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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at GCU chapter.

The new series on Netflix that has captivated the hearts of everyone is The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. This heartbreaking story follows the life and death of Gabriel Fernandez who died in 2013 when he was 8 years old. Gabriel suffered the unbearable living situations with his mom, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, where he ultimately died from their negligence and abuse. Gabriel suffered tremendously from getting shot in the face with a BB gun to getting murdered by being beaten to death. He was declared brain dead after 2 days of being hospitalized where his parents had confessed that he was unconscious due to falling in the bathtub. However, the autopsy showed a different story. 

When Gabriel had entered the hospital on that horrific night, he was found with a  fractured skull, shattered ribs, severe burns, and BB pellets that were buried in his body. Not only did he die from being beaten to death, the prior four months of his life were filled with constant abuse and negligence. Gabriel was malnourished, fed cat litter, locked up in the cupboard for hours, pepper sprayed, and received daily beatings. This case gave an awareness of the physical and emotional abuse Gabriel suffered while living with his parents. Both the social workers and the law enforcement were put on trial for their little efforts in saving Gabriel. Since they provided false documentation and even told Gabriel to stop lying, they are facing serious charges that will ultimately put them into risk of being incarcerated. Gabriel parents were put into custody and found guilty of both murder and torture. 

As of right now, no one understands or knows the reason behind the death of Gabriel. Several speculate that his parents believed he was gay and others believe the mother had underlying psychological issues. Although one thing is for certain, this poor kid had suffered tremendously and had his life taken away too early.

Hi, my name is Daisy and I am a senior at GCU. You can always find me drinking coffee and enjoying hanging out with friends! In the midst of all this, I also dedicate my time doing school work and working at a dental office.