Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre were charged and convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances of torture.

In 2009, when Gabriel was four years old, he moved in with his grandparents due to his grandfather's disapproval of Carranza and Martinez's same-sex relationship.

He remained there until 2012, when his mother and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, took him into their custody,[4] a decision met with concern from other family members.

Beyond the physical torment, he was subjected to psychological abuse such as being forced to sleep bound and gagged in a small cabinet and made to wear girls' clothing.

A cognitive ability test in 2011 revealed verbal comprehension skills at the level of a typical second-grade student.

Clinical psychologist Deborah S. Miora, expert witness for the defense at the trial, stated that Fernandez was "virtually unable to use thoughts to guide her behavior and control her emotional reactions.

Susan Weisbarth, executive director of the retirement home and former boss of Aguirre, described him in court as a kind and gentle person, noting that he would frequently change diapers for elderly residents.

[20] However, due to California governor Gavin Newsom's moratorium on capital punishment, his execution date remains undetermined.

[23] However, when Gabriel died, Fernandez and Aguirre were both charged with first degree murder with special circumstances of torture; prosecutors pursued the death penalty.

[24] Pearl Fernandez pled guilty on February 15, 2018, to her charge as part of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

[27][26] When the trial began, jurors were given details about the extensive abuse Gabriel Fernandez went through in the months preceding his fatal beating.

Prosecutor Jon Hatami called Aguirre "pure evil" and argued that he deserved the death penalty even though it "doesn't even compare to what he did to Gabriel."

Defense attorney John Alan argued that Aguirre was considered to be "kind" and "compassionate" during his employment at the retirement facility and that he had never committed a crime before meeting Pearl Fernandez.

[29] They and their supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were accused of neglecting Fernandez and falsifying public records.

Garcia continued to call the child welfare hotline and was told each time that a social worker would check in on Fernandez.

[30] According to legal scholar Charlotte Hinkamp, there was sufficient evidence of child abuse and it was surprising that the Department of Children and Family Services did not remove Fernandez from the home.

Directed by Brian Knappenberger, the documentary details the murder of Gabriel Fernandez and subsequent responses by the media and local government.