Kern County asks Child Protective Services why they weren’t involved before Angelo Mendoza, Senior attacked his son. The father has a criminal history with more than twenty charges and both he and the mother pleaded “No Contest” to charges of child cruelty in 2006.

Child Protective Services says that they cannot discuss an open investigation but were willing to explain to reporters cases in which they would not be allowed to act.

I understand where they’re coming from. I do. Sometimes the charges are unclear. Sometimes the law makes it difficult to maneuver. Sometimes you can’t act on things you’d like to without causing more harm than good. And sometimes you just plain don’t know.

But he’d pleaded no contest to charges of child cruelty three years ago. Why was this child in his care?