GUILTY AR - Isaiah Torres, 6, raped, beaten to death, Bella Vista, 29 March 2015 *parents charged*

[DrCha]

the other pic, the cowboy pic....shows a reddish mark on his face (to me). I can't believe there were no pictures in his home of him. That's so sad.

 

[JeannaT]

How did those two parents produce such an incredibly pretty little child? Is that man who killed this child not the actual biodad?

edited to add: sorry, I see this question was already asked. It's curious, for sure.

 

[kaen]

I can hardly read this thread because the crime is so horrific. I feel compelled to comment to acknowledge this little boy.

I am not sure how things work in Arkansas but I can't reconcile how the authorities move on the family of seven children but don't move on the state representative who gave his kids to a pedophile or cases like this where the school was making claims and, then the child was removed to be homeschooled. All three cases seem worthy of real investigation. How could they fail this boy so colossally. What is wrong with this state's system? (I recognize that this is the case in many state systems.)

 

[JeannaT]

Once again, it seems there needs to be a specific system in place when children are withdrawn from the public school system to homeschool children. I do know some home schoolers, and I would say they are about the best parents out there, and act in the best interests of their children. So there are clearly competent parents who do this, and good reasons to remove a child and home school them. It seems there should be a policy, that if a child is in the public school and removed, the school should have to complete a process and declare:

1. the parents seem to be completely competent and are attempting to act in the best interests of their child
2. we have some concerns about the competency of the parents, and the home situation
3. this child has been reported several times by this school to CPS for abuse and the case appears to remain open, with no resolution

Put these children in a category to be checked quarterly. These "checks" can simply take the form of the usual things done in the school - vision and hearing tests, physical fitness tests done in P.E., etc. It should be a RED FLAG if a child is reported for abuse, and then the child is withdrawn from the school by the parents.

 

[kaen]

I am not sure the issue is all homeschoolers. I work in a district where CPS does follow up for approximately a year after they open an investigation. A red flag in the case of a report and a withdraw from school is one that I see as proper follow up. How this boy was missed, skipped, abandoned or ignored by the system is unfathomable given what we are now hearing about his long term abuse.

 

[Tarahh1]

I'm crying. My god. No words. I just can't even fathom the horror these kids have been through. RIP little one. Your in a better place now.

 

[Truth Detector]

Once again, it seems there needs to be a specific system in place when children are withdrawn from the public school system to homeschool children. I do know some home schoolers, and I would say they are about the best parents out there, and act in the best interests of their children. So there are clearly competent parents who do this, and good reasons to remove a child and home school them. It seems there should be a policy, that if a child is in the public school and removed, the school should have to complete a process and declare:

1. the parents seem to be completely competent and are attempting to act in the best interests of their child
2. we have some concerns about the competency of the parents, and the home situation
3. this child has been reported several times by this school to CPS for abuse and the case appears to remain open, with no resolution

Put these children in a category to be checked quarterly. These "checks" can simply take the form of the usual things done in the school - vision and hearing tests, physical fitness tests done in P.E., etc. It should be a RED FLAG if a child is reported for abuse, and then the child is withdrawn from the school by the parents.

In this case, actions (2) and (3) were essentially taken by the school.

The Department of Human Services has some 'splainin' to do, but evil predatory adults will always find a way to prey on children.

 

[heartfortruth]

And we lose another child while waiting on the bureaucratic wheels to turn and the left hand to find out what the right hand is doing.

I'm sorry , not being argumentative but in my opinion "we lose another child" because of two heartless, soul less, self gratifying , worse than animals, creeps! ( I refuse to call them that precious little boy's parents. Outside agencies do not have the ability to protect and defend from every instance of human inhumanity to others. The ones with the core responsibility to love and protect are to blame.

 

[gregjrichards]

Terrible and tragic and very upsetting. What are these two monsters facing if convicted?

 

[AC's Grandma]

Terrible and tragic and very upsetting. What are these two monsters facing if convicted?

Anything less than death is not enough.

 

[Truth Detector]

Terrible and tragic and very upsetting. What are these two monsters facing if convicted?

They will almost certainly wait for the crime lab to issue complete findings and a compilation of corroborated testimony; e.g., toxicology, more precise times and extents of injuries, etc. before prosecutors decide whether to pursue the death penalty.

It may be difficult to prove premeditation beyond reasonable doubt, but a jury seated in Benton County should be conservative and law-conscious enough to convict when the case is proven -- and I'm certain it will be.

 

[tiredblondy]

Hi, I'm new. This poor child lived right down the street from us. The DHS report also says that there were two other dealings with DHS in the early 2000s, one which ended in "court action". The eldest daughter was born in 2007. It appears that the Torres parents have tangled with DHS before, possibly with a "first wave" of children. That is terrifying.

:seeya: I know it's under sad circumstances but I just wanted to welcome you to Websleuths. Thank you for your post and glad you're here.

