Every day I learn something new about puppies.  Mine is four months now.  This Saturday will be his three week anniversary with us.  It’s not common knowledge and you won’t find it in any of the Puppy Manuals nor will the Humane Society, Pet Store or breeder tell you – all puppies come with internal battery pods.

I am slowly but surely establishing a schedule and a modicum of control over my life – not so much his – but I’m working on it.  My puppy Finnegan works so hard, he collapses and has to nap hard too.   I have to carry this limp silky rag to his sleep condo.

When he wakes, he is a happy mad man.  He kisses, licks, hops, jumps, runs and throws his toys around, biting the squeaky and crinkly ones.  He runs into the kitchen to see if I dropped any food on the floor and comes back out to smell the family room carpet to see if there are any fibers he can pull up.  He finds carpet fuzz delicious.

His next venture is to go to the patio door and paw the curtains apart.  He stands up and taps impatiently on the window.  That’s my signal he needs to go out.  I open the door and he bolts.

I follow and he turns around to jump at me and asks with googly puppy eyes to be picked up.  I do this and am rewarded with several tongue flicks all over my face, in my nose and mouth.  Then he squiggles to get down.  I place him on the patio.  He vaults down the 30 foot patio and across the gravel to get to his grass rug.

Momentarily he plops down.  I think he is waiting for me and I stopped running after him last week.  He waits and looks for a toy.  I follow to my chair next to his rug.  Finnegan jumps up to offer me more love.  Love given, he wants down and looks for something to chew on.  Then he remembers the rest of the yard and a light bulb goes off.  He dashes to the far side and comes back.  He remembered the board we put up to block his access to the hose, water faucet, small tool shed and finally the gate.

He goes to the board and hops right over.  I can’t believe we thought an 8 inch high board would keep him out.  If there’s hose or anything around the board he looks at me until I come over and hoist him over the wall.  He inspects everything in that area and enjoys seeing if he can get the big rocks away from the bottom of the locked gate.

He peeks out through 1/8 inch slots to see if there are birds in the side yard.  When he hears the little girls across the street chatting as they get into mom’s car in the morning for their trip to school, he gives a hopeful Puppy “OLA”.

My neighbor to the East has been jazzing up his yard and bought tons of gravel to recover areas.  The little dump thing makes a lot of noise riding over the gravel out front to the side of his house.  The big splash of gravel annoys Finnegan.  It is his job to bark at the crunchy noise and give the wall an annoyed glance.

Two hours later, I am pooped.  Thankfully, his battery has begun to run down.  He plops on the kitchen tiled floor and splays his legs out behind him, puts his face on his paws and yawns.  I know within 5 minutes he will be dozing in twilight zone.  I will be scooping him baby style to carry him to his condo – where he will take ½ hour or an hour to recharge.

He summons me with a bark when the recharge is complete – and a whine if I’m not fast enough – and the whole things starts again.  This battery thing should really be in some writing somewhere when you get a dog.

 

The person with the tasty hair is making those noises again.  Her mouth opens and closes…just like mine.  But she isn’t barking or whining and I haven’t heard her growl yet.  Not sure what they call her, but I think it’s something like “Finnegancometomommy”.

I have no idea what she is trying to say.  Poor thing; she must have a bark impediment.   But, I love her.  She’s such a good cook and she loves to take me out to run, poop and pee.  She lives for me.

I try to help her with things, like walking to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator, cooking and stuff.  She doesn’t seem to appreciate my help with the laundry, but I try.

I take the towels from her and trot off so she doesn’t have to fold them.  Why does she follow me?  Doesn’t she understand I’m helping?

Today, the other one, the one with less hair on his head…but yummy too…his sweat smells so good and he loves to run with me – got me out of the house pretty early.  He wears these shoes with long things hanging off them and I try to catch them so I can have a taste.

I sure don’t want him to fall on those things.  It’s such fun, but me dogress.  So, he, I think he is called “daddygoodbooygoodbooy”, took me out at 4 a.m.  I don’t know why, I just couldn’t sleep in till six this morning.

Naturally, I let the too big people know.  “Finnegancometomommy” just lay in bed.  But, “daddygoodboygoodboy” took me out of my crate bed.

It was still dark when we went out.  I peed and he acted like an idiot, all smiles and saying “something, something…blah, blah.”  Who knows?

So then I went back to bed.  I woke at my usual time, because I heard the tasty hair lady get up.  I don’t know what she is doing, but she goes off into a little room and closes the door.  Like, wouldn’t she want some company?  I barked to let her know and then when she opened the door I whined…in case she hadn’t heard.

The other one got up then and opened my crate.  He’s a goodmangoodman.  We went out again and I think he really appreciates that because he wants to stay healthy.  I heard something about the gym and when he says that he leaves.  I’d prefer he stay around, so I try to exercise him in the yard.

So, when the tasty hair lady got up at 7 a.m. I immediately let her know that she needed to get me back out of the crate.  The daddy one put me there before he went to work – so long ago, like at 6:35 a.m.

So, me and “Finnegancometomommy” went out to the yard where I pleased her with a good poop and two pees.  Then we had a great time running around the yard.  She likes to play, “what’s in your mouth?”  I’m not sure of the game rules, but its lots of fun.

