latimes--2020-12-02--An infant dies, a millionaire doctor calls 911, and a tale emerges of drugs, love and suspected crim

An infant dies, a millionaire doctor calls 911, and a tale emerges of drugs, love and suspected crime

The death of a newborn named Boaz Yoder in an Altadena apartment seemed at first glance like a case of sudden infant death syndrome .
His mother told investigators she had put the baby boy to sleep under blankets on a chilly autumn night in 2017 and found him the next morning lifeless in his crib .
The closer investigators from the sheriff ’ s Homicide Bureau looked , however , the more doubts they had .
The search for the truth plunged Dets .
Mike Davis and Gene Morse into a murky world of desperate young addicts and small-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the center : Dr. Carmen Puliafito , the former dean of USC ’ s Keck School of Medicine .
For 2½ years , the detectives and a child abuse prosecutor circled Puliafito and the baby ’ s mother , a hairdresser and former nude model .
They turned up evidence in County Jail , a toxicology lab and the confidential files of USC ’ s white shoe attorneys .
What they found was shocking , infuriating and devastatingly sad , but in the end , only one thing mattered : Was it enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rarely easy or quick , but Boaz ’ s case is notable for the time and resources that law enforcement committed to seeking justice .
It ’ s a case that demonstrates the challenges of child death investigations and the particular complications of a wealthy and connected suspect — in this case , a world-renowned physician with a legal team and private investigator at his disposal .
Puliafito and his attorney said he had done nothing wrong .
By the time Dets .
Davis and Morse got to the duplex on Alameda Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the coroner ’ s office was preparing to take Boaz ’ s body to the morgue for an autopsy .
Though assigned to the homicide unit , Davis and Morse sometimes were dispatched to accidents , suicides or other sudden deaths that in the end , weren ’ t found to be criminal in nature .
The scene they encountered Oct. 5 , 2017 , had the hallmarks of one of those cases : a tragedy , but not a felony .
There was no immediate indication of abuse or neglect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was carefully dressed in a blue and white onesie and matching socks , according to a report by the coroner ’ s investigator .
The apartment was neat and clean and filled with “ good baby equipment , ” Davis recalled in an interview .
“ There was nothing out of the ordinary there , ” he said .
“ My heart went out to her , ” he said .
She told the investigator that she last saw her son alive at about 2 a.m. , when she nursed him .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and , she said , the heater inside the apartment wasn ’ t working and “ it felt like the air conditioner was on instead , ” according to the investigator ’ s report .
Yoder recalled putting extra clothing on Boaz , then piling blankets on top of his chest : two muslin , then a woolen one , followed by a crocheted blanket and ultimately a queen-size gray quilt that one detective estimated at 4 to 5 pounds .
Yoder said she woke just before 7:30 a.m. to find the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
The blankets , she said , were not covering his face .
She said she immediately phoned Ariel Franko , the child ’ s father .
Franko , a felon described in a police report that year as a daily user of methamphetamine and heroin , lived about 20 miles away in Sherman Oaks with his parents .
The report does not address why Yoder phoned him before summoning an ambulance , and she did not respond to messages seeking comment .
Yoder told the investigator she asked Franko “ what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know CPR.
” He told her to use a mirror to check for breathing .
“ When she could not see breaths , he advised her to call 911 , ” the report said .
Yoder claimed she phoned for an ambulance at 7:30 a.m. Law enforcement records do not reflect such a call .
Instead , it was a male caller who dialed 911 at 7:40 a.m. to report a baby who wasn ’ t breathing .
He said the mother was his girlfriend but that he was in Pasadena .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his parents ?
” the emergency dispatcher asked .
“ I don ’ t know .
She called me crying , ” he replied .
When she spoke with the coroner ’ s investigator at the scene , Yoder had not mentioned contacting a man in Pasadena for help , according to the investigator ’ s report .
Only later would detectives learn that the caller was Puliafito and that the then-66-year-old physician played an outsize role in Yoder ’ s life .
The apartment lease was in his name , and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost everything — furniture , groceries , baby supplies and , most disturbingly , drugs .
The detectives soon discovered that Yoder and Puliafito had been on the Sheriff ’ s Department radar well before Boaz ’ s death .
A year earlier , Yoder ’ s father had phoned the department ’ s Altadena station from his Missouri home and shared worries about Puliafito ’ s influence .
“ My daughter ’ s been known to do drugs , and she ’ s involved with a doctor that ’ s also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yoder told a deputy on Aug. 30 , 2016 , according to a recording of the call .
“ He gives my daughter money and he pays for her rent , and he pays for all that stuff.
” At the time , Puliafito had a sterling reputation in ophthalmology and lived in a $ 5-million mansion with his wife of 38 years .
Few knew , though , that he led a double life .
He was in an intense relationship with a 21-year-old escort named Sarah Warren , lavishing her with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living expenses , according to an accounting he later provided a judge .
His largesse included funding Warren ’ s drug habit , she later wrote in a sworn affidavit .
Puliafito started using heroin and methamphetamine , he later admitted in court testimony , and he was often in the company of a younger crowd that included Yoder and Franko .
He became increasingly erratic at work , and under pressure from USC , he resigned as dean in March 2016 .
Warren got clean later that year and cut ties with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggled with heroin addiction , subsequently assumed a more central role in his life .
In early 2017 , she turned to him after discovering she was pregnant , and he paid for her detox program , according to medical board filings .
Theirs was a curious relationship .
More than three decades separated them .
Puliafito had three Ivy League diplomas .
Yoder had grown up Amish and did not have a college degree .
He has insisted they were never romantic partners .
But he clearly doted on her .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trips to Hawaii and Israel , he later testified .
In emails between them that were reviewed by The Times , he wrote that he loved her , and she described his interest in helping her as “ sexy.
” He was a regular presence at her home .
Puliafito spent a month in rehab after being ousted from USC but remained deeply involved with Yoder , according to medical board filings and her relatives .
Boaz was born Sept. 10 , 2017 .
It seemed to Yoder ’ s family that things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-October , she told them Boaz had died from SIDS .
In a text to family members reviewed by The Times , she wrote that her loss was too painful to discuss .
She offered her family a timeline , and it differed in one way from the one she ’ d outlined to police : She said she found Boaz dead at 6 a.m. , not 7:29 a.m. , leaving an unexplained hour-and-a-half window before Puliafito ’ s 911 call .
Her relatives were shocked by the child ’ s death and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Department , reiterated their concerns about Puliafito and encouraged them to look closer at Boaz ’ s death .
One of Yoder ’ s sisters later met with detectives .
To find out how the baby died , detectives set out to understand how his mother and Puliafito lived .
They found a map to that world in the County Jail ’ s pay phones .
Though Puliafito had never been charged with a crime , the addicts and dealers he partied with were arrested with some frequency , court records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though getting incriminating information was generally a long shot since every call included an automated warning that conversations were taped .
But Davis and Morse requested access to calls placed from jail to the cellphone numbers of Puliafito , Yoder and the baby ’ s father , Franko , anyway .
They obtained about a hundred recordings , including more than a dozen to Puliafito ’ s phone in the period around the baby ’ s death , according to Davis and a transcript of a medical board hearing .
In that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Franko , who was himself in and out of jail on drug-related charges , according to the testimony .
The physician also had multiple conversations with Kyle Voigt , a convicted dealer who had partied with both parents and was on his way to prison , the transcript indicates .
Puliafito spoke openly with the jailed men about illicit substances , associates who overdosed and young female addicts in their circle , a lawyer for the board told a judge at the hearing .
When detectives heard an unfamiliar name on the recordings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
“ Every time you would interview one person , they would mention another person in this little world , ” Davis said .
As is the norm for homicide detectives , the pair were responsible for more than a dozen investigations at any given time .
To stay on top of the voluminous calls in the Yoder case , Davis took to playing the jail recordings in his car as he drove home .
The detectives listened closely for information about Boaz .
“ There was conversation about the child ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declining to elaborate .
Another resource for detectives was a confidential report about Puliafito ’ s misconduct prepared for USC ’ s trustees by former U.S. Atty .
Debra Wong Yang and her firm , Gibson Dunn & Crutcher .
The university had long refused to make the report public , but detectives obtained a warrant and , eventually , some of the report .
Detectives went to Puliafito ’ s home , but he declined to talk and referred them to a criminal defense attorney .
They later learned a private investigator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s behalf had contacted members of the Yoder family , according to interviews and documents reviewed by The Times .
Family members received prewritten affidavits to sign containing explicit denials that Puliafito used drugs as well as denials that Yoder harmed the baby .
It ’ s unclear if any signed .
As detectives worked , a blood sample taken from Boaz ’ s heart awaited testing in the lab of the L.A. County medical examiner-coroner .
Two months after the infant ’ s death , a toxicology screen detected methamphetamine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ breastfeeding baby ’ s system was a pivotal development .
