse and neglect.
The child’s health continued to decline while he stayed at the hospital. Tragically, he was later pronounced dead. An investigation into the death remains ongoing.
But his adoptive parents, Juan Sanchez Moreno and Alejandra Marin, are facing charges related to the death. A full investigation into the incident remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Deaths In Adoptive Care Settings
Child abuse remains alarmingly common throughout California and the United States. According to the National Children’s Alliance, “In 2022, an estimated 1,990 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States, a number consistently on the rise over the previous five years. Boys have a higher child fatality rate at 3.26 per 100,000 compared to girls at 2.25.” There are a number of measures that adoptive agencies should take in order to prevent the children in their care from being abused.
- Adoption agencies should perform comprehensive background checks on all potential adoptive parents.
- Adoption agencies should perform in-depth home studies for all potential adoptive parents.
- Adoption agencies should educate parents about the potential challenges of adopting children.
- Adoption agencies should conduct frequent, unannounced home visits after the adoption has taken place.
Depending on the facts of any case, there could be several sources of liability when a child dies in the care of adoptive parents. For example, Child Protective Services in California could bear some level of fault. If CPS had prior evidence of abuse or reports of neglect involving adoptive parents and failed to intervene, this could serve as evidence of negligence. Failing to remove a child from a dangerous environment may be considered a breach of their duty to protect that child.
An adoptive agency could also be held liable for the death of a child at the hands of adoptive parents. These agencies must take reasonable steps to prevent abuse and misconduct. This includes performing background checks on adoptive parents. They must also routinely monitor the child’s well-being post-adoption. It is important that certain steps are taken after any child dies in a foster care or adoption setting.
- It should be determined if there were any prior instances of reported abuse.
- Police reports or records of previous encounters with law enforcement should be collected.
- An experienced wrongful death attorney should be contacted.
By the time any foster parent or adoptive parent is arrested for abuse, there are often numerous red flags that are missed. This is why it is so important all the people that work at adoption agencies are trained to recognize signs of abuse. When a child dies due to abuse in adoptive care, their family may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim. A wrongful death attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating Riverside County Wrongful Death Claims
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP were deeply concerned to hear about the tragic death of this child in Moreno Valley. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police.
Do you need more information about a wrongful death in Riverside County? Our team of child safety advocates is here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that abuse victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
