In re L.D. CA2/5

Filed 7/14/23 In re L.D. CA2/5 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FIVE

In re L.D. et al., Persons Coming B314566, B314569 Under the Juvenile Court Law. ___________________________________ (Los Angeles County LOS ANGELES COUNTY Super. Ct. Nos. DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN 21CCJP02382A-B & AND FAMILY SERVICES, 21CCJP02392C-D)

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

L.D.,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Thomas E. Grodin, Judge Pro Tempore. Affirmed. Jamie A. Moran, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

Dawyn R. Harrison, Interim County Counsel, Kim Nemoy, Assistant County Counsel, and Tracey Dodds, Principal Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

__________________________________

L.D. (Father) is the father of four children: L.D., Jr., D.D., Ad.D., and Au.D. (collectively, Minors).1 The juvenile court took dependency jurisdiction over Minors based, among other things, on domestic violence between Father and S.R. (Mother), the mother of two of the children. The court ordered Minors removed from Father’s custody, and in this consolidated appeal, we consider whether substantial evidence supports the juvenile court’s finding that removal was warranted under the circumstances.

I. BACKGROUND A. The Dependency Investigation and Petition In March 2021, Father and Mother had a series of violent altercations while Minors and two of Mother’s other children were present in the family home.2 In these fights, Father struck Mother in the leg with a hammer, struck the back of her head with his fist, and bit her arm. Preceding these acts of violence, there had been other incidents: Father pushing Mother, Father closing a door on her foot, Father putting alcohol in Mother’s