It provided proof that more had been going on in the Altadena home when Boaz died than Yoder had let on .
When detectives went to re-interview Yoder , they found Puliafito ’ s red BMW parked outside her apartment .
As they approached the house , the doctor spotted them and left , Davis said .
Yoder “ wasn ’ t real receptive , ” the detective recalled , but agreed to a brief interview in the driveway .
She admitted “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and one time being the night before the infant died , ” according to an email by the coroner ’ s investigator .
It ’ s unclear what , if anything , she said about Puliafito .
What is clear is the totality of evidence Morse and Davis gathered prompted a prosecutor to mull an involuntary manslaughter case against Puliafito and a child neglect charge against Yoder , according to a memo by the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office .
“ It is suspected that Puliafito provided Yoder methamphetamine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night before the baby was found dead , according to the memo by Deputy Dist .
Atty .
Jon Hatami .
The specialist in child death prosecutions , who led the case against the killers of Gabriel Fernandez , wrote : “ Later on , Yoder breastfed the victim .
...
In the morning ... both suspects discovered that the victim had died .
Puliafito left Yoder ’ s home before he called 911 to report the baby was not breathing.
” After being informed of what the prosecutor wrote , Puliafito told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ absolutely not true.
” He acknowledged going to the apartment the night before “ to see the baby ” but said he “ observed no drug use.
” He insisted he was at home with his wife in Pasadena when Yoder called him in a panic .
“ My first instinct was to call 911 , ” he said .
He drove over to her apartment , but “ it was swarming with EMTs.
” He did not stop .
As the detectives worked , Puliafito was fighting efforts by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was , his lawyer noted , “ one of the foremost ophthalmologists in the world.
” The physician , whose license was suspended in September 2017 , promised that if he was allowed to practice again , he would devote himself to treating the underserved “ Latino population ” in East L.A. On the witness stand at a hearing in June 2018 , nine months after Boaz ’ s death , Puliafito portrayed himself as completely rehabilitated and said he hadn ’ t used drugs in almost a year .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in on his relationship with Yoder .
“ I don ’ t know what her current status is , ” he answered .
“ But you have used with her , correct ?
” Smith continued .
He initially said he had no firsthand knowledge of Yoder ’ s drug use but later acknowledged her previous heroin addiction .
Their relationship was not sexual , he testified .
Rather than a “ sugar daddy , ” his role was “ healthcare consultant.
” “ As a practicing Catholic , if someone comes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m interested in saving the life of my unborn baby , ’ I was sympathetic , ” Puliafito told the judge .
He claimed in his testimony that he was no longer in close touch with Yoder and had cut off contact with other members of his drug-using circle .
Puliafito did not know that the homicide detectives had been monitoring his jail calls or that Smith , the prosecutor cross-examining him , had copies of the recordings .
She asked him when he had last communicated with Franko .
“ More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The prosecutor asked about others — Voigt , the dealer in jail ; an addict named Ashley ; a Santa Monica heroin user named Nicole .
Puliafito denied an ongoing relationship with Voigt and said he had never heard of the women .
After he left the witness chair , Smith revealed the existence of the jail recordings that proved he was in close contact with Voigt and Franko and knew the female addicts .
“ He perjured himself on the stand here today , ” the prosecutor declared .
She did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not get his medical license back .
The last stop for the investigation was the coroner ’ s office on Mission Road .
An autopsy of the infant by Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Linda Szymanski found minor lung congestion , pinpoint hemorrhages on the heart , and a healing burn on the left hand , but nothing definitive as to why he died .
The methamphetamine level — 50 nanograms per milliliter — was “ not super high , ” said UC San Francisco-Fresno medical toxicologist Dr. Patil Armenian , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviewed the coroner ’ s report for The Times .
She cautioned that there was little research on what constituted a lethal dose for a baby .
In one of the few studies , a review of eight newborns who died with the drug in their systems , “ the ones clearly due to meth were a little bit higher level ” than that of Boaz , said Armenian .
Still , she noted , “ no meth should be present in an infant.
” Szymanski , who now works at Children ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss her work .
Emails obtained through a public records request show that she and her supervisor initially decided it was not possible to determine how Boaz died .
Later that same week , Szymanski learned from the coroner ’ s investigator about Puliafito ’ s involvement and the attendant interest in the case from The Times .
She asked for a meeting with the head coroner , Dr. Jonathan Lucas .
“ I just want to confirm that Dr. Lucas is in agreement with my cause and manner of death as this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foresee it landing in a Los Angeles newspaper , ” Szymanski wrote in an email .
She and Lucas met .
Afterward , she changed her conclusions .
The report she filed listed the cause of death as asphyxiation from blankets on the baby ’ s chest , with “ methamphetamine exposure ” from breastmilk listed as a contributing condition “ not related to the immediate cause of death.
” She next had to rule on the manner of death — accident , natural , suicide , homicide or undetermined .
She checked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical experts The Times consulted said they disagreed with aspects of her report , starting with the manner of death .
They said that although they did not see evidence of foul play in reviewing the baby ’ s autopsy , they also did not see conclusive evidence of an accident and disagreed with the decision to classify the death that way .
“ There are a lot of unanswered questions about this death , ” said Dr. James Ribe , a specialist in pediatric autopsies who retired from the L.A. County coroner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical evidence of asphyxiation is often absent , it is common to rely on circumstantial evidence , including witness accounts , to arrive at a conclusion .
Former L.A. coroner ’ s investigator Denise Bertone , a nurse who performed more than 2,000 pediatric death investigations , said she doubted whether Yoder was credible enough to inform the coroner ’ s determination .
“ You don ’ t base a diagnosis of asphyxia solely on the report of the mother when she was high at the time she placed the baby to sleep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently pursuing a whistleblower lawsuit against the office for its handling of another child death investigation .
Discolorations on the baby ’ s chest and face also cast doubt on Yoder ’ s version of events , four experts said .
The marks are evidence of blood pooling after death , they said , and suggest Boaz could have died on his stomach and was flipped over sometime later .
A coroner ’ s spokeswoman acknowledged that the marks could be evidence of a face-down death but said they were “ consistent ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the burn on the baby ’ s hand to be suspicious .
Yoder told investigators that , the week before he died , the then-18-day-old infant reached his hand out of a baby wrap and touched a hot pan .
Yoder said she went to a pediatrician the next day , a visit the coroner confirmed .
Ribe , the retired pathologist , said the wound ’ s severity indicated a hot object was likely against the child ’ s hand long enough — or with sufficient pressure — to burn through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than just touching something hot , ” said Ribe , who assigned the case to Szymanski but did not recall being involved in its conclusions .
He cautioned that his opinion was based on the written report , not the photos of the injury .
Investigators enlisted another pathologist to weigh in , and emails show that , as recently as May , one of the detectives sought to meet and discuss the case with the head coroner .
A child abuse expert was also consulted .
In the end , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings .
Lucas , the head coroner , reiterated confidence in Szymanski in an email to The Times this month .
“ Determining the cause and manner of death is a matter of professional judgment , ” he said .
The official finding that Boaz was suffocated accidentally by a pile of blankets presented a challenge to the district attorney ’ s office .
Law enforcement is increasingly targeting people who provide illegal drugs that cause overdoses .
Federal grand juries in L.A. , for example , indicted three men last year for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mac Miller and charged activist Ed Buck in two overdose deaths .
Prosecutors elsewhere have gone after parents in the deaths of babies that were blamed on drugs .
A Shasta County woman suspected of nursing her newborn while using methamphetamine and heroin is serving a life sentence following a conviction of first-degree murder by poisoning .
Her baby ’ s father , who was suspected of procuring drugs for her , among other offenses , received a sentence of 18 years .
In those cases , however , drugs were the clear-cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecutor and the detectives concluded they could not take the investigation further .
“ That finished it for us , ” Davis said .
The district attorney ’ s office declined comment and did not make Hatami , the prosecutor , available for an interview .
Hatami wrote in a June 23 memo : “ After a thorough investigation and consultation with medical experts ... there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the victim died as a result of a crime by either suspect.
” No one appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her family about the decision not to prosecute .
Her sister Miriam Jones reacted angrily : “ I know he ’ s responsible for this baby ’ s death , indirectly or directly.
” Puliafito ’ s lawyer , Timothy Reuben , insisted in an email that despite the law enforcement findings , the physician “ was simply a good Samaritan.
” “ Dr .
Puliafito did NOT provide any methamphetamine to Dora Yoder nor was he using any , ” Reuben wrote .
Yoder gave birth last year to a second child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to birth records .
Her landlord said Puliafito continued to pay the rent at the Altadena apartment and was a frequent visitor there .
By Davis ’ estimation , the Yoder case took more detective work than 90 % of his other investigations , including those that ended with convictions .
Still , he said , “ I feel we did our part .
”

The death of a newborn named Boaz Yoder in an Altadena apartment seemed at first glance like a case of sudden infant death syndrome.
