The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez: The true story behind Netflix's harrowing new docuseries

Emma Clarke|Luke O'Reilly27 February 2020

Netflix has released a new docu-series called The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez -which already has true crime fanatics hooked worldwide.

The latest addition to the streaming site's already impressive arsenal of documentaries explores the harrowing case of Gabriel Fernandez, an eight-year-old who was murdered by his mother Pearl and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre in 2013.

Broken down into six episodes, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez not only revisits the child's horrific death, but also sheds light on the ongoing effect on the judicial system in LA County.

Here, we take a look at the new Netflix show and the case in more detail.

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is available to stream on Netflix now
Netflix

Who was Gabriel Fernandez and what happened?

On May 22, 2013, 911 received a call from Gabriel's mother, Pearl, saying her son had stopped breathing after hitting his head.

However, when paramedics arrived at the scene in Los Angeles, they discovered the child not only had suffered severe burns and a fractured skull, he also had shattered ribs and BB gun pellets lodged in his skin.

Gabriel was pronounced brain dead, before tragically dying in hospital two days later.

Where are Gabriel's mum Pearl and her boyfriend Isauro now?

Gabriel's mother's boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, appeared in court for the child's murder
Getty

Pearl plead guilty to first degree murder, with the special circumstance of murder by torture, to avoid a death sentence.

In exchange for her guilty plea Gabriel's mother received life without parole.

At her sentencing hearing she read out a statement which said:

“I want to say I’m sorry to my family for what I did,” she said.

“I wish Gabriel was alive. Every day I wish that I’d made better choices. I’m sorry to my children, and I want them to know that I love them.”

She is serving out her sentence in Chowchilla State Women's Prison in California.

Isauro Aguirre denied the charge, but he was convicted at trial and sentenced on the same day as Pearl.

Aguirre is currently on death row in San Quentin.

What happened to the four social workers?

Four social workers accused of being involved in Gabriel's case were charged with child abuse and falsifying records.

Stefanie Rodriguez, then 34, and Patricia Clement, 69, and their supervisors, Kevin Bom, 40, and Gregory Merritt, 64, were accused of failing to protect the vulnerable minor.

However, the charges against the social workers were subsequently dropped in January 2020 by a panel of three justices at the 2nd district Court of Appeal in Los Angeles.

Justice Francis Rothschild wrote in the court's ruling that the social workers "never had the requisite duty to control the abusers and did not have care or custody of Gabriel".

He added: "There is, therefore, no probable cause to hold them on charges of violating those laws and the trial court should have granted the motions to dismiss."

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