Family Forum / Parenting / Adoption / July 2009

http://www.caller.com/news/2008/dec/05/former-cps-supervisor-is-accused-of-makin
g-false/?commentprinter=1/

Former CPS supervisor is accused of making false report
State felony punishable by up to 2 years
By Mary Ann Cavazos
Friday, December 5, 2008

Lopez-Hess is accused of making a false report.
CORPUS CHRISTI — A former Child Protective Services supervisor faces a
charge that she falsely accused a man who is instrumental in helping
convict child abusers of molesting a child himself.

Grizelda Lopez-Hess was indicted Thursday on a charge of making a
false report of abuse.

The indictment accuses her of making a false indecency with a child
report on Oct. 9 with the Texas Department of Family and Protective
Services, under which CPS falls.

Lopez-Hess doesn't have a listed phone number and it was not clear if
she had an attorney.

The state jail felony is punishable by as many as two years in jail
and as much as a $10,000 fine.

Lopez-Hess was arrested Monday and released from the Nueces County
Jail that same day on a $2,500 bond, jail officials said.

Lopez-Hess was the supervisor for CPS' local sexual assault unit until
she was fired in May. She had worked for the agency since December
1997, according to Patrick Crimmins, a department spokesman.

Crimmins said in an e-mailed statement that she was fired "for sharing
confidential case information which damaged her professional
credibility in the community."

He didn't give further details about her termination.

http://www.caller.com/news/2009/jun/02/ex-cps-worker-to-serve-90-days-in-jail/

Ex-CPS worker to serve 90 days in jail
By Mary Ann Cavazos (Contact)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Lopez-Hess was taken from court to jail Monday.CORPUS CHRISTI — A
former Child Protective Services supervisor who falsely accused a man
of molestation must spend 90 days in jail as a condition of her
probation.

After District Judge Tom Greenwell announced his decision Monday, a
bailiff immediately handcuffed Grizelda Lopez-Hess. Her husband,
Corpus Christi police detective Michael Hess, then moved to her side
and kissed her goodbye.

Lopez-Hess, 38, pleaded guilty May 22 to a charge of making a false
report of abuse. She said she made an anonymous call to the Texas
Department of Family and Protective Services on Oct. 9 in which she
claimed Ricardo Jimenez was molesting the daughter of the woman he was
dating. She says in the phone call, played for the judge, that she
learned of the abuse from her daughter, who is friends with the
victim.

The problem: She made the whole thing up. She doesn’t even have a
daughter.

Jimenez is a forensic interviewer with the local Children’s Advocacy
Center.

The allegation launched a Child Protective Services investigation that
found it was untrue.

Jimenez said the lie has embarrassed him and hurt his reputation. He
said he is unsure what long-term effect it will have, but said already
defense attorneys have tried to bring up the issue in unrelated
criminal cases in which he is called to testify as an expert witness.

As part of a plea deal, Lopez-Hess was sentenced to two years in state
jail, which was suspended for three years probation. Other conditions
include that she stay away from Jimenez and his family, pay a fine,
complete 100 community service hours and attend anger management
classes.

But prosecutor Angelica Hernandez also had asked for the jail time
saying it was likely the only way Lopez-Hess would realize the
magnitude of her actions.

She characterized Lopez-Hess as a woman who carried out a cold and
calculated act and manipulated the system to attack Jimenez.

“It was a very strong message that I think the community needed to
hear,” she said.

Lopez-Hess’ attorney, Eric Perkins argued that jail was unnecessary
and excessive.

Hess testified that his wife would be in danger if she went to jail.
After her arrest last year, she was briefly in a holding cell in which
two fellow prisoners recognized her as the person who took their
children away.

Jail officials said she would be isolated from other prisoners for her
own protection.

Lopez-Hess made the false report months after she was fired from CPS.

