In re Jaylene R.

• Court: Connecticut Superior Court
• Writing for the Court: ANKER, J.
• Docket Number: W10-CP25-019039-A,W10-CP25-019040-A,W10-CP25-019041-A,W10-CP25-019042
• Decision Date: 12 December 2025
• Citation: In re Jaylene R., W10-CP25-019039-A, W10-CP25-019040-A, W10-CP25-019041-A (Conn. Super. Dec 12, 2025)
• Parties: In re: JAYLENE R. (DOB: 10/21/2015) MIAH R. (DOB 06/13/2020) ISAIAH R. (DOB 04/23/2021) EMMA R. (DOB 04/28/2023)

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In re: JAYLENE R. (DOB: 10/21/2015) MIAH R. (DOB 06/13/2020) ISAIAH R. (DOB 04/23/2021) EMMA R. (DOB 04/28/2023)

Nos. W10-CP25-019039-A, W10-CP25-019040-A, W10-CP25-019041-A, W10-CP25-019042

Superior Court of Connecticut, Tenth Judicial District, Willimantic, Juvenile Matters

December 12, 2025

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

ANKER J.

INTRODUCTION

The petitioner Department of Children and Families (DCF) seeks an adjudication of neglect and a disposition of six months of protective supervision with respondent mother Xiomara P.-G Xiomara P.-G. has a busy and active household. She works full time and is the primary caretaker for her four children Jaylene R. (ten years old), Miah R. (five years old), Isaiah R. (four years old), and Emma R. (two years old). The two middle children (Miah and Isaiah) have significant developmental delays in communication and problem-solving.

Several concerning incidents have arisen this year involving the children:

• In February, Jaylene was in the front seat of respondent father Ricardo R.'s car without a seatbelt. She had a BB gun under her seat.

• In April, DCF social worker Maribel Rentas observed Isaiah playing unsupervised in and around a rusty abandoned car outside his home. Ricardo R. was inside the home at the time.

• In May, Ricardo R. attempted to pick Miah up from daycare while appearing under the influence of substances and in violation of a DCF safety plan.

• In May, photos and videos of Jaylene were found on an iPhone along with videos of her uncle (a convicted sex offender) apparently masturbating.

• There were also concerns from Isaiah's school that he came to school in a soiled diaper from the previous day.

Because the court finds that these events demonstrate neglect, it adjudicates the children neglected. It further finds that six months of protective supervision with Xiomara P.-G. is in the best interest of the children and orders that disposition.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The record reveals the following procedural history:

On May 27, 2025, DCF filed neglect petitions.

On July 16, 2025, respondent parents appeared in court and entered pro forma denials to the neglect petition.

A contested trial on the neglect petition took place on November 14, 2025. Prior to the commencement of evidence respondent father Ricardo R.^[1] appeared and entered a plea of nolo contendere to allegations that Jaylene and Isaiah were permitted to live under conditions, circumstances or associations injurious to their well-being. He was excused from the trial. His attorney remained in the trial and had the opportunity to present evidence and argument.

At the trial, DCF presented testimony from DCF social workers Maribel Rentas and Mariah Mora, and intensive family preservation (IFP) employee Paola Gonzalez, and introduced exhibits. Respondent mother presented testimony from her sister Joanna G., friends Jenna Flynn and Maria Aguayo, and licensed professional counselor Aide Perez, and introduced an exhibit. She did not testify herself.^[2] The attorney for the minor child did not present witnesses or evidence.

The court finds that this court has jurisdiction. Notice of this proceeding was provided in accordance with the Practice Book. There is no claim of Native American heritage. The court is unaware of any proceeding pending in any other court or jurisdiction that could affect the custody of the minor children.

III. FINDINGS OF FACT

The court has heard and carefully considered the testimony of all the witnesses and exhibits, reviewed the verified petition, and takes judicial notice of the filings in this matter. The credible and relevant evidence offered at trial, and a review of the judicially noticed court records, support the finding of facts set forth below by a preponderance of the evidence.

This family has four children: Jaylene is currently ten and witnesses characterized her as smart. Miah, who is five, is not speaking at an age-appropriate level and has to point at what she wants to make herself understood. Isaiah is four and developmentally delayed. He cries a lot and has significant difficulty with verbal communication. Emma is two, with no noted delays or behavioral concerns.