We sit on my grass rug for a while and after I lick my feet I give her some good tongue and nose kisses.  She enjoys them, I can tell.  Gotta keep her happy, she’s the one with the key to the food in this place.  And, she always brings me into my bed to nap when I pass out on the tile.  I like that.

‘Yawn’, I was going to tell you about me and Finnegancometomommy walking outside today, but I think I feel like a cool place and another little sleepy time.  They get up so early in the morning I know I need to take a few naps to keep up with them.

See you next time for ‘Finneganspuppychronicles, the life of me’.

 

Tucson news channel, KOLD, posted links to the documents police released to the world recently.  You can go to the Tucson News Now Link at: http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/category/237578/missing-isabel – and examine the information yourself.  Some of it is very interesting, some a little scary, some mundane, some a waste of law enforcement’s time – but necessary and some downright disturbing.

Below are the shortcuts to the linked documents:

• RAW: TPD briefing on search for Isabel Celis (May 21)
• TPD press briefing on Isabel Celis case (May 17)
• TPD press briefing on Isabel Celis case (May 14)
• RAW: 911 calls from morning of Isabel’s disappearance
• RAW: Heightened interest in self-defense after Celis case
• RAW: Sergio Celis sings ‘Ave Maria’
• Sergio and Becky Celis sing and pray at benefit concert
• RAW: TPD scales back on resources, updates in Celis case
• RAW: Tucson Police update on Isabel Celis case (May 6)
• Celis parents meet with Tucson media
• RAW: Music video for Isabel
• RAW: Home video of Isabel Celis
• RAW: Home video of Isabel Celis
• RAW: Investigators, father return to Celis home
• Full interview with Marc Klaas
• RAW: Musical tribute for finding Isabel
• RAW: Full interview of John Walsh by Dan Marries
• RAW: Celis family asks for safe return of ‘baby girl Isabel’
• RAW: Statement from Isabel Celis’ father

 

It is truly amazing what TPD is wading through.  Who knew there were so many crazies out there interested in contacting law enforcement to tell wild stories or to get attention?  People even call with made up names, giving some false information and providing “leads” that have to be followed up and may or may not be valid.

Seeing these links and browsing through the material is eye opening.  There’s so much more that law enforcement did than we ever get to see or hear about on the news or read in the paper.  It is a major concentrated and huge effort.

Isabel is still missing…and I hope and pray she is found healthy and well. Or returned to resume her little girl life.  It is horribly sad and frustrating for all Tucsonans as we continue to think positive thoughts and pray for her.

 

This morning I put Sir Finnegan (the puppy) on my desk top.  It has an L shaped expanse that looks out over the front yard.  Two different dove and squirrel proof feeders hang from a post and a tree.

I opened the window and lo and behold he discovered there are tiny red, yellow and brown finches flitting about.  He was mesmerized.  I put his big Martha Stewart Dog Bed on the desk, the one he generally ignores. This little man prefers to cool his jets on tile and pillowcases.  No Fu-Fu cushy things for him.

He settled in and watched the activity.  A herd – or is it a quorum of quail? – entered the yard looking for falling leftovers.  Soon the doves came in and activity stepped up.  The birds in the neighborhood know that I’m sloppy feeder filler, without a great eye for detail and there will be dropped seed in the yard.

They flew in singing, chucking, cooing and beeping (the quail quorum) and flew out.  The little ones fed on the seed in the feeders; the big birds pecking along from the random remnants on the ground.  Soon, our yard lizard came out to join the fun and just sat there – he’s gotten pretty big and fat himself and doesn’t run like the little lizards.  He did some pushups and then just waited, for what I don’t know.

Finnegan can’t believe the bonanza of wild life right here in Tucson.  I had my husband get a table to put next to the desk, where Finnegan quickly settled into his armchair for viewing.  It’s a jungle out there and the best puppy show on earth.  Finnegan’s head and eyes were intent, swinging back and forth from the tiny flyers to the bigger Quail on the ground.  He sniffed the air; unsure what these things are.

After about 10 minutes, he poked his little black nose up to the screen and startled the birds.  The quail ran out in a panic beeping, but came back almost instantaneously.  The doves and finches flew off but came right back.  Finnegan sat unmoving after that – he sure didn’t want to disturb the potential food sources.  He didn’t bark– which amazed me.  The first time he saw my husband in a black ball cap, he barked.  He has barked at the rubber duck in the pool, when it dared to stare at him or drift off on the currents of the cleaning system.  He barks when he hears someone coming over – his tail wagging merrily all the time.

As I watched, his little mouth opened and closed in a rhythm.  He moved closer to the screen again…trying to see if he could eat whatever the things were prancing out of reach in the beyond.  He couldn’t but he enjoyed pretending he was catching prey.

The outdoor movie bought me fifteen quite minutes this morning…before he saw a young girl walking across the street with two teensy toy dogs.  He barked at them, looked at me and barked again.  I took him down and he went running out of the room, I think he thought we were headed out the door to check out the interlopers.

But, puppy that he is, he saw my husband’s man cave door open and took the opportunity to run in, walk on the treadmill…sniff around and inspect for available socks or shoes he could take.  The attention span is short, but that’s okay, he keeps it interesting for us.