His mother told investigators she had put the baby boy to sleep under blankets on a chilly autumn night in 2017 and found him the next morning lifeless in his crib.
The closer investigators from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau looked, however, the more doubts they had.
The search for the truth plunged Dets. Mike Davis and Gene Morse into a murky world of desperate young addicts and small-time drug dealers with a disgraced multimillionaire at the center: Dr. Carmen Puliafito, former dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine.
For 2½ years, the detectives and a child-abuse prosecutor circled Puliafito and the baby’s mother, a hairdresser and former nude model. They turned up evidence in County Jail, a toxicology lab and the confidential files of USC’s white-shoe attorneys. What they found was shocking, infuriating and devastatingly sad, but in the end, only one thing mattered: Was it enough for criminal charges?
Homicide investigations are rarely easy or quick, but Boaz’s case is notable for the time and resources that law enforcement committed as they sought justice. It’s a case that demonstrates the challenges of child-death investigations and the particular complications of a wealthy and connected suspect — in this case, a world-renowned physician with a legal team and private investigator at his disposal.
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Puliafito and his attorney said he had done nothing wrong.
***
‘He was just found like this by his parents?’ — 911 emergency dispatcher
By the time Davis and Morse got to the duplex on Alameda Street, the paramedics had come and gone, and the coroner’s office was preparing to take Boaz’s body to the morgue for an autopsy.
Though assigned to the homicide unit, Davis and Morse sometimes were dispatched to accidents, suicides or other sudden deaths that, in the end, weren’t found to be criminal in nature.
The scene they encountered Oct. 5, 2017, had the hallmarks of one of those cases: a tragedy, but not a felony.
There was no immediate indication of abuse or neglect. Boaz weighed 10 pounds and was carefully dressed in a blue-and-white onesie and matching socks, according to a report by the coroner’s investigator.
A newborn was found dead in this Altadena duplex, spurring a child death investigation by L.A. County sheriff’s detectives. (Mel Melcon/ Los Angeles Times)
The apartment was neat and clean and filled with “good baby equipment,” Davis recalled in an interview.
“There was nothing out of the ordinary there,” he said.
The baby’s mother, a winsome, blond 26-year-old named Dora Yoder, “seemed really distraught,” Davis recalled.
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“My heart went out to her,” he said.
She told the investigator that she last saw her son alive about 2 a.m., when she nursed him. The temperature outside had dipped to 55 degrees; she said the heater inside the apartment wasn’t working, and “it felt like the air conditioner was on instead,” according to the investigator’s report.
Yoder recalled putting extra clothing on Boaz, then piling blankets on top of his chest: two muslin, then a woolen one, followed by a crocheted blanket and a queen-size gray quilt that one detective estimated at 4 to 5 pounds.
Yoder said she woke just before 7:30 a.m. to find the boy “unresponsive,” the report states. The blankets, she said, were not covering his face.
She said she immediately called Ariel Franko, the child’s father. Franko, a felon described in a police report that year as a daily user of methamphetamine and heroin, lived about 20 miles away in Sherman Oaks with his parents. The report does not address why Yoder called him before summoning an ambulance, and she did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Yoder told the investigator that she asked Franko “what to do because she didn’t know CPR.” He told her to use a mirror to check for breathing. “When she could not see breaths, he advised her to call 911,” the report said.
Yoder claimed she phoned for an ambulance at 7:30 a.m. Law enforcement records do not reflect such a call.
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Instead, it was a male caller who dialed 911 at 7:40 a.m. to report a baby who wasn’t breathing. He said that the mother was his girlfriend but that he was in Pasadena.
“He was just found like this by his parents?” the emergency dispatcher asked. “I don’t know. She called me crying,” he replied.
When she spoke with the coroner’s investigator at the scene, Yoder did not mention contacting a man in Pasadena for help, according to the investigator’s report.
Only later would detectives learn that the caller was Puliafito and that the physician, who was 66 at the time, played an outsize role in Yoder’s life. The apartment lease was in his name, and her family and friends suspected he paid for almost everything: furniture, groceries, baby supplies and, disturbingly, drugs.
California After a baby suddenly dies, a 911 call from USC’s former medical school dean sparks detectives’ interest The man who called for an ambulance at an Altadena apartment last fall had the calm and direct manner of one familiar with healthcare emergencies.
***
‘He gives my daughter money and he pays for her rent, and he pays for all that stuff.’ — Menno Yoder, Dora Yoder’s father
The detectives soon discovered that Yoder and Puliafito had been on the Sheriff’s Department’s radar well before Boaz’s death.
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A year earlier, Yoder’s father had phoned the department’s Altadena station from his Missouri home and shared worries about Puliafito’s influence.
“My daughter’s been known to do drugs, and she’s involved with a doctor that’s also been known to do drugs,” Menno Yoder told a deputy on Aug. 30, 2016, according to a recording of the call. “He gives my daughter money, and he pays for her rent, and he pays for all that stuff.”
Carmen Puliafito resigned in March 2016 as dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. (Alex J. Berliner)
At the time, Puliafito had a sterling reputation in ophthalmology and lived in a $5-million mansion with his wife of 38 years.
Few knew, though, that he led a double life. He was in an intense relationship with a 21-year-old escort named Sarah Warren, lavishing her with more than $300,000 in gifts and living expenses, according to an accounting he later provided a judge. His largesse included funding Warren’s drug habit, she later wrote in a sworn affidavit.
Puliafito started using heroin and methamphetamine, he later admitted in court testimony, and was often in the company of a younger crowd that included Yoder and Franko. He became increasingly erratic at work and, under pressure from USC, resigned as dean in March 2016.
Warren got clean later that year and cut ties with Puliafito. Yoder, who had long struggled with heroin addiction, subsequently assumed a more central role in his life. In early 2017, she turned to him after discovering she was pregnant, and he paid for her detox program, according to medical board filings.
Theirs was a curious relationship. Four decades separated them. Puliafito had three Ivy League diplomas. Yoder had grown up Amish and did not have a college degree. He has insisted they were never romantic partners. But he clearly doted on her. During her pregnancy, he took her on trips to Hawaii and Israel, he later testified. In emails between them that were reviewed by The Times, he wrote that he loved her, and she described his interest in helping her as “sexy.” He was a regular presence at her home.
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Puliafito spent a month in rehab after being ousted from USC but remained deeply involved with Yoder, according to medical board filings and her relatives.
Boaz was born Sept. 10, 2017. It seemed to Yoder’s family that things were finally going well.
Then, in mid-October, she told them Boaz had died of SIDS. In a text to family members reviewed by The Times, she wrote that her loss was too painful to discuss. She offered her family a timeline, and it differed in one way from the one she’d outlined to police: She said she found Boaz dead at 6 a.m., not 7:29 a.m., leaving an unexplained hour-and-a-half window before Puliafito’s 911 call.
Her relatives were shocked by the child’s death and then suspicious. They called the Sheriff’s Department, reiterated their concerns about Puliafito and encouraged investigators to look closer at Boaz’s death. One of Yoder’s sisters later met with detectives.
***
‘Every time you would interview one person, they would mention another person in this little world.’ — Det. Mike Davis
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To find out how the baby died, detectives set out to understand how his mother and Puliafito lived. They found a map to that world in the County Jail’s pay phones.
Though Puliafito had never been charged with a crime, the addicts and dealers he partied with were arrested with some frequency, court records show.
Jail authorities recorded inmate calls, though getting incriminating information was generally a long shot, since every call included an automated warning that conversations were taped. But Davis and Morse requested access to calls placed from jail to the cellphone numbers of Puliafito, Yoder and the baby’s father, Franko, anyway.
They obtained about a hundred recordings, including more than a dozen to Puliafito’s phone in the period around the baby’s death, according to Davis and a transcript of a medical board hearing. In that period, Puliafito talked three times to Franko, who was himself in and out of jail on drug-related charges, according to the testimony. The physician also had multiple conversations with Kyle Voigt, a convicted dealer who had partied with both parents and was on his way to prison, the transcript indicates.
Puliafito spoke openly with the jailed men about illicit substances, associates who overdosed and young female addicts in their circle, a lawyer for the board told a judge at the hearing.
When detectives heard an unfamiliar name on the recordings, they tried to track the person down.
“Every time you would interview one person, they would mention another person in this little world,” Davis said.
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As is the norm for homicide detectives, the pair were responsible for more than a dozen investigations at any given time. To stay on top of the voluminous calls in the Yoder case, Davis took to playing the jail recordings in his car as he drove home.
The detectives listened closely for information about Boaz.
“There was conversation about the child’s death,” Davis said, declining to elaborate.
Another resource for detectives was a confidential report about Puliafito’s misconduct prepared for USC’s trustees by former U.S. Atty. Debra Wong Yang and her firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. The university had long refused to make the report public, but detectives obtained a warrant and, eventually, some of the report.
