JACOB GIBSON - 6 yo - Phoenix AZ

Boy, 6, in Critical Condition After Severe Beating by Parents, Police Say

Wed., Aug. 10 2011 at 2:20 PM

Benny Gibson

​

A 6-year-old boy is on the verge of death after a severe beating by his parents, Phoenix police say.

The parents, Benny Gibson, 49 and Jennifer Paul, 37, were arrested in connection with possible child abuse charges.

Police and paramedics raced to the home near 7100 North 19th Avenue
just after 1 a.m. on Monday following reports of a hurt child. When they
went inside, they found the little boy, Jacob Gibson, not breathing and racked with convulsions.

Doctors operated on the boy after he was taken to Phoenix Children's
Hospital, but he remains in "extremely" critical condition "with massive
brain swelling," according to a statement by police.

Marks and bruises on the Jacob show he suffered a particularly brutal beating.

Jennifer Edna Paul

​
"The child has extensive bruising to his chest, legs, sides and back
that included some imprint markings that appeared to have been caused by
a belt buckle and possibly a wire hanger," police say in a write-up of
the incident. "Investigators are alleging that at some point the
victim's head was shoved against a bedroom door."

The child isn't expected to survive, police say.

Gibson and Paul gave conflicting answers to officers when they were interrogated about the boy's injuries.

Paul told an officer that Jacob had been beaten up by a 6-year-old
cousin and that he hadn't been feeling well the day before, police wrote
in court records. She also told police that the boy had been out
playing soccer with some friends, complaining of a headache when he returned home.

The father, meanwhile, told police that his son had tried taking the
dog for a walk a few days ago and ended up getting dragged down a flight
of stairs, striking his head. On Monday, Gibson claimed, he watched as
Jacob suddenly passed out and fell to the floor.

A day after Jacob was hospitalized, Paul spilled to a cop that her
husband would routinely beat the boy with a belt and buckle. She
confessed that she hadn't done enough to protect her son, and that she'd
sometimes participated in "spanking" the kid.

Paul said her husband also would frequently withhold food from the boy as a punishment.

Gibson admitted to striking the boy with the belt buckle, but said it
was Paul who hit Jacob in the head just before the boy had a seizure.

Child Protective Services had had an open case on the family since 2005, it turned out.

Jacob had been taken from the couple when he was just four days old.
Another child, Velladine, was taken by CPS about the same time. Both
kids were given back to the parents when Valledine was a month old, court records state.

Court records note that neighbors of Gibson and Paul had previously
called CPS and police on the family after noticing bumps and bruises on Jacob.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/08/boy_6_in_critical_condition_af.php

When case workers don't give a damn, this is the result. Too often the children of these monsters neglected by CPS and DCF end up in the murdered children thread.

Valley child-abuse cases brutal
Aug. 11, 2011

The names and faces of child-abuse victims may have changed, but
the results are becoming all too familiar for police and prosecutors.

Just hours after Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery announced
that prosecutors would pursue first-degree murder charges against family
members accused of killing a 10-year-old girl in a footlocker and also
seek the death penalty for a Mesa man accused of fatally beating his
girlfriend’s son, Phoenix police described the circumstances that caused
them to arrest two parents while their 6-year-old boy clung to life at
Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Phoenix girl dies in footlocker

Such cases are enough to push Montgomery, a father and Gulf War
veteran, to the brink of tears, as he was Wednesday while discussing the
spate of serious child-abuse cases that have made news in the Valley in
the recent weeks and months.

The burden for putting a stop to these cases rests with everyone who
comes in contact with children and their families, Montgomery said. He
called reporting suspected abuse a “moral obligation.”

“Ultimately, the degree to which we call ourselves a civilized
society is directly related to how we stand up for the defenseless and
innocent among us,” Montgomery said. “I call upon everyone, everyone, to
report abuse and neglect when they see it.”

But even as Montgomery was delivering his impassioned plea, Phoenix
police were documenting another brutal child-abuse case – one where the
moral obligations were followed, but the result will likely be the same.

The multiagency reporting system Montgomery lauded seemed to have
been followed in the case of 6-year-old Jacob Gibson. Child Protective
Services first investigated Jacob’s family in 2005 and opened a case as
recently as July, according to court records.

A CPS spokesman could not comment on the agency’s involvement with Jacob’s family.