 

If anything has happened to Isa Celis, Tucson will be in mourning.  The latest I heard is that Police are trying to get in touch with neighbors they haven’t been able to contact in the last month.  Law enforcement is leaving questionnaires.

If CPS, a non-law enforcement agency staffed by poorly paid child welfare investigators (starting at $32,000 with the highest, most experienced level now getting paid about $40,000, working with outdated, often broken office equipment, out of tiny cubicles, using their own vehicles to get around)…doesn’t interview every family member…any teachers…any Doctors…any daycare workers…all parents not living in the home in a case…they are raked over in the news.

How is it that law enforcement with all their resources… more than Child Protective Services … hasn’t been able to contact local people?  You would have thought neighbors…all of them…would have been interviewed three weeks ago.  There have been several law enforcement agencies….numerous deputies, police officers and I believe other outside law enforcement investigating this case.  If a child is missing, can the Police ask to come in to the neighbor’s houses?  I don’t know.  If not, the law should be changed to allow them access…in the case of a missing child/suspected abduction/kidnapping.

Where are the neighbors?  How many times has a child gone missing and the ultimate outcome is the child was taken by a neighbor?

I have no great love for CPS…since 2005 there have been numerous reports on child abuse/neglect cases and a couple of deaths wherein the agency was previously involved with the family.   It’s actually the family that fails the child…and yes, there are a couple of workers who need more training or shouldn’t be in the field.  But, last I heard, CPS hasn’t gotten the technology to predict behavior.  Does law enforcement have this?  On Television’s Criminal Mind’s the FBI staff have profilers who can forecast what will happen and who is probably the perpetrator.  But, that’s not real life is it?

Child deaths are prominent in the news.  The new CPS Director in Phoenix, Clarence Carter…has changed some things.  But, then every new Director makes his/her mark.  Every 4 years or so CPS gets a new one that’s going to solve everything.  One of the recently appointed, since “retired” Directors from out of State had the Agency spend a fortune on a new lengthy, cumbersome documentation program in the computer.  Workers spent as much time investigating and interviewing children as they did typing in the required information in the computer.   Mr. Carter is now issuing reforms to decrease some of the time spent in documentation.  Every few years the agency goes through a major change in style and emphasis.  If you are there long enough, you’ll have seen some old “style” come back into vogue and emphasis.

“New” programs come into vogue and are funded…but money isn’t put in the front end to help the investigators and ongoing workers who are actually dealing with the cases.  No one asks what they need.

A couple of front line workers in Tucson are on administrative leave…and some supervisors.  The local program manager is still here…since, I don’t know…2004, 2003, 2005?  She was allocated a new position a few months ago…an assistant deputy to help her manage six assistant program managers who oversee the various sites/offices around Tucson.  CPS investigators get 3-4 new child abuse/neglect reports every week. Each investigator…and they keep them on their caseload till they close them or take custody and petition the court and transfer to an Ongoing worker who will oversee Court orders.   Each parent in a court case will be appointed his and her own attorney, by the court, usually paid for by the State because they can’t afford counsel.  Some investigators have 40-90 open investigations.  Why?  Think.

What is the deal with Sergio Celis?  If something is going on………..and he voluntarily agreed to stay away…why hasn’t CPS filed a court case and WHY hasn’t law enforcement arrested him???  Think…….think.

Mr. Celis may have sketchy things in his background…maybe he’s depressed…I don’t know….but if it is suspected that he did something to his daughter why is it that CPS and Law enforcement can’t do a darn thing???

On the other hand, if the family isn’t involved…why haven’t all the neighbors been personally interviewed????  By law enforcement…?

No one knows what is going on.  The wall around the Celis home is 5 feet 8 inches tall and made of concrete.  Not the easiest wall for a perpetrator to bound over.  Maybe a meter box in the back gave an uplift of one to two feet.  But, why this house when it’s one of the most fortress like buildings in the neighborhood?  Who would go and steal a child from a house like that?

On the other hand………..if someone has been watching the family and saw this beautiful little girl…let’s say the 100+ sexual predators in her area of town…….who’s to say that she wasn’t targeted.

What if this person got friendly with mom and/or dad?  What if this person had been inside the fence?  What if someone watched…saw where she lived?  Figured out where in the house she slept?  What if she got up in the middle of the night and walked out the door?  What if she decided to open her window for air?  What if some night creature heard?  Would the dogs have slept through all that?  I don’t know.  I have a puppy…so he could sleep through anything when he’s tired.  I don’t know about these dogs.

It’s not easy for anyone or any agency to deal with the nightmare of a missing child case.  Everyone feels for Isa Celis.  What a happy looking little girl we see in home videos.  Please let her be alright…no child should suffer.

 

You may have noticed…I’ve been preoccupied and haven’t written regularly lately.  Well…if you had a new addition to your family you’d be busy and tired too.

Remember babies, toddler hood, and puppies? Sure you do. Are you yawning yet?

I’m proud to announce a new addition to our family – our puppy Finnegan. I named him that because Finnegan in Gaelic (the Irish National language) means “small white haired one”.

Finnegan has long, wavy silky white hair. We brought him home Saturday, May 12th… after an hour and a half drive from Gold Canyon, Arizona.

He rewarded me as we neared the house.  We slowed our speed after getting off the highway and made some turns. This was his signal to vomit.  Such is the nature of puppies on car rides. His prior home mom had purposely not given him lunch…she knew better.

