Los Angeles County DCFS Horror Story: Baby Kidnapped for Two Years and Innocent Mother Incarcerated

Amy-Duran

 

Contributed to TLB by: Health Impact News and Medical Kidnap

Tammi Stefano interviewed Amy Duran on Friday August 28th on The National Safe Child Show. Amy is a mother who had her son taken by Los Angeles County’s Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) with the help of the Police Department. Vindictive people used DCFS and local law enforcement to kidnap Amy’s son, and to put Amy into a holding cell in a detention center where she was told she would spend the next 12 years, even though she had violated no laws and was not convicted of any crimes. During this time, Amy fainted several times, and could not tell the difference between night and day as there were no windows in the cell.

Amy never gave up, however. She fought back, and over three and a half years later she won her case and had her son returned to her custody. Her son was kidnapped by DCFS when he was 11 months old, and at age 4 he has now spent half of his life away from his mother and in foster care with strange people.

Here is Amy’s story, showing an example of how LA County DCFS does not protect children, but destroys families.

Police Forced Their Way in Without Warrant

Tammi stated,

“You had some problems with extended family members and you addressed by seeking law enforcement’s help. Your extended family then turned on you with a whirl wind of allegations against you to Child Protective Services. You are at home one evening,”

Amy responded,

“I was home one evening, it was right after the holidays. I was cooking dinner and my son was sleeping. I used half a bottle of wine to marinate a turkey and put it in the refrigerator and pre-heated my oven.  And who throws away the rest of a good bottle of wine? I poured the wine for myself and my son had went down for a nap. His father was planning to fly in that evening.”

Tammi continued,

“But instead of his father coming to the door, someone else came to the door right? And who was that?”

Amy responded,

“The police. I had a metal screen door and it was locked. I asked them through the screen, ‘do you have a warrant?’ I told them it wasn’t a good time, my son was sleeping.”

Tammi inquired,

“And you asked them if they had a warrant? And did they have a warrant?”

Amy responded,

“No, they forced their way in claiming they did not need a warrant because they smelled gas.”

Tammi explained,

“They smelled gas, so they said they don’t need a warrant in this case because this is an emergency,”

Amy stated,

“They came in and searched my home for half an hour and they never evacuated myself or my son from the home. We sat together in the living room. I don’t know what they were searching for, but they found an unopened bottle of anxiety medication on the counter that I had picked up that morning.”

Tammi asked,

“What happened after that?”

Police Officer Admits He Has Power to Use CPS to Gain Custody of Children

Amy continued,

“The search was really wild. I actually tried to stop them and I asked them again, do you have a search warrant to search my home? And they again responded, ‘No.’ I told them I was not OK with this. The head officer, the lead officer, his name is Officer Gray, proceeded to tell me that he was going through a divorce and he was using CPS to successfully negate a costly custody battle. And he had his wife charged with alcohol and prescription pill abuse. He even told us her name, Audrey Gray. He said she will never see her children again, and I want to let you know I have that kind of power.”

Tammi states,

“Well, that is really concerning. We hear so many cases like this, but to have a police officer come in your home and tell you this about his situation and how he’s using this, it’s really emotionally horrific. You must have been on a psychological roller coaster thinking why is this man telling me this? You had a glass of wine, you didn’t hide it from them. Your oven was going. Did they call the fire department?”

Amy responded,

“They did, actually, it was probably a half an hour after they had searched my home. And prior to calling the fire department, Officer Gray and another officer had a disagreement in my living room with each other, regarding, I could only get bits and pieces, but why should we call the fire department?”

Tammi interjects,

“One wants to call the fire department to cover their butts, and the other one says, the heck with it we don’t have to call the fire department because we rule the roost,”

Amy responds,

“In fact, on the police call log, they called in code 4, which means that everything is OK,”

Tammi asks,

“And you have that call log?”

Mother Cleared by Drug and Alcohol Tests but Loses Son and is Incarcerated Anyway

Amy said,

“Yes, I do. And at some point, things just went from bad to worse. I never resisted, I just went along with whatever they told me to do, because at some point I figured that this would just go away. They asked me to take a drug test and I said sure. They drove me to the hospital a few blocks away, where they did a blood test which came up negative for any drugs. I was within the legal limit of drinking alcohol. They still proceeded to take my son into care and myself into the jail that they have there, what is it called? The holding cell.”

