Recently in Child Abuse Category

It had been almost four years since U.S. Representative Gary Miller has seen his grandsons, a lifetime for any child. But last Wednesday, Miller and his son were finally given the hope of reuniting with the kidnapped kids after their mother was apprehended in Tijuana, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Jennifer Lopez Dejongh was arrested on Wednesday by Mexican police for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Dejongh allegedly abducted the three boys, now twelve-year old Brian and ten-year-old twins Christian and Evan, four years ago in violation of a shared-custody court agreement with her ex-husband.

From smartphones to laptops to video game consoles, children have access to the Internet in more ways than ever before. While the benefits of the Internet are numerous, the increase in exposure to digital content also increases the need for parents to stay vigilant of their kids' online safety.

The risks associated with kids online can come in many forms: access to inappropriate content, contact by sexual predators through chatrooms, threats from "cyber bullies," and many more.

However, just as there are child safety laws covering motor vehicle safety and anti-neglect issues, the California legislature has passed laws protecting your kids' online safety.

As warmer weather approaches the Los Angeles area, it's especially important to not leave your children unattended inside of your vehicle for long periods of time. Not only is this dangerous, but it can lead to criminal charges. KTLA News reported that one 38-year-old father was arrested in Burbank last week for child endangerment after leaving his 14-month-old daughter unattended in a 115 degree car.

Burbank officers came to rescue the child after a good Samaritan saw the baby girl unattended in the car and called 911. Authorities were eventually able to get the baby out of the car, and paramedics who examined her found the baby to be okay. The child was reportedly released to the custody of the her mother.

Police say that a mother not only encouraged her son to engage in violent behavior, but also cheered on her son in a fight that was captured on video and later posted on YouTube. KTLA News reports that 33-year-old Jennifer Zuniga of Ceres, CA can be heard yelling in the video “Beat him down. Body slam him,” as two boys throw punches at one another.

Nobody was injured in the brawl, but fighting is no laughing matter as California authorities would certainly agree. As stated through Associated Press, the mother was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Keep your pot cookies away from your children. That is the lesson that 33-year-old Veronica Sylvester may have learned after her two daughters ate a marijuana-laced cookie in their Covina home.

KTLA News reports that the two girls, ages 10 and 11, found the chocolate chip cookie wrapped in plastic on their kitchen counter and decided to split the cookie between themselves on Monday January 24. When the girls began to feel ill, they were transported to the emergency room of a nearby hospital.

An Orange County judge sentenced a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy to one year in jail and five years of probation for filing a false police report against her ex-husband and firing a gun inside of her home in the city of Westminster, which endangered nearby children. The Los Angeles Times reported that the former deputy Patricia Margaret Bojorquez was convicted of the crimes on January 6 and that she is already on probation for two Orange County DUI convictions.

Whittier Daily News reports that a Pop Warner football coach from Whittier has been charged with one felony count of oral copulation of a child under 10 and eight felony counts of sexual molestation of a child under 14. The suspect, Paul Ayala, pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday.

All the charges are in connection with two alleged victims, both 10 years-old, who played on a youth football team that Mr. Ayala had coached in 2008 and 2009. Police were informed of Mr. Ayala's alleged behavior after one of the kids told family members about what had happened. The Whittier Police deferred the case the case to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department because of its sensitive nature.

Isabel Garcia, the daughter of Lupe Lopez and Gabriel Garcia, died on May 19, 2008 from malnutrition. She was just two years old.

Now the parents, who reside in Pomona, will be paying the consequences as they were both sentenced to prison last Thursday. They pleaded no contest to child abuse. The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports that the child had bruises and cuts on her body; as well as injuries to the toes at the time of her death.

A recent case in Los Angeles County sheds light on the safety concerns of social networking, giving parents and teenagers a new reason to be concerned.

A man who pleaded no contest to four counts of child molestation in Pomona Superior Court was sentenced to five years in prison last week, according to San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Walter Loustari, a criminal attorney in Los Angeles County, was convicted last week of possessing child pornography and possessing an assault rifle. Now the criminal attorney faces up to three years and eight months in state prison.

Loustari was arrested without incident at his law office in La Canada on a felony complaint charging him with possessing child pornography and an assault weapon last October. He was charged after a three year investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Glendale Police Department. The 58-year-old defendant entered a no contest plea before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Ryan, before he was convicted of the crimes last Friday.