I dipped my hand in his carrier and saw the vomit.  Maternal (dogternal?) instinct kicked in as I opened the door. I took my little 6 pound 12 ounce boy out of the crate. I had my husband hand me a paper towel and some water from the front seat to wipe Finnegan’s mouth.  I am a pushover…but not stupid.

I was grateful I’d wiped his little puppy smile, as I was immediately rewarded with a darting tongue into my mouth. He was so happy. He doesn’t have an unhappy bone in his little body.

We arrived home and the adventure began. I couldn’t figure out how to get him into the harness to leash him and walk him in…I have technical issues.

I carried Finnegan in.  After showing him his exercise pen, his sleeping crate and toys, we relaxed.  I made dinner and he ate like no one ever fed him and finished dinner in seconds. This went on …the cleaning and licking of his bowl…in record time…for his first three to four days.  I guess after that he realized we wouldn’t starve him and he slowed down.

Everyone day I learn something new and every day I am amazed at what he teaches me…about him…about life…about myself. I couldn’t be happier………….or more tired.

We found our puppy at long last.  Pictures…many…and stories..many…to follow. But right now Finnegan is lying under the chair in my family room so his little body can lie on tile.  He’s a hot little guy and prefers tile floors, sheets, and slick surfaces to expensive dog beds and cushy daybeds.  Go Figure.  I put a pillow case on the crate pad in his night night place and he sleeps like a …dog.

Gotta go.  Someone stole my socks.  Puppy love…what can I say…nothing better.  Can I get a WOOF?

Water…precious resource

I finally got my hard water situation straightened out. No, not the beach…. the water in my house. I was tired – as I mentioned in a previous article – of getting calcium marks on countertops and filmy stuff on shower doors. I finally got a water softener and water filtration system in my house.

The water I use from the taps in my kitchen is good to go now – free of hardness, sediment, potentially harmful chemicals and yuck factors. It tastes great and by the way, the water in the taps in our bathrooms even tastes good now.

I researched and chose four companies for demonstrations and information: Eco Water Systems - a locally grown family company ( Phone: (520) 881-1740-33301 N Chapel Ave); Culligan Water Conditioning ( (520) 792-9700 1230 S Campbell Ave www.culligan.com; Water Tech of Tucson – another local company with an on-site studio and factory you can visit – (Phone (520) 638-9440 4601 S 3rd Ave www.watertectucson.com) and Kinetico (Phone (520) 293-6687 or 549-2133, 1870 W Prince Rd, Ste 7 .

All have websites and interesting information you can read. All the representatives were pleasant and all came to my home to test the water and demonstrate how their systems work. All provided price quotes. Kinetico was the most expensive. Culligan and Eco were around the same price and had very likeable representatives.

All four companies are Better Business Bureau A rated. Water Tech has a local facility you can tour. We chose Water Tech. The price was reasonable, the personnel knowledgeable and the system included both a filtration and softening feature and is compact enough to fit in our garage.

The best is – the water of course! I cannot believe how much better my skin feels – not so dry and itchy. My hair is smoother, silkier and less frizzy and I no longer get water spots on my glasses, counter tops and stainless steel sink. All the water in my house tastes good and I feel safer and healthier.

I’d highly recommend checking out the companies for yourself, you can’t go too wrong with any of them. For us it was a matter of cost, owner credibility, being able to tour their facility, quick response and no fancy schmancy bells and whistles. When you got a good product, you don’t have to bedazzle the customer. They had just what we wanted at the right price.

I have to go now, all this water talk has gotten me thirsty.

Police released information that Child Protective Services made a voluntary agreement with Sergio Celis.  He is not to have contact with his sons.  He agreed to leave the family home.  That does not mean the children were “removed” from the father or the family.

 

This type of agreement is developed during a meeting with the family and concerned professionals, as well as the CPS investigator, supervisor and CPS meeting facilitator.  If the CPS agency got information from law enforcement that the father had done something to put his children in the way of harm, the agency needed to take action.  But, maybe there wasn’t enough information to take the situation to court, under our Arizona laws.

 

Removal of children must meet stringent legal requirements that the CPS investigator would need to detail in a written petition to the court.

 

A voluntary agreement is time limited and has stipulations.  For example, there is a monitor appointed whose role it is to assure that the father doesn’t violate the agreement.  Typically and it is my best guest -  that the mother was given the designation as monitor – which would mean that at this time she is trusted by the CPS agency, as well as law enforcement and willing and able to set and maintain these limits.

 

In addition to that, there may be drop in visits to the home randomly, by a CPS investigator.  Or, there could be a trusted family member monitoring and visiting additionally.

 

All parties, including both parents need to agree to and sign off on a voluntary.  It is not legally binding.  However, if he violated it, that could provide legal weight for the agency to initiate a court case.  In the worst case scenario, if the mother were enabling the violation, the children may be removed and put with approved relatives, or if that is lacking, in foster care.

 

The agreement doesn’t mean that Sergio Celis is considered to have done something wrong or hurt his daughter.  It is a precaution.

 

If there was grave concern, there would be court action (through the Pima County Juvenile Court) initiated by CPS and not a voluntary contract.

