Mom Who Kept 8-Year-Old in Wooden Box and Tortured Him with Icy Hot Will Continue Rotting in Prison After Failing to Convince Judge Her Guilty Plea Was ‘Coerced’.

Mom Who Kept 8-Year-Old in Wooden Box and Tortured Him with Icy Hot Will Continue Rotting in Prison After Failing to Convince Judge Her Guilty Plea Was ‘Coerced’

Pearl Fernandez, the California mother convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for torturing and killing her 8-year-old son, Gabriel Fernandez, has been denied resentencing for a second time after attempting to argue that her guilty plea was coerced.

Fernandez, 42, of Palmdale, California, was sentenced in 2018 after she confessed to the brutal abuse and mistreatment of her son, who died from blunt force trauma and extensive child abuse. Despite her attempts to overturn her conviction, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli shot down her petition on Monday, following a tense and emotionally charged hearing.

Reliving the Trauma

During the hearing, family members of Gabriel Fernandez expressed their frustration and anguish over Fernandez’s latest attempt at resentencing, which forced them to relive the painful memories of their son’s death. “We are here again, reliving and reopening wounds,” said Emily Carranza, one of Gabriel’s relatives, according to NBC affiliate KNBC. The Fernandez family has been haunted by the horrific abuse Gabriel suffered, and the emotional toll of Fernandez’s repeated efforts to escape justice has only added to their pain.

Fernandez’s defense attorney, Joseph Markus, filed the resentencing petition in February, claiming that Fernandez had been coerced into pleading guilty by her defense attorney at the time. Fernandez alleged that her state-appointed attorney “provided ineffective assistance of counsel” and pressured her into accepting a guilty plea for a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

In the petition, Fernandez also claimed that she had “comprehension issues” and that she was “mistakenly under the impression” that her case would go to appeal when she signed the plea agreement. According to Fernandez, her verbal comprehension was “equivalent to a second-grade student,” a claim that has been met with skepticism given the details of her involvement in the case.

A Horrific Crime

Gabriel Fernandez’s death shocked the nation, as details of the extensive abuse he endured emerged during the trial. Prosecutors revealed that Gabriel was beaten with a wooden club, a broomstick, and various household items. He was tortured with Icy Hot, metal hangers, belts, and lighters, and forced to eat cat litter, feces, urine, vomit, and spoiled spinach. The abuse was so severe that Gabriel’s body bore numerous injuries, including BBs embedded in his face, chest, and groin, a fractured skull, broken ribs, and cuts on his private parts.

Gabriel had also been forced to sleep handcuffed to a small wooden drawer inside a box-like closet. His mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, subjected Gabriel to this unimaginable cruelty for months before his death in May 2013. When Gabriel was brought to the hospital, doctors said his body was covered with visible signs of torture, and his injuries were deemed consistent with the brutality of his treatment.

Fernandez and Aguirre were both arrested and charged with murder and torture. Aguirre was sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder and intentional murder by torture, while Fernandez entered a guilty plea in 2018. In her plea, Fernandez admitted to participating in the abuse and torture of her son.

Fernandez’s Continued Attempts for Resentencing

Fernandez’s first attempt for resentencing in 2021 was denied when she made similar claims about her guilty plea being coerced. During that hearing, Fernandez insisted that she was not involved in her son’s death, despite the overwhelming evidence against her. Prosecutors emphasized that Fernandez had played an active role in the abuse and that she had participated directly in the torture that led to Gabriel’s death.

During the hearing for Fernandez’s most recent petition, Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami pointed out that the abuse suffered by Gabriel was extensive, and Fernandez had clearly been involved in it. “Clearly Pearl was involved in that child abuse, starving Gabriel, keeping him in the box for eight months, not taking him for medical aid, pepper-spraying him in the face, hitting him with a baseball bat — so many things were brought out in the trial,” Hatami said.

Fernandez’s defense team argued that California Senate Bill 1437, which allows for resentencing of individuals convicted of felony murder or those convicted under the natural and probable consequences doctrine, should apply to her case. This bill has been used to overturn certain convictions, particularly those involving gang-related crimes. However, Hatami strongly opposed this argument, asserting that Fernandez’s conviction was not based on felony murder or natural and probable consequences.

“The torture and murder of Gabriel was never a case of felony murder or natural and probable consequences,” Hatami wrote in his opposition filing. “It was not pled that way, it was not presented that way, and it was not tried that way.”

The Abuse and Its Motive

Fernandez and Aguirre’s motive for the abuse of Gabriel was reportedly rooted in Fernandez’s belief that her son was gay. According to a 2018 press release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Fernandez subjected Gabriel to years of abuse because she thought he was gay, a tragic and misguided reason for such heinous actions.

Gabriel’s tragic story continues to resonate with the public as a case of extreme child abuse and a failure of systems meant to protect vulnerable children. Despite the efforts by Fernandez’s legal team to seek resentencing, the evidence against her remains indisputable.

Calls for Closure from Gabriel’s Family

Gabriel’s cousins, Olivia Rubio and Emily Carranza, have repeatedly voiced their desire for closure, expressing frustration over Fernandez’s ongoing petitions. “We do need closure,” Rubio said. “It’s been a hard time, but she’s not going to stop, and that’s why our voices need to get louder.” The family’s pain and anger have been compounded by the knowledge that Fernandez may continue to seek resentencing despite her direct involvement in Gabriel’s torture and death.

Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami expressed his frustration with Fernandez’s petitions, especially considering the emotional toll it has taken on Gabriel’s family. “This opens up wounds, they’ve got to come to court, they’re afraid that the judge may let this person out. This anxiety and stress can break you down,” Hatami said.

The Road Ahead

Under California law, Fernandez has the right to file another resentencing petition, despite having been denied twice. This ongoing legal battle continues to weigh heavily on Gabriel’s family, as they seek justice for the horrific crime committed against him. For them, the fight for justice remains vital not only for closure but to ensure that Fernandez is held fully accountable for the unspeakable suffering she inflicted on her son.

As the legal proceedings continue, Gabriel’s family hopes that they can finally put this chapter behind them, with the reassurance that Fernandez will remain in prison for the rest of her life. Despite the emotional toll, they continue to stand firm in their pursuit of justice for Gabriel and to ensu