The campus of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Detectives went to Puliafito’s home, but he declined to talk and referred them to a criminal defense attorney.
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They later learned that a private investigator and another person working on the doctor’s behalf had contacted members of the Yoder family, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The Times. Family members received prewritten affidavits to sign containing explicit denials that Puliafito used drugs as well as denials that Yoder harmed the baby. It’s unclear whether any signed.
As detectives worked, a blood sample taken from Boaz’s heart awaited testing in the lab of the L.A. County medical examiner-coroner. Two months after the infant’s death, a toxicology screen detected methamphetamine.
The presence of the drug in the breastfeeding baby’s system was a pivotal development. It provided proof that more had been going on in the Altadena home when Boaz died than Yoder had let on.
When detectives went to interview Yoder again, they found Puliafito’s red BMW parked outside her apartment. As they approached, the doctor spotted them and left, Davis said. Yoder “wasn’t real receptive,” the detective recalled, but agreed to a brief interview in the driveway.
She admitted “to using methamphetamine twice since giving birth and one time being the night before the infant died,” according to an email by the coroner’s investigator. It’s unclear what, if anything, she said about Puliafito.
What is clear is that the totality of evidence Morse and Davis gathered prompted a prosecutor to mull an involuntary manslaughter case against Puliafito and a child neglect charge against Yoder, according to a memo by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Jon Hatami, shown in court in the Netflix series on Gabriel Fernandez, considered bringing an involuntary manslaughter case against Carmen Puliafito. (Netflix)
“It is suspected that Puliafito provided Yoder methamphetamine, which they both allegedly used” the night before the baby was found dead, according to the memo by Deputy Dist. Atty. Jon Hatami. The specialist in child-death prosecutions, who led the case against the killers of Gabriel Fernandez, wrote: “Later on, Yoder breastfed the victim. … In the morning … both suspects discovered that the victim had died. Puliafito left Yoder’s home before he called 911 to report the baby was not breathing.”
After being informed of what the prosecutor wrote, Puliafito told The Times in an interview that it was “absolutely not true.”
He acknowledged going to the apartment the night before “to see the baby” but said he “observed no drug use.” He insisted he was at home with his wife in Pasadena when Yoder called him in a panic.
“My first instinct was to call 911,” he said. He drove over to her apartment, but “it was swarming with EMTs.” He did not stop.
***
‘He perjured himself on the stand here today.’ — a state prosecutor representing the medical board
As the detectives worked, Puliafito was fighting efforts by the state medical board to take his license. He was, his lawyer noted, “one of the foremost ophthalmologists in the world.” The physician, whose license was suspended in September 2017, promised that if he was allowed to practice again, he would devote himself to treating the underserved Latino population in East L.A.
On the witness stand at a hearing in June 2018, nine months after Boaz’s death, Puliafito portrayed himself as completely rehabilitated and said he hadn’t used drugs in almost a year.
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California Former USC medical school dean used hard drugs while employed at university, attorney says An attorney representing former USC medical school dean Carmen Puliafito acknowledged at a state medical board hearing Wednesday that the physician used hard drugs while employed by the university, but argued that the doctor has been in recovery for months and should be allowed to practice medicine.
A state prosecutor representing the medical board zeroed in on his relationship with Yoder.
“She’s a known drug user, right?” Deputy Atty. Gen. Rebecca Smith asked.
“I don’t know what her current status is,” he answered.
“But you have used with her, correct?” Smith continued.
“No, I have not,” he replied.
Carmen Puliafito is shown on the first day of a 2018 state medical board trial where he said he’d completely rehabilitated from drug use. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
He initially said he had no firsthand knowledge of Yoder’s drug use but later acknowledged her previous heroin addiction. Their relationship was not sexual, he testified.
Rather than a “sugar daddy,” his role was “healthcare consultant.”
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“As a practicing Catholic, if someone comes to me and says, ‘I’m interested in saving the life of my unborn baby,’ I was sympathetic,” Puliafito told the judge.
He claimed in his testimony that he was no longer in close touch with Yoder and had cut off contact with other members of his drug-using circle.
Puliafito did not know that the homicide detectives had been monitoring his jail calls or that Smith, the prosecutor cross-examining him, had copies of the recordings. She asked him when he had last communicated with Franko.
“More than two years ago,” he said.
The prosecutor asked about others — Voigt, the dealer in jail; an addict named Ashley; a Santa Monica heroin user named Nicole. Puliafito denied an ongoing relationship with Voigt and said he had never heard of the women.
After Puliafito left the witness chair, Smith revealed the existence of the jail recordings that proved he was in close contact with Voigt and Franko and knew the female addicts.
“He perjured himself on the stand here today,” the prosecutor declared.
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She did not refer Puliafito for prosecution, but he did not get his medical license back.
California Must Reads: State strips ex-USC medical school dean of license, citing ‘an appalling lack of judgment’ The state agency that regulates physicians on Friday ordered USC’s former medical school dean stripped of his license to practice medicine, citing “an appalling lack of judgment” in his use of drugs and association with a circle of addicts and criminals while leading the major institution.
***
‘There are a lot of unanswered questions about this death.’ — Dr. James Ribe, a specialist in pediatric autopsies
The last stop for the investigation was the coroner’s office on Mission Road.
An autopsy of the infant by Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Linda Szymanski found minor lung congestion, pinpoint hemorrhages on the heart and a healing burn on the left hand, but nothing definitive as to why he died.
The toxicological report was similarly inconclusive.
The methamphetamine level — 50 nanograms per milliliter — was “not super high,” said UC San Francisco-Fresno medical toxicologist Dr. Patil Armenian, a drug researcher and emergency room doctor who reviewed the coroner’s report for The Times. She cautioned that there was little research on what constitutes a lethal dose for a baby. In one of the few studies, a review of eight newborns who died with the drug in their systems, “the ones clearly due to meth were a little bit higher level” than that of Boaz, Armenian said.
Still, she noted, “no meth should be present in an infant.”
Szymanski, who now works at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, declined to discuss her work.
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Emails obtained through a public records request show that she and her supervisor initially decided it was not possible to determine how Boaz died. Later that week, Szymanski learned from the coroner’s investigator about Puliafito’s involvement and the attendant interest in the case from The Times. She asked for a meeting with the head coroner, Dr. Jonathan Lucas.
“I just want to confirm that Dr. Lucas is in agreement with my cause and manner of death as this case has media interest and I can foresee it landing in a Los Angeles newspaper,” Szymanski wrote in an email.
She and Lucas met. Afterward, she changed her conclusions. The report she filed listed the cause of death as asphyxiation from blankets on the baby’s chest, with “methamphetamine exposure” from breast milk listed as a contributing condition “not related to the immediate cause of death.”
A report, left, filled out by an investigator at the scene of Boaz Yoder’s death on Oct. 5, 2017, shows shading on a diagram of the infant’s body, which represents discolorations on the baby’s chest and face from blood pooling after death, experts said. The diagram, at right, by the pathologist who conducted the autopsy two days later, notes a burn mark on the infant’s hand. (Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner)
She next had to rule on the manner of death — accident, natural, suicide, homicide or undetermined. She checked a box indicating “accident.”
Three medical experts The Times consulted said they disagreed with aspects of her report, starting with the manner of death. They said that although they did not see evidence of foul play in reviewing the baby’s autopsy, they also did not see conclusive evidence of an accident and disagreed with the decision to classify the death that way.
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“There are a lot of unanswered questions about this death,” said Dr. James Ribe, a specialist in pediatric autopsies who retired from the L.A. County coroner’s office in 2018.
Because physical evidence of asphyxiation is often absent, it is common to rely on circumstantial evidence, including witness accounts, to arrive at a conclusion.
Former L.A. coroner’s investigator Denise Bertone, a nurse who performed more than 2,000 pediatric death investigations, said she doubted whether Yoder was credible enough to inform the coroner’s determination.
“You don’t base a diagnosis of asphyxia solely on the report of the mother when she was high at the time she placed the baby to sleep,” Bertone said.
Bertone is currently pursuing a whistleblower lawsuit against the office for its handling of another child-death investigation.
Discolorations on the baby’s chest and face also cast doubt on Yoder’s version of events, four experts said. The marks are evidence of blood pooling after death, they said, and suggest Boaz could have died on his stomach and was flipped over sometime later.
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A coroner’s spokeswoman acknowledged that the marks could be evidence of a face-down death but said they were “consistent” with blanket suffocation.
Three experts found the burn on the baby’s hand to be suspicious. Yoder told investigators that, the week before he died, the then-18-day-old infant reached his hand out of a baby wrap and touched a hot pan. Yoder said she went to a pediatrician the next day, a visit the coroner confirmed.
Ribe, the retired pathologist, said the wound’s severity indicated a hot object was probably against the child’s hand long enough — or with sufficient pressure — to burn through the skin.