 

It may be that he has a past record of arrests for driving while intoxicated with the children in the car.  Or, he had an arrest several years ago – at a younger age – for using marijuana, cocaine or other drugs.  Or, it could simply be based on whatever information law enforcement provided.  Keep in mind if that were concrete and irrefutable proof he was somehow involved or negligent, then law enforcement would have initiated an arrest – don’t you think?

 

Sergio could be severely depressed about his daughter’s disappearance and so guilty that he has verbalized suicidal ideation.  He could be unable to function due to depression, leading him to cry continually and/or react in unpredictable ways that adversely affect his boys.

 

There may have been an incident of prior domestic violence which raised concerns.  This is possible, but not probable because if he had hurt his wife and/or children before and Becky Celis did not take action to prevent and protect – the CPS agency could potentially take legal custody as it might appear Becky is afraid or unable to protect.

 

He may be angry or not, with his sons, or they perceive he is…and they may think he blames them for the incident – after all, they almost always slept in their brother’s room.  Why not that night?  The boy(s) may have stated they are worried or fearful about this.

 

There may be someone who is targeting Sergio, placing him in jeopardy, and to remain in the home would further jeopardize his children’s safety.

 

Perhaps Sergio owes money to unsavory people…and that puts the rest of the family at risk.  Is he a gambler?  Was there any drug dealing going on in the house?  Was there traffic going in and out that the neighbors are now reporting on?  Did he do something to anger the wrong people?

 

There may have been statements made by one or both parents that is inconsistent…or not matching, that raises concerns about what happened.  It may be his affect when he reported his child missing, his chuckling about telling his wife to “get her butt home” raised flags in some way.  We never know how people will respond to a crisis – you cannot jump to conclusions.

 

Perhaps Sergio had become overly vigilant in the home to the point it frightened the boys.  Maybe he began to stay up all night, patrolling the house and checking doors and on the hour – who knows.

 

The boys may have said something that concerned investigators – maybe one of both heard someone else in the house that morning.

 

Maybe the boys think their father is angry with them; after all, why wasn’t Isa sleeping in their room that night like she normally does?  He may not be able to assuage their guilt (if they have any), if he himself too feels guilty or distraught.  What’s left in him to give the boys right now?  He is the man, the protector…and like any father he has to feel terrible about whatever happened.

 

Police, now believe Isa’s disappearances abduction.  However, they haven’t ruled out the parents.  Law enforcement is not sure who the abductor(s) are and whether, somehow, Sergio brought the people to the home – however innocently – himself.

 

Time will tell.  Law enforcement recently stated that CPS was at the family home in December.  Why?  Was there a domestic violence incident?  Did neighbors hear something?  Did a child tell the teacher something?  Did people observe cars and strangers coming to the home all hours of the night?  Or maybe only after Becky went to work?

 

It takes time to develop information to “solve” a case.  Both CPS and law enforcement are expected to know and turn over rocks and leads and swiftly figure out what’s going on.  But, of course, that’s what we’ve learned as a society to expect.  Doesn’t CSI and all the other investigators, law enforcement agencies and other professionals we see portrayed on Television figure it all out in an hour.  It’s only a matter of time before people start questioning whether Police know what they are doing or if they have done enough.  We know if CPS had any prior involvement, it will all be turned back on that Agency.

 

Such is child welfare.  Such is the nature of frightening times.  No one knows right now what is going on.  And let’s remember, it’s all about Isabel…and keep praying, and keep thinking good thoughts and keep the focus on her.  Now is not the time to judge and reach a conclusion.  We still need to focus on finding her.

The search for little Isabel Celis continues. Tucson Police disclosed that Sergio Celis, Isa’s father, met with Child Protective Services late last week and that he agreed to a voluntary separation from his two sons. The boys continue to live at home with their mother Rebecca.

Police reported they developed information that raised concerns as to the boy’s safety and they contacted the CPS agency. Within a day, this was clarified and restated in a slightly different way – law enforcement stated it is routine for CPS to be called when any child goes missing, so CPS was involved from the beginning of the case. I worked for CPS as an investigator for years, both here and in Florida, and don’t recall ever being called in at that point.

If CPS was involved from the beginning of the Celis Case, it is because there was a concern that something about the situation law enforcement found concerned Police about the home’s safety, the family, or frequent visitors to the home. It may not have been concerns regarding the child’s parents, but perhaps concerns that a relative who visits has a serious arrest record, may use drugs or is suspicious in some way.

The law agency may discern that the parents are not protecting the child/children in the home from this individual or individuals – either because they can’t, will not, or do not show awareness this individual is potentially dangerous.

CPS gets reports from law enforcement and they are taken by a central hotline in Phoenix. Generally, CPS is called if let’s say, the Police or Sheriff arrest parents and there is no relative who can or is able to take custody of the children while the parent is incarcerated. They also call if they are at a home due to a drug situation, which could be parents and/or others selling drugs from within the child’s residence.

Law enforcement typically will call if they stop a vehicle due to DUI and the mother and/or father is driving while intoxicated or under the influence of recreational drugs and the minors are in the vehicle. There are other reasons, but generally it is because the child/children are determined to be hurt, injured, sick/ill, neglected and exposed to dangerous people, or are at risk of grave injury or harm due to the caretaker’s actions…or the home environment is so chaotic, dirty and unsanitary there is a serious concern for the child/children’s welfare.

