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Eight children aged 11 months to 12 years were removed from the home of Barron and Leiva "pending further investigation," said the department's services at the same time. childhood and family department this week. Derrick Alfred, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff, said Friday at a press conference that the department was awaiting a final autopsy report, but investigators believe that Anthony suffered a brain injury traumatic event that resulted in bleeding. Barron called 911 from her home in Lancaster on June 20 to report that the boy had been injured in a fall, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Alfred would not comment on the specific actions taken by Leiva or Barron. If sentenced, Barron faces 22 years in prison for life and Leiva faces 32 years to life, according to the district attorney's office.
Anthony recently came out as gay, according to reports citing a Ministry of Childhood and Family The service manager and the boy's uncle told NBC News that Leiva had a history of 39; homophobia. These reports led some to speculate that homophobia played a role in its abuse and death.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said this week that homophobia was not a motivation at this time. And that it was too early to discuss a motive. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said Friday that the office has not confirmed homophobia as a motive.
The Chief of the Department of Child and Family Services said that when Anthony was taken to hospital on June 20, The Los Angeles Times reported that there is For years, social workers who visited the home had documented that Leiva was a member of the MS-13 criminal gang.
Alfred said Friday that the investigators had been severely beaten and malnourished. checks in these reports and if he was in the US without authorization or on an expired visa. But even if it was confirmed, neither one nor the other detail would have anything to do with the criminal case, Alfred says:
Since February 2013, the Department of Child Protection has received 12 complaints abused and neglected. Some complaints were substantiated and others were found to be unfounded or inconclusive.
This week, Brian Cagle, the department director, said, "In private interviews, Anthony leaked details that he was beaten, locked up, and fed." But the agency had not received any appeal regarding Anthony in the last two years
Also Friday, a lawyer representing the boy's family was demanding responses from the Child Protection Department, including if reports of abuse were correctly followed by social workers. 19659002] Attorney Brian Claypool said that if social workers were breaking the law, they should be criminally charged. He said that he could file a civil lawsuit.
"This young boy should have been saved from this household," Claypool said.
The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. Cagle said in a statement on Tuesday that a team "is conducting a thorough internal review of the case, seeking to answer critical questions surrounding the senseless death of Anthony Avalos."
The Los Angeles County Board of Trustees called for a full review of the reasons why Anthony was not removed from the house despite repeated reports of abuse, NBC Los Angeles reported .
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