How Could You? Hall of Shame-Patricia Ann Moore and Lawsuit UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From San Mateo, County, California, foster mother Patricia Ann Moore,68, will be on trial on April 22, 2013 for a 2010 incident.

“Patricia Ann Moore was arrested by SSFPD Aug. 19, 2010, after medical staff at a Kaiser hospital noticed the 20-month-old had waffle-shaped burns on her bottom, court papers indicate.” She ” allegedly soaked a diaper in bleach and made her 20-month-old foster daughter wear it, producing first-degree and second-degree burns” and faces charges of felony willful cruelty to a child and infliction of injury on a child. She posted a $50,000 bond in October 2012.

“Moore told personnel that the child had a “defecation problem,” so she bathed the toddler in 12 inches of water and a half-capful of bleach, court records state.

The suspect told authorities that when she noticed redness the following day, she brought the child to the hospital.

However, according to court documents, doctors noticed that the burns were in a waffle pattern typical of a diaper fabric and that there were no burns anywhere but her bottom.

They called police, who upon investigation found in the woman’s trash a diaper soaked in bleach on the bottom, papers state.

Moore was indicted by a Grand Jury and on Friday, her defense attorney unsuccessfully argued a motion to dismiss the indictment, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.”

A Pretrial conference is set for March 18, 2013

Foster Mother Allegedly Put Bleach-Soaked Diaper on Baby

[South San Francisco Patch 2/22/13 by Mirna Alfonso]

“In May 2011, Judge Richard Livermore heard from two prosecution witnesses at a preliminary hearing before finding insufficient evidence to try her on a single count of willful cruelty to a child likely to produce great bodily injury.

The primary difference in evidence presented to Livermore and the jury was a medical doctor with expertise in child abuse, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

“The judge acted on the facts he had but we very strongly disagreed and developed the case with the use of an expert. We then decided to go with the grand jury rather than a preliminary hearing to avoid any delays,” Wagstaffe said.

The indictment sidesteps the need for a preliminary hearing, moving Moore straight to Superior Court to set a trial date.

The endangerment charge means a person is accused of acting negligently in a way that is likely to result in physical injury or death rather than acting more knowingly, such as a deliberate blow. The charge carries up to five years in prison.”

Foster mom indicted for putting bleach in 1-year-old’s diaper

[The Daily Journal 10/9/12 by Michelle Durand]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “A former South San Francisco foster mom will not serve time in prison after soaking her 20-month-old baby’s diaper in bleach three years ago, prosecutors said Monday, but she could find herself behind bars anyway for basically being bad at her job.

Patricia Ann Moore, 68, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of child endangerment Friday. She faces up to a year in County Jail when she is sentenced Sept. 24, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

The plea agreement came more than two years after Judge Richard Livermore threw out felony charges of willful cruelty against a child, citing insufficient evidence. But Moore wasn’t out of the woods. Prosecutors took their case to the San Mateo County criminal grand jury, and Moore was indicted last fall on similar felony charges.

Since the indictment, however, prosecutors changed their tune and offered to reduce the felony charge to a misdemeanor. That’s partly because Moore’s defense attorney May Mar presented evidence that the ex-foster mom “lacked good child-care skills,” Wagstaffe said. [THEN WHY THE HECK WAS SHE APPROVED TO BE A FOSTER PARENT! She didn’t know not to soak a diaper in bleach? She should be put in a mental institution if she is that stupid.]

Mar did not return a request for comment Monday.

From the beginning of the case, prosecutors didn’t believe Moore had intended to burn the baby. She was being prosecuted for lying about the harm, Wagstaffe said.

Wagstaffe called Friday’s plea agreement a “fair” ending to the sad and bizarre case.

As a foster parent, Moore would temporarily care for children brought by Child Protective Services. On Aug. 19, 2010, Moore brought her foster daughter to Kaiser hospital in South San Francisco with first- and second-degree burns on both buttocks, Wagstaffe said.

Moore told authorities the baby had a defecation problem. To remedy that, she claimed she bathed the child in 12 inches of water and a half-capful of bleach, Wagstaffe said. She noticed the redness the next day and decided to bring the girl to a hospital, Wagstaffe said.

But doctors and police didn’t buy the story and believed Moore had soaked the diaper in bleach and then strapped it onto her foster child. Not only was a diaper soaked with bleach found in the trash of Moore’s home, the “waffle pattern of a diaper fabric” could be seen on the baby’s buttocks, according to prosecutors.

Moore remains out of custody on a $50,000 bail bond, Wagstaffe said.”

South City foster mom faces jail time in bleach burning incident

[San Francisco Examiner 8/13/13 by Mike Aldax]

Update 2:

“The South San Francisco foster mom accused of burning her then-20-month-old ward with bleach-soaked diapers must complete a year of child abuse treatment and is banned from future care of foster children.

Patricia Ann Moore, 68, was also put on three years of supervised probation and given a 20-day jail sentence but the term was suspended which means she’ll only serve time if she commits a violation.

