Roseville parents accused of killing their 9-year-old adopted son, neighbor not surprised
ROSEVILLE - Two parents in Roseville have been arrested for abusing and killing the 9-year-old boy they adopted.
It came as a surprise to most of the neighbors who lived on New England Drive, but one neighbor who did not want to be identified said she heard the alleged verbal abuse.
That neighbor told CBS13 that Kimberly and Cory Blakley had seven children in total, including several children who were adopted in August.
They were often seen playing outside on their bikes with other neighborhood kids.
"The neighborhood feels like they were the perfect family. That Kim was a great mom, but reality is the front yard mom, was the exact opposite of backyard mom," said one neighbor who lived near the family. "There was always beating on the walls, beating on the windows."
The neighbor said she called the police once about the parents just a few weeks ago when one of the youngest girls was locked out of the home on the back porch on a cold, rainy night.
"She was screaming and crying saying please help me, please let me in," said the neighbor. "So my daughter and I looked through the fence and she was completely naked."
Police could not confirm if there had been more calls besides the medical call on Feb. 2 when they found the 9-year-old unresponsive. He died in the hospital days later.
"It doesn't mean just because the child had injuries or even had injuries over a period of time that the parents meant to kill the child," said attorney Jennifer Mouzis.
Mouzis told CBS13 prosecution needs to prove that the parents meant to kill the child and if they were the ones who made the medical call, it may be hard to prove. No intent to kill means the adoptive parents could face about six years in state prison, versus 25 years to life.
"When they first got him he didn't know how to ride a bike so it was fun watching him, and Cory would work with him," said the neighbor.
Although, the little boy's age plays a big part in the prosecution. Mouzis said under California state law, if the child had been 8 years old or younger, prosecutors would have been able to get the parents the maximum sentence without proving they meant to kill the child.
"You just don't know what goes on behind someone's doors," said the neighbor. "When you discipline children you raise your voice but you do not scream in their face, there's a difference.
Both parents are currently behind bars at the Placer County Jail. They will be in court Friday for their arraignment.
CBS13 also reached out to the Department of Social Services to learn more about the process of becoming an adoptive parent and it provided the following statement:
"Agency Adoptions: In California, the process for approving a family to foster and/or adopt is the Resource Family Approval (RFA) process. (Please note this process does not apply to independent adoptions, which are described below.) Once a family is approved as a Resource Family, they are approved to foster or adopt depending on the child's specific case plan. Requirements for county child welfare and probation departments are outlined in Welfare and Institutions Code 16519.5 and the RFA Written Directives and requirements for Foster Family Agencies are outlined in Health and Safety Code 1517 and the Interim Licensing Standards. The criminal background check process for the RFA program is also outlined in the RFA Written Directives and the Interim Licensing Standards as well as Health and Safety Code 1522. Prospective adoptive parents undergo a parent-child suitability assessment and are required to submit numerous documents to support their application, go through several background checks that include criminal history, and participate in social/emotional-based interviews and home visits. Based on a favorable outcome of the parent-child suitability assessment, the child is then formally placed for adoption.
Independent Adoptions: In order to adopt via the Independent Adoption program, petitioners must first file their petition to adopt with the court. Within 180 days of receiving the petition, the Department or delegated county adoption agency shall investigate the proposed independent adoption and submit to the court a full report of the facts disclosed by its inquiry with a recommendation regarding the granting of the petition. If the petitioners have a valid preplacement evaluation or a valid private agency adoption home study, and no new information has been discovered and no new event has occurred subsequent to the approval of the evaluation or home study that creates a reasonable belief that further investigation is necessary, the Department or delegated county adoption agency may elect not to reinvestigate any matters covered in the evaluation or home study, except that the Department shall complete all background clearances required by law. "