Take Baby’s Custody, Court Urged

A social worker testified Wednesday that she wants an Orange County court to take custody of a brain-damaged baby whose parents can’t agree whether to turn off life-support machines.

If the Superior Court takes custody of 8-month-old Christopher Ibarra of Cypress, Judge Richard E. Behn might be asked to make the life-or-death decision.

Christopher’s father, charged with felony child abuse for allegedly beating the boy, has refused to authorize removal of the machines that are keeping his son alive. If the child dies, prosecutors say, they will charge his father, Moises Ibarra, with homicide.

The boy’s mother, Tamara Sepulveda, 23, has asked doctors to let her son die.

Judge Behn started hearing Family Court testimony this week in Orange to determine who should have custody of the child.

Social worker Birute Bruzas-Ranes testified that neither parent is fit to care for Christopher. She said she believes the father injured Christopher by shaking him and that the mother failed to protect him from abuse.

She also said Sepulveda is not capable of caring for the child, who requires around-the-clock medical attention. She said the prognosis for Christopher is grim.

“He doesn’t see. He doesn’t hear. He doesn’t walk. He doesn’t talk,” Bruzas-Ranes said. “He has no responses to life, basically.”

The boy’s father was called to testify Wednesday but invoked his 5th Amendment rights and refused to answer questions.

Testimony could end as early as next week. If the court takes custody, Sepulveda said, she will ask that Behn order doctors to turn off life support. But the judge would need to schedule another hearing to make that decision.

Ibarra, 23, faces up to nine years in prison if convicted of abusing the baby. He would face a potential life sentence if the child dies.