Phoenix police were also involved in the boy’s life: Officers
responded to the family’s apartment near 19th and Glendale avenues
within the past two months to check an anonymous tip on the welfare of a
child, but no one was home and police left, said a Phoenix police
spokesman. Court records indicate that neighbors called CPS and police
about Jacob’s condition and that “in the past month, witnesses have seen
Jacob with a bump on his head and two black eyes.”

Neither were enough to save Jacob, who now lies unconscious in
Phoenix Children’s Hospital with severe brain swelling that detectives
believe the boy suffered when his head was slammed into a bedroom wall.

Jacob is not expected to survive, said Phoenix police Sgt. Trent
Crump, a department spokesman. Crump said there appeared to be a pattern
of abuse against Jacob that included beatings with coat hangers and
belt buckles and the deprivation of food as punishment.

Jacob’s parents, Jennifer Paul, 37, and Benny Gibson, 49, were
arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse Tuesday at the hospital,
Crump said. Two younger children in the family are now in CPS custody,
he said, and showed no signs of physical abuse.

More-serious charges could face Paul and Gibson as detectives
continue to investigate, Crump said, or if Jacob dies from his injuries.

First-degree murder charges against relatives of 10-year-old Ame Deal
seemed destined after Phoenix police detectives late last month
arrested Ame’s cousins, John and Samantha Allen, both 23, along with
Ame’s 34-year-old aunt Cynthia Stoltzmann and 72-year-old grandmother
Judith Deal.

Ame’s lifeless body was discovered locked in a 31- by 14- by 12-inch
footlocker, and her relatives initially said it was the result of a
tragic game of hide-and-seek gone awry. But after investigators gathered
evidence and interviewed some of the other children living in the home
in the 3700 block of West Romley Avenue – where four adults and as many
as 12 kids shared the 900-square-foot quarters – they arrested the
relatives.

Investigators say Ame was stuffed into the footlocker as punishment for taking a popsicle from the freezer.

John and Samantha Allen now face charges of first-degree murder while
Stoltzmann and Deal will answer to child-abuse allegations that were
part of a 15-count indictment unveiled Wednesday that detailed the last
month of Ame’s painful life.

Montgomery also announced that prosecutors will seek the death
penalty in a separate fatal-abuse case involving 4-year-old Annie
Carimbocas, who was found dead in May.

Jose Luis Gonzalez-Dominguez, who shared a home with Annie’s mother,
was indicted on allegations of child abuse in June and will face the
death penalty, Montgomery said.

An autopsy revealed that Annie suffered skull fractures, a lacerated
liver, a contusion to the pancreas, torn blood vessels and numerous
bruises.

Gonzalez-Dominguez told investigators the child injured herself in a
fall at their apartment complex pool, but a medical examiner’s report
ruled the death a homicide and stated the injuries couldn’t have
resulted from a fall, according to a police report.

“I can’t think of (a time) in recent years where we have stood here
and talked about such violent acts against children, back to back,”
Crump said. “It’s another sad, sad story.”
http://tucsoncitizen.com/arizona-news/2011/08/11/valley-child-abuse-cases-brutal/

PHOENIX — Authorities say the parents of a 6-year-old Phoenix boy
are in custody and are accused of child abuse.
Phoenix police said Wednesday that 49-year-old Benny David Gibson
and 37-year-old Jennifer Edna Paul have been booked into jail.

Police investigators were called to a north Phoenix apartment complex about 1
a.m. Monday about a child who wasn’t breathing and having convulsions.

The boy was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital where he underwent
surgery. Authorities say he remains in extremely critical condition with massive brain swelling.

Investigators say the child has extensive bruising to his chest, legs, sides and back that included some
imprint markings that appeared to have been caused by a belt buckle and
possibly a wire hanger.

It’s unclear whether either Gibson or Paul has a lawyer yet.

http://www.trivalleycentral.com/articles/2011/08/11/casa_grande_dispatch/around_arizona/doc4e43f4da5e5b3672531963.txt

Child Protective Services says state officials were already
investigating the parents of a young Phoenix boy before the child's
parents took him to the hospital earlier this week with severe injuries.
Phoenix police arrested 37-year-old Jennifer Paul and
49-year-old Benny Gibson on suspicion of child abuse.
Their son, 6-year-old Jacob Gibson, remains hospitalized with a swollen brain.
The Arizona Republic reports (http://bit.ly/oDEiOP) CPS has
investigated at least five allegations of child abuse involving the
couple over the past four years.
The most recent investigation included allegations the boy had head injuries.
CPS officials also launched three prior investigations into
allegations of abuse against Jacob in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
The Maricopa County Office of the Public Defender said Friday
the couple has not been assigned a lawyer.

