Family and friends gathered in Pacoima on what should have been Gabriel Fernandez’s 20th birthday. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Feb 20, 2025.
Family and friends gathered in Pacoima on Thursday for what would have been Gabriel Fernandez’s 20th birthday.
They sang and danced in front of his mural and said the best way to honor Fernandez is to never forget what happened to him.
“It shook all of us. And I'll never forget Gabriel,” said former lead prosecutor Jon Hatami.
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The 8-year-old died in 2013 after suffering prolonged abuse from his mother and her boyfriend. Gabriel was beaten, shot with a BB gun and tortured before he died.
Multiple people reported signs of abuse to the department of children and family services and the sheriffs department. Fernandez was never removed from the home.
Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, Fernandez’s mother, is currently serving a life sentence. Her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, was sentenced to death.
Both were sentenced in 2018.
Fernandez made a bid for resentencing in 2021, but was denied.
Four social workers who were accused of failing to protect had their case dropped in 2020.