Domestic violence situations are also ones where CPS is commonly called, if the violence is in the child’s home between his/her primary caregivers and/or the parents allow others in the home who engages in violence which could potentially harm the minor – that is a failure on the parent’s part to protect.

CPS and law enforcement are partners, each with defined responsibilities and access to different types of records and tools, skills and abilities. The two agencies pool their resources.

Up until about 2007, CPS workers were unable to access information on criminal activity or records, outside of general websites…where the persons may be identified by name and date of birth, but not by social security information so the agency would be able to verify it is the same person.

Due to a change in the law made by the legislature, CPS was given permission to call Department of Public Safety to get information. The number of requests was limited and the time for DPS to answer could be two hours, several hours or days or weeks later…initially. It was a work in progress.

In about 2009/2010, the Agency was allowed its own access to DPS records after receiving training as to confidentiality. No training or material was provided on how to read the records or understand them, what the codes meant and how to navigate the site. That was a matter of trial and error for each worker. In government, resources may slowly come, equipment arrives – but training on how to use the resources/equipment may not be available for months. Such is life in government and especially in social welfare agencies that are typically not funded to provide extensive or rapid training.

If you are interested in the law, as it applies to parental abuse/neglect of children, you can examine Arizona’s law at http://www.azleg.gov/arizonarevisedstatutes.asp?title=13. Title 13, Title 13 – Criminal Code.

However and whoever responds is written into our laws, as made and modified by our State Legislators. Below are some areas of the law that address children. It is Chapter 36, Family Offenses, that specifically addresses family offenses…these are the areas that delineate what CPS could be involved in. It’s easy to go to the ARS (Arizona Revised Statutes) website, just copy and paste the address above into your browser.

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The next article will address possible  reasons why Sergio Celis can not live at home.

Little 6 year old Isa has a  megawatt sweet smile.  All the photos we’ve seen, published by the press and police, show a child who seems to be happy, healthy, well dressed and cared for. She looks just like her mother.  We all wish for her safe and speedy return.

In Tucson, we are all worried for her and frustrated, wishing we could do something to help.  But law enforcement needs to do their job, uninhibited and unencumbered.

What happened? She’s been gone 12 days now, 2 weeks on Saturday. We don’t know.  It’s scary right now here…considering we’ve had a recent incident where someone climbed in through another window to molest some little girls.  And, he…hasn’t been found.  We’re told it is not related, who knows?

I checked public records websites for both the parents and you can too. Now, whether or not these are actually the parents is a question, as who would really know?  They may just be people with the same names.  The only one I know is right is the first, as this is the one that Tucson Police released information and dates on.

The websites are:

http://apps.supremecourt.az.gov/publicaccess/caselookup.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

http://www.cosc.pima.gov/home.asp?include=pages/record_search.htm

http://www.jp.pima.gov/home.htm

http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/courts/QDPS/Search/CitySearch.aspx

Here’s what I found, all Public records:

 

Public Access to Court Information – Case Search

The Arizona Judicial Branch is pleased to offer Public Access to Court Case

•             This first  is the case that Tucson Police Department reported on their daily News Update about a week ago….regarding their dogs.

Case Number:   M-1041-CR-12033022

Title:      ST OF AZ VS CELIS SERGIO DAVID              Category:            Criminal

Court:   Tucson Municipal Court  Filing Date:        04/19/2012

Judge:   None     Disposition Date:

SERGIO DAVID CELIS DEFENDANT – D 1   Date of Birth: 12/1970

Citation                Count    Description         Disp. Date           Disposition

QX0067819          1              LOCAL CHARGE

QX0067819          2              LOCAL CHARGE

QX0067819          3              LOCAL CHARGE

QX0067819          4              LOCAL CHARGE

QX0067819          5              LOCAL CHARGE

Case Activity

Date      Description         Party

04/26/2012         CAL: ARRM-CRIMINAL

04/19/2012         COMPANION FILE EXISTS             D 1

04/19/2012         FILE MADE          D 1

04/19/2012         FILED: COMPLAINT-CITATION

 

Party Name        Case Number    Case Caption     Filing Date

SERGIO CELIS     C20033207

EFREN ROMERO VS REBECCA CELIS          6/5/2003

SERGIO D CELIS C314567

8/13/1996

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       L5344282

5/13/1997

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       L99330

5/13/1997

Case Information  Case Number:              File Date:             Judge:   Party Information

Party Full Name                Party Role           Name Type

SERGIO DAVID CELIS

Groom  True

REBECCA LAURA SNYDER

Bride     True

Public Access to Court Information – Case Search             M-1041-TR-97298861

SERGIO D CELIS DEFENDANT       12/1970                TUCSON, AZ 85711          Tucson Municipal Court

M-1041-TR-98220350

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       DEFENDANT       12/1970                TUCSON, AZ 85711          Tucson Municipal Court

M-1041-TR-5021372

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       DEFENDANT       12/1970                TUCSON, AZ 85747          Tucson Municipal Court

J-1003-TR-200600860

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       DEFENDANT       12/1970                TUCSON, AZ 587475193 Ajo Justice

M-1041-TR-7107906

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       DEFENDANT       12/1970                TUCSON, AZ 85747          Tucson Municipal Court