Read more: http://azdailysun.com/news/state-and-regional/state-had-investigated-abused-child-s-parents/article_ea4708aa-b34a-5ada-a6ab-6f469795a520.html#ixzz1UsN0R9iD

Too bad they didn't remove him from the house while they were investigating, before they almost killed him.

someone needs to move this thread. dammit



Phoenix police said Monday that a young boy has died as a result of injuries that detectives believe were inflicted by his parents.

Police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump says 6-year-old Jacob Gibson died Sunday.

The police department says it will work with the County Attorney's office this week to review appropriate charges against 37-year-old Jennifer Paul and 49-year-old Benny Gibson.

Both were arrested on suspicion of child abuse.

The Maricopa County Office of the Public Defender said Friday the couple has not been assigned a lawyer.



Read more: http://azdailysun.com/news/state-and-regional/state-had-investigated-abused-child-s-parents/article_ea4708aa-b34a-5ada-a6ab-6f469795a520.html#ixzz1V82vPoCg

PHOENIX -- A 6-year-old boy who allegedly was abused by his
parents before he was taken to a hospital last week has died, Phoenix
police said Monday.

Jacob Gibson died Sunday morning, according to a release from Sgt. Trent Crump.

"The Phoenix Police Department will work with the county attorney's
office this week to review appropriate charges, as both suspects are
being held," Crump said.

The boy's parents, 37-year-old Jennifer Paul and 49-year-old Benny
Gibson, have been in jail since last Tuesday on suspicion of child
abuse.

Crump said investigators were called to a Phoenix apartment complex in
the early hours last Monday after a report that a child in the home was
not breathing.

Upon arrival, investigators found the boy was having convulsions.

The child had extensive bruising to his chest, legs, sides and back,
police said, adding that imprint markings on his back appeared to have
been caused by a belt buckle and possibly a wire hanger. Investigators
believe it's possible the child's head was slammed against a bedroom
door at some point.

The parents gave many conflicting reports of what caused the injuries to the child.

On Tuesday, detectives developed probable cause to arrest both parents for child abuse.

The Arizona Republic reported CPS has investigated at least five
allegations of child abuse involving the couple over the past four
years.

The most recent investigation included allegations that the boy had head injuries.

CPS officials also launched three prior investigations into allegations of abuse against Jacob in 2007, 2009 and 2010.



http://ktar.com/category/local-news-articles/20110810/Phoenix-child-in-extremely-critical-condition,-parents-arrested-for-child-abuse

CPS records on dead boy to be released

But state officials won't give information on injured 4-month-old girl

by JJ Hensley - Sept. 14, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

It's been one month since 6-year-old Jacob Gibson died of brain injuries his parents are accused of causing, but records related to the state's lengthy involvement in the boy's life are still under seal.

The records should be released by the end of the week, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

But state officials are continuing to balk at the release of information related to an injured 4-month-old girl under state supervision because her injuries do not meet the "near fatality" threshold established in state law, according to a letter Department of Economic Security public-records coordinator Todd Stone delivered on Monday to an attorney for The Arizona Republic and Channel 12 (KPNX-TV).

After Jacob died on Aug. 14, The Republic requested records from the DES related to Child Protective Services' involvement with Jacob and his parents, Benny Gibson and Jennifer Paul, who were jailed on murder allegations after their son died.

The CPS had been a steady presence in Jacob's life, launching five investigations since 2007 into allegations that Jacob was being abused, according to a preliminary report released last month.

Late last month, a DES representative said that the records The Republic requested were with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review and that the DES was "in the process of contacting the County Attorney's Office concerning their review."

One week later, attorneys for The Republic and KPNX filed a letter with the DES demanding that the agency comply with state laws that require the prompt release of records unless the County Attorney's Office determines that releasing the records could harm the prosecution of Gibson and Paul.

The County Attorney's Office received the records early this week, after state officials received a letter demanding the records, and a spokesman said the County Attorney's Office should be able to produce those records by the end of this week.

The pending release of records related to Jacob has no bearing on the ongoing dispute over the release of records related to a 4-month-old girl who was hospitalized after a "near-death episode" the girl suffered while in the custody of a CPS "safety monitor," according to Chandler police.