The family has a history with DCF dating back to 2020 involving Ricardo R.'s mental health and use of illegal drugs. The most recent events giving rise to this case began in February 2025 when the Willimantic Police Department pulled Ricardo R. over for operating a vehicle without working rear brake lights. Police observed nine year old Jaylene in the front passenger seat without a seatbelt. Police also located a BB gun under Jaylene's seat. As a result, DCF had concerns about Ricardo R.'s capacity to supervise the children. Although the parents reported living separately and not being in a romantic relationship with each other, Ricardo R. was a frequent visitor to Xiomara G. P.'s home and was helping with the children's care.

On April 17, 2025, an incident occurred concerning the children's supervision during an unscheduled home visit by DCF social worker Maribel Rentas. Multiple individuals testified at trial about the incident, with differing accounts:

• Ms. Rentas testified that she arrived at the home for an unscheduled home visit and observed Isaiah unsupervised outside in the yard playing ir an old rusty abandoned car for more than twenty minutes while Ms. Rentas attempted to reach her supervisor and Xiomara G.-P. The other three children were inside the home and the neighborhood children said Ricardo R. was inside the home, but nobody opened the door and Ms. Rentas never personally observed Ricardo R. there that day. Ms. Rentas eventually reached Xiomara G.-P. who came back to the home with Miah after approximately 10-15 minutes.^[3] She also spoke to a neighbor who claimed to be watching Isaiah but who Ms. Rentas had not observed watching him. When she arrived, Xiomara G.-P. told Ms. Rentas that Isaiah was not alone - her neighbor was watching him.

• Xiomara G.-P.'s sister, Joanna G., testified that she was watching the children on April 17^th. She said that she was outside with Isaiah. An individual named Maria was also watching the children, although she was on the phone in her car. Joanna G. left Isaiah with the neighbor, Amanda, while she went to the store to get a drink. Amanda had a baby and was going back and forth to her house. When Joanna G. returned, she saw the DCF social worker speaking to Amanda. Isaiah was outside and Ricardo R. was inside the house (presumably with the other children), Joanna G. saw Xiomara G.-P. arrive, and left without speaking to anybody.

• Xiomara P.-G.'s friend Maria Aguayo also testified that she takes care of the children while Xiomara P.-G. works and that she was taking care of the children on April 17^th. She stated that she was in the car, on her phone, waiting for Xiomara P.-G. to come home to go buy groceries with her. She also testified that Xiomara P.-G.'s sister and friend were watching the kids, that it is a neighborhood setting with everybody watching everyone else's kids. Ms. Aguayo acknowledged there was a point in time when Isaiah was out alone and unsupervised but she thought that Joanna G. and Amanda was watching him. She did not see him go into the broken down car.

Thus, there were multiple accounts given of the April 17, 2025 incident with four different people supposedly watching Isaiah: maternal aunt Joanna G., neighbor Amanda, friend Maria Aguayo, and respondent father Ricardo R. The accounts are generally consistent with each other except for the discrepancy about who exactly was tasked with watching Isaiah on that day. All three accounts support Ms. Rentas' testimony that Isaiah was outside, playing in or near a broken down car^[4] and the court credits Ms. Rentas' testimony that he was doing so for approximately twenty minutes, unsupervised. The court also concludes that the preponderance of the evidence is that Ricardo R. was in the house at the time this took place.^[5]

As for the question about who was tasked with watching Isaiah at the time, the issue is somewhat of a red herring. It would be problematic if Isaiah was permitted to play outside unsupervised near and in a rusty abandoned car for twenty minutes as Ms. Rentas observed. It is equally problematic if Isaiah was being watched but the individual (or individuals) supervising him saw no reason to step in to remove him from a potentially dangerous area.

On April 17, 2025, DCF discussed safety planning with Xiomara G.-P. and developed a safety plan in which the children were not to be left alone with Ricardo R. due to concerns about his substance use and mental health. Xiomara G.-P. initially refused as she was traveling to Puerto Rico and planned to leave Jaylene in Connecticut with Ricardo R. so that Jaylene would not miss school. She eventually agreed to bring Jaylene to Puerto Rico with her and further agreed not to leave her children unsupervised with Ricardo R. She also agreed to participate in intensive family preservation (IFP) services.

Xiomara G.-P. did not abide by this safety plan and sent Ricardo R. to pick Miah up from daycare in early May 2025. Daycare employees refused to release Miah to Ricardo R. as he presented as potentially under the influence of substances.

On May 7, 2025, police reviewed material allegedly located on maternal uncle Kevent G.'s cell phone. The material was uploaded on to a blue iPhone and consisted of photos and videos of Jaylene in various states of undress. There were also two videos of Kevent G. nude in a hot tub, appearing to masturbate. The videos and other photos of Kevent G. were taken both before and after the photos and videos of Jaylene were uploaded to the phone. Thus, somebody took photos and video of Kevent G., then...