M-1041-TR-11015469

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       DEFENDANT       12/1970                TUCSON, AZ 85711          Tucson Municipal Court

M-1041-CR-12033022

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       DEFENDANT       12/1970                TUCSON, AZ 85711          Tucson Municipal Court

M-1041-CR-12033020

SERGIO DAVID CELIS       DEFENDANT       12/1970                TUCSON, AZ 85711          Tucson Municipal Court

Case Information

SERGIO DAVID CELIS DEFENDANT – D 1   Date of Birth: 12/1970

Case Activity

Date      Description         Party

04/26/2012         CAL: ARRM-CRIMINAL

04/19/2012         COMPANION FILE EXISTS             D 1

04/19/2012         FILE MADE          D 1

04/19/2012         FILED: COMPLAINT-CITATION    D 1

Case Number:   M-1041-TR-11015469

Title:      ST OF AZ VS CELIS SERGIO DAVID              Category:            Traffic

Court:   Tucson Municipal Court

Filing Date:          02/16/2011

Judge:   HON KAREN MAISH LEAVITT       Disposition Date:              08/02/2011

SERGIO DAVID CELIS DEFENDANT – D 1   Date of Birth: 12/1970

Citation                Count    Description         Disp. Date           Disposition

CP0102787          1              FAIL TO STOP FOR RED LIGHT      08/02/2011         DEFENSIVE DRIVING/DISM NO MVD

Public Access to Court Information – Case Search              n

 

The Arizona Judicial Branch is pleased to offer Public Access to Court Case

 Case Information Case Number:              M-1041-TR-7107906       

Title:      ST OF AZ VS CELIS SERGIO DAVID              Category:            Traffic

Court:   Tucson Municipal Court   Filing Date:          11/06/2007 Judge:           None     Disposition Date:

SERGIO DAVID CELIS DEFENDANT – D 1   Date of Birth: 12/1970

Citation                Count    Description         Disp. Date           Disposition

C13402938           1              LOCAL CHARGE                 12/11/2007         PLEA GUILTY/RESP SENT IMPOSED

C13402938           2              FAIL TO PRODUCE EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESP

Case Activity

Date      Description         Party

12/11/2007         FUND: 2007 SURCHARGES (84%)               D 1

12/11/2007         FUND: BASE FINE             D 1

12/11/2007         FUND: PROB SURCH 2006             D 1

12/11/2007         FUND: TCC CASE PROCESS FEE 84%          D 1

12/11/2007         HELD: ARRAIGNMENT    D 1

12/11/2007         TIC: SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATE              D 1

12/06/2007         CAL: ARRM-CIVIL TRAFFIC            D 1

12/06/2007         MISC: CALENDAR UPDATE           D 1

11/06/2007         FILED: COMPLAINT-CITATION    D 1

 

Case Number:   J-1003-TR-200600860       Title:     ST OF AZ VS CELIS SERGIO DAVI Category:            Traffic

Court:   Ajo Justice    Filing Date:                06/02/2006

Judge:   None     Disposition Date:              06/29/2006

SERGIO DAVID CELIS DEFENDANT – D 1   Date of Birth: 12/1970

Citation                Count    Description         Disp. Date           Disposition

T00065991           1              LOCAL CHARGE                 06/29/2006         BAIL/DEPOSIT GIVEN/FORFEITED

Date      Description         Party

06/29/2006         FUND: 2002 PROBATION SURCHARGE    D 1

06/29/2006         FUND: 2002 SURCHARGES (80%)               D 1

06/29/2006         FUND: BASE FINE             D 1

06/29/2006         NO CONTEST PLEA           D 1

06/28/2006         CAL: DEFAULT JUDGMENT HEARING

06/14/2006         TELEPHONE CALL              D 1

06/02/2006         COMPLAINT FILED-UNIFORM CITATN

Case Information  Case Number:   M-1041-TR-98220350

Title:      STATE OF ARIZONA VS CELIS       Category:            Traffic

Court:   Tucson Municipal Court  Filing Date:          03/16/1998

Judge:   None     Disposition Date:              03/24/1998

SERGIO DAVID CELIS DEFENDANT – D 1   Date of Birth: 12/1970

Citation                Count    Description         Disp. Date           Disposition

C05696460           1              DRIVE W/ LICENSE SUSPENDED/REVOKED/CANCELLED; DUI         03/24/1998         PLEA GUILTY/RESP SENT IMPOSED

C05696460           2              NO CURRENT REGISTRATION      03/24/1998         COMPL DISMISSED BY COURT

C05696460           3              FAIL TO PRODUCE EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESP             03/24/1998         COMPL DISMISSED BY COURT

Date      Description         Party

08/20/1999         REACT / FACTS CONVERSION

04/30/1998         MOTION: DEF-FOR EXTENSION  D 1

03/23/1998         JAIL/PRISON      D 1

03/16/1998         FILED: COMPLAINT-CITATION    D 1

Public Access to Court Information – Case Search

Case Number:   M-1041-TR-97298861

Title:      STATE OF ARIZONA VS CELIS       Category:            Traffic

Court:   Tucson Municipal Court  Filing Date:        12/26/1997

Judge:   HON ROBERT L CASTILLO              Disposition Date:              07/08/1998