“The burn is from more than just touching something hot,” said Ribe, who assigned the case to Szymanski but did not recall being involved in its conclusions. He cautioned that his opinion was based on the written report, not the photos of the injury.
Investigators enlisted another pathologist to weigh in, and emails show that, as recently as May, one of the detectives sought to meet and discuss the case with the head coroner. A child-abuse expert was also consulted. In the end, the coroner’s office stuck with its findings. Lucas, the head coroner, reiterated confidence in Szymanski in an email to The Times this month.
“Determining the cause and manner of death is a matter of professional judgment,” he said.
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The official finding that Boaz was suffocated accidentally by a pile of blankets presented a challenge to the district attorney’s office.
Law enforcement is increasingly targeting people who provide illegal drugs that cause overdoses. Federal grand juries in L.A., for example, indicted three men last year on charges of providing the drugs that killed rapper Mac Miller and charged activist Ed Buck in two overdose deaths.
Prosecutors elsewhere have gone after parents in the deaths of babies that were blamed on drugs.
A Shasta County woman suspected of nursing her newborn while using methamphetamine and heroin is serving a life sentence following a conviction of first-degree murder by poisoning. Her baby’s father, who was suspected of procuring drugs for her, among other offenses, received a sentence of 18 years.
California Three men charged with providing drugs that killed rapper Mac Miller A grand jury indictment accuses three men of providing cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that caused rapper Mac Miller’s death in 2018.
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In those cases, however, drugs were the clear-cut cause of death.
Without that, the prosecutor and the detectives concluded they could not take the investigation further.
“That finished it for us,” Davis said.
The district attorney’s office declined to comment and did not make Hatami, the prosecutor, available for an interview.
Hatami wrote in a June 23 memo: “After a thorough investigation and consultation with medical experts … there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the victim died as a result of a crime by either suspect.”
No one appears to have informed Puliafito, Yoder or her family about the decision not to prosecute. Her sister Miriam Jones reacted angrily: “I know he’s responsible for this baby’s death, indirectly or directly.”
Miriam Jones, shown in Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills earlier this month, says she believes Carmen Puliafito is in some way responsible for the death of her infant nephew. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Puliafito’s lawyer, Timothy Reuben, insisted in an email that despite the law enforcement findings, the physician “was simply a good Samaritan.”
“Dr. Puliafito did NOT provide any methamphetamine to Dora Yoder nor was he using any,” Reuben wrote.
Yoder gave birth last year to a second child, a girl, with Franko, according to birth records. Her landlord said Puliafito continued to pay the rent at the Altadena apartment and was a frequent visitor there.
By Davis’ estimation, the Yoder case took more detective work than 90% of his other investigations, including those that ended with convictions.
Still, he said, “I feel we did our part.”


latimes--2020-12-02--Santa Ana winds will bring extremely dangerous fire conditions and power shut-offs this week

Weather forecasters are urging extreme caution as strong Santa Ana winds blowing through Southern California will bring very dangerous fire conditions and possible power shut-offs this week .
A red flag warning for this “ particularly dangerous situation ” is in effect through Saturday for the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as well as the Santa Clarita Valley , the National Weather Service said .
Winds will peak Thursday and are expected to reach up to 40 mph , with 70-mph gusts .
Humidity levels will be between 8 % and 15 % on Thursday and will decrease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 % and 10 % .
The combination of the extended offshore flow and dry air could lead to devastating fires .
Weather service officials said the high winds will last longer than normal , waning in the weekend .
But it ’ s possible the red flag warning will be extended through Tuesday .
“ We are urging the public to be extremely cautious with anything that can start a fire , ” weather service officials said in a forecast discussion .
“ Some ignition sources are obvious [ such as campfires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] but others are less so [ such as lawn trimmers , dragging trailer chains , firearms ] .
” Los Angeles County firefighters have beefed up their staffing around the clock in preparation .
“ We got lucky last weekend , and we ’ re hoping that same luck keeps running through this one , ” said fire inspector Henry Narvaez .
Strike teams , or small groups of firefighters , have been deployed on 24-hour shifts to stations in Malibu , Santa Clarita and La Cañada Flintridge , and pilots are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
On Wednesday , Southern California Edison began shutting off power to customers in wind-prone areas , starting with about 900 customers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties , utility officials said .
Up to 270,000 additional Edison customers , including people in San Bernardino , Orange and Riverside counties , may lose power Thursday or Friday and will have to wait for utility crews to inspect the grid before it can be restored , a process that can take a day or more in some cases .
The upcoming winds will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that were buffeted by 70- and 80-mph gusts in October , when a pair of fires moved into suburban Orange County , but this time the winds should be less severe , said National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy .
“ Nevertheless , this is a strong wind event for wind-prone areas and moderate for many areas , ” Tardy said .
“ If a fire were to start … there would be some problems with containment.
” But given the time of year and duration of the upcoming system , forecasters say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for up to 10 days , extending into next weekend .
This would be a weather pattern similar to the one seen in December 2017 , when several fires broke out across the region in 72 hours , including the massive Thomas fire .
“ It ’ s common to see Santa Ana winds in December , but we ’ re not usually critically dry , ” Tardy said .
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , a La Niña climate pattern is ongoing , gathering strength in the tropical Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ La Niña favors warmer , drier conditions across the southern tier of the U.S. and cooler , wetter conditions in the north .
The lack of summer monsoon rain this year resulted in extreme to exceptional drought in the Southwest .
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor , moderate to severe drought expanded in California ’ s San Joaquin Valley , and abnormal dryness expanded in Southern California , including Los Angeles County .
Parts of Southern California have experienced a seven-month dry streak .
This season in Los Angeles , only 0.11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In an average year by the end of November , the city has received close to 1.7 inches , making rainfall this year about 6 % of normal .

Strong Santa Ana winds will bring dangerous fire conditions this week, according to the National Weather Service.
Weather forecasters are urging extreme caution as strong Santa Ana winds blowing through Southern California will bring very dangerous fire conditions and possible power shut-offs this week.
A red flag warning for this “particularly dangerous situation” is in effect through Saturday for the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as well as the Santa Clarita Valley, the National Weather Service said.
Winds will peak Thursday and are expected to reach up to 40 mph, with 70-mph gusts. Humidity levels will be between 8% and 15% on Thursday and will decrease Friday and through the weekend to between 5% and 10%.
The combination of the extended offshore flow and dry air could lead to devastating fires.
Weather service officials said the high winds will last longer than normal, waning in the weekend. But it’s possible the red flag warning will be extended through Tuesday.
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“We are urging the public to be extremely cautious with anything that can start a fire,” weather service officials said in a forecast discussion. “Some ignition sources are obvious [such as campfires, welding equipment, cigarettes, fireworks] but others are less so [such as lawn trimmers, dragging trailer chains, firearms].”
Los Angeles County firefighters have beefed up their staffing around the clock in preparation.
“We got lucky last weekend, and we’re hoping that same luck keeps running through this one,” said fire inspector Henry Narvaez.
Strike teams, or small groups of firefighters, have been deployed on 24-hour shifts to stations in Malibu, Santa Clarita and La Cañada Flintridge, and pilots are on standby Thursday through Saturday, Narvaez said.
On Wednesday, Southern California Edison began shutting off power to customers in wind-prone areas, starting with about 900 customers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, utility officials said.
Up to 270,000 additional Edison customers, including people in San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside counties, may lose power Thursday or Friday and will have to wait for utility crews to inspect the grid before it can be restored, a process that can take a day or more in some cases.
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The upcoming winds will hit the same parts of the Southland that were buffeted by 70- and 80-mph gusts in October, when a pair of fires moved into suburban Orange County, but this time the winds should be less severe, said National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy.
“Nevertheless, this is a strong wind event for wind-prone areas and moderate for many areas,” Tardy said. “If a fire were to start … there would be some problems with containment.”
But given the time of year and duration of the upcoming system, forecasters say the Santa Ana winds could hang around for up to 10 days, extending into next weekend. This would be a weather pattern similar to the one seen in December 2017, when several fires broke out across the region in 72 hours, including the massive Thomas fire.
“It’s common to see Santa Ana winds in December, but we’re not usually critically dry,” Tardy said.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a La Niña climate pattern is ongoing, gathering strength in the tropical Pacific Ocean this year.
Statistically, a La Niña favors warmer, drier conditions across the southern tier of the U.S. and cooler, wetter conditions in the north.
The lack of summer monsoon rain this year resulted in extreme to exceptional drought in the Southwest. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, moderate to severe drought expanded in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and abnormal dryness expanded in Southern California, including Los Angeles County. Parts of Southern California have experienced a seven-month dry streak.
This season in Los Angeles, only 0.11 of an inch of rain has fallen. In an average year by the end of November, the city has received close to 1.7 inches, making rainfall this year about 6% of normal.
Times staff writer Paul Duginski contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-03--Amid COVID-19 surge, parents must decide: When schools reopen, will they send their kids?