Moore pleaded no contest in August to misdemeanor child endangerment with the caveat she not serve any time. The question was whether she would be ordered to undergo any type of child abuse program.

Prosecutors were satisfied with the outcome.

“The conviction memorializes her conduct as abusive to a child, and the sentence prohibits her from acting as a foster parent, so we believe that the desired outcome was achieved,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti.

The endangerment charge means a person is accused of acting negligently in a way that is likely to result in physical injury or death rather than acting more knowingly, such as a deliberate blow.

South San Francisco police first arrested Moore in August 2010 after hospital staff tending to the toddler alerted authorities that the child had first- and second-degree burns on her buttocks. According to prosecutors, Moore later told authorities she used bleach-soaked diapers to clean the child who soiled herself quite often. After Moore’s adult daughter brought the girl to the South San Francisco Kaiser Medical Center for care, doctors allegedly noted the burns were in a waffle pattern like that of diaper fabric. Moore allegedly also could not explain why, if the girl had been bathed, she didn’t have burns on other parts of her body that would have been submerged, such as her legs.

The negotiated settlement came during Moore’s second prosecution. After a May 2011 preliminary hearing, Judge Richard Livermore found insufficient evidence to try Moore and prosecutors responded in fall 2012 by seeking a criminal grand jury indictment on felony charges of willful cruelty to a child and infliction of injury on a child.”

Foster mom sentenced for putting bleach in 20-month-old’s diapers[The Daily Journal 10/5/13 by Michelle Durand]

Update 3: “Prior to a South San Francisco foster mom burning a 20-month ward with bleach-soaked diapers, the licensed home had received more than a dozen allegations of child abuse or neglect, according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of the injured girl.

 

The accusations against Patricia Moore and the Moore Foster Home, which was licensed in San Mateo County to accept medically fragile infants, include housing children in a cold basement, withholding food from them as punishment, extreme diaper rashes and sexual abuse, stated the suit filed on behalf of the minor A.J. through her guardian Chantel Johnson against the Foster Family Home and Small Family Home Insurance Fund.

 

The fund pays claims of foster children, parents and guardians filed in relation to foster services. Johnson is also suing Moore and her family, the city and county of San Francisco and San Mateo County but that piece is in federal court.

 

The civil case stems from the care and injuries of A.J., an 8-month-old a medically fragile infant removed from her parents in San Francisco and placed in Moore’s care in 2009. In August 2010, South San Francisco police arrested Moore after Kaiser Medical Center staff reported a toddler was brought in by Moore’s daughter, Coi, with first- and second-degree burns on her buttocks. According to prosecutors, Moore later told authorities she used bleach-soaked diapers to clean the child who soiled herself quite often. Doctors allegedly noted the burns were in a waffle pattern like that of diaper fabric. Moore allegedly also could not explain why, if the girl had been bathed, she didn’t have burns on other parts of her body that would have been submerged, such as her legs.

 

In May 2011, Judge Richard Livermore dismissed the abuse case against Moore citing insufficient evidence but in fall 2012 prosecutors successfully asked a criminal grand jury to indict on felony charges of willful cruelty to a child and infliction of injury on a child. The case settled in 2013 with Moore, 68, being allowed to plead no contest to misdemeanor child endangerment with the caveat she receive a 20-day suspended sentence and not serve any time. She was ordered to complete a year of child abuse treatment, placed on three years supervised probation and prohibited from caring for future foster children.

 

An endangerment charge means a person is accused of acting negligently in a way that is likely to result in physical injury or death rather than acting more knowingly, such as a deliberate blow.

 

But according to Johnson’s lawsuit filed March 13 in San Mateo County Superior Court, the burned toddler was not the only incident in which Moore and her foster home allegedly neglected of injured children in its care. The suit claims at least 13 allegations include complaints of failure to properly wash, clean and feed children and failing to take them to medical appointments or give them prescribed medication. The suit states that medical professionals, social workers and psychotherapists raised the complaints which included numerous and severe diaper rashes, unexplained bruising and neglect of medical care but that San Francisco social workers knowingly left A.J. in the Moore home for nearly a year. During this time, according to the suit, A.J. had several diaper rashes and another infant was removed in February 2010 for a “severe” diaper rash that raised red flags for one social worker about Moore’s care.

 

Another foster infant had bruising which led the biological mother to contact police and Moore admitted to not giving A.J. her prescribed medication, the suit stated.

 

The day after the Aug. 17, 2010, bleach burns, Moore’s daughter, who was not a licensed caregiver took the child to the hospital, the suit stated.

 

In totality, “Moore severely neglected A.J. while she was in her care, causing A.J.’s development to be stunted and harming her mentally, physically and emotionally,” attorney Gerald Singleton wrote in the suit.

 

Moore could not be reached for comment and Susan J. Kawala, the California Attorney General’s Office attorney representing the fund, did not return an inquiry.

 

A case management conference is scheduled for May 22.”

Family of bleach-burned foster child sues foster insurance fund[The Daily Journal 3/15/14 by Michelle Durand]