Lopez-Hess said she made the call the same day she found out her
husband was being transferred from the family violence unit to
property crimes. Both she and Hess said they believed Misty Guajardo,
who is in a relationship with Jimenez, was to blame for the transfer.
Guajardo, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center, said
she had nothing to do with it. Hess and his wife say Guajardo harbored
animosity for issues Hess brought up when he served on the nonprofit’s
board of directors.

But prosecutors cited a disciplinary action letter to Hess in which he
agreed to a transfer. That disciplinary action was prompted by
allegations that he and his wife tipped off a suspect in a criminal
case.

A CPS official said those allegations also were a factor in Lopez-
Hess’ firing.

She and her husband said the allegations are untrue. But prosecutors
pointed out the suspect, his wife and daughter all testified at his
trial that Lopez-Hess had tipped them off.

http://www.caller.com/news/2009/may/22/lopez_plea/?partner=yahoo_headlines

http://current.com/items/90147165_former-cps-supervisor-pleads-guilty-to-falsify
ing-a-report.htm
Former CPS supervisor pleads guilty to falsifying a report

Lopez-Hess still may face jail time after a June 1 hearing.
A former Child Protective Services supervisor took a plea deal Friday
for probation for falsely accusing a man instrumental in helping
convict child abusers of molesting a child himself.
Grizelda Lopez-Hess, 38, pleaded guilty to a charge of making a false
report of abuse. She still could be sanctioned to jail time.
Lopez-Hess was accused of making a call to the Texas Department of
Family and Protective Services on Oct. 9 and making a false indecency
with a child report. The false report was made months after Lopez-Hess
no longer was employed by CPS, which falls under that department.
As part of the deal prosecutors recommended she be sentenced to two
years in state jail, which was suspended for three years probation.
The agreement includes the conditions that while on probation she stay
at least 200 yards away from the man she falsely accused and his
family, and not work with any child abuse victims. She also must
attend anger management, complete 100 community service hours, pay a
$1,000 fine and give $50 to the Nueces County Children’s Advocacy
Center.
Prosecutor Angelica Hernandez also asked District Judge Tom Greenwell
to impose one more condition — that Lopez-Hess serve 90 days in county
jail. She said the jail time is warranted because the allegation
prompted a CPS investigation and disrupted the lives of the man and
the child he was accused of molesting.
Defense attorney Eric Perkins argued jail time isn’t appropriate for
his client.
That issue will be decided by the judge at a June 1 hearing.
Hernandez said after the hearing that the falsely accused man approved
of the plea deal and likely will testify along with the child at the
next hearing.
A department spokesman has said Lopez-Hess had worked for CPS since
1997 and was the supervisor for the local sexual assault unit, until
she was fired in May 2008 for sharing confidential information, which
damaged her credibility.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30892788/
KRIS-TV
updated 5:46 p.m. CT, Fri., May 22, 2009
CORPUS CHRISTI - Former CPS worker Griselda Lopez-Hess plead guilty
Friday for making false allegations that a man was sexually assaulting
a child.

Prosecutors said Lopez-Hess will serve three years probation for the
charges.

On June 1, 319th District Judge Tom Greenwell will hear prosecutors
request that Lopez-Hess spend at least 90 days of her probation in
jail.

http://www.kiiitv.com/news/local/45872717.html

Former C.P.S. Supervisor Pleads Guilty To Making False Report Of Abuse

KIII TV3 South Texas  May 22, 2009

  A former C.P.S. supervisor who's job was once to protect children
from harm, pleads guilty to filing a false report.

  Griselda Lopez-Hess, the wife of a Corpus Christi police officer,
admitted in court that she falsified documents alleging that an
investigator at a local advocacy office inappropriately touched a
child.

  An investigation proved that to be untrue. Lopez-Hess had been
relieved of her duties as a C.P.S. supervisor before the false report
was made.

  Today 319Th District court judge Tom Greenwell accepted the plea
and placed Lopez- Hess on probation.

  Watch Rudy Trevino's report for more information.