The parents of a 4-year-old Palmdale boy, Noah, pleaded no contest to murdering and torturing their son in July 2019. Ursula Juarez and Jose Cuatro were accused of killing Noah just a month shy of his fifth birthday. Cuatro pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and torture, facing 32 years to life in prison, while Juarez pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and torture, facing 22 years to life in prison. The sentencing is scheduled for April 30, and both parents have waived their right to appeal. The case brought renewed scrutiny on Los Angeles County’s child welfare system.
When authorities arrived at the family’s Palmdale apartment complex after the parents summoned them, they found Noah unconscious in the apartment and found inconsistencies in the parents’ story that he had stopped breathing after swimming in the pool. The boy had signs of strangulation on his body, including bruising, and evidence of suffocation. Despite the injuries, experts were unable to determine what had caused the trauma to his rectum, adding to the shocking nature of his death. Noah died on July 6, 2019, and doctors concluded that he had died from suffocation, despite having numerous injuries, including rib fractures.
After Noah’s death, his great-grandmother, Eva Hernandez, filed a lawsuit against L.A. County, accusing the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) of failing to prevent his death and neglecting to fully investigate and stop the abuse by his parents. Noah had a troubled history with DCFS as he was removed from his parents as a newborn due to allegations of abuse by his mother. Despite being with his great-grandmother for a while and showing improvement in his health, Noah was eventually returned to his parents, where his health took a severe decline. Concerns were raised by social workers and relatives about his well-being, but DCFS failed to act decisively to protect him.
The case worker assigned to Noah, Susan Johnson, documented marks and bruises on the boy’s body and attempted to secure a court order to remove him from his parents’ care but was blocked. Subsequently, Noah was not separated from his parents, leading to tragic consequences. Reports of mistreatment by Noah’s aunt were made to the child abuse hotline, highlighting the missed opportunities by DCFS to protect the boy. Johnson faced resistance and accusations of bias when trying to protect Noah, ultimately being removed from his case, which impaired efforts to ensure the boy’s safety.
After Noah’s death, Eva Hernandez was granted custody of his three surviving siblings and is in the process of legally adopting them. The tragic case of Noah Cuatro shed light on the failures of the Los Angeles County child welfare system in protecting vulnerable children like him. The lack of decisive action, internal resistance, and missed opportunities to intervene and protect Noah led to his untimely death at the hands of his parents. The case prompted renewed scrutiny and calls for reform within the DCFS to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Noah’s story serves as a reminder of the importance of a robust and effective child welfare system in safeguarding the well-being of vulnerable children in society.
