Readers React: Anthony Avalos’ suspect abuse was reported at least 16 times. Why wasn’t he taken from his home?

To the editor: Heads need to roll at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services for the death of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos.

It sounds like school district employees in Lancaster, the boy’s neighbors and his relatives did their job, reporting at least 16 cases of suspected abuse since 2013. Where were the social workers who investigated this? Didn’t anyone care enough to say that this child needs to be removed from his home so he could survive?

Now he’s gone, and we’re left with a thick file of allegations about his sad and pathetic life, which no one deemed worthy enough to save.

Roz Levine, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Here’s another case of years of repeated calls to “child welfare” officials and the police to report Avalos’ suspected abuse.

What criteria, exactly, are used by county social workers to remove a child from his or her home? There seem to be just as many cases of children removed for seemingly no reason at all.

When will this horror end?

Sandra Stubban, Stanton

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