Amid anxieties over online learning and a dangerous surge in coronavirus cases , Los Angeles Unified School District parents are being asked in a new survey to make a critical decision : Will you send your child back to school when campuses reopen ?
The inopportune timing — as health authorities describe dark scenarios about the weeks ahead — is unavoidable .
L.A. Unified , like districts throughout the state , must brace for the worst : the possibility of another hard shutdown of campuses .
But they must also simultaneously prepare for the complex task of fully reopening campuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The survey , which must be returned by Sunday , is expected to provide the first comprehensive data on where the parents of some 465,000 students stand amid a growing debate over school safety and the extent to which political leaders are prioritizing the importance of reopening campuses .
Parents in the nation ’ s second-largest school district are being asked on a very personal level to weigh the same issues confounding health experts , educators and political leaders : How safe are schools ?
What are the risks ?
What ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not to return is “ a loaded question with a lot of implications , ” said Vanessa Aramayo , executive director of the local nonprofit Alliance for a Better Community .
“ It ’ s extremely difficult for the families we work with because of what ’ s at stake.
” Underlying the choice are myriad anxieties , unknowns and trade-offs : Evidence continues to mount that distance-only learning is harmful to many students and exacerbates gaps separating richer and poorer families , and white and Asian students from Black and Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability of parents to work .
Yet no one wants to compromise safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ I am worried that once children return to school they might bring the virus home , and those at higher risk , such as the adults and the older folks , might contract the virus , ” said Yesica Aguirre , whose eighth-grade son attends Bell Gardens Middle School .
Her 62-year-old husband recently had heart surgery , putting him in a high-risk group .
Other family members outside their household came down with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick , ” Aguirre said .
Her son Adrian enjoys being online and fares well in distance learning , but at the same time , Aguirre said , “ I understand that it ’ s best to do in-person classes because the students get to interact with the teacher and because they also get to socialize.
” No one knows exactly when L.A. Unified will resume in-person classes , and officials have no estimated opening date .
But the math does not look promising in Los Angeles County for a return to school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California ’ s rules , campuses can not fully reopen in any county until two weeks after it exits the purple tier of the state ’ s color-coded reopening framework — which indicates widespread and dangerous levels of virus transmission .
Given the alarming surge of cases , L.A. County could be in the purple tier well into next year .
And even then , L.A. Unified would have the option to wait longer if district officials deem it advisable .
The status of partial campus reopenings across the county is uneven .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring back students in transitional kindergarten through second grade .
And some are bringing back students of all ages with special needs , up to 25 % of enrollment at a given time .
Across the country , large numbers of parents have landed on each side of the question .
And school systems have responded by offering two or more simultaneous programs , with varying degrees of success .
In New York City — the nation ’ s largest school system — the families of about 30 % of students have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of the school year was ultimately pushed back because of logistical problems — and then a virus surge led to another shutdown .
The wild ride continues with a limited reopening for elementary schools scheduled to begin next week .
Over the summer , a majority of Boston parents said they wanted campuses to reopen in some form , but a gradual reopening was temporarily shelved in late October when infections spiked .
Florida forced school districts to reopen , but many families chose to remain online , and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public health effects of the mandated reopening .
Research from Brown University economist Emily Oster strongly suggests that schools are not super-spreaders of the coronavirus — finding that the infection rates in schools were similar to those in the community and could even be lower .
A study from Yale drew similar conclusions about child care centers .
But there are caveats .
Oster ’ s conclusions were based on voluntary participation from school districts that were confident in their safety measures and that disproportionately represent higher-income communities with lower infection rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questioned whether it would make sense to open campuses when community infection rates are high .
In that circumstance , keeping schools from spreading infection might still be manageable but also might prove overly disruptive to academic continuity — because preventing an outbreak could require groups of students to be sent home frequently to quarantine .
L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner , who has pursued a cautious approach to reopening , has cited a study of Utah child care centers — where researchers found evidence of transmission from child to child and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inconsistent record-keeping at the local , state and federal levels has made it difficult to draw definitive conclusions — a fundamental reason why Oster said she made her own attempt .
That ’ s also why teachers unions have pushed back against rapid reopenings , especially as they hear tales of school shutdowns and school-based infections from colleagues across the country .
These anecdotes are more than enough to cause worry , even if they prove to be rare .
UNICEF , the Untied Nations ’ children ’ s relief agency , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci have come down for reopening campuses — especially for younger students .
In an interview on ABC ’ s “ This Week , ” Fauci said that spread “ among children and from children is not really very big at all , not like one would have suspected .
So let ’ s try to get the kids back.
” Infections among people with an association to schools soared in November , L.A. County health officials reported Wednesday .
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer indicated that the school cases seem to reflect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than infections driven by individuals on campus .
L.A. County has recorded 21 schools with an outbreak investigation — defined as three or more cases over 14 days .
Four of nearly 1,400 schools in L.A. Unified are on this list .
All the recorded cases of possible outbreaks have involved only staff members , with a maximum of four infections .
Many more schools have had one or two cases .
New rules in Los Angeles County call for a two-week campus shutdown when there ’ s an outbreak .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. Unified campus .
The vast majority of teachers are working from home , and only 2,275 students — fewer than 1 % — are coming to campus periodically for individual or small-group tutoring , and that effort began only recently .
The L.A. Unified survey gives parents two choices : continue in distance-only learning or switch to a hybrid format — which would bring smaller groups of students to campus part time on a staggered schedule .
When not on campus , students would attend classes online .
Parents can change their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance-only .
To transfer to the hybrid model , they would have to wait until designated entry dates .
Families that don ’ t respond will be assigned to a hybrid setting , which concerns some advocacy groups .
They insist that the district needs to work harder to make sure all families know about the survey and have enough information to make the choice that ’ s best for them .
The survey also gathers input on a public policy choice made by state and local officials — allowing businesses to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Would you support increased restrictions on certain businesses like malls and card rooms if that meant schools could reopen ?
” In recent months , almost all businesses have been able to operate with more freedom than schools — though businesses , too , have suffered deep harm .
Some countries , including France , Spain and Belgium , have closed or limited operations for businesses and other entities but prioritized opening schools and keeping them open , an approach being echoed in Rhode Island .
Beutner doesn ’ t propose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he generally supports strict health directives .
But he ’ s said that schools should be prioritized when officials are deciding what to open first .
Aguirre , the parent of the eighth-grader , already has dealt with one scare in her household .
Her adult son , who is living at her home , caught something from a friend and lost his sense of taste and smell for two weeks .
They all knew it was probably COVID-19 .
“ My son was in isolation , ” she said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we kept cleaning all the time .
I even slept with my mask on to protect my husband .
We ’ re worried about what is going to happen , if we are going to die .
It really affects us psychologically.
” But she also said that , for now , her choice is to return to campus and to trust in God .
“ Our lives need to continue , and we can not stay indoors for a long time , ” she said .
“ And I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary safety precautions .
”

Adrian Rivera hugs his mother, Yesica Aguirre, outside their apartment complex in Cudahy. Aguirre is torn about sending her son, who is doing well in online learning, back to campus.
Amid anxieties over online learning and a dangerous surge in coronavirus cases, Los Angeles Unified School District parents are being asked in a new survey to make a critical decision: Will you send your child back to school when campuses reopen?
The inopportune timing — as health authorities describe dark scenarios about the weeks ahead — is unavoidable. L.A. Unified, like districts throughout the state, must brace for the worst: the possibility of another hard shutdown of campuses. But they must also simultaneously prepare for the complex task of fully reopening campuses that have been closed for 10 months.
The survey, which must be returned by Sunday, is expected to provide the first comprehensive data on where the parents of some 465,000 students stand amid a growing debate over school safety and the extent to which political leaders are prioritizing the importance of reopening campuses.
Parents in the nation’s second-largest school district are being asked on a very personal level to weigh the same issues confounding health experts, educators and political leaders: How safe are schools? What are the risks? What’s best for my child?
Whether or not to return is “a loaded question with a lot of implications,” said Vanessa Aramayo, executive director of the local nonprofit Alliance for a Better Community. “It’s extremely difficult for the families we work with because of what’s at stake.”
Underlying the choice are myriad anxieties, unknowns and trade-offs: Evidence continues to mount that distance-only learning is harmful to many students and exacerbates gaps separating richer and poorer families, and white and Asian students from Black and Latino students. Distance learning also limits the ability of parents to work. Yet no one wants to compromise safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am worried that once children return to school they might bring the virus home, and those at higher risk, such as the adults and the older folks, might contract the virus,” said Yesica Aguirre, whose eighth-grade son attends Bell Gardens Middle School.
Her 62-year-old husband recently had heart surgery, putting him in a high-risk group. Other family members outside their household came down with COVID-19 “and they were all very sick,” Aguirre said.
Her son Adrian enjoys being online and fares well in distance learning, but at the same time, Aguirre said, “I understand that it’s best to do in-person classes because the students get to interact with the teacher and because they also get to socialize.”
