Protesters are demanding accountability after social workers for Los Angeles County failed to remove 4-year-old Noah Cuatro from his home in Palmdale, despite a court order.
According to Cuatro's great-grandmother, the 4-year-old would get onto her lap and beg her to stay with them.
"He did not want to go back. He would tell me 'Grandma, don't do this. Don't send me back. Don't make me go!'" Hernandez said.
Investigators say the 4-year-old's body showed signs of trauma after dying earlier this month.
Cuatro's parents have not been charged in his death after saying he drowned on July 6th. However, investigators have their doubts. The 4-year-old was in and out of foster care for much of his life and a report on his case printed by the L.A. Times talked about signs of sexual abuse and multiple calls to a child abuse hotline. Children and Family Services Director Bobby Cagle says he plans to release as much information about Cuatro's case to the public as possible.
"I think it is a very important thing that our department provide the kind of information that helps the public understand what went wrong," Cagle said.
Cuatro's parents, Jose and Ursula, reportedly took their son to the hospital on July 6 allegedly telling medical staff there that he had drowned in a pool at their apartment complex in Palmdale. Authorities say doctors were skeptical of the parent's story after discovering signs of trauma on the body's body.