:welcome5::Welcome1:

 

[Margo/Mom]

I'm sorry , not being argumentative but in my opinion "we lose another child" because of two heartless, soul less, self gratifying , worse than animals, creeps! ( I refuse to call them that precious little boy's parents. Outside agencies do not have the ability to protect and defend from every instance of human inhumanity to others. The ones with the core responsibility to love and protect are to blame.

Thank you!

I am always grateful that I have never been a position to have to make a decision about removing or returning a child. I have encountered case workers who arrive at the jaded point of nearly trusting no one to parent--based on their earlier experiences of having been fooled by situations.

If there is any universal it is that any family faced with an interaction with protective services feels angry and defensive, and tends to rationalize their actions and protect their image. And this would appear to be the case whether the parents are horrendous abusers, families who are simply so overwhelmed by some circumstance that their children have been neglected, or those few cases in which someone has overstated reality in making a report that must be followed up on.

And the reality is case workers get blamed by someone regardless--if they miss signs (or if there are no signs), or if they perceive changes and progress that warrant a return, or if they intervene in a family whose friends believe they are blameless (or victimized because they are "Christians" or homeschool their children).

I am all for review of this case and the agency as a whole, but at the end of the day, not only do we need to remember that some parents do some really awful things, but also that case workers are not psychic.

 

[MyBelle]

I can hardly read this thread because the crime is so horrific. I feel compelled to comment to acknowledge this little boy.

I am not sure how things work in Arkansas but I can't reconcile how the authorities move on the family of seven children but don't move on the state representative who gave his kids to a pedophile or cases like this where the school was making claims and, then the child was removed to be homeschooled. All three cases seem worthy of real investigation. How could they fail this boy so colossally. What is wrong with this state's system? (I recognize that this is the case in many state systems.)

What is "wrong" with the state's system is that it has been corrupted by workers who are not doing the job they are paid to do and not being held accountable.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

I'm sorry , not being argumentative but in my opinion "we lose another child" because of two heartless, soul less, self gratifying , worse than animals, creeps! ( I refuse to call them that precious little boy's parents. Outside agencies do not have the ability to protect and defend from every instance of human inhumanity to others. The ones with the core responsibility to love and protect are to blame.

These parents had other children taken from them and placed into foster care. They most certainly should have been on DHS radar.

The briefing summary released by DHS also shows that the Torres family had a child or children placed in foster care from 2002 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2007. The latter case was concluded by "court action" in 2007, according to the summary, but DHS spokesperson Amy Webb said she could not provide details on what that action was because of foster care privacy rules.

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlo...y-dhs-twice-in-2014-twice-more-in-early-2000s

 

[heartfortruth]

These parents had other children taken from them and placed into foster care. They most certainly should have been on DHS radar.

The briefing summary released by DHS also shows that the Torres family had a child or children placed in foster care from 2002 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2007. The latter case was concluded by "court action" in 2007, according to the summary, but DHS spokesperson Amy Webb said she could not provide details on what that action was because of foster care privacy rules.
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlo...y-dhs-twice-in-2014-twice-more-in-early-2000s

Yes, I totally understand that and I am aware , just by reading here as no where else. how agencies often seem to fail miserably in what they are supposed to do, paid to do, we expect them to do and then sometimes they are just damned if they do and damned if they don't. (thanks, Margo/Mom) In this case it seems they FAILED but we also know from reading here how folks can "present" (book/ cover thing). No one knew that A Castro had three captives in his house because he was such a "nice guy", etc.
It's just my 'bent" to want to keep the spotlight on those who CAUSE the situations that have made it necessary for these agencies to exist at all. There is no way on earth I would have the courage, the intestinal fortitude to do some of these jobs and see and deal with what these folks do. I was an OR nurse in a hospital in a large city where I saw a LOT of trauma victims (and perpetrators) but it was a controlled situation. Going INTO the "war zone" , be it large or small, is beyond my capacity to even imagine.
My prayer-thoughts and thanks go out to the good and brave ones who do the jobs most of us would not or could not.

 

[LibraStarr]

Torres was investigated for the rape of a 4 year old in 2004. Charges were never filed.

http://m.4029tv.com/news/father-ch...t Smith &utm_medium=FBPAGE&utm_source=Social

 

[DrCha]

He went to private school with my son. The ironic thing is that we actually homeschool now too. I could be at their home in 30 seconds. What totally different lives our boys led. I am still grieving.

 

[DrCha]

The DHS report on the rape accusations is HORRIFYING. This creature and his wife are just quite the pair. 11 months later, she gives him twins to damage. The horror. The Horror!

 

[EllieBee]

Just another example CPS favoring reunification over the well-being of the children.

But, still, that is what the laws mandate.

But, noooooo. CPS would NEVER place children back into an abusive home. :banghead::notgood:

THEY DO IT ALL OF THE TIME. The Stanleys are no exception. But At least they SEEM to be trying.