On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $20 million settlement to the family of 4-year-old Noah Cuatro, who was tortured and killed by his parents in 2019.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Noah’s great-grandmother, Eva Hernandez, filed the lawsuit in 2020, naming the Department of Children and Family Services as defendants.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Jose Cuatro Jr., 28, and Ursula Juarez, 25, pleaded no contest in 2024, to the torture and death of Noah, who died just days shy of his fifth birthday, in July 2019.
The pair killed Noah at their Palmdale apartment on July 5, after Jose Cuatro Jr. sexually assaulted his son on the same day. They later claimed that he drowned in a community pool.
Hernandez said that Noah spent most of his life with her, after spending the first three months of his life in foster care. DCFS initially removed him from his parents’ care after his mother fractured his sister’s skull.
Six months after moving in with Hernandez, however, the court returned Noah to his parents.
A year later, he returned to his great-grandmother after suffering neglect and malnutrition. Despite this, he was again returned to his parents.
“He always begged me not to send him to his parents,” said Hernandez. “I tried to explain to him so many times, but he didn’t understand. He’d take his little hands and look into my eyes and say, ‘Don’t make me go there.’”
A caseworker then filed a 26-page petition to have Noah removed from his parents. A Superior Court judge approved it.
Weeks later, Noah was dead after DCFS failed to carry out the judge’s order.
According to ABC 7, DCF released the following statement, in part, after the approved settlement.
“It is DCFS’ hope that this resolution gives Noah’s family a sense of peace. His death and other child tragedies reveal the complexities of child welfare work, which often involves helping families heal from issues of generational trauma, untreated mental health, domestic violence and drug use, among other deeply personal challenges.
“DCFS remains committed to learning from the past, improving its work, and operating with transparency. The department evaluates opportunities to learn and strengthen practice based on the unique facts and circumstances of each case.”
Meanwhile, Hernandez, according to Los Angeles Magazine, is working with advocates and lawmakers to help change state laws that can prevent additional tragedies.
Specifically, they are hoping to create a three-person panel that can review cases and decide if a child should be removed from a dangerous environment.
Hernandez added that it was never about the money, but about bringing change and awareness for abused children.
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[Feature Photo: Noah Cuatro/Handout]
