Supervisors approved the payout in the wake of Noah Cuatro’s death, a tragedy that exposed systemic child welfare lapses and galvanized efforts for change

Credit: Tada Images via Adobe Stock

The LA County Board of Supervisors just approved a settlement of $20 million this week with the family of Noah Cuatro, a 4-year-old boy from Palmdale, who was tortured and then murdered by his parents.

In July 2019, Noah’s parents called to report a drowning. He was taken to Palmdale Regional Medical Center, where his injuries quickly raised suspicion amongst investigators as to his true cause of death. Noah was then moved to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he passed.

Prior to Noah’s death, multiple reports of abuse had already been made to the Department of Child and Family Services, including the 26-page petition filed by a caseworker to argue for Noah’s removal from his home. A judge approved the petition, but Noah was never removed from his parents’ custody.

In July 2020, Evangelina Hernandez, Noah’s great-grandmother, filed a wrongful death suit against DCFS on behalf of Noah’s 6-year-old sister and brothers, ages 5 and 11, claiming that DCFS failed to carry out an order to remove Cuatro from his parents only weeks before he was killed. Attorneys assert that Noah’s murder was preventable. In this suit, Hernandez alleged that social workers from DCFS threatened that if she made any statements either publicly or to a lawyer regarding Noah’s case, she would not be able to see her surviving great-grandchildren again.

In April 2024, Judge Robert Chu of Lancaster Superior Court sentenced Ursula Elaine Juarez to 22 years to life in prison and Jose Maria Cuatro Jr. to 32 years to life for Noah’s death. Juarez pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree murder and one count of torture. Cuatro pleaded no contest to one count of first-degree murder and one count of torture.

These sentences follow the new information obtained in 2023, demonstrating that Noah’s siblings also experienced neglect and abuse by Cuatro. In March 2023, Noah’s oldest sibling told his great-grandmother that he was forced to “beat up Noah.” He reported that he and his other siblings also experienced abuse at their father’s hands.

Lizbeth Hernandez Aviles, a county social worker, testified in the 2023 deposition regarding the alleged abuse of Noah’s siblings and provided additional information. The property manager of the Cuatro apartment informed Aviles of concerns of domestic violence in the house. Aviles reported on the living conditions of the Cuatros, revealing that there were no mattresses or beds for the children to sleep on, only a single mattress in the living room. She noted that there was a foul odor emitting from the house as a result of it being “cluttered and filthy”.

Scroll to continue reading

Tuesday, after the suit was settled, Supervisor Kathryn Barger of L.A. County said in a statement that “The death of Noah Cuatro was a heartbreaking tragedy,” and that “While nothing can undo the harm he suffered, today’s $20 Million settlement provides some measure of support to his surviving family”. She then asserted that Noah’s life was “not in vain” and that, along with reinforcing a need for continuous review of child welfare cases, “he leaves behind a legacy – he will not be forgotten.”

More than the money, Hernandez and the rest of Noah’s family are working to propose a state law to honor his legacy. They are working with advocates and lawmakers to try to create a three-person panel to review and decide when a child should be removed from a dangerous home. Hernandez claims that it was never about the money and that she wants to make sure that Noah’s story “changes the system.”