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No one knows exactly when L.A. Unified will resume in-person classes, and officials have no estimated opening date. But the math does not look promising in Los Angeles County for a return to school after winter break in January.
Under California’s rules, campuses cannot fully reopen in any county until two weeks after it exits the purple tier of the state’s color-coded reopening framework — which indicates widespread and dangerous levels of virus transmission. Given the alarming surge of cases, L.A. County could be in the purple tier well into next year. And even then, L.A. Unified would have the option to wait longer if district officials deem it advisable.
The status of partial campus reopenings across the county is uneven. Some districts and schools have used waivers to bring back students in transitional kindergarten through second grade. And some are bringing back students of all ages with special needs, up to 25% of enrollment at a given time.
Across the country, large numbers of parents have landed on each side of the question. And school systems have responded by offering two or more simultaneous programs, with varying degrees of success.
In New York City — the nation’s largest school system — the families of about 30% of students have opted for in-person learning. But the start of the school year was ultimately pushed back because of logistical problems — and then a virus surge led to another shutdown. The wild ride continues with a limited reopening for elementary schools scheduled to begin next week.
Over the summer, a majority of Boston parents said they wanted campuses to reopen in some form, but a gradual reopening was temporarily shelved in late October when infections spiked. Florida forced school districts to reopen, but many families chose to remain online, and it’s difficult to get a clear picture of the public health effects of the mandated reopening.
Research from Brown University economist Emily Oster strongly suggests that schools are not super-spreaders of the coronavirus — finding that the infection rates in schools were similar to those in the community and could even be lower. A study from Yale drew similar conclusions about child care centers.
Advertisement
But there are caveats. Oster’s conclusions were based on voluntary participation from school districts that were confident in their safety measures and that disproportionately represent higher-income communities with lower infection rates.
In a recent webinar, Oster questioned whether it would make sense to open campuses when community infection rates are high. In that circumstance, keeping schools from spreading infection might still be manageable but also might prove overly disruptive to academic continuity — because preventing an outbreak could require groups of students to be sent home frequently to quarantine.
L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner, who has pursued a cautious approach to reopening, has cited a study of Utah child care centers — where researchers found evidence of transmission from child to child and from child to adult household members.
Inconsistent record-keeping at the local, state and federal levels has made it difficult to draw definitive conclusions — a fundamental reason why Oster said she made her own attempt. That’s also why teachers unions have pushed back against rapid reopenings, especially as they hear tales of school shutdowns and school-based infections from colleagues across the country. These anecdotes are more than enough to cause worry, even if they prove to be rare.
UNICEF, the Untied Nations’ children’s relief agency, and experts including leading U.S. immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci have come down for reopening campuses — especially for younger students.
In an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Fauci said that spread “among children and from children is not really very big at all, not like one would have suspected. So let’s try to get the kids back.”
Infections among people with an association to schools soared in November, L.A. County health officials reported Wednesday. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer indicated that the school cases seem to reflect the overall surge in the community rather than infections driven by individuals on campus.
L.A. County has recorded 21 schools with an outbreak investigation — defined as three or more cases over 14 days. Four of nearly 1,400 schools in L.A. Unified are on this list. All the recorded cases of possible outbreaks have involved only staff members, with a maximum of four infections. Many more schools have had one or two cases. New rules in Los Angeles County call for a two-week campus shutdown when there’s an outbreak.
So far, few people have been on any L.A. Unified campus. The vast majority of teachers are working from home, and only 2,275 students — fewer than 1% — are coming to campus periodically for individual or small-group tutoring, and that effort began only recently.
The L.A. Unified survey gives parents two choices: continue in distance-only learning or switch to a hybrid format — which would bring smaller groups of students to campus part time on a staggered schedule. When not on campus, students would attend classes online. Parents can change their mind at any time to switch to distance-only. To transfer to the hybrid model, they would have to wait until designated entry dates.
Families that don’t respond will be assigned to a hybrid setting, which concerns some advocacy groups. They insist that the district needs to work harder to make sure all families know about the survey and have enough information to make the choice that’s best for them.
The survey also gathers input on a public policy choice made by state and local officials — allowing businesses to open ahead of schools.
The survey asks: “Would you support increased restrictions on certain businesses like malls and card rooms if that meant schools could reopen?”
In recent months, almost all businesses have been able to operate with more freedom than schools — though businesses, too, have suffered deep harm. Some countries, including France, Spain and Belgium, have closed or limited operations for businesses and other entities but prioritized opening schools and keeping them open, an approach being echoed in Rhode Island.
Beutner doesn’t propose opening schools during the current surge — and he generally supports strict health directives. But he’s said that schools should be prioritized when officials are deciding what to open first.
Aguirre, the parent of the eighth-grader, already has dealt with one scare in her household. Her adult son, who is living at her home, caught something from a friend and lost his sense of taste and smell for two weeks. They all knew it was probably COVID-19.
“My son was in isolation,” she said. “Everyone at home wore masks and gloves, and we kept cleaning all the time. I even slept with my mask on to protect my husband. We’re worried about what is going to happen, if we are going to die. It really affects us psychologically.”
But she also said that, for now, her choice is to return to campus and to trust in God.
“Our lives need to continue, and we cannot stay indoors for a long time,” she said. “And I would hope that the schools will provide the necessary safety precautions.”


latimes--2020-12-03--California prosecutors fear prison unemployment scams are fueling a street crime 'tsunami'

As plots are revealed inside California prisons and jails to scam pandemic unemployment benefits , district attorneys across much of California are calling on state leaders to help them stop , investigate and prosecute the fraud — aid they say has been slow to materialize as abuses continue .
“ It ’ s a tsunami , ” said Sacramento County Dist .
Atty .
Anne Marie Schubert , one prosecutor who fears the money stolen could be contributing to crime on the street .
“ Ultimately the bottom line is we need help.
” Multiple district attorneys interviewed by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials , including state Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra , have not taken leadership in what some have described as the biggest taxpayer fraud in California history .
Especially troublesome to some is that state agencies continue to grapple with how to share information with investigators — such as Social Security numbers that are needed to pinpoint inmates applying for benefits , a system used in 35 other states to prevent such abuse .
Officials with the administration of Gov .
Gavin Newsom said a permanent legal solution to allow the sharing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could involve a change of state law or regulations at the prison agency .
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Vicky Waters said the agency was “ close to a solution ” for sharing information with the Employment Development Department .
“ Our focus right now is to ensure anyone responsible for defrauding the state and hard-working Californians in this investigation is held accountable , ” she said .
In a letter to eight prosecutors who went public with the fraud involving inmates recently after discovering it in November , Newsom said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen about three months ago .
Since learning of it in August , “ I have been deeply alarmed about what has been happening and like you , I am committed to eliminating fraud in the UI system and the temporary federal unemployment benefits programs , ” he wrote .
But prosecutors contend that without immediate action to allow investigators to compare EDD claims against inmate rolls , their hands are tied — potentially leaving money flowing from prison gangs to street gangs involved in drugs , guns and other crimes .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the alleged fraud may have been perpetrated by individuals , much of it appears to be organized , with multiple payments going to the same address .
“ We are finding that the gangs are heavy , deep into this , ” said Amador County Dist .
Atty .
Todd Riebe .
Riebe said he is looking at 500 inmates at Mule Creek State Prison in his Northern California county who may be involved in more than $ 2 million in fraudulent claims — though some of the proceeds have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
Though he has the number of inmates involved , he does not yet have their names because of the restrictions on sharing information .
Riebe said he is “ like a thirsty man in the desert , ” hoping the state takes action to allow him access so he can begin building cases .
“ I need that information to go forward right now , ” he said .
“ I need that list.
” Prosecutors also said that without additional funds and resources , they may not be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud .
Even in larger cities such as Sacramento and Los Angeles , the number of potential defendants and the labor-intensive nature of the investigations mean that prosecutors , with limited resources , are already having discussions on which ones to pursue and which to leave on the “ backburner , ” as Lassen County Dist .
Atty .
Susan Melyssah Rios describes it .
With more than 900 inmates at High Desert State Prison in her county implicated in possible unemployment fraud — totaling $ 4 million in benefits so far — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is outmanned when it comes to prosecuting those potential cases .
She said without state aid , she is uncertain how her office will handle the onslaught .
“ The inmates ... think they are running the show , ” Rios said .
Multiple prosecutors questioned why Becerra has not taken a more prominent role because cases often involve multiple suspects and counties .
Mike Hestrin , Riverside County district attorney , said it “ is obviously a statewide issue .
It is everywhere .
It is just not the counties with prisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is having a big impact on every prosecutor ’ s office.
” Hestrin said federal prosecutors are working with a statewide task force of district attorneys in pursuing the cases , but state prosecutors so far have taken little interest .
Ventura County Dist .
Atty .
