In re N.G.
Filed 5/5/06 In re N.G. CA4/2
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 977(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 977(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 977.
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION TWO
| In re N.G. et al., Persons Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law. | |
| SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. RONNIE G. Defendant and Appellant; JOE G. et al., Appellants. | E038636 (Super.Ct.Nos. J378528-30) OPINION |
APPEAL from the Superior Court of San Bernardino County. Cynthia Ann Ludvigsen, Judge. Affirmed.
Richard Pfeiffer, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant Ronnie G.
Karen J. Dodd, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Appellants Joe G. and Esperanza G.
Ronald D. Reitz, County Counsel, and Dawn M. Messer, Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
Konrad S. Lee, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Minors.
Defendant and Appellant Ronnie G. (hereafter referred to as Ronnie) is the alleged father of the three children, R.G., N.G. and M.G., currently three, two and one years old, respectively, who are the subjects of these proceedings. Appellants Joe G. and Esperanza G. (hereafter referred to individually as the grandfather or the grandmother, respectively, or collectively as the grandparents) are Ronnie's parents. Ronnie and the grandparents appeal from an order of the juvenile court removing the children from the physical custody of the grandparents. The grandparents also appeal the denial of their motion for status as de facto parents. The children's mother, Heather W. (hereafter referred to as Heather), is not a party to the appeal.
We conclude that the court acted within its discretion in denying the grandparents' de facto parent application and in changing the children's placement.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Heather left N.G. and R.G. with a family friend while she pursued her addiction to methamphetamine. She left M.G., then less than three months old, with a different friend.[1] According to her friends, Heather was a transient and habitually left her children with acquaintances. She had previously left N.G. and R.G. with a couple, Doty and Robert. A friend of Heather's reported that Robert was a known child molester. It is not clear that Heather was aware of this; however, she was aware that Doty's children had been removed by â€
