JASMINE GRANADOS - 2 yo -(2009) Los Angeles CA

Homicide detectives are investigating the death
of a 2-year-old girl whose body was found about 2:50 a.m. Saturday in
the 1200 block of W. 93rd Street in the unincorporated Athens area near
the Harbor Freeway.

The girl's name could not be confirmed, said
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Pena. Earlier in the day,
City News Service reported that a sheriff's deputy identified her as
Jasmine Granados.

Sheriff's officials did not provide details about the circumstances of the girl's death.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it
responded to the location about 2:54 a.m. but did not release further
details. An autopsy is planned.

A 2-year-old girl who was found dead in Athens this weekend had been in
foster care along with her mother, who is also a minor, authorities
said Sunday.

The girl, who was identified as Jasmine Granados,
was found after firefighters were summoned about 2:50 a.m. Saturday to
a residence in the 1200 block of West 93rd Street. Officials with the
Los Angeles County coroner's office said Sunday that an autopsy was
pending.

Meanwhile, the circumstances of the girl's death remained murky.

County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who spoke with officials from the
Department of Children and Family Services and the Sheriff's
Department, said Jasmine apparently had bruises and scratches on her,
but it is not clear whether those injuries caused her death.

Ridley-Thomas said the girl was not at her foster home at the time of her death. He
said it was unclear why the girl was at the 93rd Street home, or who
else was present.

He added that several children were living there, and that they had been taken into protective custody after Jasmine's death.

Children and Family Services Director Trish Ploehn said Sunday that the
situation was "unusual" and her agency did not know if abuse or neglect
were involved in Jasmine's death. "I have a lot of people looking at
it," she said. "We need more information from the coroner about cause
of death."

If Jasmine's death proves to be the result of abuse
or neglect, she would be the third child under the department's care to
have died under such circumstances in a month.

This is "an extremely urgent matter for the board to deal with," Ridley-Thomas said.

Jasmine Granados, a 19-month-old
Latina toddler, was found dead after firefighters were summoned about
2:50 a.m. Saturday, August 8 to a residence in the 1200 block of West 93rd Streetin an unincorporated area near Westmont, officials said.
Jasmine, who was initially reported to be 2-years old, had been in
foster care along with her mother, who is also a minor, according to
authorities.
County coroner's office said Sunday that an autopsy was pending.
County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who spoke with officials from the
Department of Children and Family Services and the Sheriff's
Department, said Jasmine apparently had bruises and scratches on her,
but it is not clear whether those injuries caused her death.
Ridley-Thomas said the girl was not at her foster home at the time of her death. He
said it was unclear why the girl was at the 93rd Street home, or who
else was present.
He added that several children were living there, and that they had been taken into protective custody after Jasmine's death. Children and Family Services Director Trish Ploehn said Sunday that
the situation was "unusual" and her agency did not know if abuse or
neglect were involved in Jasmine's death. "I have a lot of people
looking at it," she said. "We need more information from the coroner
about cause of death."
If Jasmine's death proves to be the result of abuse or neglect, she
would be the third child under the department's care to have died under
such circumstances in a month.
This is "an extremely urgent matter for the board to deal with,"
Ridley-Thomas said.L.A. county sheriff's officials did not have further
details about the circumstances of the girl’s death. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it responded to the location about 2:54 a.m. but did not release further details.

s→Investigations
L.A. County to probe child welfare system
The Board of Supervisors orders the investigation to see what flaws in the system might have played a role in the deaths of three children.
August 19, 2009|Garrett Therolf

Los Angeles County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to launch an investigation into potential flaws in the child welfare system that might have played a role in the deaths of three children over the last month.

Child welfare authorities had at one point investigated the care of the three children who died.
Statistics show that in the last three years, a dozen children or more have died annually as a result of abuse or neglect despite the fact that their cases had come to the attention of social workers.

The investigation would be the first intensive look at such cases since 2006.

"The county of L.A. must do everything it can to determine what happened in these cases, and what lessons can be learned from these tragic events," Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said in his motion for the inquiry.

Under the terms of the motion, the county's auditor-controller will conduct an inquiry in coordination with the Department of Children and Family Services and the Los Angeles County district attorney into the deaths of Dae'von Bailey, Lars Sanchez and Jasmine Granados.

The probe will include contacts with the family services department, all other county departments, law enforcement and private agencies.

Dae'von was beaten to death, allegedly by his mother's former boyfriend; Lars was decapitated by his mentally ill mother; and Jasmine died under suspicious circumstances while in foster care.

In an interview, Ridley-Thomas said that any information not protected by confidentiality laws would be released.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/19/local/me-child-death19

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=6960508

no updates found so far on the special investigation -

snipped
Lead attorney for Department of Children and Family Services appointed
Daily News Wire Services
Posted: 09/16/2009 08:33:35 AM PDT
Updated: 09/16/2009 08:37:33 AM PDT

The lead attorney for a unit responsible for investigating the Department of Children and Family Services was appointed on Tuesday by the County Board of Supervisors.

Rosemarie Belda, currently principal deputy county counsel, already provides legal advice to the department. Beginning Monday, she will change roles and serve as special counsel to the board and provide an independent legal review of child deaths and serious incidents of child abuse or neglect.

Belda will also offer recommendations to improve the county's delivery of services to children at risk of abuse or neglect.

Policies, procedures, systems and training at the Department of Children and Family Services are all under review by county staff in the wake of recent child deaths.

The deaths of Dae'von Bailey, Jasmine Granados and Lars Sanchez, all the apparently the subject of reports to the department, all occurred within the span of about a month this summer.
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_13348364

No update found.

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