Judge Consolidates Parents’ Abuse Cases
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A Ventura County Superior Court judge consolidated into one trial Monday the two criminal cases pending against the Oxnard parents accused of beating their toddler to death last year.
Rogelio and Gabriela Hernandez, both 19, face charges of murder and felony child abuse for allegedly beating their 2-year-old daughter, Joselin, to death in June 1996 and inflicting other injuries two years earlier.
Joselin was taken away from her parents in July 1994 after being hospitalized with multiple rib fractures, broken legs and severe burns.
Although criminal charges were not filed at that time, prosecutors decided to file five counts of felony child abuse and one charge of torture against the Hernandezes a few months after Joselin’s death.
On Monday, Judge Vincent O’Neill agreed to combine the 1996 and 1994 cases for a single trial set for July 7.
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