Tammi asked,

“Fire department came though? They used their decimeter to measure the gas content?”

Amy answered,

“Oh, yes, they did,”

Tammi-Stefano-and-Amy-Duran-460
Tammi Stefano, host of The National Safe Child Show, interviews Amy Duran, mother who was falsely accused of child endangerment by Los Angeles County DCFS.

 

Tammi continues,

“Here’s when I became involved, some of the questions that I asked, just hearing it, maybe you’re asking the same questions. Did the fire department come in – did they use their decimeter to measure the amount of gas that was in the interior of the home? – Number one. Number two – let’s not forget the door was never shut, the screen door has ventilation, so if there was gas in there how strong could it be? Number three – this is a single family home and who could be near there, who’s going to smell gas? Along with the fact that you had gone to the police department that very morning, hadn’t you?”

Amy responds,

“I actually had gone to the police department that very morning and requested to file a harassment,”

Tammi continued,

“Against your extended family. They knew your extended family, didn’t they? They were friends? So folks, they were friends. There was an acquaintance of some sort. Some sort of a friendship, or they were acquaintances and it ended up that they wouldn’t take your report from you and soon thereafter, all of this happens. Now, who else comes in? Did anyone else come into your home besides law enforcement and the fire department?”

CPS Takes Custody of Child

Amy replies,

“CPS,”

Tammi says,

“CPS gets called and they come in and this little boy is being taken away and watching his mother. And even at 11 months it’s traumatic and there are studies that show this. There are an abundance of studies that show that children remember these events, even very young infants. They took you away, they took your son away. And the next thing you know, you are in a holding cell. They accused you of being on drugs and being intoxicated. Your alcohol level was below the legal limit.”

Mother Put into Holding Cell in Detention Center to Serve 12 Years

Amy said,

“I was taken to the Bob Wiley Women’s Detention Center,”

Tammi asked,

“What did they charge you with?”

Amy replied,

“I was charged with felony child endangerment and that I was not getting out. I was serving 12 years – it was a lot for me to process, I fainted a few times. I was denied phone calls.” Tammi continued, “They never gave you a phone call. They never read you your rights. They kept telling you over and over, what?”

Amy replied,

“You’re not going to see your child ever again. I fainted and they put me in a padded cell right next to the infirmary for five days. I couldn’t see light or day. The most hurtful part of it was I had no idea where my son was.”

Tammi states,

“This is why we do this show, this is why UBN advocates for children.”

Drug Testing Required for 3.5 Years – Results Were Falsified

Amy goes on to state that she had to go for drug testing randomly every week for three and a half years, even though there were no drugs found in her system originally. According to Amy, she had two dirty drug tests. Amy states that,

“The first dirty test, the CSW (Child Social Worker) called me and said you have a dirty drug test, you need to come into the office and meet with us. I spent the whole night looking at the paperwork. How can this be? I found that the driver’s license number and the social security number were not mine, but it was my name at the top of the test.”

Amy said that she contacted the social worker and said, “This isn’t me.” Most parents in this situation feel so victimized and might not question an error like this, but rather accept their fate. Tammi advises that parents should always demand their paperwork or contact the lab testing facilities, if they know the test is not correct.

Amy had to attend a six month outpatient treatment program, and two and a half years of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings, even though she was not taking drugs or drinking in excess. Amy also graduated from numerous parenting classes. If she did not do what they demanded, she would not get her son back.

Mother Goes through 7 Judges – Where is the Justice?

Tammi asked,

“You went through how many judges?”

Amy replied,

“I think I had seven judges, commissioners and judges – at Edelman Children’s Court.”

Amy continued to do everything that DCFS asked of her, until finally, after completing three case plans she had enough.

Tammi stated,

“This case is so horrific. That when they make a decision that they don’t like you, that they have a friend that doesn’t like you, they call the department or law enforcement.”

Amy continued,

“Once they target the parent, there is no changing the course.”

Tammi inquired,

“You’re in this courtroom for three and a half years. Your son has lost his mom for two years and he doesn’t have his dad through dad’s choice. But the judge’s last words to you, do you remember what they were?”

Amy replied,

“Yes, she said I don’t think that the attorney from Minor is going to change her position. And I think Ms. Duran that you will be back here in this courtroom again.”

Tammi repeated,

“’I think that you will be back here again.’ Did you consider that a little bit of a threat?”

