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Gabriel Fernandez’s Father Feels ‘Guilty’ He Couldn’t Stop Abuse: ‘I Should Have Been There’
The Netflix docuseries The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez caused an uproar amongst viewers for the unthinkable abuse that was being inflicted on the 8-year-old boy by his mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre. Still, many wondered where Fernandez’s biological father was while his son was being tortured. Scroll below for details on Fernandez’s dad and why he couldn’t save his son.
Who Is Gabriel Fernandez’s Father?
Fernandez’s biological father is Arnold Contreras. He has been in and out of prison for years and was incarcerated for robbery and possession when Fernandez tragically died. Contreras became privy to the horrific abuse when it was already too late. “I was in Riverside County jail and the chaplain pulled me out, said [Gabriel] was on life support, and that they were going to take him off the next day,” he recalled as he testified at Aguirre’s trial in November 2017.
He Feels Extreme Guilt for Not Being There for His Son.
During Contreras’ time on the stand, he described his son as “always smiling” and a “normal kid.” He also alleged that Fernandez’s mother never showed him affection although he was a loving boy. Clearly devastated as he sat on the stand, he said, “I felt hopeless, guilty. I should’ve been there.” In the documentary, prosecutor Jon Hatami spoke on Contreras’ behalf. “I can tell you that he feels it’s his fault and if he was out of custody, he would have saved Gabriel.”
Where Is His Father Today?
Today, Contreras is incarcerated for a non-violent offense at Calipatria State Prison, according to the State of California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He was hit with two separate charges of acquiring and retaining personal identification information with a prior in May 2018. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for the first charge and later sentenced to a year and four months for the second charge on January 25, 2019.
Although the law hasn’t been on Contreras’ side, he was pleased his son got justice when he has not. Even though he believes the system is flawed, “He was so upset at what happened to Gabriel. He felt so guilty and also just didn’t believe in the system, not only because of what happened to Gabriel because of things that happened to him. And you know, a lot of people who have been in custody, the system really hasn’t been kind to them.”
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