The letter Stone delivered reiterates the agency's position that the girl was not involved in a near-death experience based on the evaluation of a forensic doctor who saw the girl at the hospital. The girl's injuries included 14 broken bones, facial bruises and a cigarette burn on her arm.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/09/14/20110914cps-records-jacob-gibson-to-be-released.html#ixzz1YDhvAuUr

Tough questions over child deaths, troubled system

By Mary K. Reinhart, The Republic|azcentral.com
Posted 2/26/2012 04:30:24 AM

During his short life, Jacob Gibson was no stranger to Arizona's Child Protective Services.

The 6-year-old Phoenix boy spent his first two years in foster care. After he returned to his parents, CPS opened five abuse investigations that involved him, two still open when he died from brain injuries. Police arrested both parents.

Jacob's beating death in August triggered media and public attention. And news articles highlighted a child-welfare system in crisis, exposing:

A record number of children in foster care, and a shortage of families willing to care for them.

CPS caseloads double the state's standards, as well as backlogs and rampant caseworker turnover.

Funding cuts for programs that support families and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Today, The Republic begins a yearlong examination of the state of child welfare in Arizona, starting with how years of budget cuts to family-support programs have hampered efforts to keep children and families out of the system.

In the coming months, the newspaper and its partners, azcentral.com and 12 News, will explore the CPS workforce, investigations, foster care and the judicial system.

We'll analyze successful prevention and intervention programs, here and in other states, that assist families and children in crisis. We'll consider the failures of past CPS reforms and how to sustain new efforts.

We will examine not just the workings of the state's bureaucrats and bureaucracy, but the role of the community in helping children to remain safe and their families stable.

In the end, there is no perfect system. But Jacob's brutal death raises the question: How could this tragedy have been prevented?

Child-welfare workers and police had been a consistent presence in Jacob's life. Neighbors and others had called CPS numerous times, reporting bruises on his legs, black eyes and an alleged "choking" incident at school. When Jacob arrived at Phoenix Children's Hospital on Aug. 8, he was convulsing and covered in bruises. Authorities say one of his parents slammed Jacob's head into a wall. Benny Gibson and Jennifer Paul are awaiting trial on child-abuse charges.

The boy's death came weeks after a 10-year-old girl suffocated after she was stuffed inside a small footlocker. Ame Deal, who lived in a trash-strewn home with adult relatives and at least 12 children, was being punished for taking a frozen treat, police said. Ame's family was not known to CPS.

And in May, 4-year-old Annie Carimbocas was pronounced dead of blunt-force trauma at Cardon Children's Hospital in Mesa. CPS had dismissed an earlier report on the child, hospitalized with bruised eyes and a bashed ear, as an accident.

The public was outraged by the child deaths. Some blamed CPS and police, while others wondered why Ame's neighbors didn't call authorities if they suspected abuse or neglect.

Soon after the media put a spotlight on the cases, CPS revealed that nearly 10,000 cases were sitting idle because workers were too overwhelmed to either investigate or finish the paperwork and close the case.

The high-profile deaths prompted a debate about how to prevent children from being injured or killed. It's a recurring argument, following publicity every few years surrounding a spate of child deaths.

At its core are competing philosophies about the role of government and the rights of parents and children. On one side is the belief that government's role should be limited, in terms of the help it provides to struggling families and the power it gives CPS to separate families. The other side argues for more funding for services to help keep families together, as well as additional support for CPS to help children who must be removed for their safety.

Gov. Jan Brewer created a task force on child safety in November. CPS administrators launched improvement efforts, including quicker investigations and shorter abuse-hotline queues. But reform efforts aren't new. As time passes, the media turns its attention to other matters. Laws and funding approved by one administration are ignored or overturned by new policy makers.

There are no easy fixes. Child abuse and neglect is a complex problem, usually rooted in poverty, drug abuse, mental illness and generations of family dysfunction.

"There aren't enough public funds or public programs to solve the problem. That's an effort doomed to failure," said Deborah Daro of the University of Chicago's Chapin Hall research center for children. "It's not just a public program. You want to ask every one of us, 'What are we doing to improve the lives of children every day?'"

http://www.usatoday.com/USCP/PNI/Front%20Page/2012-02-26-PNI0226met-cpsprevention-overview_ST_U.htm