Amy replied,

“Yes, I did.”

Tammi stated,

“People don’t understand that we really need an army, we need forensic auditors for the courts and what’s going on. I actually have an advocacy group that focuses on the court fraud that is going on. This needs to come out and be exposed. Your sworn affidavits for your audio tapes. You can find these templates in any of my groups on Facebook. There was a young lady who you gave the template to and she filed this template and the template was, I know that you have audio recordings, as you know you are paying top dollar for the transcripts.”

Tammi explained,

“People can’t afford it, so what happens, you’re not allowed to the right to justice because you don’t have your record. Amy is saying you don’t need your transcripts, the real record would be the audio. It is available for a fraction of the cost.”

Amy stated that she is trying to make these templates simple, so you can understand. Write up and notarize and send by certified mail to courts, attorneys, case workers.

3 1/2 Painful Years Later, Innocent Mother Got Her Son Back: “Do Not Give Up”

There is hope, three and a half years, almost four years and Amy got her son back.

Last words from Amy Duran,

“Do not give up. If you’re in a case, never miss a visit. Demand all of your records. You have a right to all of your records, your media records, there is a media form you can fill out in the court for your audio tapes and transcripts. The playing field is not fair and my coalition is about making the playing field fair. They are not providing positive services to the community, the children or the families. We need to be adamant about what is positive and what will work and push those things.”

Amy is now filing charges against the police department.

Watch the entire interview:

More on LA County DCFS Corruption:

Harvard-trained Beverly Hills Doctor Mom Has 4 Children Kidnapped by LA County DCFS

Medical Director of LA Child Welfare Testifies Under Oath That He Does Not Know the Law Regarding Seizure of Children

LA County DCFS Whistleblower Reveals how Parents are Losing Their Children to a Corrupt System

Former LA County Social Worker Reveals Corruption in Child “Protection” Services

 

Read featured article here

TLB recommends you visit Health Impact News & Medical Kidnap for more pertinent articles and information.

2 Comments on Los Angeles County DCFS Horror Story: Baby Kidnapped for Two Years and Innocent Mother Incarcerated

  1. She refused to allow my parents to get him so he wouldn’t have spent one day in foster care . She chose to leave him in the system . I couldn’t believe it

  2. Amy story

    Amelia Duran, claims to be child advocate. Pro family, against corruption and CPS. All the while claiming her now closed DCSF case with exit order is iron clad and she can NOT go against it and make the decision to allow me unmonitored visits. I STILL CANT BELIEVE THEY ORDEED ME MONITORED BECAUSE I LEFT OUR SON IN HER CARE WHEN SHE BURNED HIS HANDS AND ARMS . I have had many unmonitored visits when it was convenient for Amy or she wanted something. It’s been 4 years and now she is getting worse. Disparages me in front of him daily. He still loves me and misses me.
    I can not sit and let this continue. Fact check it or I can show you in black and white. (Documents)
    THE FACTS:
    I met Amy in the start of 2008. when I hired her as a nanny to help me with my 3 young children I was caring for alone when their mother abandoned them and I was going through divorce. She was good with my kids.
    I am great father and she knows it. Why else would she even want to have a child with me. I went through hell in my divorce and still have 50/50 with my children.
    Amy was my girlfriend and telling my kids to call her momma Amy and from 08 to 2010 when my divorce was final she was being paid for nanny services while we were together.
    Then goes to work for my ex father in law and gets settlement out of court for her claims of sexual harassment On an employee where she was working, Prior to Aiden’s birth
    04/20/2011
    Amy and I have a child together.
    Amy made arrangements with her mother and we rented her mothers house in Porterville Ca, where her family is originally from. I was working in Los Angeles. Amy grew angry with her mother over not getting the house as inheritance and her mother was trying to sell it as Amy was trying to take it from her claiming her mother was insane. They went back and forth as you can imagine and why eventually her arrest in 2012.

    01/24 2012
    Amy was arrested and our child put into CPS custody

    01/27/2012
    It took me 3 days fighting with CPS in Porterville and our son was returned to me and put in my custody. I was Forced to sign plan saying I will protect Aiden from his mother , I was to file for sole custody, and not to allow Amy to visit unless she met with CPS worker prior. If I did not sign it they would NOT return my Child to me. I did and he was returned to me no formal charges . Just follow up in Los Angeles CPS that was about to close cuz they could not justify involvement until…

    01/29/2012
    Amy released from police custody and comes to Los Angeles where I am with our son. She was sober and remorseful for the situation she put our son in.