SERGIO D CELIS DEFENDANT – D 1             Date of Birth: 12/1970

Citation                Count    Description         Disp. Date           Disposition

C05682337           1              DUI; ALCOHOL DRUGS TOXIC VAPOR OR COMBINATION               07/08/1998         COMPL DISMISSED BY COURT

C05682337           2              LOCAL CHARGE                 07/08/1998         PLEA GUILTY/RESP SENT IMPOSED

Date      Description         Party

08/20/1999         REACT / FACTS CONVERSION

07/01/1998         CAL: TRIAL-JURY               D 1

07/01/1998         FUND: 96 BASE FINE       D 1

07/01/1998         FUND: 96 SURCHARGES                D 1

07/01/1998         HELD: JURY TRIAL (CONV)            D 1

02/12/1998         FUND: ATTORNEY FEE REIMB      D 1

12/26/1997         FILED: COMPLAINT-CITATION

 

Case Number:     File Date:             Caption:               Judge:

Party Full Name                Party Role           Name Type

EFREN ROMERO

Plaintiff                True

REBECCA L. CELIS   Defendant     True

SERGIO CELIS   Defendant            True

Case/Document Information

Order    Order Of Dismissal/Dismissing    ORDER OF DISMISSAL    12/17/2003         Available at Courthouse

Stipulation          Stipulation & Order         STIPULATION & ORDER OF DISMISSAL    12/17/2003         Available at Courthouse

Notice   Notice Of Settlement/Offer        NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT               11/26/2003         Available at Courthouse

Ptstate Pretrial Statement           COUNTERDEFENDANT ROMERO’S PRE-HEARING STATEMENT     11/13/2003         Available at Courthouse

Notice   Notice Of Service             NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PLNTF ROMERO’S FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO DISCLOSURE STATEMENT                 10/22/2003         Available at Courthouse

Answer                Answer/Response To Counter/Cross Claim          EFREN ROMERO’S REPLY TO COUNTERCLAIM      9/15/2003                Available at Courthouse

Notice   Notice Of Service             Notice of Service              8/18/2003            Available at Courthouse

Notice   Notice Of Service             NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PLAINTIFF ROMERO’S RULE 26.1 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT                 8/15/2003            Available at Courthouse

Notice   Notice Re: Arbitration/Arbitrator              NOTICE RE: COMPULSORY ARBITRATION/ APPOINTMENT OF ARBITRATOR                 8/8/2003              Available at Courthouse

Amended            Answer/Response          AMENDED ANSWER & COUNTERCLAIM                 7/15/2003            Available at Courthouse

Motion Motion To Set   MOTION TO SET AND CERTIFICATE OF READINESS            7/9/2003              Available at Courthouse

Receipt All Money Receipts         All Money Receipts 320080          7/8/2003              Available at Courthouse

Answer                Answer/Response          ANSWER              7/8/2003              Available at Courthouse

Affidavit               Affidavit Of Service         Affidavit of Service          6/12/2003            Available at Courthouse

Receipt All Money Receipts         All Money Receipts 312845          6/6/2003              Available at Courthouse

Misc       Arbitration/Arbitrator    Certificate of Compulsory Arbitration     6/6/2003              Available at Courthouse

Open     Petition & Complaint      Petition/Complaint         6/6/2003              Available at Courthouse

Public Access to Court Information – Case Search

The Arizona Judicial Branch is pleased to offer Public Access to Court Case Information, a valuable online service providing a resource for information about court cases from 153 out of 180 courts in Arizona. Case Information

 

Case Number:   M-1041-CR-2122872

Title:      ST OF AZ VS CELIS REBECCA         Category:            Criminal

Court:   Tucson Municipal Court     Filing Date:       12/03/2002

Judge:   HON EUGENE H HAYS     Disposition Date:              04/22/2003

REBECCA CELIS DEFENDANT – D 1              Date of Birth: 10/1976

Citation                Count    Description         Disp. Date           Disposition

CL0033825           1              DUI; ALCOHOL DRUGS TOXIC VAPOR OR COMBINATION               04/22/2003         COMPL DISMISSED BY CTY ATTY

CL0033825           2              LIQ IN VEHICLE CONSUME/POSSESS        04/22/2003         COMPL DISMISSED BY CTY ATTY

CL0033825           3              CHILD/VULNERABLE ADULT ABUSE          04/22/2003         COMPL DISMISSED BY CTY ATTY

Date      Description         Party

04/22/2003         MOTION: STATE-TO DISMISS      D 1

04/22/2003         CAL: PRETRIAL-ASSIGNED

03/25/2003         CAL: PRETRIAL-ASSIGNED

03/25/2003         ORDER: TO CONTINUE

01/13/2003         CAL: PRETRIAL-ASSIGNED            D 1

01/13/2003         ORDER: TO CONTINUE

12/11/2002         APPOINTED: ATTORNEY BY COURT           D 1

12/11/2002         HELD: ARRAIGNMENT    D 1

12/11/2002         MISC: RELEASE CONDITIONS       D 1

12/11/2002         CAL: ARRM-DRIVING

12/03/2002         FILED: COMPLAINT-CITATION    D 1

12/03/2002         PROCESS: SERVED/PRIVATE SERVR          D 1