The daddy of three kids who had been allegedly killed by their mom final yr has filed a lawsuit towards the town and county of Los Angeles, accusing police and social staff of failing to intervene to guard his younger daughters and son earlier than their deaths.
Erik Denton filed the lawsuit final week in Los Angeles Superior Courtroom, greater than a yr after the youngsters had been discovered lifeless in a Los Angeles house. Denton’s ex-girlfriend and the mom of his kids, Liliana Carrillo, fled to Tulare County, almost 200 miles north of the scene.
Carrillo, later advised KGET-TV that she needed to “shield” her youngsters from alleged abuse amid a bitter custody battle. She admitted to drowning her daughters, 3-year-old Joanna and 6-month-old Sierra, and her 2-year-old son, Terry, within the jailhouse interview.
Carrillo is charged with three counts of murder and her case stays ongoing, in line with on-line courtroom information. She is scheduled to return to courtroom subsequent month and is being held in jail on greater than $6 million bail. The general public defender’s workplace, which is representing Carrillo, didn’t instantly return a request for remark.
Denton sought custody of his three kids final yr, citing what he stated was their mom’s erratic and unstable conduct and psychological well being points. Fearful for his or her security, Denton petitioned the courtroom for custody, alleging Carrillo was delusional and had taken the youngsters and refused to inform him the place they had been.
Carrillo then filed a restraining order towards Denton and claimed he was an alcoholic who might have sexually abused their eldest youngster.
Because the case wound by household courts in Tulare and Los Angeles counties, the dad and mom traded accusations in dozens of pages of paperwork. Police had been referred to as, social staff had been consulted, alarming textual content messages and Fb posts had been saved as authorized displays.
Inside weeks, the youngsters had been lifeless. Denton’s lawsuit alleges that Los Angeles Police Division officers and social staff from the county’s Division of Youngsters and Household Providers repeatedly ignored warnings about Carrillo’s conduct and failed to analyze and cross-report their findings to different companies as required underneath state regulation.
“The murders of Erik’s three kids would have been prevented if regulation enforcement officers and youngster welfare staff did what they had been required to do by regulation, which is to step in and shield kids who’re vulnerable to abuse or neglect,” stated David S. Casey, Jr., who’s representing Denton, in a press release.
The Los Angeles County Division of Youngsters and Household Providers declined to touch upon the allegations, citing the pending litigation and confidential information, however provided the company’s condolences to the Denton household.
“Our mission to guard kids is one we share with our companions in regulation enforcement and the neighborhood,” the division stated in a press release. “We stay fiercely dedicated to strengthening our neighborhood partnerships to reinforce the security internet for kids and households.”
The Los Angeles metropolis legal professional’s workplace stated it is going to assessment the lawsuit and declined additional remark.
Representatives for the Los Angeles County counsel and LAPD didn’t reply to requests for touch upon the lawsuit.
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