    02/02/2012

    Amy let’s our son burn his hands and forearms with hot water while giving him bath in sink of of my yacht I was staying in until I can get a house. I told her a few times to simply shut the switch off water pump prior to placing him in sink so this would not even be a possibility . She Doesn’t want to take him to hospital and said he was fine.

    I get home from work they are sleeping and he is bandaged up. Ok. Woke up early check his wounds on hands and arms under bandages and saw completely blistered . I urge Amy to accompany me and son to burn center to get best treatment avail.

    She refused, so took him myself . I have been burned and know what it feels like and don’t wish that on any one. We were at hospital for 3 hours no treatment. When I arrived I asked if this was still the burn center that I have been to before. They said yes. I found it odd that we sat for so long with no care. The burn center is not like that. I asked again and was told now that they moved about 15 miles away to diff hospital. They said they arranged transportation and still we sat waiting another 45 min and nothing. So We Left to go to the other hospital where the burn center was relocated to. After a couple blocks away I was pulled over and forced to return to hospital I left from by PD.

    My only mistake was lying to PD to protect mother. Told them babysitter had the accident with hot water. PD spoke to Amy and she told them it was her. Now 25 officers on seen to take child from me as I was telling them they would have to pry him from my cold dead hands. This is only way they will take him from me.

    They took him from me in Van Nuys ca and put him in foster care almost 60 miles away in Lancaster and I had to Spent my child’s 1st b-day in a room with cameras and people watching every word and move we made with him.

    The Reason they took him they claimed was I failed to protect our son from his mother and left him in her care when I was not supposed to.
    Formal charges filed against Amy and me.

    Amy charged w child endangerment

    Me, for leaving our son in Amy care and not protecting him from her.

    Almost 2 years fighting case. Whole time I was supporting Amy and affording her the life to not work and do all her case plan stuff to get our child out of custody. At this point I was working in Miami and commuting back and forth. I never missed a court date. Finally it came down to the only way it would close is if
    I allowed case to close with Amy having custody and me monitored visits. ??????? WHAT !!!! Attorney advised me it be easier in family court to get joint. I never took her to court cuz we were together. Well Case drove us apart
    Amy starts child support case cuz of her being on welfare. I did not even know she was getting welfare. I was supporting her the entire time even while he was in foster care.
    Now I get default judgment for support and my wages garnished. Now we are not together this is 2015. Now she wants to claim CPS order and even less time with son. I never even knew there was a case. Impossible for me to not pay even if I don’t take home anything she gets hers.
    Whatever Amy was allowing me visits no monitors. Speraticly when she WANTED something.
    Then ;;;
    She has gone completely nuts and moves to Texas without me knowing and with with all this advocacy stuff to not have to ever admit she did something wrong.
    She always drank like a fish and did pills and coke but I still loved her and believed she was a good person, until she did what she swore to me that she would never do. And that’s to keep our son from me.
    She claims I don’t see him by my choice. This is furthest from truth.
    She starts with the bs not letting me see my son. And only reason I was forced to take her to court.
    Went to court in california. She never showed up once. She Had attorney. Not me. Still Judge orders her bring child back to visit me. She refused. Still claiming her falsified document from CPS court (her hand written case plan) is real saying all this case plan crap that is clearly in her own life handwriting. And why judges hands tied and why custody not given to me, as it would and should have been if not for the monitored visit thing from closed case . Judge orders her pay for me to visit in Texas . She did
    (one time )
    and still cost me small fortune. Then takes me back to court Claiming her only income is my support. Takes me back to court and judge orders me to pay my own travel and to go child support court that is diff than family court to qget support modified accordingly. Haven’t yet but going this week.
    Now she forces me to fly to Texas and pay a stranger 700 for (professional monitors) for a 7 hour visit with my son. Plus air fare hotel and car for a one day seven hour visit. 2 a month. That’s April 2800 a month and imposible for me to afford to spend every penny I make to see him .

    She fled to Texas not telling me or anyone . Now here we are. Funny ,
    She can afford attorney with all the support I give her trying to out me all together from son. Meanwhile blogging and talking all her smack about keeping family together and protecting them from corruption.

    Enough is enough. She does nothing but drink and god only knows what ever pills

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