Greg Totten added that while fraud has historically been a locally handled crime , the volume of the EDD problem is unprecedented .
“ It is a good question why the attorney general isn ’ t involved.
” Hestrin said .
Rios added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most offensive is just the lack of response or interest on the part of the [ California ] attorney generals ’ office.
” Most district attorneys who spoke to The Times agree much of the money scammed so far will not be recovered , and little can be done to further punish prisoners who may already be serving decades or life sentences — leaving many eager to pursue accomplices on the outside who may reside in counties or states outside of local prosecutors ’ purview .
They also point out that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 58 county jails , where some inmates serve short sentences , further complicating investigations because some of those incarcerated people might qualify for benefits .
So far , state officials said they have identified $ 400 million paid on some 21,000 unemployment benefit claims that were improperly filed in the names of California prison inmates .
Becerra ’ s representatives did not immediately respond Wednesday to questions about claims his office has declined to investigate some of the allegations .
It was late summer when evidence of EDD fraud in prisons appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigators and others .
It was uncovered largely by accident by investigators monitoring jail and prison phone calls as they looked into unrelated crimes .
In June investigators specializing in prisoner crime came upon a fraud operation inside the state prison in Lancaster where inmates were claiming unemployment .
At first , it was believed to be a local issue .
The Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s prisons unit became involved in identify culprits .
Money had begun to show up on the books of inmates and informants , and telephone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognize the problem was more widespread .
Investigators uncovered a similar problem around the same time in a San Mateo County jail by listening to phone calls there .
That case has led to the filing of charges against 21 people .
Also around that time in Lassen County , a prison investigator at High Desert was investigating a case .
That investigator happened to tell Rios , the district attorney , about it in an email Sept. 5 , she said .
Curious to know if other counties were seeing something similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listserv used by district attorneys .
The responses came back quickly .
In Sacramento , Schubert quickly realized her own jails and prisons were probably affected .
Having pulled together a statewide task force to pursue the Golden State Killer , JosephDeAngelo , only a few years prior , she once again spearheaded a collaboration in early November , drawing in McGregor Scott , the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California .
It was through that federal connection that California prosecutors were able to see the large scale of the fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a subpoena on behalf of the U.S. Labor Department to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in September , allowing comparison of inmate information to claims for a five-month period through August .
Schubert said prosecutors received that information from federal authorities Nov. 12 , and she spent the weekend looking through it for names she recognized from her own prosecutions .
“ I kept looking for people I had personally prosecuted and getting more and more irritated , ” she said .

Anita Chabria, Patrick McGreevy, Richard Winton

Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert is one of several D.A.s concerned about state jobless benefits fraud and the state’s role in investigating it.
As plots are revealed inside California prisons and jails to scam pandemic unemployment benefits, district attorneys across much of California are calling on state leaders to help them stop, investigate and prosecute the fraud — aid they say has been slow to materialize as abuses continue.
“It’s a tsunami,” said Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert, one prosecutor who fears the money stolen could be contributing to crime on the street. “Ultimately the bottom line is we need help.”
Multiple district attorneys interviewed by The Times said they are frustrated that state officials, including state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, have not taken leadership in what some have described as the biggest taxpayer fraud in California history. Especially troublesome to some is that state agencies continue to grapple with how to share information with investigators — such as Social Security numbers that are needed to pinpoint inmates applying for benefits, a system used in 35 other states to prevent such abuse.
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Officials with the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom said a permanent legal solution to allow the sharing of data is being worked on. It could involve a change of state law or regulations at the prison agency.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Vicky Waters said the agency was “close to a solution” for sharing information with the Employment Development Department. “Our focus right now is to ensure anyone responsible for defrauding the state and hard-working Californians in this investigation is held accountable,” she said.
In a letter to eight prosecutors who went public with the fraud involving inmates recently after discovering it in November, Newsom said that the problem appeared on his radar screen about three months ago. Since learning of it in August, “I have been deeply alarmed about what has been happening and like you, I am committed to eliminating fraud in the UI system and the temporary federal unemployment benefits programs,” he wrote.
But prosecutors contend that without immediate action to allow investigators to compare EDD claims against inmate rolls, their hands are tied — potentially leaving money flowing from prison gangs to street gangs involved in drugs, guns and other crimes. Those interviewed by The Times said that although some of the alleged fraud may have been perpetrated by individuals, much of it appears to be organized, with multiple payments going to the same address.
“We are finding that the gangs are heavy, deep into this,” said Amador County Dist. Atty. Todd Riebe.
Riebe said he is looking at 500 inmates at Mule Creek State Prison in his Northern California county who may be involved in more than $2 million in fraudulent claims — though some of the proceeds have been sent to other counties and even other states. Though he has the number of inmates involved, he does not yet have their names because of the restrictions on sharing information.
Riebe said he is “like a thirsty man in the desert,” hoping the state takes action to allow him access so he can begin building cases.
“I need that information to go forward right now,” he said. “I need that list.”
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Prosecutors also said that without additional funds and resources, they may not be able to pursue criminal charges in all instances of fraud.
Even in larger cities such as Sacramento and Los Angeles, the number of potential defendants and the labor-intensive nature of the investigations mean that prosecutors, with limited resources, are already having discussions on which ones to pursue and which to leave on the “backburner,” as Lassen County Dist. Atty. Susan Melyssah Rios describes it.
With more than 900 inmates at High Desert State Prison in her county implicated in possible unemployment fraud — totaling $4 million in benefits so far — Rios said her office of four lawyers is outmanned when it comes to prosecuting those potential cases. She said without state aid, she is uncertain how her office will handle the onslaught.
“The inmates ... think they are running the show,” Rios said.
Multiple prosecutors questioned why Becerra has not taken a more prominent role because cases often involve multiple suspects and counties.
Mike Hestrin, Riverside County district attorney, said it “is obviously a statewide issue. It is everywhere. It is just not the counties with prisons. It is in every county, and it is having a big impact on every prosecutor’s office.”
Hestrin said federal prosecutors are working with a statewide task force of district attorneys in pursuing the cases, but state prosecutors so far have taken little interest. Ventura County Dist. Atty. Greg Totten added that while fraud has historically been a locally handled crime, the volume of the EDD problem is unprecedented.
“It is a good question why the attorney general isn’t involved.” Hestrin said.
Rios added that, “the part that I find the most offensive is just the lack of response or interest on the part of the [California] attorney generals’ office.”
In a statement Thursday, a representative for Becerra said his office “has not been contacted” by Lassen prosecutors, and is actively involved in the state task force coordinating investigations. “The California Department of Justice takes allegations of fraud seriously.” the representative said.
The representative’s statement declined further detailed comment on investigations. “To protect its integrity, we are unable to comment on a potential or ongoing investigation,” the statement said.
Most district attorneys who spoke to The Times agree much of the money scammed so far will not be recovered, and little can be done to further punish prisoners who may already be serving decades or life sentences — leaving many eager to pursue accomplices on the outside who may reside in counties or states outside of local prosecutors’ purview. They also point out that the problem has probably spread through California’s 58 county jails, where some inmates serve short sentences, further complicating investigations because some of those incarcerated people might qualify for benefits.
So far, state officials said they have identified $400 million paid on some 21,000 unemployment benefit claims that were improperly filed in the names of California prison inmates.
.
It was late summer when evidence of EDD fraud in prisons appeared across California, according to prosecutors, investigators and others. It was uncovered largely by accident by investigators monitoring jail and prison phone calls as they looked into unrelated crimes.
In June investigators specializing in prisoner crime came upon a fraud operation inside the state prison in Lancaster where inmates were claiming unemployment. At first, it was believed to be a local issue. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s prisons unit became involved in identify culprits. Money had begun to show up on the books of inmates and informants, and telephone conversations captured by investigators led them to recognize the problem was more widespread.
Investigators uncovered a similar problem around the same time in a San Mateo County jail by listening to phone calls there. That case has led to the filing of charges against 21 people.
Also around that time in Lassen County, a prison investigator at High Desert was investigating a case.
That investigator happened to tell Rios, the district attorney, about it in an email Sept. 5, she said. Curious to know if other counties were seeing something similar, she sent a query over a listserv used by district attorneys.
The responses came back quickly. In Sacramento, Schubert quickly realized her own jails and prisons were probably affected. Having pulled together a statewide task force to pursue the Golden State Killer, JosephDeAngelo,only a few years prior, she once again spearheaded a collaboration in early November, drawing in McGregor Scott, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California.
It was through that federal connection that California prosecutors were able to see the large scale of the fraud. The U.S. attorneys office had issued a subpoena on behalf of the U.S. Labor Department to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in September, allowing comparison of inmate information to claims for a five-month period through August.
Schubert said prosecutors received that information from federal authorities Nov. 12, and she spent the weekend looking through it for names she recognized from her own prosecutions.
“I kept looking for people I had personally prosecuted and getting more and more irritated,” she said.