Homeschool, Anti-vaccine Family Ripped Apart by CPS: Chronology of a Kidnapping

Henderson Family ripped apart by CPS because of lifestyle

Activist Post

PASADENA, CA – The case of Jeffrey and Erica Henderson provides a continuation of the critical examination of Child Protective Services in the United States, as well as the legal framework in which CPS operates.

The Hendersons were investigated at their home following an anonymous tip that Mr. Henderson had slapped his daughter.  Jeffrey Henderson was arrested on the scene, and their 6 children subsequently put into foster homes.  The Hendersons speculate that the call was placed by their landlord, whom they had reported to the Health Department for having dangerous mold issues in their rental.  Regardless of who placed the call, it is instructive to look at the chronology of how the system of “protecting children” has responded to this perceived threat to the welfare of six children ranging in age from 10 months to 8 years, all based on one phone call.  This story might prove to be a similar cautionary tale as that of citizen spy programs in tyrannical regimes.   The Hendersons’ story, as well as the wider story of CPS abuse, reveals American society and its values, while questioning whose interests are really being served by removing children from the custody of their own parents. 

For background, the Hendersons are proponents of homeschooling, home birthing, no vaccines, and are Messianic Jewish by faith.  The Hendersons assert that their children are loved, well-cared for, and nurtured children and have not been abused by their parents.  However, the chronology provided below suggests that these children have been repeatedly and profoundly abused by the very system supposedly charged with their protection.

The following timeline of events was provided by Erica Henderson, mother of these six children.  Clearly, this is a one-sided representation of events and we cannot verify each of the statements, but most telling is the fact that all charges were eventually dropped.  Yet, their children remain in foster homes under the direction of CPS.  Until this family is reunited, we feel that the term kidnapping is properly applied.

May 25, 2010 – Pasadena police came to our door investigating child abuse stemming from an anonymous call made to 911. The caller said she heard Jeffrey slap Abigail. We did not let the police in. After almost two hours of talking to the police, they used a battering ram to gain entry to our home without a warrant and without our consent. During these two hours they tried to obtain a warrant by a judge in Pasadena and were told they could not have one as there were no exigent circumstances. They ran in, guns drawn, and told Jeffrey to get down on the ground. He did. Jeffrey was beaten, cuffed and taken to the hospital. Jeffrey was detained and ticketed from the hospital for PC 148 a1, resisting an officer. The officers searched our home, strip searched and interviewed our children and found no evidence of abuse. I was never arrested or ticketed.

The audio of the incident on May 25, 2010 is here:
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Partial video of the encounter:

June 14, 2010 – Jeffrey goes before a city counsel meeting and asks for help with our problems with the neighbor, the broken door and the bogus charges. He writes and rehearses a speech for the city council meeting. There are no comments or questions, he is ignored. We also write to our city counsel member, Victor Gordo. He does not respond.

June 2010 – Jeffrey begins fighting our case in propria persona, or without an attorney’s counsel. In court Jeffrey is informed that I am also charged with PC 148 a1. Jeffrey informs the court that he will be arguing the case for both of us.

June 2010 – March 2011 – Jeffrey goes to court once or twice a month filing motions that were denied. 3 more counts of PC 148 as well as 4 counts of misdemeanor child endangerment were added to each of us. The prosecution alleged we were guilty of resisting an officer by not opening the door when the police said to, and child endangerment because of the psychological damage suffered by the children from watching the door being beat down.

August 6, 2010 – Jeffrey goes to court on a scheduled court date and was arrested. The court did not serve Jeffrey with the paperwork, there is no proof of service on file. He spent 3 weeks in jail for a bench warrant for failure to appear on this case. He was released and continued to file motions.

November 23, 2010 – Jeffrey files a claim for damages against the city of Pasadena.

December 14, 2010 – Appeal demurrer overruled by Judge Beason.

December 22, 2010 –  Jeffrey files a claim for damages against the county of Los Angeles.

March 7, 2011 – Jeffrey begins filing appeals through the appellate court for his denied motions. His requests in the appellate court are denied and he files a writ of certerari with the California Supreme court which was accepted on April 18, 2011. At this point his superior court case in Pasadena is put on hold until the Supreme Court makes a ruling.

The case was denied by the California Supreme Court on Monday April 25, 2011, the day Jeffrey and I were arrested. The police came to our home, knocked in both doors without warning and arrested Jeffrey and I and CPS took our children into custody as well. This action was coordinated by MART (Multi Agency Response Team). We were arrested on a bench warrant for failure to appear. These actions were carefully planned.

April 25 – June 21, 2011 – We sit in jail while we wait for our case to go to trial. Towards the end we were offered many “deals” by the prosecution, but did not take them because of our attorney’s advice that the case would be dismissed before it made it to trial. Jeffrey suffered greatly in jail, not getting a Kosher diet and being severely beaten in custody while hand-cuffed. His arm and five fingers were broken as well as sustaining soft tissue damage to the head.

June 21, 2011 – Judge Villa Lobos dismissed the case following an 1118.1 motion, for lack of grounds to proceed to trial. Jeffrey was released a day later due to a “hold” put on him as a result of his beating by the police. We were free, but homeless and childless. Our landlord removed everything out of our home while we were incarcerated. He did this without legal notice, and refuses to give us our things, including thousands of dollars in cash. We were told we must go before a judge in children’s court on July 13, 2011 before our children can be released to our care.

Case No.: 0PS0215801
Court Name: NORTHEAST/ALHAMBRA SUPR CT X
Court Address: 150 WEST …COMMONWEALTH AVE Court City: ALHAMBRAUPT
Bail Amount: 0 Fine Amount: .00
Court Date: 06/21/2011 
Sentence Date: 06/21/2011 
Number of days Sentenced: 0
Disposition Code: DISM Disposition Description: DISMISSED 

June 24, 2011 – We signed paperwork with an attorney to take over our lawsuit of the city of Pasadena, which now includes every incident that happened as a result of our unlawful arrest on April 25th, 2011.

July 13, 2011
Jeff and Erica went to court at 8:30am, with some show of support by family and friends.  They were then able to see the CPS charges against them:

1. Their children are not vaccinated.
2.  A neighbor reported seeing Jeff drink a beer.

The children are now wetting the bed while in foster care. The judge did not discuss them getting their children back. He stated that the youngest was allowed breastmilk ONLY from Erica, no longer allowing the Human Milk for Human Babies group to donate milk.  And that they would look into placing the children in two foster homes that speak English. Another hearing is scheduled August 24th.

July 21, 2011
The children have been moved into separate foster homes and are not receiving Erica’s breastmilk for the baby, kosher meals, and now have not shown up for there court ordered visitation.

For more information about this case please visit the Henderson’s blog: Henderson Children Belong at Home

For additional information about the vast history of proven CPS abuse, see below:

Whistleblower and former Senator Nancy Schaefer discussed CPS corruption and the business of legal kidnapping prior to her being shot to death in March, 2010.  Originally believed to be a murder-suicide committed by her husband, compelling evidence has surfaced that suggests it to have been more likely a double homicide.

Innocence Destroyed, Part 1 (Graphic): Investigating the deaths of over 1,000 children per year in the custody of various states.  Extraordinarily difficult to watch, but important in beginning to comprehend the magnitude of the violence done to children while under CPS care.