In re A.M. CA4/1

Filed 10/10/25 In re A.M. CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

In re A.M., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law. D085882 SAN DIEGO COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY, (Super. Ct. No. EJ4786) Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

R.W.,

Defendant and Appellant;

R.M.,

Respondent.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of San Diego County, Mark T. Cumba, Judge. Affirmed. Liana Serobian, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant Mother, R.W. Donna Balderston Kaiser, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Respondent Father, R.M.

Lisa M. Maldonado, Chief Deputy County Counsel, Kristen M. Ojeil, Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent. I. INTRODUCTION After Mother failed to reunite with A.M. (Child) due to continued alcohol use, the juvenile court placed Child with R.M. (Father), awarded Father sole legal and physical custody, and terminated the court’s jurisdiction. R.W. (Mother) appeals the order, contending the trial court erred in granting Father sole legal custody by failing to consider Child’s best interests. We disagree and affirm. II. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In 2022, the San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (Agency)

filed a juvenile dependency case under Welfare and Institutions Code1

section 300 on behalf of Child2 due to concerns about Mother’s mental health and alcohol use. Mother completed reunification services including parenting classes, therapy, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and substance abuse treatment. Child remained in Father’s care throughout the case. Mother resided out of the house for several months, but she returned shortly before the case was closed in January 2023. In August 2023, the Agency filed a second juvenile dependency case under section 300, subdivision (b), alleging Child suffered or was at risk of suffering serious physical harm or illness due to Mother’s alcohol use and Child’s exposure to multiple instances of domestic violence by Mother against Father.